A Look at Redemption- Proverbs 2

            We’ve been looking at some of Solomon’s writings contained in the book of Proverbs recently and I think it is important that we take some of these ideas to help in our personal growth. We know the scheme of redemption that has been laid out for us in the New Law: hear, believe, repent, confess, and be baptized for the remission of your sins. Luckily, because of the sacrificial Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, He has fulfilled the price of our sins with His life.    However, in the Old Law during Solomon’s time, there were sacrifices that they had to physically make to have forgiveness of sins. To add on, these sacrifices would not permanently make them clean again. Their sins were never fully covered and they had to sacrifice often to make atonement for their wrongdoings. Solomon writes out in Proverbs 2 about righteousness and what it can eventually lead to. He says that if we seek wisdom like hidden treasure, we will “discover the knowledge of God” (V. 5). Eventually, with the knowledge of God, we will be able to “discern righteousness…” (V. 8). Being in righteousness and using it properly will “deliver you from the way of evil, will deliver you from the man who speaks perverse things, from those who walk in dark paths, from the strange woman (adulteress), and will lead you to walk in the way of righteousness and be blameless and cut from the wicked” (V. 9-22).

Righteousness redeems people from their former way of life, meaning that if we choose to walk the path of righteousness we can defeat the sins and shortcomings that would cause us to fall. Righteousness is not a gift but a choice. Redemption is the gift that comes from righteousness because making the choice to be righteous helps to be free from the burdens we used to hold on our shoulders. Today, our righteousness begins with the cleansing flood that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ offers to us so that we may live as part of the redeemed. Live righteously to help your cause in being redeemed.

-Mark Talbert-