Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,
Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary. Psalm 107:1-2 (NASB)
We are called “the redeemed of the Lord”. When we look at our English word “redeemed”, the first three letters say it all: red. Red reminds us of the precious blood shed for our redemption. There are a number of different words used in the original Greek which are translated into English as “redeemed”, each giving us another nuance of its meaning.
The first is agorazo. The noun agora is Greek for a ‘marketplace’, a wide, open public space. The English word ‘agoraphobia’ is derived from it, meaning a fear of open spaces. The verb agorazo translated as “redeemed” literally means ‘to do business in the marketplace’, in other words, to buy, to purchase or to acquire ownership by payment of a price. We know the purchase price in our case is the blood of God’s own Son.
For ye are brought with a price. 1 Corinthians 6:20 (KJV)
…you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you. 1 Peter 1:18-20 (NKJV)
The second is exagorazo. Look familiar? It is the same word as above with ex on the front of it. That means it is a strengthened form of agorazo. Ex means ‘out of’ think of exit, way out. We have been redeemed out of something, into something. Paul said;
Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:13 (KJV)
The third word is lutroo. The root of lutroo, luo, means ‘to loosen, unbind or untie, to set at liberty’. It was the price of release, the substitution of money for a slave in order to set him free. The underlying purpose behind Christ’s redemptive work is freedom to fulfil our potential.
Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Titus 2:14 (KJV)
Let’s “give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His lovingkindness is everlasting. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, who He has redeemed from the hand of adversary.”