"The People Which Thou Hast
Purchased"
Exodus 15:16
Moses speaks
of God's people as "the people," a specific number of people
distinguished from all others, "which thou hast purchased." In his
divinely inspired song of praise to God for redemption, salvation, and grace,
Moses tells us that the Lord God has a people in this world whom
he has purchased.
Who are these people? They are the people
of God's choice, his peculiar people. These purchased people are those men and
women with whom Christ's delights were from everlasting. They are peculiarly
and distinctively his (Deut. 7:7-9), chosen in electing love (John
Christ alone is the Purchaser of his
people. Moses says, "Thou hast purchased." He alone is able and
willing to do it, for he alone is both God and man. He alone has the lawful
right to do it, for he alone is our near Kinsman able to redeem us. And he
alone has done it. When the Word of God speaks of redemption, it speaks of it
as something already finished. "Thou hast purchased." "Ye are
bought with a price" (I Cor.
The price by which Christ has purchased
his people is his own precious blood (I Pet. 1:18; Rev. 5:9; Acts 20:28).
Nothing so thrills a ransomed sinner like meditating upon the precious blood of
Christ and the purchase he has made with his own blood. It is a special
purchase. Christ purchased a special people, with a special price,for a special purpose, because of special love,to enjoy
special blessings of grace and glory forever. It is a legal purchase. The
people were named who would be purchased. The price was agreed upon. The
purchase was made. And it can never be invalidated (Isa. 43:1). It is a full
and complete purchase. This is the greatest purchase ever made. Christ has
redeemed and purchased a great multitude, which no man can number, who could
not have been redeemed by any price other than his own precious blood. Thank
God for Christ and the purchase he has made with his own precious blood!
Don Fortner