Tag: Ransom

Those who Escape will Remember Me

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It was my observation that Israel had been the Jewel in God’s eye, but Ezekiel (chapter 6) declares they were polluted in their thinking and their actions. Their worship of the most high had become wallowing in the mud of idolatry. For reasons that seemed foolish they had rejected the realness and beauty of the one true living God for wooden and stone models of a god ‘made up’ by humans.

You might think the Hebrew nation is going to crash and burn. A sad ending indeed. But this is not the ending. God’s grace will prevail. There will be a remnant. A few will remain faithful, they will suffer along with the rest of the Hebrews, but they will not perish. Their heart will not be extinguished. God will shelter them from the deepest troubles. They will pass through the fire unblemished.

Ezekiel 6:8-10 says — But I will spare some, for some of you will escape the sword when you are scattered among the lands and nations. Then in the nations where they have been carried captive, those who escape will remember me—how I have been grieved by their adulterous hearts, which have turned away from me, and by their eyes, which have lusted after their idols. They will loathe themselves for the evil they have done and for all their detestable practices. And they will know that I am the Lord; I did not threaten in vain to bring this calamity on them [NIV].

If you take a look at Isaiah 1:9 we see the same theme. The entire group deserves to be cut off, but by grace, God maintains a remnant. Some will die by the sword but some will escape. None of the people marked to fall by the sword escaped, they put their trust in the walls of the city rather than the God of the city. Their shame of trusting wood, mud and stone was their fall.  Those who trusted God, were spared and their seed became the new inhabitants of the City of God.

God’s patience left them room for repentance and for receiving forgiveness. Those who repented, escaped death, he gave them life for their repentance. This story is an encouragement to us that repentance matters. We mess up, we repent, we find forgiveness and restoration. We find a path to weather the storm and find the eye of the hurricane. It is clear this remnant was marked for salvation. God, in his foreknowledge knew who was trusting the walls of the city and who was trusting God. They were made safe by God’s mercy through their repentance.

Please understand, they did suffer, they were carried off as captives, but this was better than death. They were driven out of the promised land but not out of God’s hand. We need to learn from this small patch of history. True repentance shall be accepted by the one true living God. In this light, our troubles are permitted by God who uses the troubles to bring us back to him. Our troubles reinforce the need to repent and demonstrate the depth of his grace and mercy. We make a mess, he cleans it up, but we are wise to never think that repenting is a ‘get out of jail’ card. Sometimes we are simply placed in the eye of the hurricane while the storm rages on. We walk through the valley of death, our God is with us, even there in our deepest troubles. We rest in his peace.

Sin starts when we lose sight of God (implied Jeremiah 3:21). Repentance starts when we restore our gaze upon him. His mercy brings himself to our mind. We respond. Grace finds us in our deepest mess, he brings us hope, he brings us mercy, he brings us out. We resist, he persists. We take the role of the prodigal, we head home, and he runs out to meet us. My friends, make no mistake. God will cause us to know we are in deep trouble, that he is Lord of all, and then provide the opportunity (our choice) for repentance (and a safe haven) or complete chaos. What do you pray for? A safe haven. Let God manage the problems. Find his peace. Move towards his peace. This leads to life. I choose Jesus.

Writing Love in Our Heart

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Essay By Dan

It was my observation while learning about the mediator function held by Jesus that I was not very knowledgeable about the origins of sacrifice as defined by scripture. I followed this tangent and started learning. In the book of Leviticus, the Israelites were instructed by God on the topic of sacrifice. In my view, the notion of sacrifice is a God directed process where blessings are appropriated through the offering of a specified element for a specified sin. But I must be clear – the sacrifice begins and ends with God. In His kindness, He provides this avenue to his people so that they, by faith, might receive grace.

When I looked for the first sacrifice, I noted that God covered Adam and Eve with animal skins. These animals were used (sacrificed) to address Adam and Eve’s rebellion (Genesis 3:21). This event was not specifically called a sacrifice, but the metaphor is clear. Their sin (rebellion) was covered (literally with skins) by the death (shed blood) of another being. Their anxiety was relieved, and they were willing to talk with God once the coverings were in place. The next sacrifice occurs when Abel offers a sacrificial animal (firstling) as gratitude for a good year of crops (Genesis 4:3-5). I should mention — Abel’s attitude was correct, the sacrifice was effective; Cain’s attitude was incorrect, his sacrifice was not accepted.

The Lord said to Moses in Leviticus 17:3-7 (paraphrased) — Any Israelite who offers a sacrifice in the camp or outside of it instead of bringing it to the tabernacle of the Lord—that person shall be considered guilty of bloodshed. This is so the Israelites will bring to the Lord the sacrifices they are now making in the open fields. They must bring them to the Lord and sacrifice them as fellowship offerings. The priest is to splash the blood against the altar of the Lord and burn the fat as an aroma pleasing to the Lord. They must no longer offer any sacrifices to their idols. (NIV).

Then we read in Leviticus 17:11 why the sacrifice and more specifically why the blood is important. We read — For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life (ESV).

In this verse, I noted the life of the flesh is in the blood. The essential life of all beings is contained in their blood. To touch the blood is to touch life. Blood moves us from the abstract idea of life to a visual, tactile presentation of life. If there is no blood in the sacrifice, then sin remains. A life un-ransomed is no life. Not only do we need blood to live, but God also conveys eternal life to us through sacrificial blood. Let us take a deeper look by examining two key phrases in the verse.

On the Altar. The altar starts with death (the sacrifice) but quickly transitions to life. Blood is placed on the altar; when they connect (the blood and altar) then the offering becomes holy (see Exodus 29:37) and imparts life (forgiveness) to the offeror (the person bringing a sacrifice to the altar).

To make atonement for your souls. We have established that blood imparts life to sinners. Blood on the altar eradicates sin, reverses death sentences, and brings us closer to God. This begins with the death of the offering but is made complete when the blood is placed on the altar.

The deeper truth — The blood offering was much more substantial than the rest of the offering. No part of the offering was transported into the holy of holies except for the blood. Without the blood, there was no forgiveness (Hebrews 9:22). In the old covenant, blood covered our sin in much the same way that the skins covered Adam and Eve – yet their heart remained corrupted. In the new covenant the blood of Jesus paid our ransom completely – our heart is changed. His life was in that blood – His life changed us. His blood was offered in our stead – we are transformed. The Spirit writes love in our heart.

I choose Jesus.

The Ransom Death

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Essay by Dan

It has been my observation while pouring through the Book of Hebrews there is an interesting linkage between the mediator role and the ransom payment. For example, we read – He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance –now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant (Hebrews 9:15).

The central purpose of Jesus as our mediator for sin is found in the interesting phrase “by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant.” This phrase defines the basis and expression of Christ’s mediatorship in the new covenant as His unwarranted (Jesus had no sin) sacrificial death (Jesus stepped into our place with a ransom for our sin). Therefore, His sinless payment of the ransom and the promises of the new covenant emerge with unmistakable power and victory.

God has been nurturing and growing the Israelites for eons. He was passionately protective of them. Furthermore, we note — Jesus bought (purchased with his ransom) all the sins committed (by Israel, God’s chosen people) under the first covenant. He bought every sin committed by each individual son and daughter of Abraham with his sacrifice. We are wise to notice a key element of the pro bono new covenant implemented by a gracious God that extended this ransom over the gentiles. Jesus explained His death just before His crucifixion; both Matthew and Mark documented Jesus citing a phrase from Exodus 24;”this is the blood of the covenant.” Selah!

Contrasting the Old Testament rituals with the work of Jesus leads us to understand the old ways will never impart everlasting life with the one true living God. In Hebrews 6:1 we find clear affirmation; the old school rituals lead to death. The new covenant (replacement for the old rituals) sets us perfectly free from any need to engage in such things. I think the extensive discussion about the blood of Christ in the Book of Hebrews is designed to calm the Jewish conscience and leave them ready to embrace the eternal inheritance provided by the new covenant (see Hebrews 6:12).

We know from Luke and from Paul the importance of the Jeremiah 31 phrase; “this is the new covenant in my blood.” It was as if Jesus was saying — If you want to understand the covenant, you need to understand that My death and resurrection is the event that delivers the covenant promises prophesied hundreds of years earlier through Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Moses. My death brings a resurrection through those promises. My death unlocks your heart. This is my gift as mediator of the new covenant.

As the mediator, He is paying for the penalty of sin and buying back those sins committed by all those who believe in Him as Savior and choose to walk with God. This begs the question — is there any possibility of someone saying, “Well, that is nice that Jesus has done that, but I am going to find my path to God – on my own.” Our response? “Huh?” How did you decide on your defense? How did you present your case to Elohim? What was his response? Have you appealed your case? To whom? How is that working out for you? There is only one path to the Father. Jesus said, of himself – “I am the way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes unto the Father but by Me.” (John 14:6)

The deeper truth – The ransom death is intense, draconian, and brutal. Yet, the ransom is embedded in the message of our salvation. It is the cornerstone of God’s unconditional love for us. His ransom death paid the penalty for all sin; do you know of any other way for that ransom to be paid? I think not. Only the death of the Mediator can clear the debt. Only a perfect offering presented in the heavenly temple can adjudicate our sin. There is no other path possible. None. Nada.

I choose Jesus.