Wed.’s Devo - Redemption

Read: Leviticus 25:47-27:13; Mark 10:32-52; Psalm 45:1-17; Proverbs 10:22 Even if an Israelite sold themselves to be the slave of a foreigner or temporary resident, they still retain the right to be bought back. They may be bought back by a brother, uncle, cousin or anyone from their extended family. The price will be determined by how close it is to the next jubilee. They must not treat them unfairly or consider them their own. The Israelites are the Lords and will be free in the Year of Jubilee. We are all slaves or a foreigner, Satan and sin. If we are chosen of God to be his then we are an Israelite. We are bought back the day someone tells us about Jesus and we choose to become his. That is our redemption day. The final Jubilee will be when Jesus returns. The next command he told them had to do with idols. They were to only worship the Lord and keep his Sabbath days of rest and have no other images or sacred pillars or sculptured stones in their land. If they did this then the blessings of life would be theirs. They would have rain when they needed it for their crops and their crops would be more than enough to last till the next harvest. There would be peace in their land and they would sleep without stress or fear. They would easily defeat their enemies. He would give them a good reputation and give them pride in their heritage. They would be fertile and multiply on the earth. If they refused to listen to the Lord and follow his laws then the opposite would happen. They would waste away with sickness and sorrow. Their work will be in vain because the enemy would steal it. God would become their enemy and strike them seven times for their sins. Their enemies would take revenge upon them. Their food supply would be destroyed and rationed. They will eat the flesh of their own sons and daughters. Their shrines and sacred pillars would be destroyed. They would be scattered throughout the earth and the cities would become desolate and lie in ruins. The land would finally enjoy its Sabbath’s. The people would live in fear of their enemy. Once God’s people confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors for betraying the Lord, and humble themselves, God would remember his covenant with them. They would pay for their sins and the land would remain desolate until it enjoys all the Sabbath rests it was denied and then God would remember his covenant. If they vowed themselves or their children to service of the Lord, then they could buy them back. A man ages 20-60 was worth 50 shekels of silver, A woman that age: 30 shekels. A boy ages 5-20 was worth 20 shekels where a girl that age was worth 10. A boy between the ages of one month and 5 years was worth 5 shekels where a girl that age was worth 3. A man older than 60 was worth 15 shekels and and woman 10. If you could not afford the amount needed you could go to the priest and let him set an affordable price. An animal could be given but to buy it back you must pay its price plus 20 percent. This could be a great argument against the doctrine of once saved, always saved. Sin always comes at a cost. In Mark, Jesus laid out to his disciples just what was about to happen. They clearly didn’t get it and it was obvious when James and John asked Jesus to sit in places of honor when he came into his kingdom. Jesus told them they didn’t understand what suffering it would take to sit in those places. They assured Jesus that they were willing to go through the same suffering he did. Jesus agreed that they would suffer for his sake but only God could give promotion. The other ten disciples heard about what James and John had asked and were indignant so Jesus called them all together. He told them that in God’s kingdom, the leader was not like a worldly leader but like him. He came to serve not to be served and that is how they were suppose to be. Jesus then gave sight to a blind man of Jericho. The blind man followed Jesus. Jesus had come to bring people out of darkness into light. Lord, may we continue your great work of awakening people to your light.