Pictures of Redemption in the Old Testament

During this past Sunday’s sermon (Click Here to download the sermon audio), I gave everyone an extra-credit homework assignment to go read the first three chapters of the book of Hosea.  Hopefully, you have done that already.  If not, I encourage you to do so.

Hosea is a beautiful picture of God’s redemption of us in our unfaithfulness.  To show Israel a living word-picture of their unfaithfulness to God, God commanded Hosea to marry a prostitute. He was commanded to remain faithful to her and to continue loving her despite her unfaithfulness.  This was to be a picture of God’s faithfulness to Israel (and really to all of us) despite their unfaithfulness to him.  Hosea was forced to watch as his bride became more and more unfaithful until finally she became bound up in slavery because of her prostitution.  It was then that God told Hosea to go rescue her, redeeming her from her slave owners by paying the ransom due for her bondage.  He was then told to gently woo her, continuing to show her kindness, until finally she returned his affections and lived with him in peace.  This beautiful picture of love and redemption demonstrates how God has loved and redeemed us – wooing us gently while we were in bondage because of our unfaithfulness and redeeming us from the slavery of our sinfulness until we also returned his affections.

This is only one of many living word pictures in the Old Testament that help us understand what it means to be redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb.  In fact, there are provisions specifically in the Mosaic law that are pictures of redemption.  For example, in his infinite wisdom, God had enough foresight to realize that fallen people would wind up in difficult financial situations, sometimes requiring them to either sell themselves into slavery – or to end up in debtor’s prison.  Therefore, the Mosaic law made provisions for a kinsman redeemer – someone from the unfortunate person’s family – who could redeem them from their slavery.  Likewise there were provisions for someone to be ransomed from debtor’s prison.  And if there was no kinsman redeemer – or no one who would pay their ransom, then God still made provisions for their redemption through the concept of the Year of Jubilee.  Once every 50 years, all slaves were to be redeemed by God’s direct command.  They were set free to have a second chance at their lives.  In the Year of Jubilee, all land possessions granted when the people of Israel crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land were returned to their original owners.

Even when it came to punishment for crimes committed, there were certain crimes – otherwise punishable by death – for which the perpetrator could actually redeem his own life by paying the appropriate ransom (See Exodus 21).  Jesus Christ was the ransom paid for our lives.

Sometimes, though, it wasn’t their lives that had to be redeemed, but rather their property.  God made provision for this as well, which is the basis for the story of Ruth.  The book of Ruth is another beautiful picture of our redemption.  Naomi and her daughter-in-law, Ruth, end up in a desperate situation after both of their husbands die.  They lost their homes, their property, and everything else.  They were essentially hopeless, relying on the good will of fellow countrymen.  In essence, they were beggars.  However, Naomi’s kinsman redeemer, Boaz, takes notice of their situation – and of how dedicated Ruth is to her mother-in-law.  He rescues Naomi and Ruth from the poverty caused by their widowed condition and redeems their lost property.  Their property is restored, along with their joy and happiness.  In fact, Ruth ends up marrying Boaz and becomes the great-grandmother to King David.  Jesus Christ is our kinsman redeemer, rescuing us from our hopeless condition and restoring to us that which was lost – our righteousness, our place in God’s family, and our inheritance – eternal life.  We have hope once again because he cleared our debt and purchased our salvation with his own life.

Another interesting picture of redemption in the Old Testament is the temple tax.  This tax was established in Exodus 30:11 and the whole point of the tax was so that each person would “give a ransom for his life to the LORD” so that God’s plagues would not come upon them.  This ½ shekel tax is a picture of the ransom that Christ paid for you and I on the cross.  How strange that the ransom of the temple tax was so small – and yet the true ransom price to be paid – that is, the life of God’s only begotten Son – was so immeasurably large.

Speaking of the ransom price, it actually turns out that a ransom payment was required to redeem every firstborn son in Israel.  In establishing the Mosaic law, God actually demanded that all firstborn be dedicated to God – and not just firstborn of the livestock.  God also demanded all firstborn humans to be dedicated to God (see Exodus 13 and Numbers 18).  These firstborn, therefore, had to be redeemed by either the sacrifice of an animal or the payment of a sum of money in order for them to remain in the homes of their biological parents.   It is a picture of the price that God paid – his only begotten Son – for our redemption.

And of course, we cannot forget how God redeemed the Children of Israel out of slavery in Egypt, sending plague upon plague on the nation of Egypt until finally God demanded the lives of every first-born son in Egypt.  The children of Israel were protected from these plagues and were delivered out of slavery.

Even the story of Job – despite all of the pain and anguish and suffering that he experienced – shows us a picture of redemption.  In the midst of all of his sorrow, Job is faithful and cries out “I know that my Redeemer lives, and in the end he will stand upon the earth.”   Indeed Job was ultimately redeemed, having everything that had previously been lost restored to him two-fold.

Redemption is a critical doctrine of the Christian faith.  If we don’t fully understand redemption, then we fall into the trap of putting too much emphasis on the Love of God and not enough emphasis on the wrath and justice of God.  Salvation is NOT free.  God’s love is NOT sufficient for us to avoid the punishment of Hell.  We must be redeemed – and that redemption comes at a very high cost.  Often, we don’t think about what it really means – or what it really cost - for God to redeem us from all to which we were enslaved and in bondage.  However, to make sure we truly understand it, God filled the Old Testament with pictures of that redemption so that we can see and understand the great vastness of his love and mercy for us – and the price he paid to ensure we don’t have to face his wrath.  We just have to know where to look in order to see it.