Good Morning.

Therefore say to the children of Israel: “I am the Lord; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.” (Exodus 6:6-7)

In these verses, there are four distinct things that God promised to do on behalf of the Hebrews — deliver them from their burdens, rescue them from their bondage, redeem them with an outstretched arm, and take them as His own people. Collectively, these four actions are regarded as the four stages of redemption and are commemorated each Passover by drinking from four cups at the Passover Seder. 

The first promise was to relieve them of their burdens which may have occurred before they actually left. The promise to rescue them from bondage is interesting because of the Hebrew word translated as “rescue.” The Hebrew root is natzal and literally means  “to snatch (from danger). The implication is that when He removed them from Egypt, He was saving them from the plans Pharaoh ultimately intended to carry out — that is to kill them. 

The promise to redeem them is of great interest to us as believers because this is the promise commemorated at the Passover when we drink the third cup — the cup of redemption. This is the cup that Messiah took and said, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you” (Luke 22:20). The word translated as “redeem” is the same root word from which is derived the term go’el, which means “kinsman redeemer.” Biblically, this is the person who was in position to ransom a relative from their dire circumstances. 

As He did for the Hebrews in Egypt, God ransoms His people from the clutches of the Adversary in the person of Messiah. He is our kinsman Redeemer who has made it possible for us to be regarded as God’s own people. Therefore, we regard the promises made so long ago as still valid; He is still ready to deliver, rescue and redeem that all who call upon His name might be considered as the sons and daughters of God.

Blessings and Shalom,  

Bill  

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