God Our Redeemer

For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth (Job 19:25)

This says it all. This is who God is. This is who Jesus Christ is. He is Our Redeemer (Gaal). He took on our sin, our debt, and paid for them. All of them. Read the story of Ruth. This is a story that demonstrates what Christ would do one day. Naomi and Ruth were widows; Ruth was the daughter-in-law of Naomi. Naomi was a Hebrew and Ruth was from Moab, an “outsider.” But she was faithful and stayed with Naomi even in the hardest of times. Boaz was a righteous man who was a relative of Ruth’s late husband. He took her in, he was kind to her and he would be what they called, a “kinsmen-redeemer.” In Jewish custom, a man (if he so chose) would take his dead relative’s wife to take care of her and to continue the family line. It was a great sacrifice, and it was a great act of kindness and honor. Read the book of Ruth. It is an enlightening story of love and redemption. There would come a day in which God, through His Son (in the family line of Boaz and Ruth), would redeem all of us. He would be the Savior of the world, our Redeemer. He would be the Light of the world, fully God and fully human to give us grace. Our salvation can only be through Him and no other. Praise God!

Galatians 4:4-7

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

As we celebrate Christmas, let us remember what it is all about. Jesus Christ came to this world, as a baby born of a virgin, sinless but went through temptation and pain and suffering. And He did it for us. He gave His life so that we may live, so that we are redeemed by His blood. He is our Redeemer. He paid the price for all of our sins. As Boaz redeemed Ruth and turned her life around, so Jesus did for us and so much more. As God is the Redeemer of Israel, who saved them from their enemies and forgave them for turning their back on Him, so Christ is our redeemer, saving us from our own flesh, from sin, from death, and from the evil one.

Isaiah 44:21-28

“Remember these, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are My servant; I have formed you, you are My servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me! I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions, and like a cloud, your sins. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.” Sing, O heavens, for the LORD [Yahweh] has done it! Shout, you lower parts of the earth; break forth into singing, you mountains, O forest, and every tree in it! For the LORD [Yahweh]has redeemed [Gaal]Jacob, and glorified Himself in Israel.

Thus says the LORD [Yahweh], your Redeemer [Goaleka], and He who formed you from the womb: “I am the LORD [Yahweh], who makes all things, who stretches out the heavens all alone, who spreads abroad the earth by Myself; who frustrates the signs of the babblers, and drives diviners mad; who turns wise men backward, and makes their knowledge foolishness; who confirms the word of His servant, and performs the counsel of His messengers; who says to Jerusalem, ‘You shall be inhabited,’ to the cities of Judah, ‘You shall be built,’ and I will raise up her waste places; who says to the deep, ‘Be dry! And I will dry up your rivers’; who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd, and he shall perform all My pleasure, saying to Jerusalem, “You shall be built,” and to the temple, “Your foundation shall be laid.” ‘

The Lord, who created all things, desires to remove our sins, “to blot them out”, to redeem us. He spoke to Israel of His redeeming grace. Again and again, when Israel rebelled against God, He forgave them just as He does for us. We still have to suffer consequences for our actions, but our loving God made a way for us to be redeemed through His Son. As 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.“

Isaiah 54:4-10

“Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame; for you will forget the shame of your youth, and will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore. For your Maker is your husband, the LORD of Hosts [Yahweh Tsaba] is His name; and your Redeemer [Gaal] is the Holy One [Qadosh] of Israel; He is called the God [Elohe] of the whole earth. For the LORD [Yahweh]has called you like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, like a youthful wife when you were refused,” says your God [Elohim] . “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 [Yahweh], your Redeemer [Gaal].

“For this is like the waters of Noah to Me; for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke you. For 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 [Yahweh], who has mercy on you.

This scripture says a lot about who our God is. He is kind and merciful, He always keeps His promises. Those who trust in Him have no reason to fear or be ashamed. He is the Lord or Hosts, the Holy One, our Creator, our Redeemer. Because all He has done for us and because we are redeemed through the blood of Jesus Christ ought we not to follow Him and live in a way that honors Him? His commands are not burdensome to those who love Him.

Psalms 19:8-14

The statutes of the LORD [Yahweh] are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD [Yahweh]is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD [Yahweh]are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward. Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD,[Yahweh] my strength and my Redeemer [Gaal].

Knowing we have a God who saves us, who sent His only Son to redeems us, all the more we should take joy in surrendering our lives to Him and keeping His commandments. Nothing we could ever do would be enough to earn our salvation and nothing we do could make Him love us any more or any less. His love is beyond measure.

Titus 2:11-14

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

My prayer is that you would see that God loves you and has redeemed us if we accept that gift. What greater gift is there than Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, who paid for all of our sins that we may be with Him for eternity. May you have a blessed day this Christmas season and all throughout the years.