“…anyone of their family…may redeem them…”
The year of Jubilee was indeed a blessing from God to his people. Every fifty years all the slaves were set free and the poor could return to their repossessed homes. It was truly a year of jubilation and celebration!
If someone could not or didn’t wish to wait that long to be free or to recover their property, they had another option: Redemption. To redeem was to pay the full price for freedom or any debt. If the person could not afford his own redemption, someone from his family had the right under the Law, to redeem and set him free.
Christ is our closest Relative. He redeemed us when we were slaves to sin and our souls belonged to (or were controlled by) the devil. We inherited a life of misery from our “uncle” Adam and later on we sold ourselves to a sinful lifestyle.
The saddest part of this dilemma is that the human race couldn’t afford their own redemption from sin and death. There is not enough money in the universe to pay for our freedom and our best works failed to impress God.
But thanks be to God that Jesus chose to be our Relative! He became like us in order to rescue a fallen and sinful race in our darkest hour. He did not bring money or treasures from heaven to pay our insurmountable debt. He paid our eternal debt with his own blood.
Brethren we are not alone in this world. We have a Celestial Relative who saved us, and gave us a reason to live. One day, when we enter through Eternity’s gates we shall see Christ, our Eternal Relative…and we will praise Him forever.
A. G.
