Author’s Note on Big Bible Words: Every once in awhile a pastor or teacher will use a big word to describe a biblical or theological concept. These words are usually at least three syllables and almost always end with the sound of /chun/ or /shun/ such as redemption, salvation or sanctification. There are two dangers in using words such as these. First, new believers may not understand what they mean; second, longtime believers may be overly familiar with the words, thus rendering them meaningless clichés. However, these are important words. As we better understand these words, the better we understand what God has done for us. This devo, consequently, is one in series of “Big Bible Words.” We’ve looked at salvation; today, redemption.
Quick Backdrop
The concept of redemption shows up in many ancient societies. Its base meaning goes something like this: Someone’s freedom is bought; the price for the freedom is considered a ransom paid. The person could be a slave, captive, or as in ancient Israel’s case, someone who has sold him or herself into servitude as a way out of poverty. That person later can be redeemed by a relative or by him or herself after having saved some money. Land also could be sold and later redeemed.
God built the idea of redemption into the Old Testament lifestyle. He used it to describe His actions toward Israel, which then served as the perfect setup to help us understand His actions in the New Testament—redeeming creation through the work of His Son. In fact, the Greek word (the original language of the New Testament) that we translate as redemption (apolutrosis) literally means “to let go free for a ransom,” but it’s not just redemption on the cosmic level. It’s redemption on the personal level—us. Further, it’s not just our lives, but the bad things we’ve experienced personally from living in a world that has been held captive.
Enough talk. Let’s let God explain.
The What
The passages below represent a cross section of the redemption story throughout the Bible, shown in the form of firsts. As you read these verses (Yes, there are many.) from your Bible or favorite Bible app, simply make notes of your observations about redemption. Be sure to take each passage personally.
The first use of redeem (Ex. 6:6).
The first use of redemption—Israel’s Lifestyle (Lev. 25:23-27).
The first hint of personal redemption—Isaiah (Isa. 9:1-22; 44:21-22).
The first confirmation of personal redemption—Jesus (Matt. 20:28).
The first explanations of redemption—Paul/Peter (Eph. 1:7-8; 1 Pet. 1:18-21).
The simplest explanation of redemption—Paul (Rom. 3:22-24).
The So What
As you can tell, one of God’s favorite things to do is redeem—not just the big redemptions as in redeeming creation and our lives, but also redeeming the bad in our lives. God has used the events of Israel to show us how redemption works. They were slaves to Egypt; He redeemed (God’s word) them, setting them free from slavery.
This is what God does with the bad in our lives. Any bad we’ve experienced can leave a mark. This mark has the potential to enslave us. We can be held captive to things such as fear, hurt, regret, selfishness, cynicism, skepticism, emotional scars from mistakes. God wants to free us from those things. He does this by redeeming the bad.
Seal the Deal
So, what residue do you have from the bad you’ve experienced in your life? Using the suggestions in the above paragraph to jog your thinking, take a minute to write down anything that comes to mind. Write in code if you want to keep things private, but you may want to consider sharing this with a trusted friend.
The closing challenge of this devo comes in one simple word: accept. Accept the freedom that God’s redemption brings. Your acceptance displays belief in the act of being released from the bad in your life. If you need a visual, try this: Picture the blood of Jesus dissolving the chains that hold you captive to those things.
That’s redemption. Now, when you hear that word, may you not only understand what it means, but may you also never take that word for granted. It’s a big word.
(Big Bible Words: Salvation)
