Psalm 49:15

Psalm 49:15

Kinsman Redeemer

This is revolutionary thinking, and it does not often occur in the Old Testament. There were many who feared death and believed that their future lot was to go to the place of the departed – Sheol. The Jews held that this was the same as “Abraham’s side” although there was little understanding of what it meant. However, there were those who held the hope that even the grave was not the end, that the Lord would not abandon His own to the realm of the dead. David was one of them! Psalm 16:9-11.

What is particularly powerful here is that the Son of Korah who wrote this Psalm believed in a God who could redeemhim from the realm of the dead! As we saw, from v7-8, redemption, at that time, was a legal principle that applied to slaves or to family members who had fallen on hard times and lost their property or their position. In such cases, it was possible that someone from their family or clan might be able to buy them back, to pay off their debts and set them free and restore their land and property. Such a person was their kinsman redeemer. It is astonishing that the writer here is able to prophetically uphold the Lord God as his Kinsman Redeemer. He anticipates that the Lord God will be able to pay whatever price is required, to buy him back from the grave and to give him life and liberty beyond death.  He also believes that in so doing God will “take me to Himself.” This is a man, writing long before Christ’s resurrection, who has hope and faith in the purposes and power of His God. Hallelujah! How right he was!

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