Redeemed by the mercy of God
by Pastor Tim Klein
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Our Redeemer – the Lord of hosts is his name – is the Holy One of Israel (Isaiah 47:4).
Yesterday’s devotion focused on the futility of idolatry. The Lord, speaking through Isaiah, tells us that idols cannot save us. They may offer some comfort at the thought of what they might promise, but they finally come to nothing.
Today the Lord turns Isaiah toward Babylon and Chaldea – ‘virgin daughter Babylon … daughter Chaldea’ (verse 1). The Lord punished his own rebellious nation by allowing them to be taken over by Babylonia. Many people were taken captive to Babylon itself. Seemingly the Lord’s idea of punishment under Babylonian and Chaldean leaders was exceeded. ‘I was angry with my people, I profaned my heritage; I gave them into your hand, you showed them no mercy’ (verse 6).
So now the Lord promises to punish the Babylonians and Chaldeans: ‘I will take vengeance, and I will spare no-one’ (verse 3).
This shows us something of God’s sense of justice. Even in punishing his people by allowing them to be taken captive, he still expected the Babylonians to be merciful toward them. As a result of their lack of mercy, God’s justice shows them no mercy! Ouch.
It reminds me a little of the story about the servant who was forgiven a large debt by his master only to go straight out and throw someone who owed him relatively little into prison and effectively toss the key away. It did not end well for that servant.
We need to understand that about God. Yes, God is love; yes, he is merciful and slow to anger; and yes, he might even allow us to be punished through the circumstances of our lives, but he is also just. Like it or not, this is our God. He observed the Babylonians acting as though they were God in their wickedness, saying twice: ‘I am, and there is no-one besides me’ (verses 8 and 10).
Yet the Lord remains a redeemer – our Redeemer. He is holy, and there is none like him. No idols, sorceries or enchantments can do what he does. He redeems lost and fallen people: ‘Our Redeemer – the Lord of hosts is his name – is the Holy One of Israel’ (verse 4).
The Lord Jesus is our Redeemer who continues to seek us out in our lost places and do for us what no idol or nation can do: redeem us and bring us safely home.
Jesus – our Redeemer, God’s own Son, precious Lamb of God, Messiah, Holy One – thank you, O my Father, for giving us your Son and leaving your Spirit until the work on earth is done. Amen.
Tim is the husband of the lovely Joylene, father of three and their spouses, and Pa to nine grandchildren. Tim loves family time. He also loves family time with his faith family at Faith Warradale, where he has served as the pastor for eight years. He has served as a pastor of the church in various capacities for more than 30 years. Tim also enjoys photography, pushbike riding and gardening and is a self-taught guitarist, Adelaide Conservatorium-trained singer, and writer of an occasional song. Tim says he looks forward to a couple more years as a full-time pastor and is open to where the Lord would use him beyond that.
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