A Bail Bondsman, Christ our Surety

I had to change the insurance on our home and autos this week. In the process, I ran up against laws that seemed to make no sense to me. So I did some research. I learned that the laws of this land, though often strange to me, in this case, have their basis in the truth of God. I shouldn’t be surprised. God made man in His own image. He has left Himself a witness, even in the legal system of our government. The first thing I investigated was “bail bondsman.” I’ve often wondered what the job of a bail bondsman was. Turns out, a bail bondsman deals with people banks are unwilling to deal with. A bail bondsman deals with criminals. The bail bondsman puts up a bond to the court. The court knows the bail bondsman is good for it, so upon posting the bond, the court will let the accused go free until trial. This is especially important when a person needs to maintain his family and work and home and finances before a trial is held. When the time before trial, or the combination of that time and the trial is long, it is important that the accused be allowed to go about his normal life when others will not be hurt by his freedom. Thus, the court relies on the integrity of the bail bondsman who acts in the place and on behalf of the accused, assuring the court that the accused will appear at trial, and if not, to compensate the court in the amount of the bail bond. All of this corresponds closely to what the Bible calls a “surety.”

I have been reading Genesis 43 and 44 this week. In that historical account, Judah became surety to his father to bring Benjamin to him again. Judah fulfilled his suretyship commitment when he stood before Joseph the governor, who had authority and power over Benjamin. Joseph accused Benjamin. Judah stood up for his little brother. Judah’s plea was the expert plea of our Surety, the Lord Jesus Christ. Judah did not argue Benjamin’s innocence. He began by arguing his father’s love for Benjamin. Judah argued his own willingness to be Benjamin’s surety, to shoulder all obligations to bring Benjamin to his father Jacob again. And Judah pleaded to the judge to take him instead of the lad. He asked to be allowed to fulfill the demand of justice against Benjamin in his own person (Gen. 43:8-9; 44:16-34). Judah’s pleadings with Joseph prevailed. Joseph the governor wanted what Judah wanted. The love of Jacob the father would not be disappointed. Judah’s faithfulness to his father and brother was pleasing to Joseph. Whereas, before, Judah sold Joseph into slavery, now, when he was offered his freedom to leave without Benjamin, he willingly forfeited himself for the sake of his commitment of love to his father and his love for his little brother (John 18:8). Thus, Judah and Joseph wanted the same thing. Judah became surety for Benjamin to his father. He answered all accusations against Benjamin with himself. This historical account so precisely fits the case of our Surety, the Lord Jesus, that we can almost simply replace the names of Judah, Benjamin and Jacob with the Lord Jesus, the elect in Christ, and God the Father. So movingly does the Spirit of God recount the eternal transactions between the Father and the Son in behalf of the Elect, that we are brought to tears when we read it in the picture scripture paints in the lives of these men (Gen. 43-44)! Today’s bail bondsman is a surety to the courts for the criminal. Our Lord Jesus is the Surety to God the Father for His elect, that His Father’s eternal purpose for His people will not go unsatisfied and His love will not go unrequited. In ourselves we are criminals. God’s elect are Christ’s brethren, brothers and sisters of their Surety. They are brethren by election and the predestinating, adopting love of God the Father (Eph. 1:3-7). They are brethren by Christ’s incarnation (Heb. 2:9-18). Joseph is the judge and justice of God in harmony with the eternal purpose of God, wanting the same thing as the pleading Surety: that the will of God concerning His elect be fulfilled. But the court must have its due. Accusations must be answered. Compensation must be made for crimes. Love in self-sacrifice must be rendered as the highest obedience to establish everlasting righteousness in honor of God’s law and as the covering and clothing of His people. The Father sent His Son. Christ fulfilled every role. He is our propitiation, our Advocate and our Intercessor (1 John 2:1-2; Rom. 8:34). He pleads before the court of heaven. He does not deny our crimes. He pleads His Father’s eternal love for His elect. He pleads His Father’s purpose for His brethren, those He adopted to be His sons by Jesus Christ in His eternal purpose (Eph. 1:4-7; 3:11; Num. 14:13-20). He pleads the desires of His own heart that took joy and delight to engage with His Father for His people as their Surety and bring His sons to Him again and fulfill His eternal will in satisfaction of His everlasting love (Prov. 8:31; Heb. 7:22; Eph. 1:1-23; Jer. 31:3; 2 Tim. 1:9). He pleads Himself as Substitute: “let thy servant abide instead of the lad, a bondman to my lord” (Gen. 44:33). And He pleads the release of His little brother and the love of His Father’s heart: “Let the lad go up with his brethren” (Gen. 44:33; John 16:27; 17:23-24). He pleads the impossible consequence of failing to fulfill His Suretyship: “For how shall I go up to my Father if the lad be not with me” (Gen. 4:34)?

Every time I see a sign for a “bail bondsman”, I will always think of my Savior, who became Surety for His elect to the Father in love, and to God in justice. He satisfied both. He fulfilled all. And we are forever free because He answered and paid with Himself! I read the words of Genesis 43-44 with great interest. Every believer taught of God does. We stand as observers, not a participants in this eternal transaction. Justice cried against us. Christ answered for us. The Father chose us in Christ. He adopted us as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself (Eph. 1:5). Our Surety brought us again. We did not have to appear in court. He so thoroughly answered that the court of justice and the love of God looked to Him only, and never once looked for anything from us. We are debtors only. We are the accused. We are the lawfully imprisoned. But Christ answered, paid and obtained our eternal redemption with His own blood (Heb. 9:12)! Oh, wonderful God-wrought task!! For me, what God’s Son has earned!! God laid help on One who is mighty (Ps. 89:19)! Though I could not answer, in my place another stood: One mighty, One worthy, One faithful, the only One good. Christ interposed Himself in eternity and substituted Himself at the cross in answer to God for me (Ps. 89;19; 119:122; Micah 7:7-9)! He is my Advocate. He is my Answer and will be my Answer in Judgment and for eternity (Rom. 8:34)!

God’s law is perfect and the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth (Rom. 1:16-17). That One (Christ) should be obligated before the law of God for another (His elect) because of his relation (the elect were chosen in Christ before time), because of His purpose, because He is willing to pay, because He is able to pay and because of the love of His heart; therefore, on His word, He posted the bond of His blood to pay all (Matt. 20:28; 1 Pet. 1:20; Rev. 13:8; Eph. 5:25). And He fulfilled His word (Heb. 1:3; 9:12). This is the glorious good news of the Gospel! Do you and I, by God-given faith, stand still and see Christ as all of our salvation?

Rick Warta