Exodus chapter 12v29-51
God releases His people from bondage
For 430 years, the Thutmose dynasty of the Pharaohs held Israel in bitter bondage. This was predicted by God to Abram in Genesis 15v13-16. Over more than four centuries, Israel were subjected to slavery under Egyptian taskmasters. This slavery was "with rigour"; it was "bitter bondage", they were robbed of their freedom and their dignity. They were forced to build cities and pyramids for the glory of the Pharaoh. God allowed it for governmental reasons, as "the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet full." He is slow to wrath, judgment is His strange work, and He left His people in bondage until the maturity of evil was reached, when He must act. The narrative causes to wonder at the sovereign ways of God.
The bible is essentially a revelation of the unseen God. He clearly acts in the long term, but when He acts, He does so swiftly and decisively. These verses are the record of God releasing a nation from Egyptian bondage. He moved 600,000 warriors, with women and children making the number over 3 million, in one day, from their long time servitude. They left with purpose, at the behest of Pharoah and all Egypt, with gifts of riches placed in their hands. In delivering them, God ensured they were compensated for their years of loss. The biblical description of this Exodus is that they were freed from slavery by the "mighty hand, and outstretched arm of God" - Exodus 5v15, 6v6, 13v3; Deuteronomy 4v34, 5v15, 7v19, 26v8; Psalm 136v12; Jeremiah 32v21, and a host of other scriptures. Nothing like this had happened before, and nothing like it will happen again. Millions of people, "lock, stock and barrel", evacuated Egypt in a day. Not a voice was raised in anger, nor a shot fired. God said to Moses, in describing this wonder, "But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know that the Lord doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel"- Exodus 11v7. Who can withstand the mighty arm of God and His outstretched arm? Who, today, could withstand God, who attack His people Israel, should He choose to intervene?
The narrative indicates another greater enslavement of the human soul, by Satan the Prince of this world -John 12v31, 14v30, 16v11; Ephesians 2v2; 2nd Corinthians 4v4. Unseen, this arch enemy of humanity may be, but the bondage in which he holds people is no less powerful. The bible uses unequivocal terms to underline this reality, even though people are loathe to accept it.
1st John 5v19 says "the whole world lies in the wicked one"- most versions; that is "under the control of...". The word for "lies" or "lieth" is keimai, which literally translated means "stretched out" or "fixed". This is a graphic description of the human condition under the power of Satan. People laugh at this, mock at it, reject it, like the Jews of old who said, "We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man"- John 8v33. In fact they were so much in bondage to religious hypocrisy, they were termed "The synagogue of Satan"-Rev.2v9, 3v9. The word to describe the posture of the whole world, is used in the bible as "A city set on an hill"-Matthew 5v14; a helpless babe lying in a manger - Luke 2v12; a dead body lying in a tomb - John 14v11 and 21v11, and many others. The picture is of a permanent and fixed situation; it is also one of total helplessness. This is the true state of humanity without God. The world is in spiritual slavery to Satan and his hosts. He controls the world by drawing people into "the course of this world"- Ephesians 2v2; this is the fashion, the trends, the ways of the world. It is a vast world system to keep us from reality, and occupy us in ways contrary to God. He does it by providing for the desires (wills) of the flesh and of the mind"- Ephesians 2v3. He promotes amorality everywhere and controls the airwaves through media, and academia. He blinds the minds of those who believe not, to prevent them from turning to God. He does it by false teaching and propaganda and deceit. His bondage is with rigour, and at times bitter for individuals. Witness the addiction to drugs, to alcohol, to illicit sex, to power, to money, to false religion - all of which bring misery to people's lives. He rules without mercy in the souls of men and provides no hope for their ultimate future. What Israel experienced in a physical way, people, today, suffer spiritually. Here are some of the scripture statements concerning this.
He presides over a kingdom, described as a kingdom of darkness, through which he controls the "kingdoms of this world"-Matthew 4v8-9, which is populated by all unbelievers.
He is the proponent of all darkness, yet is presented as an angel of light - 2nd Cor. 11v14-15.
He does not savour the things of God, only the things of men, over whom he has control-Matthew 16v23.
He lays snares for people to entrap them, to enslave them - 2nd Timothy 2v26
He stalks people to destroy their lives, even after he has lost their souls - 1st Peter 5v8.
He is deceiving millions and all who follow him (even unwittingly) will go down with him for ever - Rev.20v11-15
He commands unnumbered hosts of evil spirits through whom he maintains his evil empire-Ephesians 6v10-18
It takes the mighty power of God to release even one soul from Satan's power. The deliverance of a soul from the thraldom of Satan is no less powerful than the release of Israel from bondage. The wonder of it is imprinted in Holy Writ.
Colossians 1v12-13 "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son: in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins."
Hebrews 2v14 "Through death He destroyed him that had the power of death, that is the devil: and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."
1st John 3v8 "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that He might destroy the works of the devil."
Romans 16v20 "The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly."
Genesis 3v15 "...He shall bruise thy head".
Colossians 2v15 "And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it".
The hymn by Margaret Carson says it all:
My chains are snapt,
the bonds of sin are broken,
And I am free;
O let the triumphs
of His grace be spoken,
Who died for me!
Association with the Passover lamb separates the believer from the world, the flesh and the devil, the threefold enemy of the soul, and helps to maintain fellowship with God. As later history reveals, it takes our cooperation in the practicalities of this, but the position of the redeemed is never in doubt.
"Principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, spiritual wickedness in high places"-Ephesians 6v12. These are the enemy of the soul, who hold the world in stupor, and assail the lives of Christians. Jesus delivers us from them all. As the sacred writings say, "Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world."
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