Freedom to Worship God and God Alone
Let My People Go: Breaking Free from Bondage to Worship
(Watch the message on YouTube)
The story of the Exodus stands as one of the most powerful narratives in Scripture—a dramatic account of liberation, divine power, and the choice between bondage and freedom. Yet beyond the spectacular plagues and miraculous signs lies a profound spiritual truth that resonates through the ages: God desires His people to serve Him rather than remain enslaved to the powers of this world.
When Broken Spirits Cannot Hear
When Moses first approached the Children of Israel with God's message of redemption, something unexpected happened. Despite hearing words of hope and promise—"I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will deliver you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm"—the people could not respond. Exodus tells us they did not listen "because of their broken spirit and cruel bondage."
This reality echoes through time. Today, countless people find themselves so broken, so burdened by the weight of their circumstances, that God's offer of redemption falls on ears that cannot truly hear. The world maintains such a stronghold that responding to God's love seems impossible. The message is not complicated—turn to God, ask for forgiveness through Messiah Yeshua, trust in His death, burial, and resurrection. It is not about earning salvation or being "good enough." God made us and will heal us. Yet brokenness can create a barrier to receiving this truth.
The Children of Israel needed time and experience to move from their broken state to the moment at Mount Sinai when they would declare, "We will do and obey." The journey between these two responses required witnessing God's power, experiencing His presence, and gaining understanding of who He truly is.
The God Who Reveals Himself
The ten plagues were not merely judgments against Egypt or demonstrations meant to convince Pharaoh. They were revelations of God's character to all who witnessed them—Egyptians and Israelites alike. After centuries of distance from the intimate relationship Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had enjoyed with God, the people needed to experience Him firsthand.
Isaiah later captured this divine uniqueness: "I am the first, and the last, and there is no God beside Me. Who is like Me? Let him proclaim and announce it!" Through the plagues, God demonstrated His sovereignty over all things, particularly over life and death itself. No Egyptian magician held such power. Only God.
The plague turning water to blood illustrates this perfectly. When Aaron's staff struck the Nile, the life-giving waters became undrinkable throughout Egypt—in rivers, streams, pools, and even containers. The Egyptian magicians, in their zeal to prove they possessed similar power, only succeeded in sabotaging themselves further. They could not get out of their own way, demonstrating the futility of opposing God's purposes.
The Hardened Heart
Pharaoh's response to God's demonstrations reveals a sobering spiritual principle. God told Moses beforehand: "I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply My signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh will not listen to you."
Pharaoh could have acknowledged God's sovereignty and released the people. That could have been the end of it. Instead, through a ten-step process, he became increasingly calloused, sliding down a slope to the point of no return. He enjoyed the control he had over God's people. It provided security and economic benefit. Changing meant loss, and he refused to let go.
Pharaoh represents every evil force that restrains God's people from fulfilling their purpose. He was not necessarily opposed to the Israelites as people—he simply feared they might join Egypt's enemies. But in exerting restraining power over them, he positioned himself in opposition to God's plans. This opposition proved futile, as all opposition to God ultimately does.
Interestingly, even under intense pressure, Pharaoh would momentarily relent. After the plague of hail, he declared, "I have sinned this time. The Lord is righteous, while I and my people are wicked." Yet Moses knew the truth: "But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the Lord God."
This pattern continues today. When pressure mounts—through illness, financial crisis, or broken relationships—many people acknowledge God's existence and power. But when relief comes, when the body heals or circumstances improve, some revert to their former ways. The true test of transformation comes not in the crisis but in what follows.
From Slavery to Service
At the heart of God's message to Pharaoh was this refrain: "Let My people go, so they may serve Me." The Hebrew word "abad" means both to serve and to worship. God was not simply liberating Israel from Egyptian bondage for freedom's sake. He was calling them from serving Pharaoh to serving Him—from one form of submission to another.
In Hebraic thinking, you worship whom you submit to. Service is worship, and worship is service. This represents a fundamental shift in worldview. Everything we do must be in service to God. Our daily work, our relationships, our choices—all become acts of worship when done in submission to Him.
The apostles understood this identity. Paul called himself "a slave of God and an emissary of Messiah Yeshua." James made the same claim. Peter wrote, "Live as free people, but not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil. Rather, live as God's slaves."
This is the question we must answer continually: Will we serve God alone, or something else? In this moment, this hour, today, this year—who will we worship through our service?
The Choice Before Us
Eventually, Israel faced a decision. Would they place blood on their doorposts? Would they follow God through the wilderness? Would they trust Him to lead them to the Promised Land? Some made it. Others struggled or rejected God's sovereignty outright—like those who created the golden calf or joined Korah's rebellion.
Remarkably, even after experiencing God's miraculous deliverance, some Israelites later wanted to return to Egypt. They chose the familiar oppression over the uncertainties of freedom with God. It seems like an odd choice, yet many people make it today.
Joshua understood this challenge when he declared, "If it seems bad to you to worship the Lord, then choose for yourselves today whom you will serve—whether the gods that your fathers worshipped that were beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will worship the Lord!"
The invitation stands before us: Will we choose freedom in service to God, or remain in bondage to the powers of this world? The plagues of Egypt remind us that God's judgments are true and righteous, yet for those who fear Him, there is grace and mercy even in judgment.
Let my people go—not merely to be free, but to serve and worship the One who alone deserves our devotion.
(Watch the message on YouTube)
The story of the Exodus stands as one of the most powerful narratives in Scripture—a dramatic account of liberation, divine power, and the choice between bondage and freedom. Yet beyond the spectacular plagues and miraculous signs lies a profound spiritual truth that resonates through the ages: God desires His people to serve Him rather than remain enslaved to the powers of this world.
When Broken Spirits Cannot Hear
When Moses first approached the Children of Israel with God's message of redemption, something unexpected happened. Despite hearing words of hope and promise—"I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will deliver you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm"—the people could not respond. Exodus tells us they did not listen "because of their broken spirit and cruel bondage."
This reality echoes through time. Today, countless people find themselves so broken, so burdened by the weight of their circumstances, that God's offer of redemption falls on ears that cannot truly hear. The world maintains such a stronghold that responding to God's love seems impossible. The message is not complicated—turn to God, ask for forgiveness through Messiah Yeshua, trust in His death, burial, and resurrection. It is not about earning salvation or being "good enough." God made us and will heal us. Yet brokenness can create a barrier to receiving this truth.
The Children of Israel needed time and experience to move from their broken state to the moment at Mount Sinai when they would declare, "We will do and obey." The journey between these two responses required witnessing God's power, experiencing His presence, and gaining understanding of who He truly is.
The God Who Reveals Himself
The ten plagues were not merely judgments against Egypt or demonstrations meant to convince Pharaoh. They were revelations of God's character to all who witnessed them—Egyptians and Israelites alike. After centuries of distance from the intimate relationship Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had enjoyed with God, the people needed to experience Him firsthand.
Isaiah later captured this divine uniqueness: "I am the first, and the last, and there is no God beside Me. Who is like Me? Let him proclaim and announce it!" Through the plagues, God demonstrated His sovereignty over all things, particularly over life and death itself. No Egyptian magician held such power. Only God.
The plague turning water to blood illustrates this perfectly. When Aaron's staff struck the Nile, the life-giving waters became undrinkable throughout Egypt—in rivers, streams, pools, and even containers. The Egyptian magicians, in their zeal to prove they possessed similar power, only succeeded in sabotaging themselves further. They could not get out of their own way, demonstrating the futility of opposing God's purposes.
The Hardened Heart
Pharaoh's response to God's demonstrations reveals a sobering spiritual principle. God told Moses beforehand: "I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply My signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh will not listen to you."
Pharaoh could have acknowledged God's sovereignty and released the people. That could have been the end of it. Instead, through a ten-step process, he became increasingly calloused, sliding down a slope to the point of no return. He enjoyed the control he had over God's people. It provided security and economic benefit. Changing meant loss, and he refused to let go.
Pharaoh represents every evil force that restrains God's people from fulfilling their purpose. He was not necessarily opposed to the Israelites as people—he simply feared they might join Egypt's enemies. But in exerting restraining power over them, he positioned himself in opposition to God's plans. This opposition proved futile, as all opposition to God ultimately does.
Interestingly, even under intense pressure, Pharaoh would momentarily relent. After the plague of hail, he declared, "I have sinned this time. The Lord is righteous, while I and my people are wicked." Yet Moses knew the truth: "But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the Lord God."
This pattern continues today. When pressure mounts—through illness, financial crisis, or broken relationships—many people acknowledge God's existence and power. But when relief comes, when the body heals or circumstances improve, some revert to their former ways. The true test of transformation comes not in the crisis but in what follows.
From Slavery to Service
At the heart of God's message to Pharaoh was this refrain: "Let My people go, so they may serve Me." The Hebrew word "abad" means both to serve and to worship. God was not simply liberating Israel from Egyptian bondage for freedom's sake. He was calling them from serving Pharaoh to serving Him—from one form of submission to another.
In Hebraic thinking, you worship whom you submit to. Service is worship, and worship is service. This represents a fundamental shift in worldview. Everything we do must be in service to God. Our daily work, our relationships, our choices—all become acts of worship when done in submission to Him.
The apostles understood this identity. Paul called himself "a slave of God and an emissary of Messiah Yeshua." James made the same claim. Peter wrote, "Live as free people, but not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil. Rather, live as God's slaves."
This is the question we must answer continually: Will we serve God alone, or something else? In this moment, this hour, today, this year—who will we worship through our service?
The Choice Before Us
Eventually, Israel faced a decision. Would they place blood on their doorposts? Would they follow God through the wilderness? Would they trust Him to lead them to the Promised Land? Some made it. Others struggled or rejected God's sovereignty outright—like those who created the golden calf or joined Korah's rebellion.
Remarkably, even after experiencing God's miraculous deliverance, some Israelites later wanted to return to Egypt. They chose the familiar oppression over the uncertainties of freedom with God. It seems like an odd choice, yet many people make it today.
Joshua understood this challenge when he declared, "If it seems bad to you to worship the Lord, then choose for yourselves today whom you will serve—whether the gods that your fathers worshipped that were beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will worship the Lord!"
The invitation stands before us: Will we choose freedom in service to God, or remain in bondage to the powers of this world? The plagues of Egypt remind us that God's judgments are true and righteous, yet for those who fear Him, there is grace and mercy even in judgment.
Let my people go—not merely to be free, but to serve and worship the One who alone deserves our devotion.
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