Title: A Liberating Walk
Text: Exodus
Subject: Salvation
Series: The Walk Series; #5
Introduction: We live in an extremely free country. Some writers have considered this country the greatest country of all history because of the incredible freedoms we enjoy. No one is a slave in our country. All men and women are free to make their own choices. Personal liberty is one of the hallmarks of this country’s foundation. I declare to you today that it is all an illusion. People may seem free, but they are really in bondage. They are in bondage to sin. As you read newspapers and magazines, you’ll discover many of the forms that these bondages take. People are in bondage to gambling, pornography, drugs, alcohol, pride, greed, selfishness, hate, lust, wickedness, and the list goes on and on. Bondage, in essence, is anything that has control over you. As we continue considering some of the great walks of the Bible, we are going to consider a walk that led a nation out of bondage. Today, I want us to consider the Exodus.
I. The people were in bondage.
The children of Israel were a people in bondage. We recently looked at Joseph and how he welcomed his family to come to Egypt to survive the famine. It was a blessing that kept Israel’s family alive. Even Pharaoh was pleased with Joseph bringing his father and brothers to Egypt. Times changed though.
A. How did it happen?
We read about this change in Exodus 1:6-11
Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, 7 but the Israelites were fruitful and multiplied greatly and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them. 8 Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt. 9 "Look," he said to his people, "the Israelites have become much too numerous for us. 10 Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country." 11 So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.
The children of Israel had been a free people. They had never known the bondage of slavery. Yet so quickly and easily they allowed themselves to be enslaved. One day they’re tending their flocks and crops, the next day they’re making bricks to build cities for the new king. Somewhere deep inside it must have agonized them to remember that they had once been free, but now were nothing more than slaves. What hurt them even more were there children.
B. Everyone born automatically became a slave.
The Bible records that God actually blessed the children of Israel in captivity and children were constantly being born. So many children that Pharaoh actually became alarmed at the fact. For the Israelite parents it was tough though because their children knew nothing but slavery. They had never known freedom. They accepted slavery has simply being their lot in life. Each baby that was born was born into bondage. It was bondage without hope.
C. The Israelite’s were helpless.
They didn’t have any hope because the Egyptians were so powerful. They were the premier nation and army of their day. They had trained soldiers that were battle hardened. No one seemed able to stand up against them. They were cruel and ruthless and the children of Israel knew it. Any uprising would surely be crushed immediately. Any escape and they would be hunted and destroyed. They were powerless and could do nothing to save themselves.
D. The story continues today.
It’s amazing when you consider how well the story is lived out in the day to day lives of those around us. There was a time when the human race was perfect and free. When that freedom was given up for sin, everyone from that time on as been born into sin. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). In John 8:34 we also learn that “everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” Just like the children of Israel we have gone into bondage and are helpless. Sin is a cruel taskmaster and we are powerless to stop it on our own. No amount of good intentions or good deeds can break us free from the slavery of sin. There was and there is only one option.
II. The people cried out.
A. The people accepted it at first.
I discovered something interesting as I was reading through the first two chapters of Exodus. The people didn’t cry out to God right away. In chapter one we have the account of the slavery beginning and the birth rate among Hebrew women skyrocketing. For this to happen took some time. Then in chapter two, we have the birth of Moses and him growing up and eventually running away. This was a long period of time and it was only after this that the children of Israel began to cry out. It was easy to accept slavery. For a long time they viewed it as being their lot in life. For awhile, they no longer dreamed of freedom but simply went about their tasks. Eventually though, the weight of their slavery became heavy on their shoulders and they cried out to the only one that could help.
B. They called upon God.
Exodus 2:23 records the single most important thing that the children of Israel did while in bondage. Exodus 2:23, “During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God.” Only God could save the Israelite’s and that is why they turned to Him. God is able to save and it often comes when the situation seems hopeless. God is able to save when human strength has long since failed.
C. The story continues today.
The people around and sometimes even us Christians accept sin. For the unrepentant, they accept sin as being a part of their life. They don’t realize that they were created to be free. Instead they allow sin to rule and control them. They are in bondage and it’s okay. Never mistake sin for being a nice master. Sin is cruel and harsh. Sin doesn’t just want to control people it wants to totally destroy them. Everyday we can watch has sin becomes more and more accepted. Everyday people give sin more control. For many people, sin will be their final master. For those that realize it though, there is hope. It’s a hope not based on their own strength, but fully on the mercy and love of God. God is ready and willing to save. Like the children of Israel though, they need to cry out.
III. God heard and responded.
A. God hears those that cry out.
Exodus 2:24-25 reads, “God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. 25 So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.” God waited patiently for the Israelite’s to exhaust every option. Once they did and turned to Him, He was ready to act on their behalf. God didn’t force salvation on them until they asked for it.
B. God raises up a deliverer.
Even though God waited until the children cried out to Him, He had already chosen a deliverer for them. Moses, the runaway Hebrew, was called by God to return and help bring about salvation of the children of Israel. God confirmed that Moses was the Israelite’s deliverer by working miraculous signs through him. We see all these signs listed in the story. Moses’ rod turns into a snake. Plagues of frogs, locusts, hail, blood, and so on our brought against the Egyptians. Mighty miracles testifying to God’s power and his ability to save.
C. The story continues today.
Go to any part of this world from the heart of New York City to the darkest jungle of Africa and You will discover that God can still hear the sinner’s cry. Any sinner trapped in the bondage of sin needs only to cry out for God to turn and take notice. When any person does this, God responds by sending a deliverer. We know that God’s ultimate deliverer is Jesus Christ. Sent by God as the savior of all mankind. Confirmed by God through the working of mighty miracles to the extent that Christ was crucified, died, and yet was raised from the dead to live forever more. Christ is the savior for all those trapped in the bondage of sin.
IV. The Liberated walk began.
A. To the Red Sea
There’s one final chapter to our story. The sermon is entitled A Liberating Walk and we haven’t seen liberation yet. Through the mighty displays of power God moved Pharaoh towards letting the Israelite’s go free. The final plague was the clincher. As Egypt woke up to realize that all the firstborn males were dead, Pharaoh practically begged them to leave. The Israelites march away from Egypt with their heads held high. As they marched away, God led them into a dangerous position. They were cornered near the Red Sea. It was about this time that Pharaoh realized what a stupid mistake he had made giving up is slave work force and decided to come after them.
B. Slavery makes one last attempt to reclaim.
The Israelite’s were frightened as they saw the Egyptian army drawing close to them. They realized that slavery was once again just a few feet away. As they stood there, God finished the act of their salvation. As the Red Sea parted in half, The Israelites walked to freedom of then other side. As Pharaoh pursued after them into the sea, the waters closed in and killed every soldier. God had not only freed His people, but he had completely liberated them.
C. The story continues today.
For every one that comes to freedom in Christ Jesus, there will always be times when sin tries to come and reclaim what it once owned. We were once slaves to sin but through Christ Jesus the shackles of sin have been torn away. Sin has no right to reclaim us if we remain in Jesus. Just as God made a way of escape for the Israelites, he will always provide a way of escape for anyone being tempted to become a slave again.
Conclusion: As the story ends, we are left with complete victory. Think about the feeling that the Israelite’s had as they watched their cruel oppressors sink beneath the waves never to rise again. They had an incredible sense of liberty. That is the feeling Christ desires for you today. When we allow our sins to sink beneath the blood of Jesus, we can rejoice knowing that they can never rise again. If you are in Christ Jesus you have liberty. Incredible indescribable liberty.
If there is anyone here that has never experienced that liberty, today is your day.
