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Breshears

ETS 2001 Atonement

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seized with trembling, the people of Canaan will melt away; terror and dread will fall
upon them. By the power of your arm they will be as still as a stone-- until your people
pass by, O YHWH, until the people you bought pass by. You will bring them in and plant
them on the mountain of your inheritance-- the place, O YHWH, you made for your
dwelling, the sanctuary, O Lord, your hands established. YHWH will reign for ever and
ever. (Exodus 15:1-18)

This picture of redemption and bringing out is most succinctly presented in Moses' great
summary in Deuteronomy 7:8: "But it was because YHWH loved you and kept the oath he swore
to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land
of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt."

From this background, redemption means freeing the people from enslavement, from

bondage to a hostile power (Pharaoh-Satan). Redemption is based on the destruction of that evil
power rather than a price paid to Pharaoh (Satan). In fact in the central case of Pharaoh, there is
no price paid at all.

There are other places where redemption does involve price. The redemption of the first

born, both animal and human, must be redeemed by a sacrifice because they belong to God (Ex.
13:12-16; Num. 3:12-13; 8:16-17; 18:15-16). An ox who repeatedly gores someone to death
merits death for the owner. But his life may be redeemed by payment of a sacrifice price (Ex.
21:28-30). But the price is paid to the offended party or the rightful owner, not one who has
stolen the enslaved one. So if a price is involved in atonement, that price is paid to God, the
offended one, not Satan, the enemy.

So in the New Testament redemption is often taken to mean ransom by payment of a

price. But on examination of the texts

one usually does not find price mentioned or necessary

for understanding the text. The exceptions are Mark 10:45 (luvtron) and 1 Tim. 2:6
(avntivlutron) where Jesus gives his life as a ransom for many. There it is in context of the
sin offering and death as consequence of sin. In all the others redemption is freeing from
bondage rather than paying a price.

There are many places in the Old Testament in addition to the story in Exodus where

this central theme is developed. A quick search on the redemption words, deliver or
bring/brought out will show dozens of instances. Some of the more significant are Deut. 15:15;
Neh. 1:10; 2 Sam. 7:23; 1 Chron. 17:21; Psalm 74:2; 77:15; Isa 43:1; Jer 31:11.

lutro,w

(Luke 24:21; Tit. 2:14; 1 Pet. 1:18), luvtron (Mark 10:45) avntivlutron

(1 Tim. 2:6) luvtrwsiV (Luke 2:38; Heb. 9:12) avpoluvtrwsiV (Luke 21:28; Rom. 3:24;
8:23; 1 Cor. 1:30; Eph. 1:7, 14; 4:30; Col. 1:14; Heb. 9:15; 11:35) evxagoravzw (Gal. 3:13
Gal. 4:5).

The appeal to the Greek slave market leads us to focus on the price paid to free the slave.

But appeal to the Old Testament background leads to the idea of bringing out from bondage and
pretty much excludes the idea of price from this specific concept. While price is present in the
New Testament, I think it more related to propitiation and sacrifice than to redemption or
ransom.