Sold And Redeemed!

Put on the auction block. Sold to others. People enslaved. It was unfortunately a part of American history. Sadly, human trafficking is repeated in parts of the world even today. Nevertheless, there are also those who think they are free who have actually been sold into slavery; slavery to sin. (note Romans 7:14)

During the time of the Judges we read of a cyclical history of apostasy, oppression, crying out to God, and deliverance. However, each time God raised up a judge to deliver His people, as soon as that judge died, the people again forgot God. ( Judges 2:18-19)

Earlier in this second chapter of Judges we read. . .
"(13) They abandoned the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. (14) So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers, who plundered them. AND HE SOLD THEM INTO THE HAND OF THEIR SURROUNDING ENEMIES, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies." ( Judges 2:13-14 ESV)

This idea of God selling his people into the hands of their enemies is repeated again in Judges 3:8 and 4:2. Not only did God give His people up freely into the hands of their surrounding enemies, but He sold them. He handed them over to others as if they no longer BELONGED TO HIM. It was the very thing of which God had warned. ( Judges 2:15) God does not make idle threats. Just as His promises can be counted on, His warnings are to be taken seriously as well.

Like the debtor in Jesus' parable ( Matthew 18:25) God's people were sold because of their great debt of sin. Being oppressed by their enemies they would in a sense pay for their sin of forgetting God and disobeying His Will. God was to be honored. However, they were not honoring Him as they turned to serve other gods. Therefore God used the surrounding nations to chastise and punish Israel to get them to turn their focus back toward Him. Then, when they cried out again to the LORD, ready to acknowledge His Sovereignty, He redeemed them and once again MADE THEM HIS OWN.

The psalmist Asaph said of God. . .
"(38) Yet he, being compassionate, atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them; HE RESTRAINED HIS ANGER OFTEN and DID NOT STIR UP ALL HIS WRATH." ( Psalm 78:38 ESV)

Is that not what God is still doing today? Though the Scriptures refer to God's unending love, we do not read of His unending patience. His patience is not to be taken for granted. Therefore, let us remember God created us. WE BELONG TO HIM. Yet how many times do we live as if we owned ourselves? Have we not suffered consequences for some of our life choices? Because of sin we have a debt we can never pay back ourselves. Sold under sin ( Romans 7:14) we are in need of being redeemed; bought back to God. Praise God, in Christ, that blessing is ours! May we live our life as GOD'S POSSESSION!

Have a great day LIVING TO REVEAL WE TRULY BELONG TO GOD!
Carl

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