Back to the Basics: Delivered to belong

Exodus 20:1-2

Exodus 20 talks about what we call the 10 commandments. In the following 10 devotionals, I will be talking about them one of them, but it is important to build a foundation, and that’s what Exodus 20:1-2 does. God does not start out by giving the rules. He first reminds the Israelites of His grace. In Exodus 20:1-2 reads, “And God spoke all these words: ‘I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.’” From a Christian perspective, these verses reveal the heart of salvation, the nature of grace, and the call to holy living. If we look, we could see God delivers us before He directs us. Also, when he delivers us, he delivers us to belong to him.

The First Verse reveals God as the speaker, not Moses. This distinction matters because while all Scripture is inspired by God, as stated in 2 Timothy 3:16, there are moments, like here, when God speaks directly. The commandments are given in His own words, not through Moses’ interpretation. Moses records what God tells him word-for-word. Likewise, when I write this devotional, I seek inspiration, but it is not God directly speaking. The source and authority in Exodus 20 are emphasized for the importance of what follows.

Look how verse two begins: “I am the Lord your God…” God does not start with rules; he starts with himself. He is pretty much saying, " Here I am.” The language he is using here is the language of relationship. It is not distant, not cold, nor abstract, but it is personal, present, and near. The best way to describe this is the difference between a boss and a father. A boss will say, “Do this or you will be fired.” A father, on the other hand, would say, “You are my child. Now let me teach you how to live.” In these verses, God is not acting like a boss but like a father.

He says, “I am the Lord, your God.” This is personal language. This covenant language. This is a love language. Christianity is not merely knowing God; it is knowing God personally. It is not a religion, but it is a relationship. Some people in this world see God as only a rule-giver. However, before he is a commander, he is a deliverer. Before he gives instructions, he gives identity. If you are a believer in Christ Jesus, his.

He goes on to remind the nation of Israel of what he said when he said, “... who brought you out of Egypt,...” We see throughout history that the nation of Israel they are forgetful people, and so are we. We need God to remind us of what he’s done for us. One of the lessons here that God is reminding the nation of Israel and us is that we cannot do it ourselves.

Egypt represents bondage. Israel had Slaves for 400 years. They could not free themselves. They had no power, no strength, and no hope until God stepped in. Imagine a dog being chained to a pole its entire life. It walks the same ground and wears the same at path. One day, the Dog's owner removed the chain, but the dog kept walking in the same circle because it did not realize it was free. Today, many Christians live just like that. They have been delivered, but still live like slaves. God says to them, “I brought you out.” We are no longer slaves to sin. We have been freed.

The wonderful thing about grace is that God always acts first. Before Israel cried loud enough, God was already working. God came to you before you ever came to God. He chose you before you chose him. God’s grace always goes before. That is a wonderful thing to know.

This verse reminds us that God delivers us out of bondage. Take a look at how this verse ends, “...out of the land of slavery.” The King James Version translates as, “...out of the house of bondage.” Both translations do hit this concept very similarly. We have to remember that bondage is more than physical slavery. It represents sin. It is quite clear that sin is bondage by what Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.” Sin enslaves us with our habits, addictions, fear, anger, and shame, but God delivers us from sin by his death on a cross.

Imagine for yourself that there is a prisoner in jail. A prison Guard opens a cell door and says, “You are free to go.” However, the prisoner stays inside. Why is that? The reason is that freedom requires stepping out. God opens the door to Freedom from sin at salvation, but many people never walk out. They stay bound by their thinking, their habits, and their identity. God says, “ I brought you out.” He is reminding the nation of Israel that He is the one who brought them out and set them free. He wants us to remember that He brought us out of sin and bondage.

We have one critical theological message coming out of this verse and going into the 10 commandments, and that is God’s law comes after God’s grace. God did not say, “Obey these commandments and I will deliver you.” Instead, he said, “I have delivered you. Now obey.” Obedience responds to that grace and not the cause of grace. God is like a firefighter rescuing somebody from a burning building. Afterward, the rescued person says, “How should I live now?” That person did not obey to earn rescue. However, they obeyed because they were rescued. A life of holiness is gratitude in action for what God has done. God’s grace frees us from the penalty of sin. It is his grace that frees us from the power of sin. God does not just bring you out of sin, but God also transforms you.

This brings up a very important thing we need to remember: that God delivers us to belong and not just to escape. God did not bring Israel out of Egypt just to wander the desert. He brought them out to claim them as his own. Deliverance is not the end. The real goal is a relationship with him. Holiness is the purpose.

Imagine for a second that you have adopted a child from an abusive home. You did not adopt them, just remove them from that home. You adopted them to love them. You adopted them to give them an identity more than a beaten child. You adopted them to give them a family. The same is true of God: He did not just rescue you from sin. He brought you His family. When He rescues you, you belong to him.

We have an epidemic among the Christ family; many Christians are out of Egypt, but Egypt is not out of them. Many Christians are like the nation of Israel, who left Egypt physically, but mentally, they stayed in Egypt. They complained. They doubted. They wanted to go back.

We see this in modern day with prisoners who spend decades in prison but can not adjust to freedom. Freedom feels unfamiliar to them. Bondage feels normal to them. There are Christians who are saved but still think like slaves, still live in fear, and still live in defeat. God says, “You are not a slave. You are mine. I give you victory.”

That’s why we have to remember that God’s deliverance is complete. He does not deliver us halfway or partially, but he delivers us fully and completely. He does not partially forgive you, partially love you, or partially free you. You are fully His. He forgives you fully, He loves you fully, and He fully frees you.

Lazarus is a wonderful example of this in the Bible. When Lazarus came out of the tomb, he was alive but still wrapped in the grave clothes. Jesus said, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” Some Christians today are alive spiritually, but they are still wrapped in old grave clothes. They have their old habits. They have their old way of thinking. They also have their old identity. Jesus said in John8:36, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” As believers in Christ Jesus, we should live like we are truly free.

God not only saves us from the penalty of sin but also saves us from sin’s control. God can purify your heart and mind. You need to fill your heart and mind with him and remove the desire for sin. You do not have to live in bondage. You can in victory.

Imagine a slave standing on an auction block. A man buys him. The slave has his head hung in shame. Instead of taking this man home as a slave, the person who bought him says, “I have bought you to set you free.” The man who was in slavery falls at his feet and says, “I will serve you forever, not because I have to, but because I love you.” That is a perfect illustration of salvation. God bought you to free you, so you could love him.

God says, “I am the Lord thy God…”, “I brought you out…”, and “You are mine…” You are not who you used to be. You are not where you used to be. You are not bound anymore. You have been delivered.

There may be three types of people reading this today.

Those who are still in Egypt. You are still in bondage. Sin still controls you. Jesus wants to bring you out of that.

There are those who are out of Egypt but still living like Slaves. I want to remind you that you are saved, but you are not walking in victory. God wants to break those chains so you can walk in victory.

Finally, there are those who want to live in sanctification before God. I want to encourage you to let God fully purify your heart. Let us fill your hearts with his holy love. And let's make you fully His.

If God has spoken to you through this devotional, you should go to him and thank him for delivering you. Surrender fully to him. And rejoice that you belong to him completely. The same God who said to the nation of Israel, “I brought you out,” is still working to deliver people today.