Behold the Lamb
The word "ransom" in Hebrew, padah, points to Yeshua's atoning sacrifice as our kinsman redeemer. He paid our ransom price by hanging and dying on a tree. When we look at padah in the ancient Hebrew pictographic script, it seems God is sending an additional text message: Don't treat His gift of redemption casually. God offers salvation freely but at great cost to Him. Here are the word pictures (Hebrew is read right to left):
The symbol of the man with raised arms means to behold, as when looking at a great sight, according to Jeff Benner's Ancient Hebrew Lexicon of the Bible. It also can mean "breath" or "sigh" as one does when looking at a great sight, or revealing a great sight by pointing it out. The Tanach (Old Testament) points repeatedly to Yeshua ben Yosef, the suffering servant, as the door to salvation. Our reaction should be the same as Yochanan the Immerser (John the Baptist), who regarded Yeshua's appearance a great sight: "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"
Posted by Jeff King at September 27, 2008 09:36 AM