Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

— Galatians 5:1

Pharaoh was the most powerful man in the world at the time of the Exodus, when God freed his people from slavery in Egypt. Pharaoh reigned over the prosperous civilization of the Nile. He had huge temples built in honor of his gods. His gravesite is still visible today in the Valley of the Kings at Luxor. Yet Pharaoh was unable to stop God from liberating his people. Through Moses, who had no army or political standing in the Egyptian court, God freed his people from slavery.

Today God frees us from slavery too. Until we are saved through Jesus, we are slaves to sin. We are subjects of the world’s great powers; we are at the mercy of Satan. We have grown accustomed to our addictions. We need liberation. Moses showed Pharaoh that God had more power than all of the Egyptian gods combined. The gods of the Nile, of the cattle, of the harvest, and so on were all shown to be powerless in comparison to the God of Israel.

Today false gods inhabit power structures as well. There are political powers, economic powers, military powers, familial powers, and corporate powers that oppress people. Yet God is stronger than all of them. Jesus, God’s Son, delivers us from all these powers, and he has already freed us from their grip, paying the price of sin and canceling the power of death for our sake.

Lord Jesus, help us to trust in you to deliver us. Free us from the oppressive powers we face today. Strengthen us to follow you. Amen.