Freedom Is a Gift

KEY VERSE: “It came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.” —Exodus 2:23,24

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Exodus 2:23-25; 5:1,2; 11:1-8; 12:29-32; 15:1,2

THE EXPERIENCES OF Israel in slavery began when Joseph was sold into slavery to the Ishmaelites by his brethren. The Ishmaelites, in turn, sold Joseph to Potiphar in Egypt, Pharaoh’s captain. (Gen. 37:12-36) As Joseph later acknowledged, God’s hand was in the matter, and he used Joseph to save many lives, including those of his family.—Gen. 45:5-8

Joseph was Pharaoh’s right hand in directing events concerning the great famine that swept through the entire region. It was then that Joseph’s family went to obtain food and to live in Egypt.

After Joseph died, a king arose who “knew not Joseph” (Exod. 1:8), and being concerned about the rapid multiplication of the Israelites and fearing their uprising against him, decided to place them in slavery and diminish their number through hard labor.—Exod. 1:9-14

It was then that the babe Moses was born, and miraculously saved by God. Later, God prepared him to become Israel’s leader to attain freedom. The Pharaoh who had imposed slavery on Egypt died (Exod. 2:23), and the new Pharaoh did not abolish slavery. As Israel cried unto God he sent Moses to be their deliverer; this caused Pharaoh to respond by making Israel’s burdens more severe.

Moses, with Aaron, went to Pharaoh and said, “Let my people go” (Exod. 5:1), but Pharaoh ‘knew not’ the Lord and would not comply. It was necessary for God to send ten plagues before Pharaoh relented and released them. Although Israel’s land of Goshen was affected by the first three plagues, they were not affected by the next six. The tenth and final plague involved the slaying of the firstborn of man and beast by the destroying angel. (Exod. 12:29-32) Prior to the tenth plague, Israel was instructed to make careful preparations for that night by slaying the Passover Lamb and sprinkling its blood upon the doorposts and lintels of every home. The angel of death passed over such homes, and did not smite the firstborn.

Clearly the only ones in Israel in jeopardy that night were the firstborn. All of these events are a picture God has dramatized for us, in which Israel represents the world of mankind, the firstborn are the chosen of the Gospel Age being selected as “a people for his [God’s] name.” (Acts 15:14) Pharaoh and his associates represent Satan and his minions in this present evil world; while the Passover Lamb represents Jesus, the Savior of mankind.

Their freedom was threatened because Pharaoh had a change of mind and pursued them to enslave them again. God’s great power was then employed to prevent this from happening. The Red Sea was before them, but God drove the waters back by a strong east wind and divided the waters so that Israel could cross dry-shod.

When Pharaoh’s army pursued them into the Red Sea, God permitted the waters to return, and all the Egyptians drowned. The Israelites finally had freedom, and sang praises to God. (Exod. 15:1,2) God’s great gift of freedom to mankind is freedom from sin and death through Jesus, man’s Redeemer.

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