If he took the life of his fellow creature, he must
give up his own life. Thus the law pictured that the great ransomer
would correspond exactly with the perfect man Adam when Adam was in
Eden.--Exodus 21:23-25; Leviticus 24:17-21; Deuteronomy 19:21.
MAN'S EXTREMITY
[206]But who in all the world was able to bear this burden or meet the
requirements of the divine law? Adam could not redeem himself. All of
his offspring were imperfect and God could not accept an imperfect human
being as a ransom. Was there nobody, then, on earth who could redeem the
human race from death according to God's promise? The Prophet of the
Lord answers: "None of them [no creature on earth] can by any means
redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him". (Psalm 49:7) For
this reason, then, it seemed hopeless for man ever to expect to be
released from the condition of death.
[207]Furthermore, this judgment and sentence against Adam was entered
in the divine court of heaven and it follows that the ransom-price,
namely, the value of a perfect human life, must not only be provided by
the death of a perfect human being, but the value of that life must be
presented to divine justice in heaven itself; and no human being has
access to heaven.
[208]Hence there were two reasons why it was utterly impossible for any
of Adam's stock or offspring to redeem mankind: (1) Because all were
imperfect and could not provide the price; and (2) if the price were
provided, it could not be presented in heaven by any such.
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