One of the favorite songs of the church, and with good reason, surely must be "I Know That My Redeemer Lives." These words, uttered by Job so long ago (Job 19:25), are even today a sublime confession of faith and confidence in the working of our God through His Son in our redemption.
The English word "redeem" and its derivatives are used to translate a variety of Hebrew and Greek words in our Bible, but the primary words for "to redeem" and their corresponding ideas are the following:
"To redeem" sometimes means to do the duty of a near kinsman (from the Hebrew word ga'al and Greek word lutroomai). This concept is explained in Leviticus 25:47ff, where if an Israelite were forced to sell himself to a foreigner as a slave because of his poverty, a near kinsman could release him from this bondage by paying an agreeable price to his relative's master. This law of redemption provides part of the background to the scene in the fourth chapter of Ruth where Boaz redeems a piece of property which Naomi and Ruth were selling. (See Lev. 25:25ff).
In a figurative sense, this is what God did to captive Israel. Isaiah promised that God's people, who were "sold" into slavery to the Assyrians, would be "redeemed" by God that they might return to their own country. (See Is. 44:23 -24). Isaiah also prophesied of a coming redeemer, who we know, of course, is Jesus (Is. 59:17; Rom. 11:26-27). As Paul says in Galatians 4:4-5, "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the Law, to redeem them that were under the Law..." It is interesting to note that here the concept of redemption is linked closely with the idea of kinship: "...that we might receive the adoption of sons...Wherefore, thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ" (Gal. 4:5-7).
"To redeem" may also mean to free, release, or ransom from slavery, prison, or death through the payment of a price (Hebrew: padah; Greek: lutroomai and apolutrosis). Technically, all who lived in Egypt were subject to the plague of the death of the firstborn. But the Lord passed over all of those houses marked with the blood of a lamb and so spared the firstborn of the faithful. In effect, one might say that Israel's freedom was the price of the death of the firstborn of Egypt; at the very least the redemption price was the powerful, divine intervention of God. And, as a memorial of this event, God commanded the Israelites to "redeem" (or ransom) each firstborn male, whether man or beast, by an animal sacrifice (Ex. 13:11-16). Moreover, the Levites were consecrated to the Lord in the place of the firstborn of the children of Israel (Num. 3:44ff).
In another allusion to the exodus, Moses reminded Israel that God had "redeemed" (or freed) them from slavery (Deut. 7:8; 9:26; 13:5; 15:15). David was also fond of using this terminology, not only in reference to deliverance from Egypt (2 Sam. 7:23), but in supplication for deliverance from present distress (Ps. 25:22; 26:11; 31:5; 34:22).
It is surprising to observe that only once in the Old Testament does the word padah refer to the redemption from sin (Ps. 130:7-8). In the New Testament, on the other hand, Jesus is frequently seen as the ultimate Passover lamb who gave His life in order to redeem us. Thus, in shedding His blood as the perfect sacrifice He "redeemed" us - that is, He freed us - from a life of slavery to sin (Titus 2:14) and ransomed us from death (Mark 10:45; 1 Tim. 2:6). Perhaps the most explicit passage describing this act of grace is found in 1 Peter 1:18-19: "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot."
It may also be noted briefly that for a Christian, redemption from sin and spiritual death is a present reality (Eph. 1:7), but the redemption (or releasing) from the physical life remains a future event (Rom. 8:23; Eph. 1:14, 4:30).
Finally, "to redeem" often means to buy; to purchase for oneself (from the Greek agorazo and exagorazo). This is the word Paul uses when he says that "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law" (Gal. 3:13). But the concept of "purchasing" may be seen better in Revelation 5:9: "And they sung a new song saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou was slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation." By way of commentary, the NIV says, in part, "and with Your blood You purchased men for God." In this case, then, "redeem" clearly carries with it the connotation that the followers of Christ have been "freed" or "ransomed" (from a hostile power), and they have also been "bought". Indeed, Paul says: "What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price" (1 Cor. 6:19-20).
In light of this brief study, then, at least these few observations may be made: First, because we as Christians have been redeemed by Christ, we belong. We are part of a family. Jesus has acted on our behalf as a near kinsman. In so claiming us, we not only become his "brethren", we become children of God.
Second, we are worth something. God paid the ransom of His Son to purchase us back from a life of sin and death. Consequently, we are valuable to Him, and we should be keenly aware of our own self-worth.
Third, we are free - free from the slavery to a life of sin and death. And, because we are free, we should take care that we never become enslaved to sin again - we have a new master, Lord Jesus (Gal. 4:18ff, 5:1; Rom. 6:15ff).
Fourth, we have a purpose. Jesus has purchased us for His own people. He has given us to God that we might be a kingdom and priests to serve Him.
Therefore, let us be thankful that we are redeemed. But, especially, let us live like it! For, so often along with the concept of "to redeem" there is also the obligation of the redeemed to live up to their redemption. Since we belong to God (Rev. 5:9-10), we should be holy as He is holy (1 Pet. 1:13-23), and we should glorify God in our body (1 Cor. 6:20).