“And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will shew to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever.” (Exodus 14:13)
The people were fearful. They’d plundered the Egyptians and left, led by Moses. Pharoah got his armies together and followed after them. For 430 years (Exodus 12:40-41) they’d been in Egypt. They’d gone from favor to slavery. And God finally moved to rescue them. And the angel of the Lord moved behind them and the pillar of cloud which had led them kept Pharoah’s army from reaching them. (Exodus 14:19-20) The Red Sea was before them. They had nowhere to go, but Moses speaks the words in the verse above.
We’ve all seen the movie. The real events were even more dramatic than any movie could depict. This was not just a crowd of people. There were 600,000 fighting men and when the women and children were counted, it’s estimated that there were about two million people. God moved two million people from Egypt. It’s unimaginable how Moses could have led them, but only God could have done it.
Just as dramatic and miraculous is our rescue from the bondage of sin. We felt the oppression of the burden of sin and guilt. It was unescapable. In some religions there is a way of forgiveness with our god, but although we went through many different rites, the sin was still there. The confusion and the oppression continued because the Lord God Almighty, has only one way. The confrontation for our souls that was waged between the angels of the Lord and demons was even more dramatic and miraculous as the confrontation Moses had with Pharoah. We couldn’t see it. But we felt it. And finally, we were able to understand.
God has provided for our escape, complete forgiveness, complete restoration with Him. He is the Lord our Savior, Jesus, His blood cleansing us. We are held in His right hand, firmly, never to be loosened. “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand.” (John 10:28-29) He is our pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night.
May we never forget that moment when we were delivered and set free from the bondage of sin. Like the Israelites, we didn’t understand it all. But we felt it. It was a change of darkness to light, of confusion to peace and of sorrow to joy. We finally were in that perfect place God meant for us always to be. Free! Free to know the Lord. Free to love the Lord. We were removed from one kingdom to another. “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son:” (Colossians 1:13) But how did this all come about?
Paul explains how Jesus was made flesh and blood, a mere man, Who took our death and is the Captain of our salvation. We are made one with Him, the Lord Who will have all things in subjection to Him. “Thou madest Him a little lower than the angels; Thou crownedst Him with glory and honour, and didst set Him over the works of Thy hands: Thou hast put all things in subjection under His feet. For in that He put all in subjection under Him, He left nothing that is not put under Him. But now we see not yet all things put under Him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became Him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren,” (Hebrews 2:7-11)
Jesus Who was made flesh and blood, a man, but Lord, Who through His death destroyed the devil’s strangle-hold on us, delivered us from the fear of death. Death is now our step into eternity. “Saying, I will declare Thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. And again, I will put My trust in Him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me. Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” (Hebrews 2:12-16)
Jesus didn’t come like an angel, but like a man. He understands our afflictions and weaknesses. He is the perfect high priest because He went through what we go through. “For verily He took not on Him the nature of angels; but He took on Him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succour them that are tempted.” (Hebrews 2:17-18)
And Jesus is Lord of all. And all will bow before Him, all that were and all that will be. “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)
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