You Are Free!

Exodus 15:1-11

To understand this first reading, we have to go back way into the Old Testament times when the Israelites were in slavery in the land of Egypt. Remember the Israelites had gone down to Egypt under the leadership of Joseph. God used Joseph to be the Savior or the person who saved basically the whole world by gathering up grain. For us, most importantly, his work saved the line to the Savior. So Jacob and his family didn’t die in that famine. Well, they ended up staying for 400 years. And sometime during those 400 years, the Israelites were enslaved. We don’t know exactly when it happened. It was at least the last 100 years of their time down there in Egypt and probably longer. Now it’s kind of easy for us to read past that or hear past that and not think all that much about it. But think what that meant for generations of Israelites. They were born into slavery. They lived in slavery. They died in slavery. And there was nothing they could do about it. But there was something God could do about it. And so God unleashed 10 plagues on the nation of Egypt, kind of breaking their will and encouraging his own people. It culminated with the Passover event, after which Pharaoh finally said, “Go, get out, take your people, and go.” And so they out they go, the whole nation of them. And God leads them very visibly by day with a pillar of cloud, by night with a pillar of fire. It’s obvious that God is there. It’s obvious that God is leading them and God leads them where? Yep, right up to the banks of the Red Sea. And Pharaoh says, “They’re lost. I’m going to take them back anyway.” And so here comes Pharaoh’s army charging behind him again and the Red Sea is in front of him. Pharaoh’s army is behind him and the Israelites are going, “Oh man, it’s back to slavery again and there’s nothing we can do about it.” But there was something God could do about it. And so he had Moses lift up his staff over the Red Sea and God sent this ferocious wind that opened up this huge corridor, it must have been several blocks wide so that the Israelites could pass through on dry ground. Pharaoh and his army foolishly pursue them in and God brings those walls of water crashing back down again. And as the Israelites stand on the far side of the Red Sea with Pharaoh’s army drowned in that sea, everything has changed. No longer are they an enslaved nation, they are now a free nation. And my brothers and sisters, what happened there is a picture of what’s happened for you and for me. You and I were born into this world in slavery. Jesus says, “Whoever sins is a slave to sin.” That means every single one of us were born into this world as spiritual slaves and there was absolutely nothing that you or I or anyone else could do about it. Because the only way to get to freedom would be to become perfect and none of us can do that. But God could do something about it and God did. Jesus came to this world, Jesus lived for you, Jesus died for you and most importantly, Jesus rose for you. And in so doing, Jesus won for you and for me spiritual freedom. And one of the ways that Jesus gives that freedom to us is through our baptism. In the New Testament, God compares baptism to that crossing of the Red Sea event. Talks about how the Israelites were baptized by Moses into the cloud in the sea. That’s the Red Sea. That the Red Sea event freed the Israelites and your baptism frees you because it connects you to the risen Jesus who won freedom for you. What is your new identity? You are free. You are spiritually free. Free forever. When the Israelites got to the far side, they sang the song that I’m about to read. As we hear this song, hear it also as your song because God has won you even better freedom than he won for them. Amen? A reading from the book of Exodus. Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord. I will sing to the Lord for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my defense. He has become my salvation. He is my God and I will praise him, my father’s God and I will exalt him. The Lord is a warrior. The Lord is his name. Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he has hurled into the sea. The best of Pharaoh’s officers are drowned in the Red Sea. The deep waters have covered them. They sank to the depths like a stone. Your right hand, Lord, was majestic in power. Your right hand, Lord, shattered the enemy. In the greatness of your majesty, you threw down those who opposed you. You unleashed your burning anger. It consumed them like stubble. By the blast of your nostrils, the waters piled up. The surging waters stood up like a wall. The deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy boasted, “I will pursue. I will overtake them. I’ll divide the spoils. I’ll gorge myself on them. I’ll draw my sword and my hand will destroy them.” But you blew with your breath and the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters. Who among the gods is like you, Lord? Who is like you? Majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders. The word of the Lord.