Seven Things to Remember as seen in Deuteronomy – Part 2

 As Americans, hearing the word slavery evokes a lot of emotion. Even today we still struggle to escape the effects of slavery to our culture. Not only was a terrible civil war fought that killed some 600,000 people, the aftermath of the war left black people in its wake and to this day they are affected deeply.

Slavery is all over the Old Testament and the New. But we cannot use the Bible to justify what was done in America to those who were enslaved in our history. But we can look back and remember so that we can try and understand its effects on our culture and then learn how to make life better.

The Jews also needed to remember their own experience with slavery. They were commanded to do so by Moses in Deuteronomy 15:15, “You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you; therefore I command you this today.” It is a command repeated several more times in Deuteronomy. The celebration of Passover is a reminder itself to the Jews of what they went through in Egypt and of how God delivered them from the hands of Pharaoh.

To us as Christians there is a very important spiritual reminder embedded in this narrative. Egypt is a picture of our own enslavement to sin. And Moses is a type of Christ for just as Moses was God’s instrument to lead the Jews out of Egyptian slavery, so does Jesus lead us out of slavery to sin. Romans 6:20 says that we “were slaves to sin.” But then Romans 8:2 says that “For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”

So like Israel was to remember that they were once slaves, so should we remember we too were slaves to sin. Here are some scriptures to remember to as we look back at what Christ is doing in our lives and forward to what He will do.

John 8:34-36
Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Galatians 5:1
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

Acts 13:38-39
Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.

We must remember we were once slaves to sin. We must remember we have been set free. We must remember that, though we still wrestle with sin, our chains have been broken. Not just unlocked, because if they were merely unlocked we could snap ourselves back into them. Jesus has broken the chains which enslaved us. We must remember.

Now what? Hear God’s Word and commit it to memory.

Romans 6:22
But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.

We must make ourselves new slaves; slaves to God.

1 Peter 2:16
Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.