Leviticus 25:29-34: a reflection

29“‘If a man sells a dwelling house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it has been sold. For a full year he shall have the right of redemption. 30If it isn’t redeemed within the space of a full year, then the house that is in the walled city shall be made sure in perpetuity to him who bought it, throughout his generations. It shall not be released in the Jubilee. 31But the houses of the villages which have no wall around them shall be accounted for with the fields of the country: they may be redeemed, and they shall be released in the Jubilee. 32“‘Nevertheless, in the cities of the Levites, the Levites may redeem the houses in the cities of their possession at any time. 33The Levites may redeem the house that was sold, and the city of his possession, and it shall be released in the Jubilee; for the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession among the children of Israel. 34But the field of the pasture lands of their cities may not be sold, for it is their perpetual possession.

Among the laws of property, God provides a right of redemption. If a person sold a house in a walled city, he had a full year in which he could redeem it, buy it back, before the sale became permanent. And in the cities of the Levites, the right of redemption held always. The law made provision that what had been sold, what had been lost, need not be lost forever; there was a way to buy it back, to redeem it.

Notice the mercy built into this law: the right of redemption. A person forced by hardship to sell his property was not simply left without recourse; the law gave a way for what was lost to be recovered, redeemed, bought back. Loss did not have to be final; redemption was possible. Behind the detailed rules lies a gracious principle, that God makes provision for the recovery of what has been lost.

That principle of redemption runs through all of Scripture and finds its fullness in Christ. What sin lost, God has made provision to redeem; what we could not recover ourselves, Christ our Redeemer has bought back, at the cost of his own life. The right of redemption in the law is a small foreshadowing of the great redemption accomplished by Christ, who buys back the lost. If you feel that something has been lost beyond recovery, your innocence, your years, your very self, given over to sin, remember that God is a redeeming God. What has been lost, he is able to redeem; Christ has bought back what we could never recover. Bring your losses to the Redeemer, and trust the God who makes provision to buy back what was lost.

Lord, in the law you provided a right of redemption, a way for what had been sold, what had been lost, to be bought back, so that loss need not be final. Thank you that behind that law lies a gracious principle, that you make provision to recover what has been lost, fulfilled in Christ my Redeemer, who buys back the lost at the cost of his own life. What sin lost, you have made provision to redeem; what I could not recover myself, Christ has bought back. When I feel that something has been lost beyond recovery, my innocence, my years, my very self, given over to sin, remind me that you are a redeeming God. What has been lost, you are able to redeem. Help me bring my losses to the Redeemer, and trust you, who make provision to buy back what was lost. Thank you for so great a redemption in Christ.