What are some of the benefits of being saved? (continued…)
Ephesians 1:3-14
- He redeems us (7, 14),
One of the first intrnational challenges for the United States of America was dealing with the Barbary states of North Africa. These Muslim states existed and thrived by piracy on the Mediterranean waters as they would attack U.S. ships, seize the cargo, and enslave, sell or return the hostages for a ransom. In response to this crisis, the fledgling country, under George Washington, ordered the construction of 6 heavy frigates to protect U.S. commerce on the seas (1794), but this did not stop the piracy. By 1800, one fifth of the entire U.S. budget was sent as tribute money to the Barbary states to restrain this piracy, again to no avail. This all came to a head under the presidency of Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809), who campaigned, in part, on a promise to deal with these “banditti” and “barbarians.”
In 1802, congress authorized Jefferson to seize Tripolitan cruisers to defend U.S. commerce in the Mediterranean. This military action became known as the First Barbary War. The highlight of this war started on October 31, 1803, when the U.S.S. Philadelphia ran aground as it maneuvered in the harbor of Tripoli. After repeated attempts to break free, including casting all guns and other heavy items overboard, the Philadelphia became stuck permanently and the crew of 297 were captured by the Barbary pirates. Under the leadership of William Eaton and Preston O’Bannon, a group of marines and mercenaries marched from Alexandria, Egypt, to capture the city of Derna, Libya. This defeat of Derna led to an end of the war and the release of the 297 man crew for a redemption (ransom) of $60,000 to Tripoli.
More important than giving us a catchy line in the Marines’ Hymn, “to the shores of Tripoli,” the Barbary War, the first war fought by the U.S. on foreign soil, gives us a picture of what redemption, or ransom, is all about. People are more precious than a commodity and as such are captured and used by tyrants who demand a ransom of money, treaties, or just about anything else.
When we are saved by faith in Jesus Christ, God recognizes our precious value and pays the greatest ransom price to redeem us from our slavery to the greatest bandit and barbarian out there, our sin. God spared no expense to redeem us from the sin’s bitter bondage. He redeemed us with the blood of His only begotten Son, Jesus. “Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Pet 1:18-19).