9 Hide your face from my sins, and wipe out all that I have done wrong.

10 Create a clean heart in me, O Elohim, and renew a faithful spirit within me.

11 Do not force me away from your presence, and do not take Ruach Qodesh from me.

12 Restore the joy of your salvation to me, and provide me with a spirit of willing obedience.

13 Then I will teach your ways to those who are rebellious, and sinners will return to you.

14 Rescue me from the guilt of murder, O Elohim, my savior.

Let my tongue sing joyfully about your righteousness!

15 O Adonay , open my lips, and my mouth will tell about your praise.

16 You are not happy with any sacrifice.

Otherwise, I would offer one to you.

You are not pleased with burnt offerings.

17 The sacrifice pleasing to Elohim is a broken spirit.

O Elohim , you do not despise a broken and sorrowful heart.

18 Favor Zion with your goodness.

Rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

19 Then you will be pleased with sacrifices offered in the right spirit- with burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings.

Young bulls will be offered on your altar.

GO'EL REDEEMER, DEFENDER.

Redemption involves winning back, buying back, or repurchasing something that belongs to you or to someone else. The most dramatic example of this in the Old Testament was the exodus of God's people from Egypt. The former slaves praised Yahweh for acting as their Redeemer (Exodus 15:13). Subsequently, the prophets often linked redemption with freedom from political oppression. Little wonder that the God's Word translation has chosen to translate Go'el as" Defender."

Redemption also came into play within Israel itself because land, first born males, slaves, objects, and animals consecrated to God all had to be redeemed by means of some kind of payment. In certain instances, such as when land had been sold to pay a debt (Leviticus 25:25-28) or a person had sold himself into slavery, the person's closest relative, called the "kinsman redeemer," had the right to step in and pay off the debt so that the land could be returned or the person could be freed.

God is often called "Redeemer" (Go'el; go-EL) in the Old Testament. Though the New Testament never directly refers to Jesus as the Redeemer, it makes it clear that he offered himself as a ransom or as redemption when he died on the cross. Rather than liberating his people from political oppression, as many expected the Messiah to do, Jesus came to free his people from the demonic powers to which sin had enslaved them. By giving his life for them and for us, Jesus didn't make light of our guilt but lifted us, as one commentator has said, "out of disobedience into his own obedience,"a thereby freeing us from the bondage of sin and remaking us in his image.

Praying to Our Go'el Imagine that you are a slave born to slaves. Though still a child, you work long days in the field. Day after day, hour after hour, you work hard with nothing to show for it. One day you catch a glimpse of your future stretching out before you. The bleakness of what you see overwhelms you. If only you could buy yourself back with your own money, free yourself from the plague of slavery. But you don't have any money. Nothing you do-no promise, no sacrifice, no amount of hard work, no heroic action-can change your future. You'll die a slave. But wait a minute! Suddenly a relative has come forward-a free man. He has money in his hand, money to purchase your freedom, and he does just that. He is your kinsman redeemer.

Most of us find it hard to imagine ourselves in such a position. We are free people living in a free country. We do what we want, when we want, the way we want. We pride ourselves on our independence. We are the consumers not the consumed. But what if we are not quite as free as we think? What if, in fact, our own position is very much like the one described above-at least on a spiritual plane?

Without Christ, you and I are slaves to sin-anger, harsh words, jealousy, greed, cheating, addiction, gossip, meanness, sloth, envy, lust, lies. It's all right there in front of us. We've known for a very long time that we will pay for every word, every deed, every failing. In the end there will be death. All the money in the world can't save us, can't ransom us, can't keep us from paying for the wrong we've done and the good we've failed to do. The future is bleak beyond imagining.

But wait a minute! Suddenly someone steps forward. He's the best man you've ever known. Instead of money, he offers himself as payment, and payment is accepted. You hardly know how to feel. Jubilant because you are finally free or ashamed because another human being had to die because of what you have done? But then you realize that this man who died for you, who loved you in the most extreme way possible, is alive, and he is calling your name. Here's what he is saying: Wherever you go in the world, tell everyone the Good News. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Jesus, my Redeemer, I will celebrate your love forever. You've given me life instead of death, hope instead of despair. Let me rejoice by telling everyone I know what you have done for me.

Promises Associated with the Name GO'EL But Elohim will buy me back from the power of hell because he will take me. (Psalm 49:15) But I know that my Go'el lives, and afterwards, he will rise on the earth. Even after my skin has been stripped off my body, I will see Eloah in my own flesh. (Job 19:25-26)

Psalm 52 For the choir director; a maskil; a psalm by David when Doeg (who was from Edom) told Saul that David had come to Ahimelech's home.

1 Why do you brag about the evil you've done, you hero?

The mercy of El lasts all day long!

2 Your tongue makes up threats.

It's like a sharp razor, you master of deceit.

3 You prefer evil to good.

You prefer lying to speaking the truth.

Selah 4 You love every destructive accusation, you deceitful tongue!

5 But El will ruin you forever.

He will grab you and drag you out of your tent.

He will pull your roots out of this world of the living.

Selah 6 Righteous people will see this and be struck with fear.

They will laugh at you and say, 7 "Look at this person who refused to make Elohim his fortress!

Instead, he trusted his great wealth and became strong through his greed."

8 But I am like a large olive tree in Elohim's house.

I trust the mercy of Elohim forever and ever.

9 I will give thanks to you forever for what you have done.

In the presence of your godly people, I will wait with hope in your good name.

Psalm 53a For the choir director; according to mahalath,b a maskil by David.

1 Godless fools say in their hearts, "There is no Elohim."

They are corrupt.

They do disgusting things.

There is no one who does good things.

2 Elohim looks down from heaven on Adam's descendants to see if there is anyone who acts wisely, if there is anyone who seeks help from Elohim.

3 Everyone has fallen away.

Together they have become rotten to the core.

No one, not even one person, does good things.

4 Are all those troublemakers, those who devour my people as if they were devouring food, so ignorant that they do not call on Elohim?

5 There they are-panic-stricken- but there was no reason to panic, because Elohim has scattered the bones of those who set up camp against you.a You put them to shame.

After all, Elohim has rejected them.

6 If only salvation for Israel would come from Zion!

When Elohim restores the fortunes of his people, Jacob will rejoice.

Israel will be glad.

Psalm 54 For the choir director; on stringed instruments; a maskil by David when people from the city of Ziph told Saul that David was hiding among them.

1 O Elohim, save me by your name, and defend me with your might.

2 O Elohim, hear my prayer, and open your ears to the words from my mouth.

3 Strangers have attacked me.

Ruthless people seek my life.

They do not think about Elohim.b Selah 4 Elohim is my helper!

Adonay is the provider for my life.

5 My enemies spy on me.

Pay them back with evil.

Destroy them with your truth!

6 I will make a sacrifice to you along with a freewill offering.

I will give thanks to your good name, O Yahweh .

7 Your name rescues me from every trouble.

My eyes will gloat over my enemies.

Psalm 55 For the choir director; on stringed instruments; a maskil by David.

1 Open your ears to my prayer, O Elohim.

Do not hide from my plea for mercy.

2 Pay attention to me, and answer me.

My thoughts are restless, and I am confused 3 because my enemy shouts at me and a wicked person persecutes me.

They bring misery crashing down on me, and they attack me out of anger.

4 My heart is in turmoil.

The terrors of death have seized me.

5 Fear and trembling have overcome me.

Horror has overwhelmed me.

6 I said, "If only I had wings like a dove- I would fly away and find rest.

7 Indeed, I would run far away.

I would stay in the desert.

Selah 8 I would hurry to find shelter from the raging wind and storm."

9 Completely confuse their language, O Adonay , because I see violence and conflict in the city.

10 Day and night they go around on top of the city walls.