redeem

November 27, 2017

The future exile (Mic 4:9-4:10)

“Now why do you cry aloud?

Is there no king in you?

Has your counselor perished?

Have pangs seized you

Like a woman in labor?

O daughter Zion!

Writhe!

Groan!

Like a woman in labor!

Now you shall go forth

From the city.

You shall camp

In the open country.

You shall go to Babylon.

There you shall be rescued.

There Yahweh will redeem you

From the hand of your enemies.”

Yahweh, via Micah, wanted to know why the people were crying.  They had a king and a counselor.  However, they were having labor pains, as if they were pregnant.  Yahweh told them to cry, groan, and contort like a pregnant woman because something bad was going to happen to them.  They were going to have to leave their city to camp in the open country.  They were going to go to Babylon.  There Yahweh would rescue and redeem them from their enemies.

October 10, 2017

Death and Sheol (Hos 13:14-13:14)

“Shall I ransom them

From the power

Of Sheol?

Shall I redeem them

From Death?

O Death!

Where are your plagues?

O Sheol!

Where is your destruction?

Compassion is hidden

From my eyes.”

Yahweh, via Hosea, wanted to know if he should ransom Israel from the power of Sheol, the shadowy afterlife experience. Should Yahweh redeem them from death. Then, he like Paul later in his description of death in I Corinthians, chapter 15, wondered where was the sting or the power of death. Where were the plagues and destruction of Death and Sheol? Yahweh would not have compassion on them, because it was hidden from his eyes.

December 22, 2015

Hope in Yahweh (Ps 130:7-130:8)

“O Israel!

Hope in Yahweh!

With Yahweh                                   

There is steadfast love.

With him

There is great power to redeem.

He will redeem Israel

From all its iniquities.”

This short psalm ends with a sense of hope. The psalmist called on Israel to have hope in Yahweh and his steadfast love. Yahweh has the power to redeem Israel from all its iniquities.

October 8, 2015

Call upon God (Ps 55:16-55:19)

“However I call upon God.

Yahweh will save me.

Evening and morning,

And at noon,

I utter my complaint.

I moan.

He will hear my voice.

He will redeem me unharmed,

From the battle that I wage.

Many are arrayed against me.

God will hear.

God will humble them.

God is enthroned from of old.

Because they do not change.

They do not fear God.”

Selah

David’s response to this problem was to call on God.  Yahweh would  save him.  He uttered his complaint, morning, noon, and evening.  He was confident that he would be saved and remain unharmed in the battle.  Even though a lot of people were against him, God would hear and humble them.  God sat on his old throne.  They would lose because they would not change.  They did not fear God.  Once again there is a musical interlude meditative pause, Selah.

September 2, 2015

Walk in integrity (Ps 26:11-26:12)

“But as for me,

I walk in my integrity.

Redeem me!

Be gracious to me!

My foot stands on level ground.

In the great congregation

I will bless Yahweh.”

This psalm ends with the innocent David’s self-righteous plea that he had always walked in integrity. He wanted Yahweh to redeem him. He wanted Yahweh to be gracious to him. He had kept his feet on the level right path. In the congregations he blessed Yahweh. Therefore he was on the right side with Yahweh.

July 26, 2015

God’s mediator is an angel (Job 33:23-33:28)

“Then, if there should be for one of them an angel,

He would be a mediator.

One of a thousand,

This angel declares a person upright.

He is gracious to that person.

He says.

‘Deliver him from going down into the Pit!

I have found a ransom.

Let his flesh become fresh with youth!

Let him return to the days of his youthful vigor.’

Then he prays to God.

It is accepted by him.

He comes into his presence with joy.

God repays him for his righteousness.

That person sings to others.

He says.

‘I sinned.

I perverted what was right.

It was not paid back to me.

He has redeemed my soul from going down to the pit.

My life shall see the light.’”

An angel was sent from God to redeem or interpret God’s words. Later Christians might call him the guardian angel. However, only 1 in 1,000 had this redeeming angel. Somehow the redeeming angel of God ransomed this sinner. Instead of death, this person received their youthful vigor. God had answered this person’s prayer so that he went before God with joy. He was repaid for his righteousness. Then he sang to others that he was a sinner. He was saved from going down into the pit, death. He was redeemed through the light from the angel of God. Obviously this is a view of a special afterlife here on earth with a special emphasis on that guarding angel.

April 26, 2015

Judas and his men see the camp of Gorgias (1 Macc 4:6-4:11)

“At daybreak, Judas appeared in the plain with three thousand men. However, they did not have armor and swords as much as they desired. They saw the camp of the gentiles, strong and fortified, with cavalry all around it. These men were trained in war. But Judas said to those who were with him.

‘Do not fear their numbers!

Do not be afraid when they charge!

Remember how our ancestors were saved at the Red Sea.

When Pharaoh with his forces pursued them?

Now let us cry to heaven,

To see whether he will favor us

Whether he will remember his covenant with our ancestors?

Will he crush this army before us today?

Then all the gentiles will know

That there is one who redeems and saves Israel.’”

Judas appeared on the plain with 3,000 of his men that did not have armor or swords. They saw the camp of Gorgias with the cavalry surrounding it. Judas then encouraged his troops. He told them not to fear the numbers of the enemy. He told them to remember what happened at the Red Sea when Pharaoh was pursuing their ancestors. He wanted them to cry to heaven to seek the favor of God. Notice he always speaks about heaven and not the God of their ancestors. God would remember his covenant with them and thus redeem and save Israel from the gentiles.