Only God has the power to reverse the decay of the grave. Death is the last enemy God will destroy.

Part 1

To understand fully what our verse for today is stating we need a fuller understanding of the book of Hosea.  Let me encourage you to read through the book and pay attention to what Israel has done, but more importantly, what God has done for Israel.  She, in this book, is on the way to God’s judgment.  She has forgotten her Lord.

“Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no Savior beside me” (Hosea 13:4).

Despite Israel’s profound sin, the Lord loves her much (Hosea 11).  Her wickedness is gone so far that judgment is the only right thing for God to do to her.  What we are looking for in our verse for today is God’s omnipotence over death itself.

“I will ransom them from the power of the grave.”
Jehovah will remove Israel from Sheol’s grasp (“the power of the grave”).  Once again, we see that the grave is mighty, but our God is all-mighty.

“To redeem or ransom from the hand (or power) of hell, i.e., of the under world, the realm of death is equivalent to depriving hell of its prey, not only by not suffering the living to die but by bringing back to life those who have fallen victims to hell, i.e., to the region of the dead”[1] (Kyle & Delitzsch).

“I will redeem them from death.”
God loved Israel to the degree that He was willing to redeem them from the dead.  Throughout her history, Israel has repeatedly heard God’s words that He is her Redeemer.

“Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments” (Exodus 6:6).

“The word rendered ‘ransom,’ signifies, rescued them by the payment of a price, the word rendered ‘redeem,’ relates to one, who, as the nearest of kin, had the right to acquire anything as his own, by paying that price.  Both words, in their exactest sense, describe what Jesus did, buying us ‘with a price,’ a full and dear price, ‘not of corruptible things, as of silver and gold, but with His precious blood’ (1 Peter 1:18-19); and that, becoming our near kinsman, by His Incarnation, ‘for which cause He is not ashamed to call us brethren (Hebrews 2:11), and ‘little children’ (John 13:13)” (Barnes).

Even the Old Testament prophets understood that death’s days are numbered.  Come back tomorrow as we see the promised end of death!

[1] Keil & Delitzsch, Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament, the electronic version in eSword.