Over Christmas we toured Fort Clinch, a Florida State Park. It’s a Civil War era military defensive post overlooking the far northeastern tip of Florida (near the beautiful town of Fernandina Beach, FL). I enjoyed the tour. . . until I stepped into the jail.
In one cell, a primitive ball and chain sat on the floor. (You can see it above, behind the door on the right.)
Across the room, through another set of prison doors, were replicas of wooden signs prisoners were forced to wear explaining their crime or punishment. Here’s a close up:
I stood there thinking, what if that was me? What if I had a ball and chain on my ankle or was forced to wear a sign stating my sin? Gotta admit, it made me a bit sick at my stomach to think about it.
I did know this: If I was locked behind one of those doors I would want one thing more than anything else in the world. I would want to be set free.
I’d want the ball and chain removed. I’d want to be able to walk free in the sunshine outside. I’d long to throw off the humiliation of that shameful sign worn around my neck.
I’m so thankful that freedom what the LORD wants for His children. Something I read in Exodus this week helped me to understand why He wants this for us.
When words or phrases are repeated in Scripture, that’s a sign we need to stop and take notice.
Bible study tip: Repetition = Emphasis = Importance
That’s why I’ve been pondering a repeated phrase I noticed not two or three or four but six times, yes S-I-X, in Exodus this week. When the LORD was preparing to deliver His people up out of their 430 years of slavery in Egypt, He told Moses to say this to Pharaoh: “Let my people go. . .”
I’ve heard this phrase for years, seen it in books, heard it in gospel songs, watched it in movies, even sung it in choir. The problem it, the last part of the phrase the LORD tells Pharaoh is often omitted when we recount Moses’ story. Here’s the rest:
“Let my people go , so that _____ ____ ________ ___.”
You can look this up for yourself in Exodus 7:16, 8:1&20, 9:1 &13, and 10:3. Like me, you may be surprised by the words that fill in these blanks:
“. . .so that they may worship me.”
The big reason “why” the LORD wanted His people to be freed is repeated 6 times in these verses. His wants His people to be free so that they can worship Him.
We are freed so we may give the LORD our worship.
I’m not freed so I can brag about my freedom or be set loose to do whatever I want. I’m freed in order to offer unhindered praise to the God who delivered me, to bow before Him with thanks and gratitude for His greatness and mercy.
Lately, I’ve been struggling with an area in my life that’s been a constant source of emotional pain for over 40 years. Like the Israelites in Egypt, I’ve been crying out to God to be freed from this burden. These words in Exodus remind me that when the deliverance comes- and I am certain it will- it will do so for one reason: so that I can worship my LORD more deeply and completely.
The Pondering Palette: How could it change the way you pray for deliverance and freedom if you keep in mind the LORD’s reason for freeing you in the first place?
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