Right from the beginning, when the LORD sent Moses and Aaron in to speak with Pharaoh He said Exodus 7:16

“And you shall say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, “Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness.”

Literally that could be read “that they may be my slaves”

They don’t go free… they get a new master.

They are not, now, their OWN people,

they are the people of God and as such, He makes these demands of them.

We often get confused into thinking that because Salvation is by Grace alone, through faith alone that, therefore God makes no demands of His people. It IS gloriously true that God saved Israel, and God saves us, completely based on GRACE. It’s not because of anything in us, or anything we do but that doesn’t mean that God doesn’t make demands of us.

God saved Israel, so that they might serve Him. That they might be His unique and holy people who live according to His law.