Leviticus 25:23-34

THE LAW OF REDEMPTION 25:23-34
TEXT 25:23-34

23

And the land shall not be sold in perpetuity; for the land is mine: for ye are strangers and sojourners with me.

24

And in all the land of your possession ye shall grant a redemption for the land.

25

If thy brother be waxed poor, and sell some of his possession, then shall his kinsman that is next unto him come, and shall redeem that which his brother hath sold.

26

And if a man have no one to redeem it, and he be waxed rich and find sufficient to redeem it;

27

then let him reckon the years of the sale thereof, and restore the over-plus unto the man to whom he sold it; and he shall return unto his possession.

28

But if he be not able to get it back for himself, then that which he hath 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.

29

And if a man sell a dwelling-house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold; for a full year shall he have the right of redemption.

30

And if it be not 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 that bought it, throughout his generations: it shall not go out in the jubilee.

31

But the houses of the villages which have no wall round about them shall be reckoned with the fields of the country: they may be redeemed, and they shall go out in the jubilee.

32

Nevertheless the cities of the Levites, the houses of the cities of their possession, may the Levites redeem at any time.

33

And if one of the Levites redeem, then the house that was sold, and the city of his possession, shall go out in the jubilee; for the house of the cities of the Levites are their possession among the children of Israel.

34

But the field of the suburbs of their cities may not be sold; for it is their perpetual possession.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS 25:23-34

603.

What relationship did the Israelites sustain to the Lord? Cf. Leviticus 25:23.

604.

What is the meaning of the word redemption as it is used here?

605.

Why any need to redeem if the land was to revert back to the original owner?

606.

Please explain in your own words Leviticus 25:26-27.

607.

Would the principle of the year of Jubilee work in our society? Discuss.

608.

Why the distinction in the sale of a house in a fortified city? Cf. Leviticus 25:29-30.

609.

What interest rate do you suppose was charged on the redemption of the old home place? Discuss.

610.

What provision did God make for the Levites as to a place to live? Why?

611.

There was a field or a pasture land that could not be sold. What was it?

PARAPHRASE 25:23-34

And remember, the land is Mine, so you may not sell it permanently. You are merely My tenants and sharecroppers! In every contract of sale there must be a stipulation that the land can be redeemed at any time by the seller. If anyone becomes poor and sells some of his land, then his nearest relatives may redeem it. If there is no one else to redeem it, and he himself gets together enough money, then he may always buy it back at a price proportionate to the number of harvests until the Jubilee, and the owner must accept the money and return the land to him. But if the original owner is not able to redeem it, then it shall belong to the new owner until the Year of Jubilee; but at the Jubilee year it must be returned again. If a man sells a house in the city, he has up to one year to redeem it, with full right of redemption during that time. But if it is not redeemed within the year, then it will belong permanently to the new ownerit does not return to the original owner in the Year of Jubilee. But village housesa village is a settlement without fortifying walls around itare like farmland, redeemable at any time, and are always returned to the original owner in the Year of Jubilee. There is one exception: the homes of the Levites, even though in walled cities, may be redeemed at any time, and must be returned to the original owners in the Year of Jubilee; for the Levites will not be given farmland like the other tribes, but will receive only houses in their cities, and the surrounding fields. The Levites are not permitted to sell the fields of common land surrounding their cities, for these are their permanent possession, and they must belong to no one else.

COMMENT 25:23-34

Leviticus 25:23 It is a comforting as well as humbling realization that we are only temporary tenants upon this earth. Our deeds of ownership do not declare the real owner. The nation of Israel was to be even more aware of this fact. Although they must live in the same land area throughout their generations it was for the purpose of identifying the real owner of the land. Remaining where they were assigned by Joshua would preserve the genealogies unmixed until the Messiah came. Covetous ambition would be lowered as no one could add field to field. The most cherished of family associations would gather around the old home place and thus would family ties grow strong. The land could not be sold for more than 49 years.

Leviticus 25:24-28 But the land was sold, for men became hungry and they must eat. However, even when it was sold the owner did not hold a permanent deed. If the original owner could find relatives with money, they must be given permission to buy back the land, or if the first owner prospers himself he can buy back his land. When such a circumstance arises the land is to be sold under the following conditions: count the years since it was sold and deduct the price of the crops for those years from the original purchase price. The remainder must be paid to the one who purchased the land. The total purchase price was controlled by the year of Jubilee, i.e. if it were 20 years to Jubilee, the cost of twenty crops would be the purchase price. If the land was redeemed after ten years, one-half of the price would remain to be paid.

If the land is not redeemed it remains the possession of the purchaser until the year of Jubilee.
We refer the reader to our Introduction by W. G. Moorehead in which a beautiful comparison is made between the redeemer of this chapter and our Lord. Notice: (1) The redeemer was to be one of near kin with the one to be redeemedLeviticus 25:25; Leviticus 25:48. So JesusHebrews 2:14-18; (2) He was to redeem the person47-50, as illustrated by RuthLeviticus 4:4-5. So Jesus brought His peopleI. Cor. Leviticus 6:19-20; (3) He was to redeem the property that had been disposed awayLeviticus 25:25; Leviticus 25:29. So, too, Christ hath redeemed for us our lost inheritance1 Peter 1:3-5; (4) He was to avenge the brother on his enemiesNumbers 35:12. The avenger of blood seems to have been a near kinsman of the one injured. And Christ will in due time take vengeance on the enemies of His peopleDeuteronomy 32:43; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-8.

Leviticus 25:29-34 The kindness expressed in these laws is very impressive. Even when a man has lost his house through poverty he has a whole year in which to redeem it. Houses are not like fields, they are made by man and are subject to decay. It is the land, and God's allotment of the land, that is to continue; not man's work in it. Yet man's work is respected and can be restored to him. The city dweller can lose his house. A permanent deed can be written for the purchase of a house in a fortified city.

There are three cases of real estate to be considered: (1) the house in the fortified city; (2) the house in the country or in a village; (3) the houses of the Levites.
The home in the village was considered landed property and is subject to the law of Jubilee.
The tribe of Levi never had a land allotment. They were given forty-eight cities scattered throughout the tribes. Cf. Numbers 35:1-8; Joshua 21:1-3.

The houses built in these cities by the Levites were to have the same value as the land. If sold, the houses could be redeemed at any time, and were subject to the law of Jubilee. Even if a fellow Levite purchased a house or land from his fellow Levite he could not have permanent possession.
Such a regulation for the Levites was to protect the only possession they hadtheir home. The pasture lands outside the cities of the Levities were never to be sold. Cf. Numbers 35:4-5. These outlying fields, which were beyond the suburbs, they are forbidden to sell. These estates belong to the whole tribe to all futurity, and the present occupiers have to transmit them intact to their successors. Hence no present owner, or all of them combined, have a right to dispose of any portion of the estates, or materially to alter it. They must hand these estates down to their successors as they received them from their predecessors. (Ibid.)

FACT QUESTIONS 25:23-34

612.

What is the comforting as well as humbling realization?

613.

Give three reasons for staying in the allotment given to them by God through Joshua.

614.

For what reason was the land sold?

615.

What were two of the ways of redeeming the land?

616.

Under what circumstances was the land returned to the original owner?

617.

In what way was the total purchase price controlled by the year of Jubilee?

618.

Give the four beautiful comparisons between our Redeemer and the redeemer of the land.

619.

Point out the kindness found in these laws.

620.

Why could a house be sold permanently?

621.

List three cases of real estate to be considered.

622.

Why the special regulations for the Levites?