By Collin Ross
Israel knew that they were in a dire situation. Things had gone gravely wrong among the people of God. They had turned their backs on the Lord and followed in the ways of other gods, resulting in rampant injustice, idolatry, and sin. Yet even as these paths continuously led them toward their own destruction, they persisted in their fallen ways.
Why is it that those things that torment us often become something like a security blanket for us? Even when a sin keeps ruining our relationships with others, we not only can’t shake it, we retreat further into it. And yet the more we do this, the further we run from the only One who can pull us out of the pit of our own making.
This is why Israel’s prophets commonly spoke about Israel’s plight with enslavement descriptions. It was apparent to them, as it hopefully has become apparent to us all, that people cannot escape the wayward pull of their hearts. Sin is like a jailor who has us under lock and key. If we are to be free ever again, our only hope is for someone on the outside to break us out.
Enter the Messiah. The prophets began to relay a message from God about a coming figure who would set us free from the destructive patterns of sin that lead to death. But the promise is even better! Not only will the Messiah rescue us from our jailor, but He will bring us back to God—out of our prison of sin and into the kingdom of God. This is what it means to be redeemed. The God who created us to enjoy life with Him forever is taking us back (redeeming us) from the powers of sin and death.
We are no longer those who belong to our worst mistakes. We do not belong to our sins. We now belong to God—all thanks to the promised Messiah. “For there is faithful love with the LORD, and with him is redemption in abundance” (Psalm 130:7). What Israel waited, watched, and hoped for we now have received: redemption.
Do we live as those who have been redeemed, or are we living as those still waiting to be rescued? We all still struggle to follow the ways of God with our whole heart. We all still stumble and fall as we wait for the return of Christ. But for all who have placed their trust in Jesus, the Good Shepherd has taken us back and claimed ownership of us. He stands over us to guide us while we wait so that in His shadow we may dwell securely (Micah 5:4). We have been redeemed.
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