THE LOSS OF FREEDOM Exodus 1:1-14

Let’s Review an Old Testament Story The Bible is like a children’s story book – Sometimes it’s good to climb up into Daddy’s lap and look at the pictures while he reads the narrative.

Exodus is a story of divine deliverance from the Bondage of Egypt. As we take time to look at the detail in this picture God gave us. We will find that it’s our story too.

We might ought to start with some basic questions: Who are these Hebrew people? Why are they in Egypt? How did they become enslaved? To whom did they cry out from their misery? What was the price of redemption? – Salvation is always by Grace through Faith – It’s the story of how to go from bondage to freedom

Who Are These Hebrew People? They are the heirs of the promises to Abraham They are the Covenant Community

Why Are They In Egypt? Brothers sold Joseph into slavery They looked the wrong way during a famine

The Land of Goshen was such an inviting place. How could it be wrong when it felt so good? Who of us hasn’t been lured Into something that seemed so good

Their Enslavement was a gradual process. The pleasure of sin is for a season Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt. -- Ex 1:8 But the result is predictable

From their misery they cried out to God, who heard them Exodus 2:24-25 God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. 25 So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.

God spelled out the terms of redemption God would show Himself mighty There would be shed blood Either of the firstborn Or of the Passover Lamb

It took a miracle of divine power to deliver them out of Egypt The Salvation of God For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. – 1 Cor 10:1-2

God sustained spiritual life We eat the Bread that came down from heaven They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ Cor 10:3-4 They Ate Manna from Heaven

They were taught to worship They lived in the presence of their God They were to serve God and to bless the nations

We also became slaves in sin God has come to save us. – With blood – And with Power That we may enjoy His presence And bless others