Let My People Go! The 21st-Century Version

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There is something about God that is very special; he knows the end from the beginning. He also wants us to walk in liberty, and all His interventions come at the fullness of time. 

NKJV Exodus 5:1

Afterward, Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’ ”

When you look at this text, what comes into your mind? You certainly think of the call of Moses in the wilderness and the assignment God gave him to go tell that old Pharaoh, “Let my people go!”  For a student of the Bible, this can also be seen in the light of God’s promises to Abraham, “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years.” [NKJV Genesis 15:13] 

While this is a fulfillment of the prophetic timelines that God permitted His servant, Abraham, it also comes at the very time when God’s people needed it—a time when they were tired of the cruelty of Egypt and did not know what to do about it.  If the call had come when there was peace in Goshen, when they were still enjoying the leeks and onions of Egypt, they would have refused to leave. But God’s intervention met a desire for something better, which Egypt had taken away—freedom. 

This is an account that took place in 1446 BC but which is even more relevant to us today.  What do we have to learn as we appreciate this story in AD 2024? I want to share with you some wonderful insights, especially in the context of types and antitype. You see, the exodus experience typifies the journey and emancipation of God’s people from this world to a new earth.  Let us grab these lessons:

1. A God Who Understands Our Struggles

In the words of God:

NKJV Exodus 3:7-10

And the Lord said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites. Now, therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”

 I pity those who worship man-made idols that cannot do a thing. Unlike manufactured gods, Yahweh understands our situation and struggles, and He will act. What are you struggling with? Could it be poverty, abuse, addictions, oppression (and no one is as oppressive as Satan), failure, loss, dissatisfaction, et cetera. God understands your pain, and He is willing to do something about it. At the fullness of time, He will come through for you, and his time always works for your best. As you wait for His time, let it be clear that you are tired of “Egypt” and long for the promised land. 

2. You Shall Not Go Empty-Handed

In God’s Word:

NKJV Exodus 3:21-22

And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be, when you go, that you shall not go empty-handed. 22 But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, namely, of her who dwells near her house, articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing; and you shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians.”

The Egyptians used the Israelites to provide free labor, and thus, they contributed greatly to the prosperity of Egypt. They must not go empty-handed. In the same way, the spiritual Egypt does expend our talents, time, and character. God will restore all that we have lost under the misuse and misguidance of satanic forces. 

KJV Joel 2:25-26

And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. 

NKJV Joel 2:27

Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel:

I am the Lord your God

And there is no other.

My people shall never be put to shame.

3. Not On a Silver Platter

In God’s Word:

NKJV Exodus 5:2

And Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go.”

As expected, the old Pharaoh did not let the Israelites go. It was a hard struggle, and in the process, Pharaoh disregarded God. Emancipation from any type of bondage is not a walk in the park. Ask those struggling with addictions, and they will tell you the thirst for leeks and onions of Egypt more than doubles when you want to stop and try heavenly manna. If you win, it will be by constant and persevering effort. 

“When there is no special effort made to resist his power, when indifference prevails in the church and the world, Satan is not concerned; for he is in no danger of losing those whom he is leading captive at his will. But when the attention is called to eternal things, and souls are inquiring, “What must I do to be saved?” he is on the ground, seeking to match his power against the power of Christ and to counteract the influence of the Holy Spirit.”

—Darkness Before Dawn. P. 5

4. A God of Wonders

In God’s word:

NKJV Exodus 3:20

So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in its midst; and after that he will let you go.

Have you ever known that the Ten Plagues was God’s response to Pharaoh’s arrogant defiance: “Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go.”  Yahweh, defending His faithful children, is not someone to joke with. He destroyed 185,000 soldiers in the army of Sennacherib to protect his people [Isaiah 37:36],  plagued Egypt with ten plagues to save His people from bondage, and will do everything necessary to secure your freedom from sin. You can trust Him.

5. By a Prophet

In God’s word:

NKJV Hosea 12:13

By a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt,

And by a prophet he was preserved.

When he wanted to instruct the children of Israel out of Egypt, He sent the prophet Moses. It was in the direct interest of the Israelites to believe in God and believe His prophet if their emancipation from Egypt was to work out. Every time they trusted Moses, it worked to their advantage, and as long as they disobeyed, they sustained loss and hugged chaos. 

Can our case be different? If we will succeed in tracing our way all through the terrible wilderness of this tempting and enslaving world, we must heed the sure word of prophecy. God declares the prophetic word a light that shines in a dark place until the day dawns and the morning star rises in our hearts[2 Peter 1:19]. He declares His word a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our paths [Psalm 119:105].  

Do you heed the Law and Prophets? God’s people will never be left without a true prophet. 

6. At the Speed of Our Obedience

Finally, God is willing to secure our emancipation, but He does this not faster than we are eager to let Him go. A journey which could have taken a week took forty years!  They left Egypt in a day, but it took forty years to get Egypt out of them!

This is a great lesson. The upward journey is always challenging. We must know that it requires a lot of effort and determination. Servitude of sin makes righteousness and freedom undesirable. Still, we must give up our tastes and desires for the leeks and Onions of Egypt to be saved from Egypt. We will verily reject the prophets God is using to lead us to heavenly Canaan and choose a bokeh none of us to lead us back to Egypt. 

What God has in store for you is coming your way at the speed of your obedience. Only you—not Satan or any other opposing confederacy—can delay God’s plan for your life. Choose well, in the power of Christ. 

Conclusion

The Exodus Experience is a lesson book for the faithful of modern days. All that marked their experiences is an object lesson that can provide us with rich instructions and tender warnings. The dangers in the wilderness are the same that we face today, and our safety is in believing in God and the testimonies of His prophets.