Isaiah 52:3 For thus said the LORD, You have sold yourselves for nothing; and you shall be redeemed without money. A redemption, far more precious than the temporal redemption of Israel from. their Babylonish bondage, is to be considered as here hinted at. I. THE AWFUL ACCUSATION. It is twofold. 1. That we have sold ourselves. The figure here employed is used in other passages,of Scripture, to express the conduct of the sinner in abandoning himself to Satan s service. Thus of Ahab it is said, "he did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord;" and of the people whom he governed, "they sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord to provoke Him to anger." St. Paul adopts a similar expression, in reference to himself, "The law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin." In all these places the idea under which the conduct of sinners is described is that of a man selling himself for a slave. And under this guilt we are every one of us included. 2. That we have sold ourselves "for nought."(1) Look at the inducements of our sins — at the motives which led us to commit them. O how lightly and how cheaply have we yielded ourselves up to Satan's service! He has not needed, as in our Lords case, to promise all "the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them;" he has not needed to tempt us with large offers or golden baits. (2) Look again to the consequences of our sins. There have been many times, no doubt, when we have committed sin in expectation of some great advantage to be gained by it. But what has been the price? Bitter disappointment, pain, grief, anguish, and in the end, everlasting death. Such have been the only fruits which men have ever gathered from their sins. II. THE MOST GRACIOUS PROMISE OR PROPOSAL. "Ye shall be redeemed," etc. "As freely as you have given yourselves up to ruin, so freely am I ready to deliver you from that ruin." Considered in this light, in what a striking manner does my text present to us the riches of God's grace towards a ruined world! But to comprehend this matter more distinctly, look at the Cross of Jesus! (A. Roberts, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: For thus saith the LORD, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money.WEB: For thus says Yahweh, "You were sold for nothing; and you shall be redeemed without money." |
    |