The New Testament metaphor of 'Redemption' or buying back with a ransom
is distinctly drawn from the Hebrew Goel's office.
Christ is the Kinsman. The brotherhood of Christ with us was
voluntarily assumed, and was for the purpose of redeeming His brethren.
He is the Kinsman-Redeemer from slavery,--a slavery which is voluntary.
The soul is self-delivered to evil and sin; but blessed be God! this
slavery is terminable. The kinship of Christ was needful for our
redemption. 'It behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren.' He thus
gave His life a 'ransom' for many. Note the objective value of His
atonement, and its subjective power as setting us free.
He is the Kinsman-Redeemer of our inheritance. God is the inheritance
here. The manhood of Jesus brings God back to us for our--(1)
Knowledge; (2) Love; (3) Possession. Heaven is our inheritance
hereafter. His manhood secures it for us. 'I go to prepare a place for
you.' 'An inheritance incorruptible.' 'The redemption of the purchased
possession.'
The Kinsman-Avenger of blood. It is only in a modified sense that we
can transfer this part of the Goel's office to Jesus. The old
Kinsman-Avenger of blood avenged it by shedding the shedder's blood in
retribution. But that was not the kind of vindication (for Goel means
also Vindicator) for which Job looked when he used the expression.
Resurrection to the vision of God was to come to him 'at the last,' by
the standing of his Goel on the earth, and that was to be the true
avenging of his death, and his vindication. The great murderer Death is
to die, and his victims are to be wrested from him, and their death be
proved to be the means of their fuller life. 'Precious shall their
blood be in His sight,' and when their slayer is slain they will live
for ever, partakers of their Kinsman-Redeemer's glory, because they had
been partakers of His death, and His blood had been precious in their
sight. Let us cling to our Kinsman-Redeemer in all our life that He may
give us freedom and an inheritance among His brethren, and, closing our
eyes in death, we may commend our spirits to the 'Angel that redeemed
us from all evil,' and be sure that He will 'redeem' our 'souls from
the power of the grave.'