The gospel of salvation, as told in the Bible, uses pictures from everyday life to show how thorough and satisfying it is. One of the favorite pictures of salvation is the idea of redemption. It means that through Christ, God bought us back to himself out of the bondage that our sin had enslaved us to.
This picture comes from the slave market. The ancient Hebrew concept of "bond servant" is behind redemption. A poor person unable to pay a debt could indenture himself to a well-to-do person. The "owner" would pay the debt owed by the "servant" in exchange for a period of labor to repay the benefactor. By this labor, the debtor would work off the debt, become solvent, and be free again.
By the Law of Moses, the servant would be bound for 6 years and then be free. Other societies had similar customs, but often with less just requirements and more cruel treatment of slaves. Even the rules for the Mosaic custom seem harsh to us today.
The Slavery we know more about
The more widespread form of slavery is the result of a kidnapping or violent subjection of people for forced slavery. In these cases, there was no assumed repayment or time limit or any benefit to the slave. It was viewed as a lifetime of being a piece of property, not a person. Though widely practiced in ancient times and even now, this has never had God’s endorsement. It rises from sin.
But the idea of redemption could still apply if someone else paid a ransom to the current owner. The new owner could thus achieve ownership without limits. Or someone could purchase the slave for the purpose of setting him free.
God’s Redemption
As a picture of salvation, we need to see ourselves as in debt to God and his righteous law. We cannot pay the debt on our own. God offers to pay the ransom to his own satisfaction through the work of Jesus Christ.
Deuteronomy 15:1-18 explains the procedure for bond-servants to be set free by redemption. In our society we don’t have an equivalent practice, so we need to note carefully how everyday life did it back then; otherwise we will not grasp the idea of spiritual redemption.
Exhibit A: The Passover Lamb
Exodus 12-13 describe the redemption of the Hebrews from their slavery in Egypt. Their status as slaves was a wrongful act of subjection by force under the Egyptian government. Israel had no bond-servant obligation to Pharaoh. They did, however, owe a debt to the Lord because of their sinfulness. The Egyptians and all of humanity owed that same debt. Because of God’s steadfast love, he viewed these sin-enslaved people as bond servants.
The Passover Lamb was sacrificed on that final night in Egypt as the payment of ransom to set the captives free. When the blood of the lamb was sprinkled on the doors of the house, the angel of God would pass over and not execute those under sentence of death. The guilty were redeemed by the payment of the debt and set free.
The Passover lamb was slain and its blood applied to the doors as a substitutionary payment of the ransom only once. But the ceremony was to be observed annually in commemoration for the freedom that one offering provided. The annual seder also looked forward to a greater fulfillment of redemption by Messiah.
Provision was made for the servant to decline freedom at the end of the term of service or when set free by payment. He could continue in an employment situation with the owner because of love and relationship developed during the time of servitude. If a freed slave chose this option, it was a lifetime commitment, confirmed by the piercing of an ear as a mark of willing submission.
Exhibit B: The Lamb of God
The Passover picture was an anticipation for a greater and deeper release from sin by redemption through the work of Christ. The gospel of John describes the crucifixion on Good Friday as occurring at the time when the Passover lambs were slain that year, indicating that “the lamb of God is taking away the sin of the world.”
In 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 Paul tells us “Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed for us.” His second letter to the Corinthians emphasizes it again, “For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves, but for him who for their sake died and was raised” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).
The true freedom for those who receive redemption by faith in Christ is that we become life-long bond servants. Our growing love and continuing relationship with the God of freedom convinces us to have our ear pierced spiritually. The New Testament holds up the title of “bond servant of Jesus Christ” as the ultimate freedom and honor.
But all those plagues (?)
In the gospel picture, there is no ransom paid to the devil or to evil people or to Egypt. The ransom that sets us free is the payment of the wages of sin, voluntarily and perfectly paid through the death of Christ in our place. Animal sacrifices were a parable of this to anticipate the coming savior.
In a different picture of salvation (Deliverance), we are captive to the evil one because of his manipulation of us and control over our thoughts and behavior. God’s answer to this is not to pay anything to Satan. It is to overpower and defeat Satan, thereby setting his captives free from their slavery.
Celebrate Freedom
Salvation is kinda like being set free from slavery. “You were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Peter 1:18-19).
Great piece on this, Jerry. I have also been working through some "pictures" of Salvation in a series you might enjoy - https://corkhutson.substack.com/p/pictures-of-salvation-series-links
Appreciate you, Brother.