A great event in Israel's history was their deliverance from Egyptian slavery. But first, let us see how Israel became a nation.
God’s judgment on the city of Babel resulted in many different nations. Years passed, and then God chose one man who would be the Father of a very special nation. What was his name (Genesis 12:1-3; 17:5)? _____________________________ The nation would be called "Israel," named after Abraham's grandson Jacob (see below).
What was Jacob's other name (Genesis 32:28)? ____________________ The twelve sons of Jacob were the twelve sons of Israel. The nation of Israel came from these twelve sons.
In the days when Joseph was governor over Egypt (Genesis 42:6; 45:9), Jacob (who was at this time an old man) and his children and grandchildren all went down into Egypt to live with Joseph because it was a time of great famine. How many people from Jacob’s family came into Egypt (Genesis 46:27)? ___________________________
At this point in history the nation of Israel was quite small! But God had given a promise to Abraham that his seed (children, descendants) would be "as the ____________ of the heaven and as the ____________ which is upon the sea shore" (Genesis 22:17). Can you count all of the stars in the sky (see Genesis 15:5)? ______ Can you count all the grains of sand on a beach? ______ And yet, when the children of Israel went down into Egypt, the total count was only 70 (see Exodus 1:5), and you could have easily counted that number of people! Did God keep His promise? Did God multiply this nation and make it great and numerous? To find the answer, read Exodus 1:7-12, 20; 5:5 and compare Acts 7:17.
While in Egypt, the children of Israel became SLAVES. This terrible SLAVERY can be seen by completing the following matching problem:
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1._________ |
They were made to toil and labor so hard that their lives became bitter because of the work they were forced to do. |
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2._________ |
They were told to make the same amount of bricks even though they were given twice the amount of work (that would be like trying to shovel two driveways after a snowstorm in the same amount of time it normally takes to do one!) |
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3._________ |
They were forced to build cities for Pharoah, the King of Egypt. |
After years of hardship and suffering, the children of Israel cried out because of their terrible slavery and __________ heard their cry (Exodus 2:23-25; Acts 7:34). God was the only One who could deliver them from this terrible bondage and slavery. In Exodus 6:6-8, can you find seven statements beginning with the words "I WILL"?
God promised to bring the people out of Egypt. God kept that promise. This great event is called the Exodus. To remember this word, just think of an "EXIT" sign which marks the WAY OUT of a building! God made a WAY OUT of Egypt so that His people could leave the country and be freed from their terrible slavery. You can read about the great Exodus or departure from Egypt in the book of Exodus, chapters 12-14.
Are men and women, boys and girls still living in slavery today? Are there still slaves today? For over a century slavery has been abolished in the United States, and yet many people are still in bondage. The Lord Jesus once said, "Whosoever committeth ________ is the servant (or slave) of _________" (John 8:34). In Romans 6:17, Paul wrote, ". . .ye were the servants (or slaves) of _________."
As you think about yourself and others, ask yourself this question: Are people really slaves of sin today? How does sin enslave people? Remember, a slave cannot do what he wants. A slave is controlled or ruled by someone or something else. The Israelites were dominated and ruled by the Egyptians. Do you know of people who are controlled or ruled by some desire, habit or influence? (For example, a drunkard is a slave of drink) What are some other examples of modern day slavery?
Who is the only Person who is able to set us free from the slavery of sin (John 8:36; Galatians 5:1; Romans 7:15-25? __________________________________________
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True or False |
When a person is set free by the Lord, he is no longer a slave of sin (Romans 6:17-18 and John 8:36). |
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True or False |
When a person is set free by the Lord, he is no longer a slave, but he is totally free to do whatever he pleases (Galatians 5:13; Romans 6:1-2). |
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True or False |
When a person is set free by the Lord, he then becomes the Lord’s servant or slave (Romans 6:22; Romans 1:1). |
Everyone is a slave! The important question is: "What kind of a slave are you?" People are either slaves of sin or slaves of God. They either serve SIN, SELF and SATAN, or they serve the SAVIOUR. Actually, the only Person in the universe who is truly free is the Lord, and even God is not free to do anything. God’s freedom is limited in a wonderful way. There are some things which God is not free to do! For example:
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God is not free to L__________ (Titus 1:2) |
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God is not free to C__________ (Malachi 3:6) |
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God is not free to D__________ Himself (2 Timothy 2:13) |
The Lord brought the children of Israel out of the slavery of Egypt. This same Lord is able to bring me out of the slavery of sin, so that I can be a slave of God and serve Him. What a wonderful slavery! (NOTE: Slavery is terrible if you have a cruel and oppressive master over you. Certainly the Egyptian slavery was terrible! Can you think of some reasons why the Lord Jesus Christ is such a wonderful Master and Owner and Lord?)
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