How God Breaks Every Bondage
"And ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians" (Exodus 6:7).
In Part 1 we saw that God is good, but God is God. Now we go into Egypt, because the story of the Exodus is the story of God showing His lordship.
Every story has a hero, and there is no hero without a villain. In this story, God reveals Himself through a hard king named Pharaoh.
Real Prayer Begins When You Feel the Bondage
"And the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob" (Exodus 2:23-24).
Israel had been in Egypt for a long time. But real prayer began when they felt the bondage. Many believers are comfortable in Egypt. They do not seek God's will. They seek a breakthrough, money, a marriage, a job. They want Egypt to become comfortable instead of wanting to leave it.
God heard the groaning, and He remembered His covenant. When your cry comes from the pain of bondage, heaven hears it.
Sometimes the Bondage Gets Harder When You Pray
When Moses went to Pharaoh, things did not get easier. Pharaoh said, "Let there more work be laid upon the men" (Exodus 5:9). The people blamed Moses.
Many of you have experienced this. You started to pray for deliverance, and the pressure increased. Do not be surprised. When you begin to move toward God's will, the system that holds you will press harder.
Pharaoh Is a System
Pharaoh is not only a man in history. Pharaoh is a system and a spirit that keeps God's people from the place God promised them. He wants to use you, keep you busy, and make sure you never reach your promised land.
"Then the LORD said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land" (Exodus 6:1).
Look at that. The same Pharaoh who held them would drive them out. God can use the very one who is oppressing you to push you out of your bondage.
Ye Shall Know That I Am the LORD
"And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them" (Exodus 6:3).
The fathers knew Him as God Almighty. This generation would know Him by His name, as the LORD. "And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God" (Exodus 6:7).
Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go" (Exodus 5:2). And God answered by showing everyone, Egypt and Israel, that He is the LORD.
The whole Exodus is about this. God was not only bringing a people out. He was making them His own and showing His lordship.
When the Knock Becomes a Voice
"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him" (Revelation 3:20).
God knocks through our circumstances. When we pay attention, the knock becomes a voice. Closed doors speak, and open doors speak. Your situation is not silent. God is saying something through it.
Why Did God Harden Pharaoh's Heart?
"And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt" (Exodus 7:3).
Here is something to think about. If your Pharaoh were soft, you would never leave Egypt. If Egypt were kind to you, you would stay. God allowed Pharaoh to be hard so that His people would finally go.
Paul writes, "For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth" (Romans 9:17-18). "Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?" (Romans 9:21).
God is sovereign over the people who trouble you. In the end, "Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell upon them" (Psalm 105:38).
Harden Not Your Heart
But hear this warning too: "To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation" (Hebrews 3:15). Pharaoh's heart became hard. Do not let yours become hard.
He Chose You
"I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine" (John 10:14). It matters that He knows you. On that day He will tell some people, "I never knew you" (Matthew 7:23).
"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you" (John 15:16). If He chose you, He will work in your life. He will even use your Pharaoh.
Are Your Circumstances Humbling You?
Ask yourself honestly: are your hard circumstances making you hard, or are they humbling you? God uses circumstances to draw you close to Him.
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28).
The Lordship Series
This is Part 2 of a 4-part teaching on the lordship of God, first preached in Hindi as Prabhutv. Here is the full series in order:
Part 2: How God Breaks Every Bondage (you are here)
More Teaching Series
The Mystery of Open and Closed Doors: Start with Part 1: The Stealer of Joy
The Decision Series: Start with Part 1: Why Decisions Matter
Marriage in the Lord Series: Start with Part 1: Marry Only in the Lord
Declarations
I will not stay comfortable in Egypt.
God hears my cry and remembers His covenant with me.
The LORD will bring me out with a strong hand.
I will know Him as the LORD, not only as my helper.
I will not harden my heart when I hear His voice.
All things are working together for my good, because I love God.
Stay Connected & Grow Deeper
Watch the full message: Part 2 of the Lordship (Prabhutv) series on YouTube. Please note that the message is preached in Hindi.
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