Page 521 - Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible Christianity. Based on the King James Bible

RECORD - REDEMPTION

deny the truth of that magnificent declaration contained Testament). In 1 Kings 9:26, the Gulf of Aqaba where
in Jn. 3:16, ‘God so loved the world that He gave His Ezion Geber was located is called the Red Sea. (2) The
only begotten Son.’ He ‘loved,’ therefore He ‘gave,’ not bottom line is that the Bible says they crossed a sea, and
‘gave’ in order to love. The reconciliation of man to God the description of the crossing is not the description of a
is the blessed character of God’s present ministry marsh or a lake. In ancient times the Bitter Lakes were
towards the world (2 Co. 5:18-20). It is important to not deep; they were more like marshy salt flats.* But the
distinguish between the reconciliation of persons and water that Israel crossed is described as deep and
things; the former is a present blessing, the latter is mighty. It formed a wall unto the Israelites on the right
millennial blessing. ‘All things’ will be brought back to and left as they crossed it (Ex. 14:22; 15:4-5, 10; Ne.
God, but not ‘all persons’ (Col. 1:20-21). Universal 9:11; Ps 106:9; Is. 51:10). Paul describes the crossing as
subjection to Christ of all in heaven, earth, and hell (Ph. a baptism in the cloud and in the sea (1 Co. 10:1-2).
2:10) is certainly more wide in its range and extent than Baptism means immersion, so Paul was saying that
all things in heaven and earth reconciled. The Colossian Israel walked between towering walls of water beneath
passage teaches the future reconciliation of things the cloud of glory. We know, then, that the crossing was
contained in heaven and earth; while the Philippian over an arm of the sea itself and not a lake or marsh. (*
Scripture shews the future subjection of heaven, earth, “Prior to the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, Great
and hell’s inhabitants to Christ” (Handbook). [See Bitter Lake was a large salt flat; in the arid climate,
Adoption, Gospel, Grace, Justification, Propitiation, basins rarely accumulate enough water to become true
Redemption.] lakes,” NASA Earth Observatory). [See Inspiration.]
RECORD. (1) Witness (De. 30:19; Ro. 10:2; Re. 1:9). REDEEM, REDEMPTION. Redemption means bought
(2) Celebrate (1 Ch. 16:4). (3) Account (Job 16:19; Jn. and released, describing the act of buying a slave from
1:19). the market in order to give him freedom. There are
RED SEA. The sea between Egypt and Arabia which three Greek words translated “redemption” which give a
Israel crossed on dry land when God parted the waters wonderful picture of our salvation in Christ: AGORAZO
(Ex. 10:19). Theological liberals and many of their means to purchase in a market. This word is used in a
“evangelical” friends say that Israel crossed north of the general sense in Mt. 13:44,46; 27:7; Lk. 14:18,19. In
Red Sea in the Bitter Lakes region. Consider the reference to salvation, agorazo is used in 1 Co. 6:20;
following statement from Halley’s Bible Handbook, 7:23; 2 Pe. 2:1; Re. 5:9 and 14:2, 3. Agorazo pictures
which is reputed to be conservative: “The sea then the Lord Jesus Christ paying the awful price required by
would have flowed north into the depressions known our sin. Jesus Christ came into the slave market of this
today as the Bitter Lakes. If a steady wind pushed the fallen world and paid the full price to redeem men by
shallow water north into the Bitter Lakes, it would have His blood and death. EXAGORAZO means to buy out of
lowered the level of the water so that a land bridge the market. This is the word agorazo compounded with
would appear, which is not an uncommon phenomenon. the Greek preposition ex, meaning out from. Jesus not
The waters on the north and the south then were a only paid the purchase price, He completely removed
‘wall’ or ‘defense.’ There is no need to assume the believing sinner from the position of condemnation
perpendicular heaps of water defying gravity--although and from Satan’s dominion. LUTROO means to loose, to
there is no question that God could have done exactly set free. The emphasis of this word is that God gives to
that. ... The Egyptians followed through the exposed sea the believer day-to-day victory over sin, Satan, and the
mud and were caught and tangled by the returning tide world. We are purchased, brought out, and released to a
following the relaxed pressure of the wind.” Our life of spiritual freedom in Christ. Lutroo is used in Tit.
response to this is as follows: (1) The Hebrew word 2:14; 1 Pe. 1:18 and He. 9:12.
“suph,” which is translated “Red” in most Bibles, does What Is the Price of Redemption? We are redeemed
mean “reed,” but this does not mean that the Bible is through Christ’s blood (Col. 1:14; He. 9:12; 1 Pe. 1:18,
talking about a shallow reed lake. The Red Sea was 19). Those who say the blood of Christ is only symbolic
called “Reed Sea” in ancient times, not because it was for death are wrong. The blood of the O.T. animal
shallow, but because reeds grow in marshy areas along sacrifices was symbolic, typifying the blood of Christ,
its shores in places. (The Hebrew word refers to water but the blood was real and was required by the law of
reeds in general and not to papyrus only.) Further, in the God (Le. 17:11; He. 9:22). To change the word “blood”
New Testament it is called the Red Sea and not the Reed to “death” as some modern versions do is wickedness
Sea (Ac. 7:36; He. 11:29). In ancient times the name and is a denial of the atonement of Jesus Christ.
Red Sea was given to the entire Arabian Sea, including How Permanent Is Redemption? It is eternal!
the modern Red Sea and its arms and the Persian Gulf “...having obtained eternal redemption for us” (He.
(Kenneth Kitchen, On the Reliability of the Old 9:12).

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