I’m studying Exodus this summer, and I was struck by a thought recently about the “exodus,” itself. Obviously, the book is so-titled because it concerns the escape of Israel from Egypt. We might call it the history of Israel’s “freedom” from bondage, but I wonder if that word is the best one to use…

But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. 

(Exodus 7:4)

When reading this verse, I was struck by how much preliminary talk is had between God and Moses before he goes to Pharoah and turns the Nile into Blood, essentially kicking off the chain of events that will end in Israel’s exodus. God spends a lot of the build-up really hammering home the point that He is bringing his people out of Egypt so that they can worship Him. Throughout the book, the exodus is described with several key words and phrases, like “God redeemed them” and “God brought them out.” One word you don’t really read is “freed.” You don’t get a lot of phrases like “God freed Israel” or “Israel went free from Egypt.”

God doesn’t really set Israel free, per se, did He? He just bought them from Pharoah, at the price of ten plagues. The Lord set them “free” only so that they could come to the mountain, receive a law, and bind themselves to HIS service. The difference between service to Pharoah and service to God is that the former was involuntary; the latter is voluntary.

That’s the theme of God’s relationship with man in a nutshell. He rescues you from sinful subjugation, in order for you to bind yourself to Him, in holy subjugation. One way or another, you’re going to be a slave. The Devil will lie and say you can have “freedom” but if you knew what that really meant you’d never want it. You should never want freedom from God, and besides, the kind of “freedom” Satan is talking about is really just slavery hidden behind the distractions of sinful pleasure.  To escape that slavery, you must become a servant of righteousness (Romans 6). Fortunately, unlike being a slave to Pharoah (or the Devil), to be a slave to God brings with it blessings forevermore.

The Son of God sets you free…from sin (John 8:36). In response to that, you bind yourself to Him, a servant (Philippians 1:1) forevermore.

~Matthew