Devotional

Words For Thought- Manumit

One of Merriam-Webster's words of the day was manumit.

M-W defined the word as "to release from slavery" and provided the following information:

To set someone free from captivity is in effect to release that person from the  hand, or control, of the captor. You can use this analogy to remember that  "manumit" derives ultimately from the Latin noun "manus," meaning "hand", plus  the Latin verb "mittere," meaning "to let go" or "send." The two roots joined  hands in Latin to form the verb "manumittere" (meaning "to free from slavery"),  which in turn passed into Anglo-French as "manumettre" and eventually into  Middle English as "manumitten." "Manus" has handed down other words to English  as well. One of them is "emancipate," which is both a relative and synonym of  "manumit."

 

This brings to mind several passages of Scripture:

"Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, 'I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.  (Exodus 6:6)

 

We see in the book of Exodus that G-d does, indeed, manumit the Israelites from their physical bondage in Egypt and later we see this:

'You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm...' (Deuteronomy 5:15)

 

Paul tells us in the book of Romans that we are "sold into bondage to sin".

For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.  (Romans 7:14)

 

He later asks who will grant him manumission:

Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans 7:24-25)

 

We are freed from bondage to sin and made into bond-servants of G-d:

But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. (Romans 6:22)

 

To the One who has bought us with a great price, justified us, and is sanctifying us be the glory, honor, and praise forever!  Amen.

 

<><

 

Brady on Google Plus