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Sunday, January 22, 2017

Week 1: Set Free - Being redeemed from being a slave to sin

Redeemed is being freed.
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob (Israel) & Esau, Joseph & 11 brothers.  400 years of slavery.
“So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites and worked them ruthlessly. They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭1:11-14‬ ‭

Slavery is being used ruthlessly.  The Israelites endured this for over 400 years!  Then Moses comes along and see a burning bush.

““Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.””
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭3:5-10‬ ‭

God promised He will redeem the Israelites.  Why didn't they listen?

“Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labor.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭6:9‬ ‭

They didn't listen because they were distracted by their worldly concerns and they had no hope.

Pharaoh initially would not let them go, when pushed beyond his limits, he lets them go, then has a change of heart...

“When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, “What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!” So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. He took six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly. The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, horsemen and troops—pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭14:5-9‬

The greatest army in the world is descending on a group of slaves - and they were scared to death!

“As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.””
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭14:10-14‬ ‭

Sometimes slavery, as bad as it is, is familiar, and so we stay in it.

Only Moses has faith.  LIFE LESSON: The Lord will fight for you, if you will only be still.

Imagine you were an Israelite back then - put yourself in their place...

“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.” Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. During the last watch of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. He jammed the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, “Let’s get away from the Israelites! The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt.” Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the Lord swept them into the sea. The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived. But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. That day the Lord saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭14:15-31‬

How did they respond:
Egyptians had hard hearts and plunged forward into their sin and destruction. They recognized God too late.

The Israelites followed God when there was no other choice.  Then, when they recognized His hand if protection, they were amazed.  Being freed, they were joyful!

Many who think they are free, are actually slaves.  Slavery is being controlled by another person or thing.  Excessive devotion to, or dependence on, something (alcohol, drugs, porn, work, money, materialism, power, food, exercise, video games).

Think about the Katie Perry hit single:  "Last Friday Night"
the song says there is no hope for change....This Friday night will be no different.  No hope - no change.  Slavery!
She needs to sing a song about "Last Saturday morning!"
  
How do you get set free?  Two words:  BY GRACE.  It's a free gift.  We think it can't be that easy.  It's free - a free gift.  Apart from the saving grace of God and His transformational way, there is no freedom - only different forms of slavery.

But don't think that is easy.  Surrendering to God is not easy.  Letting Him fight the fight is not easy.  Letting go and letting God is not easy.  We want to do our part.  We want to earn it.  We want to keep control.  We may fear what would happen if we gave complete, full control to God to do whatever He wants!  But He loves us and knows what is best for us.  Can you accept that?  Can you surrender your life so that God can truly free you?

For more truth about life, see...   www.truthatlife.com


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