Sermon # 64 Leviticus Sermons

Title: Christ Our Kinsman Redeemer

Text: Leviticus 25:25-55

Subject: The Law of the Kinsman Redeemer

Date: Sunday Morning – May 25, 2003

Tape # X-61b

Reading: Jeremiah 31:1-14, 31-34 and 32:37-42

Introduction:

The Old Testament is full of pictures of the gospel, of grace and salvation in Christ. One of the most instructive, delightful, and thrilling pictures of our Savior in the Old Testament is that of the kinsman redeemer.

The law of the kinsman redeemer is found in Leviticus 25:25-55. Remember, this law was given on Mt. Sinai, at the very time that God gave the law by which sin is condemned, he gave this law by which he shows how he saves his people from their sins. Remember, too, that the context is describing the year of jubilee. Now, I want to show you something of what this passage teaches us about our all-glorious Christ, our Kinsman Redeemer.

The Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, became our Kinsman, our next of kin, our nearest Kinsman. He became one of us so that he might redeem us and set us free from bondage. Let’s read the verses in this passage that specifically talk about the kinsman redeemer and his work.

(Leviticus 25:25-28) "If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold. {26} And if the man have none to redeem it, and himself be able to redeem it; {27} Then let him count the years of the sale thereof, and restore the overplus unto the man to whom he sold it; that he may return unto his possession. {28} But if he be not able to restore it to him, then that which is sold shall remain in the hand of him that hath bought it until the year of jubilee: and in the jubilee it shall go out, and he shall return unto his possession."

(Leviticus 25:47-49) "And if a sojourner or stranger wax rich by thee, and thy brother that dwelleth by him wax poor, and sell himself unto the stranger or sojourner by thee, or to the stock of the stranger's family: {48} After that he is sold he may be redeemed again; one of his brethren may redeem him: {49} Either his uncle, or his uncle's son, may redeem him, or any that is nigh of kin unto him of his family may redeem him; or if he be able, he may redeem himself."

Divisions: I want to call your attention to three things in this passage.

1. The Redeemed

2. The Redeemer

3. The Redemption

I. The first thing we see in this passage is the redeemed.

If one of the Jews had fallen into deep poverty by neglect, carelessness, foolishness, or any other mean, and sold his land to another, and at last sold himself to a stranger, the Lord God here made a way for him to be redeemed.

This is a powerful picture of Adam selling himself and his all his race into sin and bondage. When this happened, God made provision for his redemption. Verse 48 says, "After that he is sold he may be redeemed again." This is "after" the fact. This verse also states a possibility in the words, "he may be redeemed." Just as our God gave this law in Israel before anyone needed it, our great God found a way to redeem his lost ones long before we fell in our father Adam. Redemption was not an after thought with God, but the eternal purpose of his grace (Rom. 8:28-30)

(Romans 8:28-30) "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. {29} For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. {30} Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified."

The words "redeemed again" speak of getting something back that has been lost. We were his before we fell. We belonged to him from eternity.

II. Second, this chapter speaks about the redeemer; and this is both the best and the most important part of the chapter.

The nearest kinsman had the responsibility of redeeming his brother and his brother’s lost property. If a person was forced into slavery, his redeemer purchased his freedom. When debt threatened to overwhelm him, the kinsman stepped in to redeem his homestead and preserve the family. If a family member died without an heir the kinsman gave his name by marrying the widow and raising a son unto his brother (Deuteronomy 25:5; Genesis 38:8; Ruth 3-4). When death came at the hands of another man the redeemer acted as the avenger of blood and pursued the killer (Numbers 35:12-34; Deuteronomy 19:1-3).

The word translated “redeemer” is the same word translated “avenger” in Numbers 35:12, where God gave the law concerning the avenger of blood and the cities of refuge.

The word is used throughout the Old Testament by the Lord God to describe himself as our Redeemer (Ex. 6:6; Isa. 43:1; 41:14; 44:6, 22; 48:20; Ps. 103:4; Job 19:25). The implication is clear. He who is our Kinsman Redeemer, the true Kinsman Redeemer, is himself God.

(Exodus 6:6) "Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:"

(Job 19:25) "For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:"

(Psalms 103:4) "Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;"

(Isaiah 41:14) "Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel."

(Isaiah 43:1) "But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine."

(Isaiah 44:6) "Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God."

(Isaiah 44:22) "I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee."

(Isaiah 48:20) "Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye, The LORD hath redeemed his servant Jacob."

But God could not be our Redeemer, except he become our Kinsman; and that is exactly what he did when Christ came into the world. Jesus Christ is God our Kinsman!

(Hebrews 2:16-17) "For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. {17} Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people."

When the Lord Jesus was born, his birth was different from that of any other man. When you begin reading in Matthew chapter one you read that so and so begat so and so until you come to verse 18 and there is a definite change. It says, "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost." He became a man to qualify himself as God the eternal Son to be our Kinsman Redeemer.

Requirements

A. Five things were required of the kinsman redeemer.

1. He must be near of kin. (Leviticus 25:48; 25:25 Ruth 3:12-13)

2. He must be able to redeem (Ruth 4:4-6). He must be free of any calamity or need of redemption himself.

3. He must be willing to redeem (Ruth 4:6ff)

4. Redemption was completed when the price was completely paid (Leviticus 25:27; Ruth 4:7-11).

5. He was required to redeem. If he, for any reason, failed to do so, he was put to open shame (Ruth’s Nearer Kinsman-Ruth 4).

B. The Lord Jesus Christ is our Kinsman Redeemer.

1. Christ had the right to redeem us because he is our nearest Kinsman through the incarnation. "For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh" (Romans 8:3). He was like us in every way except that he knew no sin. In order to identify himself with us he "made himself of no reputation and took on him the form of a servant, and was found in the likeness of men" (Philippians 2:7).

(Hebrews 4:15) "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin."

2. The Lord Jesus has the power to redeem us because he is God. That gives infinite merit and efficacy to all his work.

(2 Corinthians 8:9) "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich."

(Hebrews 1:1-3) "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, {2} Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; {3} Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;"

3. Blessed be his name, our nearest Kinsman was willing to redeem us, too (Tit. 2:14; 1 Pet. 2:24; Heb. 10:5-15; John 10:16-18)

4. The Son of God has paid the price for our redemption.

Jesus paid it all, all the debt I owed!

Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow!

5. No only is he qualified, willing and able to redeem, not only has he paid the price of redemption, he has effectually redeemed us by his blood.

(Galatians 3:13) "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree."

(Hebrews 9:12) "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us."

(Ephesians 1:7) "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace."

Job understood this (Job 19:23-27). He knew that Christ was his Kinsman Redeemer.

(Job 19:23-27) "Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book! {24} That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever! {25} For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: {26} And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: {27} Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me."

Come to Christ, poor, needy sinner, like Ruth came to Boaz. Lay down at his feet and bid him spread his shirt over you and take you (Ruth 3:9). I promise you, he will do it.

C. Don’t miss this—Christ, our Kinsman Redeemer is also our Avenger of blood.

(Isaiah 61:1-2) "The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; {2} To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;"

· He has avenged the justice of God for us.

· He is the Avenger who chased us into the City of Refuge.

· He is our City of Refuge.

“If he be able”

But there is one more thing in Leviticus 25 I want you to see about our Lord Jesus Christ as our Kinsman Redeemer. Verses 26 and 49 speak of the possibility of one being sold into bondage being able to redeem himself. But that cannot possibly have reference to any of us (Ps. 49:7).

(Psalms 49:7) "None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:"

What, then, does this refer to? It refers to our great Savior. For our sakes, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, sold himself into bondage, took our sin and our debt to be his own, and was made to be sin for us. And when he died, he redeemed himself from all the debt he had incurred as our Substitute>

Go back to ancient Israel in the time of the Judges. Can you see Naomi holding her grandson in her arms? Her neighbors said, "A son has been born to Naomi!" They named him Obed, the father of Jesse, the father of King David (4:17), of the lineage of the Messiah, Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5). God had redeemed her.

The words of Naomi's friends are a fitting reminder of God's grace in our lives.

(Ruth 4:14) "And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel."

III. We who had lost everything are the redeemed. Christ is our Redeemer. Now, third, I want to send you home rejoicing in the redemption our great Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, our Kinsman Redeemer has obtained for us.

A. He has paid our debt.

B. He has redeemed us from poverty.

C. He has redeemed us from bondage.

D. He has redeemed us from death.

E. He has recovered all that we had lost!

He did it all that his name may be famous in Israel!