Salvation is Our Protection

Job 29–33

Salvation is Our Protection

“He is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom.” (Job 33:24)

This verse comes from the speech of Elihu who was the last of the four men to speak to Job about his misfortunes. While Elihu’s understanding of Job’s situation was quite deficient, yet some of the things he said were true and instructive. This verse, while intended to apply to Job’s situation, has a Gospel capsule in it. It is speaking of deliverance which can portray the Gospel of soul salvation. The verse speaks of the pity for salvation, the protection in salvation, and the payment for salvation.

Pity for salvation. “Gracious unto him.” Salvation is a result of Divine grace. It is not a result of merit. We have no goodness by which we can merit salvation. If we are to be saved, it will be because of God’s grace and mercy. “For by grace are ye saved” (Ephesians 2:8). We can be mighty thankful salvation is of grace. This makes it available to all people. No matter what your past or your sin, grace makes it possible for anyone to be saved.

Protection in salvation. “Deliver him from going down to the pit.” The pit here speaks of the grave, but symbolically it also speaks of eternal damnation. Without salvation you will go to the pit of hell for all eternity. But God’s gracious salvation will deliver the believing soul from the condemnation of eternal hellfire in the pit. This protection is what mankind needs more than anything else. Yet, people spend money for all sorts of protection which only concerns this life while they ignore the need of protection for eternity.

Payment for salvation. “I have found a ransom.” The word translated “ransom” here means the price of redemption. Salvation is costly. It is too costly for any man to pay. “They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches, none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him” (Psalm 49:6, 7). But Christ could pay the ransom, and He did by His death on the cross of Calvary. “I have found a ransom” can be said by all those who have come to Christ for soul salvation.

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