You were a slave

I love finding recurring themes and concepts in the Bible, especially when they resonate with things that I am passionate about.

This week I found an absolute doozy!

I have been reading through the book of Deuteronomy and when I hit chapter 6 I was struck afresh by the way that God introduces the famous 10 Commandments:

“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery...” – Deuteronomy 5:6

I noted this reference to their redemption from slavery last time I read it. However, what I hadn’t noticed until this week was this line in commandment #4 that concerns the sabbath day:

“You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. (Deuteronomy 5:15)

The phrase that hit me square between the eyes was this one: “remember that you were a slave”.

Right slap-bang in the midst of the Big 10 commandments is the exhortation to reflect on the bondage that they had once suffered AND the glorious salvation that God’s mighty hand had worked for them. Rather than encouraging them to put it behind them or forget that it ever happened, God wanted them to remember forever what He had saved them from.

Why?

To remind them how much He loved them and to inspire them to live a life of grateful obedience to Him, in this instance to keep the sabbath day holy. Interestingly, the exact same phrase appears 4 more times in Deuteronomy alone:

“remember that you were a slave...” – Deuteronomy 5:15;15:15; 16:12; 24:18; 24:22

This phrase is followed by a call to faithful obedience. Every. Single. Time.

Remember that you were a slave and live accordingly!

It got me to ponder 2 questions:

1. Do I really reflect on God’s redemption as much as I should?
   God clearly wants His people to remember that they were once slaves, and I while you or I have likely never suffered the kind of slavery that Israel suffered under their Egyptian task masters, that doesn’t mean that we have never experienced slavery. As Paul wrote to Titus: ”For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.” – Titus 3:3
   

   Furthermore, the writer to the Hebrews in reflecting on the ministry of Jesus wrote this: ”Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.” – Hebrews 2:14-5
   
   We have been set free from lifelong slavery to sin and fear of death by the death of Jesus Christ in our place on the cross. If He hadn’t done that work on our behalf, if he hadn’t paid the debt that we owed and ransomed us by His own blood we would still be in spiritual chains right now.
   
   Remember that you were a slave!
   

2. Does gratitude for redemption really motivate me
   I have been involved in the frontline of the fight against human trafficking and modern slavery for over a decade now and it has been brutal and exhausting at times. However, I’d be lying if I said that every step of the way I have been fighting with the right motives. I have been moved by the suffering of those I am interceding and caring for, and I have been stirred by the radical faith and merciful actions of others. But neither of these work as an ultimate motive. No, if I am going to obey the call of God to show justice and love mercy, humbly and consistently, I need a bigger and stronger motive than the either of those. I need to remember that I was a slave and that it is only because of the kindness of God that I am walking in freedom today. To quote Paul again, he wrote these convicting words to the Romans: ”Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” – Romans 12:1 NIV
   
   It’s only as we live with the mercies of God in full view (seen most clearly at the cross) that we can be truly motivated to lay our lives on the alter day after day after day, and to offer the sacrifice of a life sold out for His kingdom and His mission of justice, mercy and grace.

So those are my personal reflections on that theme that I just found in Deuteronomy.

Remember that you were a slave.

Therefore – live a life of grateful obedience to your Redeemer.

Let’s be slaves set free who are all about seeing slaves set free!