Based on the weekly Parashat Torah reading called Shemot, which includes Ex 1-6 I'll be borowing several ideas for this Selah from a teaching on this week's Parshat reading by Roger Hadad from the Mikdash Congregation in High Point, NC. The title of Roger's teaching was Slave or Slave, You Choose, which is a great title, but I'm titling this Selah episode False Freedom. In America we're all about Freedom and our individual rights, and while there's some truth and good in that, there's also some real danger and false thinking associated with that, especially when we merge and equate those American ideals with freedom that's described in the Bible, particularly in the New Testament. In Exodus 1-6 we learn that Israel has been slaves for a long time (400 years), slaves You start thinking that way, slave mentality  Reactive-your freedom to choose is taken away, you start thinking that way, limited Pessimistic-everything is bad and you have no control Lacks spiritual discernment- while you’re working you stop thinking about spiritual things and focus on natural needs Ex 14:11-12 - Israelites complain, this becomes a pattern in scripture again and again Reactive, pessimistic and lack of spiritual discernment  Numbers 14:1-4 Ex 16:2-3 In ancient history if one country conquers a land, you can kill them, tax them or enslave them We often think of the story of the Exodus all about God's people becoming free from slavery in Egypt. Interesting that Lev 25:55 "For the children of Israel are servants to Me; they are My servants whom I brought out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God."  THis seems to go against the idea that God's goal was just to set the Israelites free. A little side note here I used to be a big collector of Christian t-shirts and one of them had a picture of a the Liberty Bell and it said "Let Freedom Ring" then quoted Gal 5:1 "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free" Rom 6:18 "And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness." 1 Peter 2:15-16 "For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— 16 as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. " What follows the Ten Commandments in Ex 20 is very interesting, a command on servitude  Ex 21:2-6  If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years; and in the seventh he shall go out free and pay nothing. 3 If he comes in by himself, he shall go out by himself; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him. 4 If his master has given him a wife, and she has borne him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself. 5 But if the servant plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ 6 then his master shall bring him to the judges. He shall also bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him forever 6 years slave, then free 7th year Spiritually 7 is a number of completion, like the 7th day of creation Gods Master Plan (4 steps) Redemption (Passover a type of Yeshua's blood sacrifice to pay for our sins) Baptism - outward expression of our acceptance of that redemption Tutor - sometimes referred to as sanctification, walking out this new life ____  Law is tutor  Prov 16:3 "Commit  your works to the Lord, And your thoughts will be established" Prov 16:9 "A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps" This is new thinking  Prov 4:23 Prov 3:6-7 "In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall [a]direct your paths.

7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil."

This is not slave thinking, it’s free thinking, it’s what Torah gives you to understand  Yeshua fed the 5000 with a miracle Then He speaks hard truths (eat flesh, drink blood), people started leaving  Prov 3:5 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;" John 6:68 "But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." Graduation moment, He set them free, like year 7 Once they are complete set them free Ex 21:5 " But if the servant plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free," Crucial moment in the Gospel I love my master I will not go  Ex 21:6 "then his master shall bring him to the judges. He shall also bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him forever" Doorpost bc of commandments Deut 11:20, part of the Shma says we are to write his law on the doorposts and on our gates. THis action of driving the awl through your ear on the doorpost seems to indicate You become one with the law Jer 31:33, also quoted twice in Hebrews "But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people" John 14:15 " “If you love Me, keep My commandments" John 15:14-15 "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you" In Christianity, it's often said we now only have 2 commandments, to love God and to love others.  But what does that mean?  Do we answer that question with our own ideas and or with what God has told us. It's said there are 613 commandments in the Torah, the first 5 books of the Bible, and there are over 1,000 commandments in the New Testament.  Jesus, Yeshua actually raised the bar on many of the commandments in the Old Testament saying that not only should we not physically commit adultery but that we should not lust in our hearts. So the choice we have, in my opinion, is not slavery or freedom. The choice is to whom will you be a slave, to sin or to righteousness. To Pharoah or God. In our day, you might say to Babylon or to Israel. So the 4th step in God's master plan is to voluntarily be a slave to Yah the one and only God. How does this look? Trust the Lord and He will direct Your steps Process is messy, when we get off track we get right back  Plan your life so don’t fall into the ways of the world  Or as my friend and mentor Filip says when you fall, fall towards the cross not away from the cross. One of my favorite songs I used to listen to on a contemporary CHristian compilation, I think it was called WOW hits from Lifeway, was a song "I am free" by Newsboys.  THe chorus has 3 lines: And I am free to run (I am free to run) And I am free to dance (I am free to dance) And I am free to live for You (I am free to live for You)  Now there's nothing wrong with running and dancing, and I'm glad they included the line that I'm free to live for you, but I was personally always a little confused by these lyrics, and wondered to myself what is freedom in CHrist really all about? I'm definitely still trying to figure this question out, but this 4-step master plan Roger talked about is getting a lot closer to the truth, I believe, than what I've thought of as freedom in the past. Application at work, when we go to work do we demand our rights and our freedoms?  Well, if we do we probably will be looking for another job.  I understand the government has established rights for workers including minimum pay, a safe workplace and other rules that are good, but should be our heart at work be about demanding our rights? How about our personal relationships, should our focus be on our individual rights and getting what's best for us?  Trust me, I've been there and found out how foolish and wrong that attitude is. I recently learned what's called the Humility Prayer from Dr. Joe Martin who leads the RealMenConnect Podcast and the RealMen300 group I'm a part of.  It goes like this: "I can only make requests, I have no rights, I walk by faith, not by sight.  And If my requests are denied, I endure by seeking Your face.  And anything I receive is by your grace".   E Encouragement Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go"   L Laugh  from REaders's Digest "A little boy, whenever he visited his friend's house the boy's grandmother was engrossed in the Bible.  He asked his friend why she was always reading the Bible and the boy replied " I don't know but I think she's cramming for the finals".   A Adversity and affliction Psalm 119:67 "Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word" There can be many benefits of afflication and adversity.  As they see in my RealMen300 group, Tribulation brings revelation.  H Judges 17:6 - "In those days there was no king in Israel. Every man did what we right in his own eyes" Reminder to make sure you staff at work is well trained and know what they need to do and how to do it.