JANUARY 30, 2024 – REDEEMED

READ: Rev. 5:8-10: … which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, … For You … have redeemed us to God by Your blood … And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.’

Now that John has been reassured, he sees more about the Lamb standing in the midst of the throne in heaven. The Lamb receives divine honor from the angels and the elders. This is accompanied by joy: harps are played, and bowls are offered containing sweet fragrances. These are the prayers of the saints in which they confess their dependence on and gratitude to their Savior.

This new joyful development also includes singing. While creation took the lead in the collective worship of God as Creator in chapter 4, now the church takes the initiative of worship by singing a song to honor Christ, the Lamb. It is a new song because an entirely new situation has arisen.

There is now an unexpected redemption from the darkness of sin and death. Christ has redeemed His own with His shed blood from the domain of darkness. He is now worthy, to sit at the Father’s right hand, to set everything in motion and bring it to completion in these last days.

The new aspect is also that Christ has compassion on every tribe, language, people, and nation (v.9). Salvation is no longer limited to the people of Israel; every nation is included in Christ’s redemption work, fulfilling God’s promise made to Abraham. Once not a people, now God’s people (1 Pet. 2:10).

The redeemed have a new role: they are made to be kings and priests for God (v.10). Through the blood of Christ, they are again the image of God and have an inheritance! Kings and priests in the service of God, a royal priesthood, a people whom God makes His own to proclaim the virtues of Him who calls them out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Pet. 2:9).

Do you also give thanks to Christ?        

Singing: Hymn 64:3,4 (1984), 84:3,4 (2014)