We have been meditating in the last couple of messages on this passage from Psalms 77:11-12, “I will remember your great deeds, LORD; I will recall the wonders you did in the past. I will think about all that you have done; I will meditate on all your mighty acts.” (GNB)
We have been deliberating on the great deeds of the Lord, recalling the wonders He performed in the past, and considering all of His mighty acts that He has accomplished. The old covenant as described in the Old Testament, is filled with powerful signs and wonders that God performed. It is only in studying these in detail, can one comprehend, the beauty of the fulfilment of the new covenant as revealed in the New Testament.
Firstly we looked at the fact that God is the one who created the world, and as one who sustains it. Secondly, we are beckoned to recall all of the wonderful deeds that He did in the past. Today we meditate on some of the mighty acts that God carried out in order to redeem His people out of bondage.
God is close at hand
We will observe in detail one of the potent wonders God executed as recorded in the following scripture passage.
We read in, Exodus 6:5, “Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant.” (ESV)
The fact that the Israelites were in slavery to the Egyptians, implied that they were unable to exercise their free will. Also, being in bondage meant that there was no way they could think and live the way they wanted to or desired. As the people of Israel groaned in their enslavement the Lord drew nigh, and heard their moans of distress.
Many people truly long to read the bible more and spend more time in prayer. They might have even taken some serious New Year resolutions, to effectuate these decisions, but as the months go by, often they even forget about these resolves. The reason for this is that the bondages of this world, prevent us from living the life of liberty that God designed for us. There are many who are simply content with taking their bible with them to church on Sundays only. If we don’t have time to read and meditate on the word of God, we can be sure that we are trapped in some sort of worldly bondage that prevents us from spending time with God and His word. These bondages could be our work, relationships or unhealthy habits, but one can be sure that when we are in enslavement to any of these, they will assuredly hamper our prayer time, and the time spent with reading God’s word.
The Bible says that God heard the groaning of His people. If someone has to hear the groaning of another, they have to be extremely close to the person to do so. The assurance we have is that in the midst of all our struggles is that the Lord is so very close to us, that He can hear our sighs and groaning. The Lord is close at hand not to gloat over our sufferings, but to deliver us from our bondages. However, if God should intervene to deliver us, it will be possible only if we are willing to co-operate with Him. If we are in rebellion and disobedience, the Lord cannot help us in any way.
It is critical that we give as much importance to the word of God, as we give to eating our regular meals. Instead of the bible being near at hand, some have kept it high up, and far away in the altars in their homes. It might be a good idea to keep our bibles near our plates on our dining tables, to remind us that as many times as we think it important to eat our physical food, it would be far more beneficial for us to read the word, and thereby partake of the spiritual food. It is only when we pray and read the bible, the Spirit of God will open our hearts and minister to us.
All of us who have had or seen babies know the importance of food for their physical growth, and that is why when a baby refuses to eat, we take great efforts to force the food down, so that they remain healthy. As much as physical food is important for the body, the word of God is vital for our souls, and if not fed on the word regularly, our souls will slowly die. If we can make the word of God the focus of our lives, we will certainly experience tremendous transformation. That is why Jesus said, ‘Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ There are so many who have strong and healthy bodies but are impoverished in their souls. It is only when we read the word in depth, will we be able to comprehend all that the Lord has done for His people.
God is able to deliver
We read further in Exodus 6:6-8, “Say therefore to the people 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 slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the LORD.'" (ESV)
The first thing that Lord reinforces to the people of Israel is that “He is the LORD” and there is no other. He is not one of the gods, but the One and Only LORD. In the above mentioned verses, the LORD reiterated three times that He was indeed the LORD. The introduction ‘I am the LORD’ is stated in verse 6, 7 and 8.
He is the Lord who will redeem His people with an outstretched arm, and this signified the Lord Jesus who stretched out His hands on the cross of Calvary, to redeem mankind from their sins. In verse 7 we read that after He has redeemed us, He will take us to be His own people. I am the LORD is mentioned thrice to signify the Lord Jesus who redeems us, God the Father who accepts us as His own children, and the Holy Spirit of God who indwells us, to guide and lead us to the promised land. The three aspects of God are clearly described in the above mentioned verses. He is the LORD who redeems us, the one who accepts us and the only one who leads us through this life until we reach our eternal abode.
Let us read a parallel scripture in the New Testament
We read in Galatians 4:3-6, ... “ In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” (ESV)
Here Paul is talking about being in bondage to the elementary principles of this world. There are so many man-made traditions that are still enslaving many. Jesus came to lay down His life, and redeem us from the law and every form of bondage. He did this so that we can be adopted to become His sons and daughters, and has poured out the Spirit of His Son in our hearts, whereby we can called God ‘Abba Father’. If we do not understand this reality in all its fullness, we will continue to live in slavery and bondage.
The God of glory who is eternal, came down to the earth in the form of man, gave up the splendor of the heavens, took on flesh and blood, and was tempted and tried in all points just like we are. That is why He is the only one who perfectly understands all that we go through. His feet walked these dusty streets of earth, and therefore He fully understands and sympathizes with all our heartaches and tears. He willingly submitted Himself to the death on a cross, which was considered a curse and shed His own precious blood for our redemption.
To explain this in worldly terms, if someone were to be in a critical medical condition in need of a rare blood group, and someone came forward to donate that blood type, which ultimately saved the person, we can imagine the gratitude that person will have towards the one whose blood saved him or her from death. We may have heard people refer to someone who rendered them a life-saving help that they were like god to them in that crisis.
Is it not strange therefore that so many make light and take for granted the most sacrificial act when God the Father, sent His only begotten Son Jesus, who willingly shed His precious blood for the sins of all mankind, so that man could attain eternal life?
God redeems the Israelites
We read in Exodus 12:12, "Tonight I will go through Egypt and kill every firstborn man and animal in Egypt. In this way I will judge all the gods of Egypt and show that I am the LORD.” (ERV)
Have you ever wondered why God sent 10 plagues on the Egyptians? The Egyptians considered the river Nile to be their god, and the plagues of Egypt were a judgement of God on the so called gods of Egyptians. God wanted to establish the fact that “He was the LORD” and there was no other. The Israelites were in bondage for 400 years, and their minds had become complacent to accept their perilous condition.
When Moses approached Pharaoh, and sought the deliverance for the Israelites, Pharaoh was so enraged that he made things extremely difficult for the Israelites. Pharaoh decided to withhold the hay that was provided for the manufacture of the bricks, and still demanded that the Israelites deliver the same number of bricks without the means to do so. As they sought deliverance from the cruel hands of Pharaoh, their bonded labor got tougher. The people of Israel were therefore irate with Moses, and from that time on the Lord commanded Moses to go to Pharaoh directly instead of to the Israelites, who were unable to discern God’s mighty ways.
Though there are numerous authorities in this world, all of them are subject to the control and authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. If we can fathom this thought, we will run to the name of the Lord Jesus, knowing that we will find security, blessings, goodness, victory and life only in His name. No matter how long we are in bondage to something, the Lord can break it instantly and set us free.
There are some who have stopped coming to church to hear the word and be in fellowship with other believers, because they wrongly conclude that their drawing closer to the Lord has increased their troubles. The reason for this misconception is that, they seek God only to solve their problems, and not for who He really is. However, when we pursue God for who He truly is, even in the midst of trials and difficulties, we will never let go of God, because we will have discovered that the one on whom we have placed our faith in is our unfailing God.
There are also those who are happy to find temporary solutions for all of life’s quandaries, and so are always on the look-out for anything or anyone who can help them out of their bad situations. There’s an amusing story told of a man who visited an exhibition, where the artist had displayed the paintings of various people considered to be saints in heaven. However at the end of his exhibits, he also had a painting of the devil. As the visitor entered the exhibition, he ceremoniously began to kiss the paintings of all the saints, and in the end he also kissed the picture of the devil. The artist was astounded at this and called to enquire of the man as to why he even kissed the picture of the devil, to which the man replied, ‘If I go to heaven I will meet all of them saints, but what if I end up in hell, then I will be at the devil’s mercy’. May sound ludicrous, but if we are not sure as to who our faith is in, we too will wind up with confusion and compromise.
The task of Satan is to heap trouble on those who desire to follow the Lord, and instead of giving up or back sliding if we stand firm in the faith, victory will surely be ours. Have you ever wondered why schools have examinations though it is a tough challenge for many? This is so because only when a student passes the exam, he is considered fit for promotion to the higher class. So also, it is only when we overcome obstacles and hardships can we move on to the next level.
God made a distinction between the Israelites and Egyptians
We read in Exodus 8:22-23, "But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where My people are living, so that no swarms of flies will be there, in order that you may know that I, the LORD, am in the midst of the land. "I will put a division between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign will occur.”(ESV)
There were ten plagues the God afflicted the Egyptians with, of which the first three affected the people of Israel as well. The reason for this torment was because they were not willing to accept or believe that God had indeed sent Moses to deliver them from the cruel hands of Pharaoh. When the Israelites underwent the annoyance of the first three plagues, they realized that God had indeed sent Moses to be their deliverer to bring about a great liberation from their harsh bondage.
After the third plague God made a clear distinction between the Egyptians and the Israelites. The first three plagues made the people of Israel realize that God had indeed chosen and sent Moses. It also reinforced the fact that God was most certainly fighting on their behalf to bring about a great deliverance from the hands of the oppressor. It was only when they believed, that God intervened to make a marked difference between the Egyptians and the Israelites.
If all that we expect from God are words of love and approval with the hope that all should go well with our lives, we have failed to understand that no loving Father would ever do that. We read in Proverbs 13:24, “Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.” (ESV) Discipline is part of the love that a Father shows when he really cares for the welfare of his children, and a father who does not do so, becomes an enemy to his own children. So also God chastises us only because He loves us, and yearns for us to be more like Him in every way.
The Lord who sent ten plagues on Egypt to deliver the people of Israel, also gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments when they came out of their slavery. The very first commandment in Exodus 20:3, was “You must not worship any other gods except me.” (ERV)
This was so because God does not share His place with anyone else. He alone must be enthroned in our hearts. When we do so, and stand firmly rooted in the word of God, the Lord will confirm His word in our lives and no difficulty or hardship that comes our way, will be able to overcome us, for the Lord will stand by to make us triumphant.
God’s redemptive plan
In Exodus 12:3 we read, "Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, 'On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a lamb for themselves, according to their fathers' households, a lamb for each household.” (NASB)
In Exodus 12:6–8, we read “You should watch over the animal until the 14th day of the month. On that day all the people of the community of Israel must kill these animals just before dark. You must collect the blood from these animals and put it on the top and sides of the doorframe of every house where the people eat this meal. "On this night you must roast the lamb and eat all the meat. You must also eat bitter herbs and bread made without yeast.” (ERV)
When the nine plagues had passed, God wanted to place His seal of protection on His people so that no harm would befall them. For this to happen they were to take a year old lamb without blemish on the tenth day of the month, and sacrifice it on the fourteenth day. They were to take the blood of the sacrifice and smear it on the door posts and lintels. The meat they were to roast over the fire and eat it. Only those who believed did that, and God performed the great deliverance at the Passover, when the angel of death passed over all whose homes were sealed with the blood of the lamb. This mighty act God accomplished to enable the Israelites to comprehend that He was indeed the Lord God. The Passover was a representation of God’s redemptive plan as per the old covenant, and a fore shadow of what was to transpire in the new. They passed over from bondage to freedom by the mighty act of God.
This was a sign that the Lord has redeemed us through the death of Jesus on the cross, put His seal of protection over us, and given us the blessed Holy Spirit, to take us through this life onto the eternal life the Lord has promised for those who believe. It is the blood of Jesus alone that can set us free from our bondages, just like the blood of the lamb was the only way for the people of Israel to be saved and redeemed from their slavery. There is no other way for mankind to be redeemed, other than the shed blood of Jesus on the cross.
When a person receives Jesus Christ as their savior, and go through the waters of baptism, they then participate in the communion which symbolizes the new covenant. The plan of redemption, as executed by God to deliver the people of Israel in the Old Testament was a foreshadow, and every single detail of it was fulfilled in Jesus, when He laid down His life as the sinless Lamb of God for the redemption of all mankind. God the Father offered His only begotten son Jesus as the sinless sacrifice and that is why when Jesus cried out on the cross saying, ‘it is finished’ the veil of the temple was torn in two, to signify that we now have direct access to the very throne of God. After Jesus rose and ascended to the heavens, the Holy Spirit of God descended on us, so that He could abide with us till the very end.
Writing to the Corinthian Church, Paul concludes in 2 Corinthians 13:14, this way “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” (ESV)
We have the assurance that the Triune God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are with us till the end of our days. Since the offer of salvation is such a priceless offer, for those who take it lightly there is a word of warning in Hebrew 2:3, “how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?” Let us humbly accept this gift of salvation that is offered so freely, and live our lives free from every form of sin and bondage.
The authority that was bestowed upon Adam at creation which he lost, Jesus restored back to us. It is the same authority that Jesus exercised over nature, sickness, Satan and death which is graciously available to all of us who believe. It is God’s will that we rule and triumph over every obstacle that comes our way. If we as children of God are in bondage, whom can God use to set at liberty those around us who are entangled with all forms of enslavements? May the Lord fill and anoint us with His Holy Spirit, and use us like He did the disciples to be those who will turn our world upside down.
Rev. F. Andrew Dixon
www.goodnewsfriends.net
Transcribed by: Sis. Esther Collins
