Hear what the LORD says: Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. Hear, you mountains, the indictment of the LORD, and you enduring foundations of the earth, for the LORD has an indictment against his people, and he will contend with Israel. “O my people, what have I done to you? How have I wearied you? Answer me! For I brought you up from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. (Micah 5:1-4 ESV).
The first image we will consider for the redemptive work of God bringing us our salvation is that of being redeemed out of the bondage of slavery. The exodus from Egypt was a pivotal event in Israel’s history. The prophets and psalmists refer to it often. For the people of Israel it brought an end to over 400 years of slavery. The length of time of this experience and the hardships endured serve to remind us of our plight also.
It’s surprising, then, that the Pharisees said to Jesus, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” (John 8:33). They prided themselves on their ancestry, and to them slavery was just something in their people’s distant past. In Jesus’ teaching, Israel’s slavery in Egypt was a symbol of slavery to sin, a problem for every person in all times.
Even the Israelites in Micah’s day felt that God somehow cramped their style. The Lord asked them, “My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me. I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery.”
Many people today, when offered the gift of freedom from sin and release from death to life, prefer the “freedom” to engage in any kind of behavior they desire. Even while dragging chains of sin, some think they can save the world. But, as Jesus said to the Pharisees, unless we believe in him we will die in our sins (John 8:24). Only in Christ can we be set free from slavery to sin and death.
How about you? Are you a slave to your sins and addictions, or have you been set free through faith in Jesus Christ?