Redemption

The people of God had departed from Him and became captive to a lifestyle that they no longer wanted to live, but what could they do? They sinned against the only One who could help them. Their Redeemer came to them at their lowest moment when they had nothing to offer Him but sin and degradation, and He redeemed them.

“He made a road in the depths of the sea a road for the redeemed to cross over.” Isaiah 51:10

This verse harkens back to the time when they were slaves fleeing from the Pharoah’s army. Their backs were up against in impassable sea, and their murderers were closing in on them. Then, suddenly, the Lord made the sea open before them, and He made a dry path for them to cross it. When their enemies pursued them, the Lord let the very water that parted in two before them, to fall upon their enemies and destroy them.

“So the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness; sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” Isaiah 51:11

This verse harkens back to the time when God’s people were captives to a political power that demanded their allegiance and service with only giving them abusive treatment in return. The Lord redeemed them from that strange land and brought them back into their own land. He didn’t just free them from their captors, He filled their minds with joy and their mouths with songs. He replaced their sorrow and sighing with joy and gladness.

“Thus says the Lord: You have sold yourselves for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money.” Isaiah 52:3

“You sold yourselves for nothing” refers to their headlong pursuit of self-gratification. As Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 2:10, “Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure.” No one had to pay them to do evil. They did it willingly, but the Lord also promised to redeem them without payment. As Romans 6:20 says, “Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.” The Lord had more grace than they had sin.

“Your Maker is your husband. The Lord of hosts is His Name. Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. He is called the God of the whole earth. For the Lord has called you like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, like a youthful wife when you were refused, says your God. For a mere moment I have forsaken you, but with great mercies I will gather you. With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; but with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you, says the Lord your Redeemer.” Isaiah 54:5-8

God compares Israel to a young married woman who messed up so badly that her husband left her. She is forsaken. She is grieving her losses. But the Lord, her Maker, has not forsaken her. He forgives her. With mercy He gathers her to Himself. With everlasting love He embraces her. In His arms. She need not fear being alone again.

“The Lord will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places; He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness will be found in it, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.” Isaiah 51:3

One of the themes throughout the Bible is death and resurrection. When Adam and Eve sinned, it brought death to them and to their offspring. They were exiled from the garden of Eden, but when their offspring return to fellowship with the Lord and abide in Him, they return in a spiritual sense to the garden of the Lord where He nurtures, waters and cultivates them. As we experience the Lord’s care and cultivation in our lives, we experience joy and gladness. We feel grateful and happy again even to the point of breaking out into songs of joy unto the Lord.

“My salvation will be forever.” Isaiah 51:6

The Lord’s salvation is not a temporary offer, it is forever.

“Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, you people in whose heart is My Law: do not fear the reproach of men, nor be afraid of their insults.” “...My righteousness will be forever and My salvation from generation to generation.” Isaiah 51:7-8

No matter how people contradict our faith in God, they cannot change the outcomes of our faith in Him. The Lord will save us and bless us.

“I have put My Words in your mouth. I have covered you with the shadow of My hand.” Isaiah 51:16

His Word preserves us our faith. The hand of His Holy Spirit guides us.

“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’” Isaiah 52:7

The Lord brought good news to our souls. We should keep this good news ever on our minds, and compelled by His love, be willing to share it with others.

“The Lord has made bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.” Isaiah 52:10

The Lord is already at work in the nations. Let us look for and magnify it!

“The Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.” Isaiah 51:12

We are never alone when we encounter others. The Lord is right there with us.

“He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.” Isaiah 53:2-3

The Lord knows what it is like to be freshly starting out. He came into the world as an infant. Born to poor parents. No one wanted to be His friend.

“Surely, He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:4-5

Jesus experienced sorrows, insults and injuries. He experienced punishment for sin, but did not sin. He did this for us. To identify with us and to become a sacrifice for our sins.

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:6

The guilt and condemnation that we deserved was placed on Jesus.

“He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so, He opened not His mouth.” “...for the transgressions of My people, He was stricken.” Isaiah 53:7-8

He went through the suffering willing because He and the Father loved us.

“...No deceit was in His mouth.” Isaiah 53:9

Jesus always spoke the truth.

“He made intercession for the transgressors.” Isaiah 53:12

He still prays for us on high.

“You shall expand to the right and to the left, and your descendants will inherit the nations, and make the desolate cities inhabited.” Isaiah 54:3

As we keep our eyes on Jesus and seek to glorify His Name, He blesses us and expands the footprint our influence among the nations.

“The mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but My kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace be removed, says the Lord who has mercy on you.” Isaiah 54:10

This world’s priests and politicians disappoint those who count on them, but the Lord has a covenant of peace, mercy and kindness with us who serve Him. His covenant with us is based on what He did for us in giving His body and blood for us.

“I will make your pinnacles of rubies, your gates of crystal and all your walls of precious stones. All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children. In righteousness you shall be established. You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near you. Indeed they shall surely assemble, but not because of Me. Whoever assembles against you shall fall for your sake.” “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me says the Lord.” Isaiah 54:12-15, 17

The Lord’s plan for us is to bring us to paradise. Oppression and terror will be gone. Our heritage from the Lord is exceedingly greatly infinitely better than we experience here on earth. Praise the Lord!