Slaves who have escaped to you from their owners shall not be given back to them. They shall reside with you, in your midst, in any place they choose in any one of your towns, wherever they please; you shall not oppress them. (Deuteronomy 23:15-16)
Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to beings that by nature are not gods. Now, however, that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and beggarly elemental spirits? How can you want to be enslaved to them again? (Galatians 4:8-9)
This morning these two readings stuck out to me. The first one was written after God had delivered Israel from their enslavement to Egypt. This is known as the Exodus story, and after the Exodus Israel is always to remember that God has set them free. Even today when such is remembered it is we (us right now) who were slaves in Egypt and God has set us free!
Now Paul was Jewish leader. And when he wrote Galatians talking of the event of Jesus' death and resurrection his conversation is definitely shaped by his memory of God setting Israel free. So he refers to people before they come to Jesus as 'enslaved', and after they come to Jesus as free.
Lord Jesus, set me free from whatever chains me today. Amen.
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