Let the Redeemed of the Lord Say So

I loved Darrell's repeated line from this last chapter: "But it was not always so."

There was a time when every one of us was madly in love with Babylon, and sometimes we act like we still are! There was a time when we all bought into the lie and lived the lie. There was a time when fear ruled our lives and we did compromise.

BUT - now we sing a new song. The song of the redeemed sent me straight to Psalm 107:

"Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,

Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary."

The rest of Psalm 107 speaks of all the ways that "it was not always so" - the ways we rebelled and tried to do life on our own - and ultimately, how we completely failed. My favorite little vignette from Psalm 107 is this one from verses 17-21:

Fools, because of their rebellious way,

And because of their iniquities, were afflicted.

Their soul abhorred all kinds of food and they drew near to the gates of death.

Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble;

He saved them out of their distresses.

He sent His word and healed them,

And delivered them from their destructions.

Let them give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness,

And for His wonders to the sons of men!

Abhorring food? Really? We definitely ARE foolish when we come to hate the things we need to live! But even when we forget our most basic needs; even when we don't know how to keep ourselves alive anymore, He is faithful, and He redeems us.

And that's why Revelation 14 says "no one could learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased from the earth" (v. 3). It's because we have been redeemed, bought back, that we sing. I'm sure we would still glorify the Lamb, even if we hadn't needed to be redeemed because we ultimately don't have a choice! Nothing will stop His Name from being glorified. But we wouldn't be singing the same song. There is a special kind of thankfulness that only comes from His grace, and we can't fully understand our brokenness until we understand His fullness.

It's just one more way that He's working all things for His good, redeeming everything for His glory.