Several young Christians often wonder how long their bondage to sin would last. Most of them have given up hope that they will be ever delivered from a life of continually falling into sin. Sin, the Bible says, is slavery. Like the people of Israel in Egypt and in slavery were given a message of hope, God is giving a message of hope to you today. He is speaking to the one who is enslaving you, “Let my child go.”
Several instructive thoughts come to mind here. One is that the man Moses who was to take this message to Pharaoh was the same Moses who was rejected by his people as their deliverer (Exodus 2:14). Moses had thought that by his self-effort he would be able to rescue his people from the Egyptians. But that could not be. Only God could deliver them. Perhaps you had tried to break the bondage of sin in your life for many years now. After some days of victorious living, you are again trapped by sin. Don’t be discouraged. You cannot win in your own effort. But God says, “Let my child go.”
Another thought is that deliverance from sin is not easy. Pharaoh simply refused to obey God. In spite of several miracles and judgements that God did in that land, he hardened his heart and refused to allow the children of God to go. That means when you seek deliverance from sin, the efforts will be resisted by the devil. He will not easily let you go. There will be unusual and heightened struggle and tension when you try to march towards freedom. But don’t be discouraged. Your God is working for you. He is Yahweh (LORD), the One who is ever-present with His people and concerned with their suffering and misery. He says, “Let my child go.”
Finally, the time comes when the struggle against sin comes to a breaking point. It is here that we need to note the great moment of God’s deliverance. It was put into through the sprinkling of the blood of the Passover Lamb. It was symbolic of our Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ who shed His precious blood on the cross of Calvary (see 1 Corinthians 5:7b, 1 Peter 1:18, 19, John 1:29). Our deliverance from sin can come only through our faith in the blood of Jesus (Romans 3:25). Have you come under this cleansing fountain (Zechariah 13:1, 1 John 1:7)? If so, when God says, “Let my child go,” you shall be free indeed (John 8:36).
Most important of all is that we need to remember the purpose of God’s deliverance. It was to enable the Israelites to worship Him. For He says, “Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the desert” (Exodus 7:16). Yes, dear friend, God desires that you worship Him. Not only for all the miracles that He has done for you but more importantly for who He is. A good starting point is to think about your God as described in the song of Moses after the parting of the Red Sea: “Who among the gods is like you, O LORD? Who is like you-majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?” (Exodus 15:11). When God says, “Let my people go” (Exodus 5:1), it is to enable you to worship Him. Is there a heart of worship in you today, dear child of God?