This Saturday we’ll be back with the newest graduates of the Prison Entrepreneurship Program to help them buy new suits!

Our Redeemer 

Genesis

Lesson 4 

But now, thus says the Lord, your Creator, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel, ‘do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you’ when you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you. For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior. Isaiah 43:1-4 

Our Redeemer, the Lord of hosts is His name, The Holy One of Israel. Isaiah 47:4 

The Bible is not primarily a book of character studies; it is a book of redemption. I tend to view Old Testament characters and ask questions about their morality and how I should then live following their example. This is not bad, per se, and there is much I can learn about how to act, what I should say and how I should think. But I was reminded again this morning that the primary, overall theme of the Old Testament stories is that of redemption. 

God has brilliantly inspired the Old Testament to be written in such a way that it chronicles the history of Israel. It does a great job of providing us highlights of the story of this nation. It is filled with characters that have etched their way into our understanding of God’s story. But if we only consider them as characters that we should learn about historically and evaluate their characters moralistically, then we miss out on the primary meaning. Redemption! Redemption that involves a Savior; Redemption that points to Christ; Redemption that is found only in Jesus of Nazareth! 

Allow to me point out a little-known passage in John 5:45,46. Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees who were elevating morality and the law above all else. Jesus said to them, 

Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words. 

Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible. Moses never penned the name of Jesus in his writing. Nevertheless, he wrote about Jesus. Moses wrote Genesis and the story of Joseph. The story of Joseph contains the story of Jesus even though He’s not specifically named. Jesus condemned the Pharisees for only seeing moralism and law in Moses writing. Do this; don’t do that; obey the law; be good; don’t do bad. Let’s not be like the Pharisees. Let’s not miss Jesus in the story of Joseph. Let’s not miss the story of Redemption. 

The highly educated Pharisees missed Jesus in the writings of Moses but the simple-minded disciples did not. Jesus called Philip early on in His ministry. Philip (then) found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. John 1:43 

We are so blessed in that we have the full writings of God’s completed Word. We can now journey through the Old Testament and more easily see the beauty, glory and redemption of Jesus. 

O Israel, hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is lovingkindness, and with Him is abundant redemption. And He wil redeem Israel from all his iniquities. Psalms 130:7,8 

I meant to actually get into the text of the scripture of Jeseph this morning but I ADD’d into this topic. Sorry for the detour but I believe it’s very valuable to be reminded of the ‘big picture’. The story of Joseph tells us the story of Redemption. It points to Jesus!

Dear God the Holy Spirit, teach me to behold my Creator, His ability to save, His arms outstretched, His heart big for me. May I confide in His power and love, commit my soul to him without reserve and bear His image. Amen.

This prayer from inspired by The Valley of Vision.