OUR REDEEMER

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer" - Psalm 19:14

"But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.'" - Isaiah 43:1-2

Our English word, redeem comes from the French rédimer, which means "to deliver," and, in turn, comes from the Latin word for "buy back." It’s to gain or regain possession of something in exchange for payment. When we redeem a coupon, we cash in on a saving. The Lord definitely cashed in on our saving – delivered us from the high price on our heads.

Over and over in the Old Testament, God redeemed His people giving men for their lives. Wait! What’s that, you say?! I thought it was just the blood of bulls, goats, rams, etc., that begot their temporary salvation. Apparently not. The most familiar example being Egypt’s first born given to set free the children of Israel. Still not enough, Pharaoh’s men of war with chariots and horses, were required to sufficiently pay for that deliverance. Throughout Israel’s history, God sovereignly created military diversions, affected and directed other nations to save His people, yet I rarely thought of that cost being brought down to the nitty-gritty of actual lives. Here's the next two verses:

"For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. Since you were precious in My sight, you have been honored, and I have loved you; therefore I will give men for you, and people for your life." - Isaiah 43:3-4

How humbling to hear the Lord speak of us as being precious in His sight, loved and even honored, thus other lives exchanged for our forefathers’ lives, the spiritual bloodline of our own. They, of course, represent a stark foreshadowing of the ultimate and final ransom - the Father giving His only begotten Son to suffer and die for all. For God so loved [all] the world… Such a price paid demands our all. May we all never fail to honor and glorify what a great deliverance was wrought for us in our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ.

"You, O Lord, are our Father; our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name." – Is 63:16b

"For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s." - 1 Cor 6:20

"And they sang a new song, saying: 'You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,'" - Rev 5:9

"After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God!" - Rev. 19:1b

  - Elese