“I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.” Isaiah 44:22 NIV

“But now, this is what the Lord says – he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you by name; you are mine.”    Isaiah 43:1 NIV

You already know that I love the book of Isaiah. It is not only prophetic, it’s poetic. In the first verse, “the morning mist” captured me. And the next morning this mist, cloud, enveloped our home. In the second verse I want each of you to substitute your name for Jacob and Israel. Our God knows us, redeems us, and calls each of us by name. We belong to Him!

In the Old Testament, redeemed was used to describe “a deliverance from bondage based on the payment of a price by a redeemer”. Also, all the firstborn of animals and people belonged to the Lord. The firstborn of “clean” animals were given, sacrificed to God. A firstborn child was redeemed by substituting an animal sacrifice. (Luke 2:22-24, Jesus’ parents present Jesus at the temple and redeem Him.)

We all know that in the New Testament, our redemption price was paid once and for all by Jesus’ sacrifice and death on the cross, and His resurrection. Jesus’ was our substitute. He bore our fate for our sins. He redeemed us. He paid the price God required for each and every one of us. We are wonderfully redeemed!

This week let us be grateful and rejoice that we have been redeemed by name by our God through our Lord, Jesus Christ. Our price has been paid and our sins have been swept away like the cloud, like the morning mist. Share your redemption story with someone else that they, too, might be redeemed.

I thank God for each of you! And I thank you for joining me this week to share in the joy of our redemption.

Blessings in your beautiful redemption!