Deliverance means to rescue or save someone. A deliverer is the person who does the rescuing. Scripture teaches that God's ultimate goal is to rescue people from the curse of sin, death, Satan, and hell.
Deliverance in the Old Testament
The Old Testament shows God delivering his chosen people from three things:
Slavery in Egypt
Being held captive in Babylonian
Being attacked by different groups living in Palestine
Christians see these rescues as pointing to Jesus Christ. Jesus is the greatest deliverer (rescuer) of all.
The noun “deliverer” occurs many times in the Old Testament. Three times the word refers to a human being:
Othniel delivered Israel from oppression to Cushan-rishathaim, king of Mesopotamia (Judges 3:8–10).
Ehud delivered Israel from Eglon, king of Moab (Judges 3:15, 30).
Judges 18:27–29 states that “there was no one to deliver” Laish from conquest by Dan’s tribe.
Other uses of “deliverer” refer to God himself as a personal deliverer of his people (2 Samuel 22:2; Psalms 18:2; 40:17; 70:5; 144:2).
The basic Old Testament concept of deliverer is expressed in a Hebrew word for “next of kin.” A close relative was responsible for aiding an individual in distress and redeeming him or her from slavery. God sent help when his people were in danger. He also acted as their deliverer in the exodus from Egypt (Exodus 3:7–8).
Deliverance in the New Testament
In the New Testament, Jesus quoted a messianic passage (Isaiah 61:1–2) as describing his mission to proclaim release (or deliverance) to the captives (Luke 4:18). In Acts 7:35, Moses is called a deliverer of Israel. In Romans 11:26, the apostle Paul paraphrased Isaiah 59:20, saying, “The Deliverer will come from Zion.” This refers to Jesus Christ.