He Broke The Chains Of Slavery

He Broke the Chains of Slavery

God made a formal covenant with Abram, promising to bless him and bless the world through him. But then God said something that must have seemed to Abram to be completely out of line with his promise of blessing: “You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land, where they will be oppressed as slaves for 400 years” (Genesis 15:13).

Why would God ordain in the history of his people that they would become slaves for four hundred years? This part of Israel’s history, along with all the rest, was necessary to put God’s glorious nature on display for the world, as well as to enable us to grasp most fully the way God saves his people.

God wants us to understand that apart from him we are slaves—slaves to our old natures and our old father, the devil. But long ago—long before Abraham’s descendants became slaves in Egypt—God had it in his heart to bring us out of this slavery and into a loving relationship as his children. His fatherly affection is what he expressed to the people as they eventually prepared to enter the Promised Land: “I will walk among you; I will be your God, and you will be my people. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt so you would no longer be their slaves. I broke the yoke of slavery from your neck so you can walk with your heads held high” (Leviticus 26:12-13).

When God broke the chains of physical slavery from the necks of his people in their exodus from Egypt, it provided a vivid picture of the way Jesus would lift the burden of slavery to sin and our futile efforts to save ourselves. But more than just lifting the chains of slavery away from us, Jesus offers a new way for us to relate to God—as adopted children who are provided for and smiled on. “God sent [Jesus] to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children” (Galatians 4:5). Jesus has accomplished the freeing work of God so we can walk with our heads held high because of our connection to him through faith.

Spirit, you have kissed my guilty heart with the love of God, my Father. You help me see that my Abba Father is not barking orders or driving me along with a whip. He sent his own Son to buy my freedom so I can live in security under his smile.