For thus saith the LORD, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money.
The promise is that God will restore and redeem Jerusalem, with the Lord comforting and redeeming His people and making His salvation visible to all nations. The prophecies of the chapter concern Christ's work and are a help and blessing to His people. Around it stands God's call to Zion to awake, put on strength and beautiful garments as Jerusalem the holy city, to shake off the dust, arise and sit down, and loose the bands from the neck as the captive daughter of Zion. That call is to be cleansed and freed from captivity, to know God and to hear the good tidings of salvation.
Zion, Israel, God's people sold themselves for nothing and gave themselves into bondage for nothing, yet they shall be redeemed without money. Their release and restoration is God's free act, not something purchased with money or paid for by them. For fallen, sinful man God has furnished a life-giving Saviour as the only hope of a life that measures with the life of God. Redemption is accomplished not by payment of money but at infinite cost by the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ giving Himself to stand at the head of humanity. Clothing His divinity with humanity to encircle the human race with His long human arm while grasping the throne of the Infinite with His divine arm, He became Mediator between God and man, placed man on vantage ground with the Infinite Father, and enabled men and women to become sons and daughters of God.
People sell themselves for nothing when they trade their souls for worldly applause, money, sinful passions, or amusement, and their souls are bought cheaply by Satan even though Christ has paid an infinite price to ransom them. People give themselves away for nothing when they trade their souls for selfish pleasure and worldly enjoyment, and they are left to their choices when God withdraws His longsuffering forbearance. People can sell themselves for what is worthless, and presenting unsound ideas as divine truth is a foolish bargain that cheapens the soul. The verse applies to teachers who promote speculative, uncommissioned theories as essential truth: they trade away what is precious for nothing, and their claims do not become true merely because they are tied to Scripture. Because redemption is free, there is no safety in placing confidence in human wisdom or strength.
The verse portrays the happiness and overcoming grace revealed in families where unity and peace and love abide. Such peaceful homes honor the Lord and are symbols of the purity of the heavenly home. The verse belongs to the call to see the salvation of God, which means God's work standing in its highest beauty and His message going to every part of the world. Redemption is without money because of what Christ has done, and remembering that makes generous giving no great sacrifice. Seeing that salvation calls for self-sacrificing effort, larger freewill offerings and straight gifts to support the work and to establish educational centers, with God's blessing resting on those who do their very best and whose ways please Him, yielding a rich harvest.
The promise is that God will restore and redeem Jerusalem, with the Lord comforting and redeeming His people and making His salvation visible to all nations. The prophecies of the chapter concern Christ's work and are a help and blessing to His people. Around it stands God's call to Zion to awake, put on strength and beautiful garments as Jerusalem the holy city, to shake off the dust, arise and sit down, and loose the bands from the neck as the captive daughter of Zion. That call is to be cleansed and freed from captivity, to know God and to hear the good tidings of salvation.
Zion, Israel, God's people sold themselves for nothing and gave themselves into bondage for nothing, yet they shall be redeemed without money. Their release and restoration is God's free act, not something purchased with money or paid for by them. For fallen, sinful man God has furnished a life-giving Saviour as the only hope of a life that measures with the life of God. Redemption is accomplished not by payment of money but at infinite cost by the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ giving Himself to stand at the head of humanity. Clothing His divinity with humanity to encircle the human race with His long human arm while grasping the throne of the Infinite with His divine arm, He became Mediator between God and man, placed man on vantage ground with the Infinite Father, and enabled men and women to become sons and daughters of God.
People sell themselves for nothing when they trade their souls for worldly applause, money, sinful passions, or amusement, and their souls are bought cheaply by Satan even though Christ has paid an infinite price to ransom them. People give themselves away for nothing when they trade their souls for selfish pleasure and worldly enjoyment, and they are left to their choices when God withdraws His longsuffering forbearance. People can sell themselves for what is worthless, and presenting unsound ideas as divine truth is a foolish bargain that cheapens the soul. The verse applies to teachers who promote speculative, uncommissioned theories as essential truth: they trade away what is precious for nothing, and their claims do not become true merely because they are tied to Scripture. Because redemption is free, there is no safety in placing confidence in human wisdom or strength.
The verse portrays the happiness and overcoming grace revealed in families where unity and peace and love abide. Such peaceful homes honor the Lord and are symbols of the purity of the heavenly home. The verse belongs to the call to see the salvation of God, which means God's work standing in its highest beauty and His message going to every part of the world. Redemption is without money because of what Christ has done, and remembering that makes generous giving no great sacrifice. Seeing that salvation calls for self-sacrificing effort, larger freewill offerings and straight gifts to support the work and to establish educational centers, with God's blessing resting on those who do their very best and whose ways please Him, yielding a rich harvest.