How many people have been enslaved in the history of mankind? Slavery is an ugly word and an even uglier reality for those enslaved. It’s also an ugly reality of a persons heart who enslaves. So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor and they built Pithom and Ramses as store cities for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites and worked them ruthlessly. They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly. Exodus 1:11-14.

Jacob’s descendants had settled in Egypt to escape the famine that was so severe and that Joseph, Jacob’s son, had prepared for to save Egypt and Jacob’s family in Canaan as well as others who traveled to Egypt to buy grain. They were outsiders, not native to Egypt. For 400 years they grew to a mighty nation of people that the Egyptians feared even though they were enslaved. Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.” v. 8-10.

Does that sound awfully familiar? A ruler wants power. He will do anything to maintain his power and that usually translates to oppression, cruelty, hardship for people under his control. We have seen that played out throughout the history of mankind with various kingdoms, empires, nations. It takes a lot of control to maintain that kind of power.

My country, the United States of America, is 246 years old. A relatively young country. I can’t imagine 400 years of slavery. Can you? The Israelites didn’t have to imagine, they lived that reality. We find another form of cruelty by Pharaoh to maintain his control – The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, “When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.” The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. v. 15-17. Midwives are special people. They labor to help women safely deliver their babies and assist the new mothers. Can you imagine helping a new mother successfully birth a beautiful male child and then having that midwife murder that child? They couldn’t do it. So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own. v. 20-21. God was kind. Can we try to imagine what all of this was like? You are enslaved. You have no rights. Pharaoh has all the power and he is ruthless and cruel in his efforts to keep that power. Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: “Every Hebrew boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.” v. 22.

There are many kinds of enslavement. The physical enslavement of the Hebrews in Egypt. The enslavement to the desire for power. The enslavement to cruelty. The enslavement of self righteousness; of doing what we want above everything else no matter what the consequences are for others. For all of his power as Pharaoh, his rule came to an end with his inevitable death.

I keep contrasting the “kingdoms of this world” with God’s Kingdom. When the time had come for Jesus to be seized and arrested, Peter tried to protect him. “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way?” Matthew 26:52-54.

Jesus didn’t rule in Rome’s kingdom or any “human” kingdom. Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father – to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. Revelation 1:4-6.

Jesus freed us from the worst slavery there is…our sins. Jesus tells us My kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). His kingdom works in our hearts whose works are love. He teaches us “The most important one is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 29-31.

Can you imagine such a kingdom? Can you imagine that kind of love in every heart? Have we seen enough of the “kingdoms of this world” to realize they will never heal our hearts? They will never free us from our sins. Only God can do that and He is faithful and true. Many times I go to God in prayer frustrated with the world and the problems so vast and seeming to always reach a fever pitch. He gently reminds me He is in control. Jesus told his disciples and by extension, us today: My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working. John 5:17. They are working for us to free each of us from the enslavement of sin. As our Creator, they know what is needed. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8. Thank You, Lord God. You are my hope and my anchor.