Exodus 6:6 “Therefore, say to the Israelites: `I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.

With the theme of “Freedom,” it is appropriate to start looking at Scriptures with this one because the liberation of the Israelites from Egypt has been emblematic of freedom ever since it happened. It is also interesting to note linguistically that Japanese has terms, used here where the NIV says “being under the yoke” and “being slaves,” that translate literally to “suffering occupation” and “laborious occupation.” I had not encountered these terms before, but they are standard enough that when I entered the readings into the computer, it came up with the correct characters immediately, which is not always the case for Biblical terminology. Japanese culture understands what is being talked about here! That said, every time I think about the Exodus I remember what has been commented: “It was much easier to get the Israelites out of Egypt than to get Egypt out of the Israelites.” That is very true, and it is seen in human trafficking situations even today. Being a slave can create a mindset that is antithetical to true liberty, that has nothing to do with physical restraints. We speak of “Stockholm Syndrome” when hostages and similar captives start acting as allies to their captors, and the stories of child soldiers, in Africa and elsewhere, are horrific. We see essentially the same mechanism at work in Christians who can’t seem to get free of their pre-Christian behavior patterns. They don’t grasp emotionally that they have been set free from all of that, they don’t have to sin any more. Of course the devil works hard to maintain that deception, so it is vitally important to remember that as Jesus said, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36)

This is closely tied in with the sermon I preached yesterday, talking about how those who are in Christ are no longer “mere men.” (1 Corinthians 3:3) We are no longer slaves to the flesh, to have to submit to its whims. That’s a lesson I didn’t learn instantly myself, and I need to have patience and persistence in communicating it to the believers. We will be reading Scriptures on the theme of Freedom for the next couple of months, and I need to help the believers understand how these passages apply, and are to be applied, to their daily lives. God wants to raise us up as a liberating army, and I am to be fully obedient to our Commander in Chief.

Father, thank You for this image, and this commission. Help me follow through faithfully. May we be Your agents so that many may be brought from darkness to light, from death to life, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!