Exodus 14 (Click here to read.)
13 And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again.”
Are you a slave to something?
A recent sermon series at my church on the book of Exodus got me thinking, “What are the ‘Egypts’ in my life? What are the areas of my life that are not surrendered to Christ and therefore enslaved to sin?”
We all need salvation from sin and the various ways it shows up. Sin hinders our relationships with God, ourselves and each other. It gets in the way of our God-given callings. It looks harmless enough until one day, we look down to find chains wrapped around our ankles.
The Israelites were in desperate need of salvation from slavery. For 400 years, they worked mercilessly under cruel Egyptian taskmasters and cried out to God! He heard them and sent ten miraculous plagues through a man named Moses. This finally convinced Pharaoh to let the people go.
However, after the Israelites’ escape, Pharaoh changed his mind and decided to chase them. They were trapped against the Red Sea, and all looked lost… But God made a way and their pursuers were gone for good!
Through all the plagues and even as Israel packed and fled Egypt, the word “salvation” was not used. It wasn’t until the Israelites were about to cross the Red Sea that Moses declared they would see the salvation of the Lord (Exodus 14:13).
I am struck by the finality of this statement. After they crossed through the water, they were free from slavery once and for all. There was nothing else God needed to do to take them out of Egypt. It was finished.
Ring a bell? On the cross, Jesus said, “It is finished.” Through His death and resurrection, He freed us from sin once and for all. There was nothing else He needed to do to accomplish that. And the best part is that this salvation is free for all: no need to earn it. In fact, we can’t earn it.
As it says in Phil Wickham’s song, “Living Hope”:
The work is finished, the end is written
Jesus Christ, my living hope
Jesus has his hand extended, offering this gift of salvation. There is freedom from sin, all the things that enslave us and hinder our relationship with Christ and the calling He has placed on our lives. Jesus truly is our “Living Hope."
Reflection: What are the ‘Egypts’ in my life? What are the areas of my life that are not surrendered to Christ and therefore enslaved to sin? Lord, I surrender these areas to you today. Thank you for the freedom and hope you offer me in Jesus.
LYRICS
Living Hope
By Phil Wickham, Brian Johnson
Verse 1:
How great the chasm that lay between us
How high the mountain I could not climb
In desperation, I turned to heaven
And spoke your name into the night
Then through the darkness Your loving kindness
Tore through the shadows of my soul
The work is finished, the end is written
Jesus Christ, my living hope
Verse 2:
Who could imagine so great a mercy?
What heart could fathom such boundless grace?
The God of ages stepped down from glory
To wear my sin and bear my shame
The cross has spoken, I am forgiven
The king of kings calls me His own
Beautiful Savior, I'm yours forever
Jesus Christ, my living hope
Chorus:
Hallelujah, praise the one who set me free
Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me
You have broken every chain
There's salvation in your name
Jesus Christ, my living hope
(x2)
Verse 3:
Then came the morning that sealed the promise
Your buried body began to breathe
Out of the silence, the roaring lion
Declared the grave has no claim on me
(x2)
Chorus (x2)
Ending:
Jesus Christ, my living hope
Oh God, you are my living hope