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.

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?