Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

REDEMPTION

Release from legal obligation or deliverance from desperate circumstances, closely connected with a payment necessary to effect that release. In the OT the primary words used to express this concept are Heb. pāḏâ and gāʾal. The NT uses primarily cognates of Gk. lytróō and agorázō.

In the Mosaic law, the basic idea is that of monetary payments required to free persons or property from an obligation. It is applied to the redemption of the firstborn (Exod. 13:11-15; 34:19-20; Num. 3:44-51; 18:15-17), to the redemption of property (Lev. 25:23-34; Ruth 4:1-12), and to the redemption of individuals (Lev. 25:35-55). It is also applied to the process of securing release from a difficult vow or a tithe (Lev. 27:1-33).

The idea of release from obligation continues in the Prophets and Writings (Ps. 49:7-8[MT 8-9]; Jer. 32:7-8). More frequently, however, the word is synonymous with the concept of rescuing or delivering (Ps. 25:22; 26:11; 44:26[27]; Mic. 4:10), occasionally in parallel with the notion of “ransom” (Ps. 49:7[8]; Hos. 13:14). This deliverance may be from any number of circumstances, including famine and war (Job 5:20), oppression and violence (Ps. 72:14), adversaries (Job 6:23; Ps. 69:18[19]; Jer. 15:21), Sheol and death (Ps. 49:15[16]; Hos. 13:14), and iniquities (Ps. 130:7-8). Above all, God is the redeemer (Ps. 19:14[15]; 78:35; Isa. 41:14; 44:6; 49:26; 50:2) who will come to Zion (Isa. 59:20) to bring rest to Israel and judgment to her foes (Jer. 50:34).

These OT emphases are present in the NT, but they are applied foremost to what Christ has done for the believer (1 Cor. 1:30) and only secondarily to what God will do for Israel (Luke 1:68; 2:38; 24:21). The concept of legal obligation is clear in that the believer is “bought with a price” (1 Cor. 6:20; 1 Pet. 1:18-19; Rev. 5:9; 14:3-4) and so is “redeemed from the curse of the law” (Gal. 3:13; 4:5). The idea of ransom is present in Jesus’ statement that he came to “give his life a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28; Mark 10:45) and in Paul’s affirmation that Jesus “gave himself a ransom for all” (1 Tim. 2:6). The idea of deliverance has both past and present aspects. Jesus’ death has accomplished redemption in securing the forgiveness of sins (Rom. 3:24; Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; Titus 2:14; Heb. 9:11-15). Yet believers still await the redemption of the body at his return (Luke 21:28; Rom. 8:23; Eph. 1:14; 4:30).

John D. Harvey

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

REDEMPTION

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)