Redemption

So the conversation went a little something like this (there were three of us in the office and thoughts were flying, so if you were there, please allow for my memory lapses and embrace the fact that I am still pondering this brief conversation):

"Redemption. When 're' is in front of a word if means to 'do it again'. So you can have redemption but what about 'demption'?"

" I don't think 'demption' is a word."

"Well, the root of redemption would be redeem, so you are 'deeming' something 'again'."

"Deem is to place value on something....isn't it? Re-deem would then be to "re-value" something."

"Oh"

"Ah"

"Hm"

This started me thinking. It took place probably 2 months ago and my brain or my heart hasn't let it go yet. So I started to investigate. Here's what I have found so far, with a little help from dictionary.com.

re⋅demp⋅tion
  /rɪˈdɛmpʃən/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [ri-demp-shuhn] –noun
1. an act of redeeming or the state of being redeemed.
2. deliverance; rescue.
3. Theology. deliverance from sin; salvation.
4. atonement for guilt.
5. repurchase, as of something sold.
6. paying off, as of a mortgage, bond, or note.
7. recovery by payment, as of something pledged.
8. conversion of paper money into specie.
Origin:
1300–50; ME redempcioun (< MF redemption) < LL redēmptiōn- (s. of redēmptiō), equiv. to L redēmpt(us) (ptp. of redimere to redeem ) + -iōn- -ion

Now this was helpful but nothing terribly new.

re·deem (rĭ-dēm')
tr.v. re·deemed, re·deem·ing, re·deems

1. To recover ownership of by paying a specified sum.
2. To pay off (a promissory note, for example).
3. To turn in (coupons, for example) and receive something in exchange.
4. To fulfill (a pledge, for example).
5. To convert into cash: redeem stocks.
6. To set free; rescue or ransom.
7. To save from a state of sinfulness and its consequences. See Synonyms at save.
8. To make up for: The low price of the clothes dryer redeems its lack of special features.
9. To restore the honor, worth, or reputation of: You botched the last job but can redeem yourself on this one.


[Middle English redemen, from Old French redimer, from Latin redimere : re-, red-, re- + emere, to buy; see em- in Indo-European roots.]
re·deem'a·ble adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

The bolded ones caught my attention.

Deem
Deem\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Deemed; p. pr. & vb. n. Deeming.] [OE. demen to judge, condemn, AS. d?man, fr. d?m doom; akin to OFries. d?ma, OS. ad?mian, D. doemen, OHG. tuommen, Icel. d[ae]ma, Sw. d["o]mma, Dan. d["o]mme, Goth. d?mjan. See Doom, n., and cf. Doom, v.]

1. To decide; to judge; to sentence; to condemn. [Obs.]

2. To account; to esteem; to think; to judge; to hold in opinion; to regard.


So far, redeem means to re-judge, re-value, re-account, re-esteem. To restore Honour. I have been rolling this around in my head for a while. God is good and his sense of humour, outstanding. I like the little funnies He throws my way and the genius of His creation. There is much humour in the creations of God. In the physical but also in His development of language.

Redeem. We were deemed (given value) before the fall. We were judged because we chose to to sin and we have been given back our value, esteem and honour (redeemed) by the Creator through the payment of Jesus on the cross! I love it!

Hosea at one point has to go 'redeem' his wife from a life of slavery. He buys her back from another, to whom she is enslaved, takes her home and gives her the choice to love. He frees her for the same price we sold Jesus for. It is amazing to think how God works it all out. Hosea is a phenomenal picture of what God does for us and how He loves us.

The brilliance is that we are redeemed (set free) not just bought to be enslaved, but "re-esteemed". Given back honour. I am free to choose and I choose LOVE. So I serve the one I love, yes, but I enjoy doing things for those I love. And I am blessed as much by that as God is blessed by my service.

Redemption.

I also love the play on Creation with Recreation....more thoughts for another day.