Freedom from Bondage

Freedom from Bondage

God rescued Israel from slavery in Egypt. He sent a messenger to free them. There was nothing they had to do to make their freedom possible. Their job was to trust God and His messenger and walk away from bondage. I imagine there was a lot of whooping and shouting and leaping for joy. For some, of course, the news was received more quietly and probably with significant doubt and uncertainty.

Not long after their release, the Egyptian army began to chase the Israelites. That was frightening. But God parted the Red Sea so that the Israelites could cross it on foot.

Even so, the Egyptians were right on their heels. God had made a way, but it was highly unconventional. God’s way probably looked very dangerous to many of the Hebrew people, but the enemy was coming fast, and choices had to be made. Trust God and His messenger Moses or get overrun by the Egyptian army.

Seeing the water standing like walls on either side of them, they decided God gave the better option. Once all God's people were safely beyond the beach, God closed up the sea and defeated the enemy completely. The Biblical account says that not one single Egyptian escaped.

Israel was free to journey to the Promised Land never worrying about their defeated enemy the Egyptians again.

In much the same way, God rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the Kingdom of His dear Son. For many, I’m sure there was elation and jubilance in that moment. For others it was a quieter event perhaps one that even seemed tenuous.

At some point after we were released from bondage in the kingdom of darkness, the enemy, our former captor, began chasing us. Many of us were cowed with fear. Some of us felt that perhaps that what Jesus did had failed to work for us. Or we may have imagined that the failure was ours—forgetting that none of it was our doing to begin with.

But God made a way for us too. His way was unconventional and looks dangerous from our earthbound perspective. Still, the enemy was on our heels and coming quickly. Decisions had to be made. Trust God and His Message/Messenger Jesus or get overrun by that old snake from the garden.

Seeing Jesus as the way God provided so that we could simply walk into the Kingdom of God, we must choose in the moments of our daily lives whether we will respond in trust, depending on Him, or in the old way of bondage to sin, flesh, and the evil one.

The enemy likes us to think he's right on our heels, but Jesus defeated that old snake. Jesus made a spectacle of him and triumphed over him at the cross.

We are free to journey through life never worrying about that toothless accuser. He is so defeated that he cannot touch those who are in Christ. He has been declawed and now he is all bark and no bite. Truth is his kryptonite.

Walk in freedom. You are safe in Christ.