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The Similarity Between Israel And Those Who Are Redeemed
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There are a number of similarities between us and Israel: |
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a) |
God had thoughts for their being brought to Himself long before
they were ever born. He had promised Abraham that his
descendants would be captives in the land of Egypt and afterward
He would bring them out (Gen. 15:13-14). It was a promise
reiterated to Isaac and Jacob (Ex. 2:24), a promise that Joseph
lived and died in the good of it.
(Gen. 50:25). |
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b) |
Long before we were ever born God had thoughts of us and for us,
for the Holy Spirit reveals to us that we were: |
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i) |
Chosen in Him before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4) |
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ii) |
Predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son (Rom.
8:29) |
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iii) |
To present us faultless before the presence of His glory with
exceeding joy (Jude 1:24) |
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iv) |
To be brought unto Himself, that is, we were to be fully
reconciled (2 Cor. 5:18) |
Various Shades Of Meaning For Redemption, Reconciliation, and Purchase
As with many words, its entomology and context determines the meaning of
the word. In the scriptures there is a variety of words translated
reconcile, reconciled, reconciling, and
reconciliation. They are subdivided into three
major sections, those which have to do with the secular sphere and those
which have to do with the spiritual, and sometimes with both. Since
this is not a paper on the doctrine of reconciliation, they are briefly
mentioned:
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Greek words |
Reference |
Translated |
Meaning |
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Peripoieoomai |
Acts 20:28 |
Purchased |
Which means: “get for oneself, purchase” |
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Apokatallasso |
Lk. 21:28 |
Redemption /deliverance |
To bring into a state of harmony |
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Lutrosis |
Lk. 1:68 |
Redeemed, redemption |
A ransoming |
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Kapar |
Lev. 6:7 |
Atonement, 71 times |
It means to purify from the guiltiness of sins. |
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Hilaskomai |
Heb. 2:17 |
Make reconciliation |
To reconcile those who are at variance, to restore to favor,
to be propitious. |
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Katallage |
Rom. 5:11
Rom. 11:15 |
Atonement
Reconciliation |
To exchange things of equal value, a thorough change and
making adjustments to conform to that which is right. |
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Exagorozo |
Gal. 3:13 |
Redeemed / redeeming / redeem |
To buy out, a word used for the purchasing of a slave, or in
Gal. 3:13 for the deliverance of Christ from the law and its
curse. |
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Lutroo |
Titus 2:14 |
Redeem / Redeemed |
It means to release having received the receipt of payment. |
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Depending on context, it can indicate: |
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a) |
The act of redeeming or the condition of having been redeemed. |
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b) |
Recovery of something sold because of hardship. |
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c) |
The payment of an obligation. |
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d) |
Deliverance upon payment of ransom; rescue. |
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e) |
In the spiritual context it is one of the blessings secured by
the Lord through His vicarious sacrifice. |
The Pre-redemption Decisions That Had To Be Made
That which we must never lose sight of is the contrast between Israel
and those who are redeemed. Theirs was a physical, mental, and
emotional bondage. It was also spiritual for while Exodus does not tell
us that they were idolaters when in Egypt, Ezekiel does (Ezek. 20:6-7).
However, our separation against God was more intense than theirs for we
were at enmity against God. Indeed, we were blatant and stubborn
enemies (Rom. 5:10).
God had promised Abraham that He would take His people out of Egypt and
now some four hundred and twenty-eight years later a man called Moses
walked into the camp and called for the elders. (It was four hundred and
thirty years they actually spent in Egypt (Ex. 12:41), but since we are
not told how long the plagues lasted, I have given a suggested time
frame).
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Looking back, we know Moses was a man sent from God, but they
would have had questions, and these had to be faced before
redemption could be realized. Some of the questions would have
been: |
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a) |
Would they accept God’s verdict that they were in a world under
condemnation? They had to if they ever wanted to be delivered. |
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b) |
Would they accept God’s verdict that the firstborn as an
individual was under condemnation? They had to if they ever
wanted to be delivered. |
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c) |
Would they accept that Moses was a man sent from God with a
message of truth? They had to if they ever wanted to be
delivered. |
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d) |
Would they accept God’s way of release and redemption? They had
to if they ever wanted to be delivered. |
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e) |
There was no options here, it was an either or situation. |
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Before anyone is saved those same decisions must be made: |
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a) |
There must be the belief that Jesus was a man sent from God. |
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b) |
They must accept God’s verdict concerning the people of the
world and then His verdict on themselves as an individual. |
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c) |
And then accept God’s way of redemption through blood. |
Christ The Redeemer
There are few titles of Christ that rejoice the heart of the saint
greater than that of Redeemer. One has only to think of such hymns as:
“My Redeemer, O what beauties, in that lovely name appear”. The reality
is that before Christ could be our Reconciler He had to be the Redeemer.
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As a “trunk” title, “Redeemer” is always associated with a
prefix, of which there are seven.
They are: |
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a) |
Their Redeemer It occurs 3 times (Psa. 78:35; Prov.
23:11; Jer. 50:34) |
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b) |
My Redeemer It occurs 2 times (Job 19:25;
Psa. 19:14) |
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c) |
Your Redeemer It occurs 1 time (Isa. 43:14) |
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d) |
His Redeemer It occurs 1 time (Isa. 44:6) |
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e) |
Thy Redeemer It
occurs 7 times (Isa. 41:14; 44:24; 48:17; 49:26; 54:5, 8;
60:16) |
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f) |
The Redeemer It
occurs 2 times (Isa. 49:7; 59:20) |
At times the title is rightly given to God for it was by His power He
redeemed Israel, and such is found when the Psalmist wrote: “And they
remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer”
(Psa. 78:35). It was Jehovah, when speaking concerning Israel, said:
“Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the
Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the
way that thou shouldest go” (Isa. 48:17). There can be no doubt that
Isaiah was speaking about God when he wrote: “For thy Maker is thine
husband; the Lord of Hosts is His name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of
Israel; The God of the whole earth shall He be called” (Isa. 54:5).
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Although there is not a verse in the New Testament where Christ
is called “Redeemer”, there can be no room for debate concerning
the truth of Him being such. The following verses make this
plain: |
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a) |
“The Lord . . . hath visited and redeemed His People” (Lk.
1:68) |
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b) |
“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law” (Gal. 3:13) |
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c) |
“To redeem them that were under the law” (Gal. 4:5) |
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d) |
“Who gave himself for us, that He might redeem” (Titus 2:14) |
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e) |
“Redeemed . . . with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Pet.
1:18-19) |
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f) |
“Thou has redeemed us to God” (Rev. 5:9) |
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g) |
“And, having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him
to reconcile all things unto Himself” (Col. 1:20) |
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h) |
“Wherefore in all things it behoved him . . . to make
reconciliation for the sins of the people” (Heb. 2:17) |
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i) |
“God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself” (2 Cor.
5:19) |
Furthermore:
When Job said: “I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand
at the latter day upon the earth” (Job 19:25-26), there can be
no debating that He is speaking about the Lord.
Jesus Christ is the only qualified redeemer (Isa. 53:9; Jn. 8:46; 19:4;
2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 1:3; 4:15; 7:26-28; 1 Tim.3:16; 1 Pet. 1:18,19, virgin
birth, kenosis, impeccability)
Redemption removes the condemnation of the Mosaic Law: “Christ has
redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it
is written [Deut. 21:23], cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree”
(Gal. 3:13); “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the
curse: for it is written, Cursed is everyone that continueth not in all
things which are
written in the book of the law to do them” (Gal. 3:10).
The Three Sides Of Reconciliation
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1) |
The first aspect is the sinner needs to be reconciled to God. |
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2) |
The second is when the saints need reconciled to God. Ofttimes
in gospel preaching verses are taken out of context and over
time they become the meaning of the verse, even though they are
an application and not the interpretation. One such verse is:
“Be ye reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20). Within the context the
saints at Corinth were much the same as the disciples in when
they sought to send the women
and children away. They were out of fellowship with God, that
is, they needed to be reconciled to Christ. |
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3) |
The third side is man’s obligation and responsibility to, in
reverence, approaching God and enjoying the acceptability with
Him. God has done all that is necessary for man to be
reconciled to Him, but man must learn the high responsibility
this puts on him. In a conflict, for one person to provide
reconciliation which another accepts, but who despite the
reconciliation provided, treats the reconciler with contempt,
the reconciliation would be greatly curtailed. |
The Blessings Of Reconciliation
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The results of redemption are: |
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a) |
Deliverance from the curse of the Law (Gal. 3:13; 4:4-6) |
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b) |
Total forgiveness of sins (Isa. 44:22; Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14;
Heb. 9:15) |
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c) |
Basis for justification (Rom. 3:24) |
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d) |
Basis for sanctification (Eph. 5:25-27) |
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e) |
Basis for eternal inheritance (Heb. 9:15) |
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f) |
Basis for strategic victory of Christ in the Angelic Conflict
(Col. 2:14, 15; Heb. 2:14, 15) |
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g) |
Basis for redemption of the body in resurrection (Eph. 1:14) |
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The fulness of our reconciliation: |
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a) |
The first doctrinal truth of reconciliation is mentioned is in
the New Testament when Paul states: “By whom we have now
received the atonement”, and the word “atonement” ought to be
“reconciliation” (Rom. 5:11). It has come at the concluding
comments of the first aspect of sin in Romans. |
Often when hearing the gospel preached one hears about the forgiveness
of sins as if that is all that is
entailed. It is a major factor but it is not the whole picture. In
Romans Paul deals with sin on three levels.
He will make us aware that for reconciliation there had to be a
clearing of “what we do” and “our parentage” and the matter of “sin in
us”, and these include a change in our attitude toward God. A salvation
which enabled God to forgive our sins but left us still enemies to God
would have been an inferior salvation with an inferior reconciliation.
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Argument No. 1 |
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a) |
Man is a stubborn sinner irrespective of what enlightenment they
have been given (Rom. 1:18), (Lit. “who suppress or hold down
the truth” by association ch. 1:18) |
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b) |
Man is a bias sinner accusing or excusing one another, ignoring
the character of God (ch. 2:1-15) |
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c) |
Man is a hypocritical religious sinner telling others what to do
as a teacher but not doing the things himself and trusting in
his own righteousness (ch. 2:17-29) |
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d) |
The divine summary (ch. 3: 9-18) |
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The Remedy |
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a) |
Salvation without the law but witnessed to by the law and the
prophets
(Rom.
3:21) |
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The Results |
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a) |
Salvation which provides justification, clearing one of all
guiltiness (Rom. 3:24) |
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b) |
Salvation is by faith and there is reconciliation (Rom. 5:1) |
Reconciliation Illustrated
It is a profound fact that the redeemed are in a higher position with
superior blessings than that which Adam ever knew. The parable of the
prodigal son is a beautiful story illustrating the fulness of God’s
reconciling grace. This was a lad who had wasted that which the father
had given to him, he had no thought of how the father worked for to give
him that which he trashed, nor did he care. All he wanted was the “good
life”. Broken, humiliated, and ashamed, he began the long slow walk back
to the father. But the father saw him and “ran to meet him and kissed
him” (Lk. 15:20) with excited enthusiasm the father shouted, “This thy
brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found” (Lk.
15:32).
There was no hard feelings or casting up of how foolish the lad had
been. He was reconciled to the father and again able to enjoy the
fathers love.
By contrast, David had a son who did that and worse than the prodigal
son ever did, and what a difference there was. Absalom, despite being
deeply loved, was a rebellious son. By pressuring his father David (2
Sam. 13:26-27) he had Amnon go
with him and others to a feast in which he had Amnon slain (2 Sam.
13:28-29). When Absalom was made aware that David knew of this, he fled
(2 Sam. 13:34, 37), and after a time the “soul of David longed to go
forth unto Absalom” (2 Sam. 13:39). Time passed, and although
unrepentant, Absalom was allowed by David to come back to Jerusalem (2
Sam. 13:21, 23) but it was not a full reconciliation, for David said:
“Let him not see my face” (2 Sam. 14:24). Time again passed before
there was “outward” reconciliation. Despite the king kissing Absalom (2
Sam. 14:33), the heart of Absalom showed he was never one with the
father’s heart.
It is evident from after Adam sinned it was the desire of God for man to
be reconciled to Him. We never read of the voice of the Lord walking in
the garden before Adam sinned, yet after man sinned we read: “And they
heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden” (Gen. 3:8). It
was God who made not only the first move, but every move. He supplied
the sacrifice (we are not told it was a lamb), He slew it and he
provided the covering. In other words, God did everything that could be
done to reconcile man to Himself.
The ultimate fulness of God’s reconciliation is observed when concerning
the millennium we read: “And there shall be no more curse . . . and His
servants shall serve Him: And they shall see His face; and His name
shall be in their foreheads” (Rev. 22:3-4). Concerning the eternal
state we read: “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will
dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be
with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from
their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor
crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are
passed away” (Rev. 21:3-4).
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In Christ we have: |
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a) |
The Person who is the Redeemer, who is incomparable, for: |
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i) |
The perfections of His life are unequalled |
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ii) |
The price He paid to redeem is infinitely precious |
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iii) |
The people who have been redeemed by Him are innumerable |
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iv) |
The power in His redemption to change man is unlimited |
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v) |
The pleasing of His redemptive work to God is immeasurable |
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vi) |
The praises which will accrue to Him as Redeemer are unending |
May God grant us good understanding as He, by His
Holy Spirit, deigns to guide us into all truth.
John 16:1
Rowan Jennings, Abbotsford, British Columbia
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