“In this message from the ‘Heart of God’ series, we explore Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of the Land. Based on Leviticus 25:23–25, this teaching reveals the spiritual law of redemption that allows mankind to recover the authority lost through Adam’s disobedience.”
We learn the spiritual law that can recover the authority given to the enemy devil through Adam’s disobedience.
We also learn the qualifications of the Savior.
Reading Passage:
Leviticus 25:23–25 (NASB)
“The land, moreover, shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are only strangers and residents with Me. So for every piece of your property, you are to provide for the redemption of the land. If a fellow countryman of yours becomes poor and sells part of his property, then his nearest relative is to come and buy back what his relative has sold.”
Memory Verse:
Romans 5:19 (NASB)
“For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.”
Reference Passage:
Revelation 5:1–5 (NASB)
“…And one of the elders said to me, ‘Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.’”
Additional Verse (separately cited):
Leviticus 25:25 (NASB)
“If a fellow countryman of yours becomes poor and sells part of his property, then his nearest relative is to come and buy back what his relative has sold.”
(See also Ephesians 1:4 (NASB) “Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.”)
1.) The Law of Land Redemption for Buying and Selling (Redemption of the land Leviticus 25)
Leviticus 25:23–25 teaches the law of land redemption. All land belongs to the Lord God, so it must not be sold forever. If a man becomes poor and sells land, it may be redeemed later by the proper rule.
In Israel, they wrote a contract for the sale and for the right to redeem. The seller and buyer signed it and set witnesses. One copy was sealed and kept in the temple storehouse. Another copy was left unsealed and set open at the temple entrance for public view. This showed that a nearest relative could redeem the land at any time. If no relative could redeem it, the owner himself could redeem it later when he was able.
In the same way, Adam’s disobedience brought a “contract-like” situation between God and the devil under this law. Adam gave the authority to rule the nations to the devil (Luke 4:6).
But by the law of redemption, it was not permanent. It could be taken back. In love and in justice, the Lord God prepared Jesus Christ as the One worthy to redeem, before the foundation of the world. When the time came, through the suffering of the cross, He opened the way of salvation thorugh Spiritual law of redemption.
2.) The Qualifications for the Redeemer and Jesus Christ
In Revelation 5:4, there appears a book that symbolizes God’s redemptive plan for mankind, sealed until the One worthy to open it appeared.
It means: “Although Adam disobeyed and handed over the authority to rule over all nations to the devil, if someone appears who has the power to redeem, that authority will be returned.”
When the Apostle John saw that the book was sealed with seven seals and that no one was worthy to open it, he wept greatly.
Then one of the elders said, “Do not weep; the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.”
This shows that Jesus, the Root of David, is the One who is qualified to redeem. Then what are the qualifications for the Redeemer according to the law of redemption?
- He must be a relative of Adam.
Romans 5:12 (NASB) says,
“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind, because all sinned.”
And Romans 5:19 (NASB) says,
“For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.”
If there is someone who can redeem mankind from sin, then all people walking toward destruction can be saved.
According to the law of redemption, even if a man sells his land because he has no money, if he gains the ability to redeem it later, he can buy it back.
If he cannot do it himself, a relative may redeem it for him. Therefore, the one who can recover the authority Adam handed over to the devil must be a human being, a relative of Adam.
Was Jesus qualified for this?
Yes. Jesus is the Word who became flesh (John 1:14, NASB) and came to this world as a man. Because He was born in human form, He meets the first qualification of the law of redemption.
- He must not be a descendant of Adam.
When Adam committed sin, all of his descendants were born with original sin.
Therefore, to redeem mankind from sin, the Redeemer must not be one of Adam’s descendants. A sinner cannot redeem another sinner.
When John looked to find someone who was not a descendant of Adam, he saw only angels in Heaven, sinners on the earth, and beings belonging to Hell beneath the earth (Revelation 5:1–3, NASB).
So he wept. How about Jesus?
Though physically the Root of David, He was not conceived by a man and a woman. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary (Matthew 1:18–21, NASB). He was born without original sin.
Thus, Jesus fully meets the second qualification.
- He must have the power to overcome the devil.
Even if someone wishes to pay another person’s debt, it is useless without the means to do so. Likewise, one who redeems from sin must have sufficient power. In the spiritual world, sinlessness is power.
To recover the authority that Adam lost to the devil, one must be without sin. Only then can he rule and reign over the enemy.
Was Jesus qualified?
Yes. Jesus was not a descendant of Adam, so He had no original sin. He also had no personal sin. From His circumcision at eight days old until His death on the cross at the age of thirty-three, He perfectly kept the Law.
He fulfilled the Law with love and obedience to God’s will. Because He was completely sinless, He had full power to redeem and conquer the enemy devil.
- He must have love even to the point of giving His life.
Even if one has all the other qualifications, without love, redemption is meaningless.
No matter how rich an elder brother is, without love he would not pay his younger brother’s debt.
In Ruth 4, Boaz spoke to the nearest relative of Naomi, asking him to redeem the land.
But the man replied, “I cannot redeem it for myself, because I would jeopardize my own inheritance. Redeem it for yourself; I cannot redeem it.”
He refused because he did not want personal loss. Even if a kinsman has the right and ability, without love, he will not redeem. But Boaz had both strength and love, so he redeemed it on Naomi’s behalf.
In the same way, Jesus had great love for all humanity.If Jesus had not loved mankind enough to shed His blood and die on the cross, could He have restored those who became children of the devil because of Adam’s sin?
Jesus came to forgive sinners, heal the sick, release the bound, and give peace, joy, and love. He did only good.Yet He endured great suffering and scorn, and finally took upon Himself all the sins of humanity and was nailed to the wooden cross.
Because of this amazing sacrifice and love, the way of salvation was opened.
Whoever believes in Jesus Christ the Redeemer, who died without sin and rose again on the third day, receives the authority to become a child of God, and his or her name is written in the book of life in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Only Jesus is the One fully qualified to redeem mankind and to break the power of death.
Acts 4:12 (NASB)
“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under Heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved.”
Let us understand this truth deeply, receive Jesus Christ into our hearts, recover the authority of the children of God, and live a life that prospers in all things.
Note
Original Sin: After Adam’s disobedience, all people were born with a sinful nature through their parents. This is called original sin.
Personal Sin: The sins that a person commits by his own choice after birth are called personal sins.