Ransomed

By David Goree
Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22

I have always loved the hymn “Redeemed,” both the original Fanny Crosby/William J.Kirkpatrick collaboration and the very Seventies re-mix we sang in youth group when I was a kid.

The cadence of the song’s lyrics is a work of art: Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it. Say the words out loud, and the song practically sings itself.

I always wondered at the word redeemed, however. It always seemed to me that redeeming was for in-store coupons and gift certificates, not for souls in distress. It seemed to me that a more appropriate word was ransomed. If I might paraphrase Psalm 107,

Let the ransomed of the Lord tell their story—
those he ransomed from the hand of the foe,
those he gathered from the lands,
from east and west, from north and south.

I think the word ransomed speaks to the mind-boggling grace of God. It alludes to the heart-breaking sacrifice on His part and the debt we owe Him. We can never pay Him back, of course, but we can tell our story.