Exodus: Time To Come Out Of Bondage

KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Monday, January 18, 2016
Chapters: Exodus 1-3
Message: Exodus: Time To Come Out Of Bondage

Hello My Friend,

The Book of Exodus is the second book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains forty chapters. The timeline for these events are approximately between 1689BC to 1490BC. The author of the book is Moses and it was written to Israel. The purpose of the book was to record Israel's deliverance from slavery to the Egyptians. What we are to learn from the book is that only by the blood of the lamb can we be saved. “And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.” -Exodus 12:13.

Bondage, slavery, Imprisoned, involuntary servitude, restraint of a person's liberty by compulsion. One does not have to be an actual slave to a person to lose our liberty, there are many things that can put us in bondage, food, liquor, sexual lusts, these are all things that can lead to sinful lifestyles that we can become bondage to. In the case of the Israelites, they feared hunger, and because of this fear they literally sold themselves to the Egyptian government as slaves to get food during the harsh famine. Now, after Joseph and all of his generation died, and the Pharaoh who knew him died, there was a new ruler ruler over Egypt, and this Pharaoh hated the Hebrews. In an attempt to rid Egypt of them he put them into hard bondage, but instead of decreasing they increased, but the more he afflicted them the more they multiplied, angry at this news, he orders all the Hebrew midwives to kill every male that was born, but they did not have the cruel heart to do so.

“Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land. Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel. And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour: And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour. And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live. Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.” - Exodus 1:10-16,20.

“Therefore God dealt well with the midwives:” Pharaoh's plan did not go so well, he thought if he tortured them enough they would weaken and die off. However, God increased their strength and number as well. We may not realize it at the time, but God uses our bondage to our advantage, everything we go through in life is allowed in order to grow us, strengthen us, bring us closer to Him, and prepare us for the next challenge. We may even help some others in the process. “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” - 1 Peter 4:12,13.

Here is the gruesome scenario, because the midwives would not kill any newborn males, Pharaoh took it upon himself to send his people in and take any males born and throw them in the river to die. You can imagine the terror when the women gave birth to a boy, their newborn being snatched from them and cast into the river? But one Levite woman could not bare the thought of her son being cast into the river, she was able to hide him for three months, but decided the best thing to do was let him go. She built a tiny boat, put him in it and sailed him down the river only to be found by Pharaoh's own daughter.

“And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink. And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him. And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it. And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children. Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee? And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother. And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it.” - Exodus 2:3-9.

“And the maid went and called the child's mother.” It's truly amazing how God works, when it was impossible for her to hide her son any longer, God made a way to not only save the child, but for her to get paid nursing him. When situations seem hopeless, we must remember that God takes care of us, knows how to deliver us from our afflictions, and even blesses us through them. “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” - 2 Corinthians 4:17,18.

Now, as Moses grew up in the palace he couldn't help, but feel a little distraught about the way his brothers were being treated, and out of anger he accidentally killed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew and hid it. When word got out that not only the Egyptians found out about it and the Hebrews were afraid of him, he fled and made a life for himself in Midian for forty years. Now, God seeing the severe affliction of the Hebrews was ready to reveal Himself to him, and what His plans for him was. He chose to get his attention in the most unusual way.

“Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.” - Exodus 3:1-4,7, 9, 10.

“And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see,” Notice that it was not until Moses looked back at the bush that God revealed Himself to him. It's not until we look to Jesus that God reveals Himself to us, but once He does, He uses us to serve His purpose. God was going to use Moses to free His people from bondage, including himself who had ran in the first place because he killed a man. It was not going to be an easy task, but when God calls us to do something He gives us all the qualifications to do it. God has a plan for you, it is time to come out of bondage and do what He calls you to do, it may be bigger than you could ever imagined, but He knows you can do it. Oh, you are going to face some affliction, because the devil is going to try to stop you, but God is right there with you, and will not only free you from your bondage, but also help you accomplish it. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” - 1 Peter 5:8-10. Praise God!

Today's Prayer: God, We know that You have a plan and purpose for every one of Your people. It is amazing that You will use anyone who loves You to reach others for You. Lord, lead us and guide us, give us Your power to live in Your will so that we do not hinder You or slow You down from the task the You called us to do. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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