Today we talk about redemption. In Biblical times a person could end up as an indentured servant or as an actual slave if they had debts they couldn't pay. But their closest relative could choose, if they could afford it, to "redeem" them. This relative, known as the "kinsman redeemer" could pay their debts off for them and set them free. If the closest relative couldn't afford to do this or didn't want to do this, the opportunity would go to the next closest, and so on. In today's text the Lord speaks of how He will redeem His people but without money. He will be their "kinsman redeemer" with His grace and mercy and love, rescuing them from their oppressors and setting them free.
"Awake, awake, Zion, clothe yourself with strength! Put on your garments of splendor, Jerusalem, the holy city. The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again." (Isaiah 52:1) This prophecy had a short term and a long term meaning. In ancient times it meant that the people would be able to return to their land and rebuild. In the future, in the eternal kingdom of the Messiah, the descendants of Jacob will never have any enemies on the earth. The only people inhabiting the world will be the people of God.
During Isaiah's lifetime the northern kingdom of Israel fell to the Assyrian Empire. Later the southern kingdom of Judah would fall to the Neo-Babylonian Empire. Both of these enemy nations took the majority of the people captive and forcibly resettled them. The captivity is mainly what is in view in this next portion. "Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck, Daughter Zion, now a captive." (Isaiah 52:2) It was a common practice in ancient times for a conquering army to chain captives together in a long line. This prevented escape, for it was pretty much impossible for a large group of captives chained together to run together in sync well enough and fast enough to get away. Plus there would be those too frightened to make a run for it or those with illnesses or physical disabilities that would prevent them from running with the others.
"For this is what the Lord says: 'You were sold for nothing, and without money you will be redeemed.'" (Isaiah 52:3) Both the northern and the southern kingdoms were conquered because a majority of the citizens began practicing idolatry. In that sense they sold themselves to sin because they willingly gave in to idolatry. Anytime we sin we are "selling" ourselves. As the Apostle Paul said, when we offer ourselves to serve someone or something, we are allowing ourselves to be enslaved. (Romans 6:16) When we give in to sin, we are making sin our master, which means we are slaves to sin. Paul was repeating a statement made by Jesus who said that everyone who sins is a slave to sin. (John 8:34)
We have all sinned and that means we have been the slaves of sin. As long as we live in these mortal bodies in a fallen world, we will fall prey to sin at times. So what are we to do since we cannot be perfect? What are we to do to get out of slavery? We must trust in the One who can set us free from slavery. The Lord Jesus Christ---our Kinsman Redeemer---can set us free. He will do it without money. He will do it by His mercy and grace and love, which are what compelled Him to go to the cross for us to pay our penalty for us. By His blood He paid the price for our freedom. By His resurrection we know that the Father accepted this payment on our behalf. Through our faith in what Christ did for us we obtain forgiveness, salvation, freedom from the penalty of our sin, and eternal life with our Kinsman Redeemer.
No comments:
Post a Comment