Redemption is God Freeing us from the Chains that Bind us – Our Sins
Why God Chose the Jews
Some people troll social media channels; I troll the Bible – looking for new nuggets of inspiration from God. This time, I landed on a verse in Isaiah 43:1 ESV, where I had never read this particular translation. What caught my attention was:
43 Now this is what the Lord says.
He created you, people of Jacob;
he formed you, people of Israel.
What impressed me about this passage was that these are the exact same Hebrew words used in the Book of Genesis to describe how God “created” Adam (in His own image) and then, how He “formed” Eve to be the perfect helpmate to Adam. The symbolism used in Isaiah cannot be ignored. The prophet Isaiah is saying Jacob was created[1] by God to be the firstborn of God’s Chosen People — a people created to BE and LIVE in the image of God. Israel is the name God gave Jacob after He had formed[2] him into the person he needed to be – a person who would serve Him and help Him establish God’s firstborn through his 12 sons, who would form the 12 tribes from which the nation of Israel would arise.
God’s Gift of Redemption
This blog is about redemption, not just for the Jews, but for all humankind. Redemption is about ransoming, delivering, or rescuing someone. Redemption differs from reconciliation in that redemption is dependent upon an act from God (grace), and reconciliation is dependent upon an act from us (confession of our need to be reconciled). Both are necessary if we are to renew our relationship with God (as it existed in the Garden of Eden). But knowing that God loves us and wants to redeem us (rescue us) from our sins is often the key to opening our hearts to being reconciled with Him. One of the great stories of the Old Testament is about God’s relationship with the Jews and His desire to redeem them and have a relationship with them. The human race began with Adam being made in the image of God, but the real story begins with God’s rescue mission to save the human race by starting with the Jews. They are crucial to His plan! Let’s take a moment to see just how committed God is to this mission.
God’s Mission of Redemption
After making His declaration that Jacob/Israel would be the firstborn of His Chosen People, He continues to speak through the prophet, Isaiah, saying, “Don’t be afraid, because I have saved you. I have called you by name, and you are mine.” In the ESV, it says, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you.” This is not a casual statement by God – it is a commitment! In verse 3, He says, “This is because I, the Lord, am your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior… you are precious to me, because I give you honor and love you…. I chose you so you would know and believe me, so you would understand that I am the true God. There was no God before me, and there will be no God after me.” (Isaiah 43: 3-10 NCV) These are powerful words spoken by God to His people, Israel. They are words that God will preserve throughout history. Read my book, “God (still) has BIG Plans for the Jews,” if you doubt my words. Redemption of the human race is a central theme of the Bible, and the Jews are God’s primary instrument to achieve that goal.
God’s Focus on Redemption
How committed is God to redeeming His people? A simple tour through scripture will give you an idea:
- God will Redeem those He Made: God makes it abundantly clear from the beginning that He is the Father of Israel, and that they are His to redeem. That is His goal for them, and, as we see throughout the Bible, God will stop at nothing to achieve His goal.
For your Maker is your husband— the Lord Almighty is his name— the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth. Isaiah 54:5 NIV
For [surely] You are our Father, even though Abraham [our ancestor] does not know us (The Jews) and Israel (Jacob) does not acknowledge us (because he did not live to see his family become a nation); You, O Lord, are [still] our Father, our Redeemer from everlasting is Your name. Isaiah 63:16 AMPC
- God will Redeem us from evil: Why does God want to redeem Israel? The answer is simple: God wants to redeem the world from sin and the evil of Satan. But first, He has to show the world how – by using the Jews as an example. God does this in grand fashion when He rescues the Jews from Pharaoh and the evils of Egypt. In Exodus, God said:
Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. Exodus 6:6 (ESV)
God will not even allow death to stand in the way of His redemption.
I shall ransom them from the power of Sheol; I shall redeem them from Death. O Death, where are your plagues? O Sheol, where is your sting? Hosea 13:14 ESV
- God will Redeem His firstborn: The prophet, Jeremiah, wrote these words given to him from God: “I am Israel’s father, and Israel is my firstborn son.” (Jeremiah 31:9b NCV). This syncs with Isaiah’s words, stating that Jacob was both created and formed by God for a purpose. In case you have not caught the importance of being the firstborn, consider this:
The firstborn son of a Jew received a double portion of his father’s inheritance. And he was to assume the role of leader of the family. Thus, the firstborn had the burden of setting an example for the rest of his siblings.
Everything that opens the womb of all flesh, whether man or beast, which they offer to the Lord, shall be yours (the priests). Nevertheless, the firstborn of man you shall redeem. Numbers 18:15 (ESV)
Therefore, I sacrifice to the Lord all the males (of an animal) that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons (of Israel) I redeem. Exodus 13:15 (ESV)
God had instructed the priests to offer only firstborn, unblemished animals to the Lord. Why? Because the firstborn were the first to break the womb of the mother, and they symbolize Israel’s birth, whom God was committed to redeem. The lack of any defect (unblemished) represents purity (without sin), a condition God held as a goal for His people.
- God will Redeem (rescue) them from the “Curse of the Law”: A major and difficult part of God’s redemption of the Jews was to release them from the impossible task of following the Law given to them by Moses.
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. Galatians 3:13-14 (NIV)
Therefore, he (Jesus) is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant (The Law). Hebrews 9:15 (ESV)
- God Forgives those He redeems: The essence of redemption is forgiveness. When God rescues (delivers) us from sin, He forgives us in an act of grace and mercy. The “catch,” if you will, is that we must accept His mercy by acknowledging our need for it. Only then can we be reconciled to Him.
Forgive, O Lord, Your people Israel, whom You have redeemed, and do not allow the shedding of innocent blood to be charged to Your people Israel. Deuteronomy 21:8 (AMPC)
In context, this verse is an instruction to the Jews about how to deal with an innocent murder where the accused claims that, “Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it.” (Verse 7) I can not help but see the irony in this verse when I see how it could apply to the Jews being accused of killing Jesus.
25For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; 26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my flesh I shall see God… Job 19:25-26 (NKJV).
If this isn’t a promise of rescue and forgiveness, I don’t know what is.
And He will redeem Israel from all their iniquities. Psalm 130:8 (AMPC)
- God will Redeem those who Accept His offer: As noted above, redemption precedes reconciliation, and the Old Testament is rife with examples of God’s people trying their best to acknowledge God’s redemption and accept God’s offer to reconcile:
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14 (ESV)
Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God. Psalm 31:5 (ESV)
Conclusion
God’s commitment to redeeming His Chosen People is central to the goal of redeeming the whole world! The plan of redemption was initiated by God to set the stage for sending Jesus to reconcile us through His shed blood as our Savior and our Messiah! Thus, a two-stage plan has been laid out for all of us – God, by His decision, has redeemed us, and Jesus, by His sacrifice, has opened the door to reconcile us. The only step left is for you to decide IF you want to be reconciled. The ball is in your court. My prayer is that you will accept God’s offer. The very God who created everything loves you, did all this for you, and is waiting outside the door to your heart, knocking. Will you let Him in?
[1] {h1254} — bara’, baw-raw’; a primitive root; (absolutely) to create; to create, shape, form. From Strong’s Concordance: Strong, James. A Complete Bible Reference Study Library (4 in 1): [Illustrated]: KJV Bible with Strongs markup, Strongs Concordance & Dictionaries, Lexicon Definitions, and Bible word index (Function). Kindle Edition.
[2] {h3335} — yatsar, yaw-tsar’; to form into shape; to form, fashion, frame. From Strong’s Concordance: Strong, James. A Complete Bible Reference Study Library (4 in 1): [Illustrated]: KJV Bible with Strongs markup, Strongs Concordance & Dictionaries, Lexicon Definitions, and Bible word index (Function). Kindle Edition.
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