The Bible Course Sample

Exodus and Us – our human quest for freedom 

'Like a first date, freedom is something we instinctively want but without being sure how to make a success of it.’ Andrew Ollerton, The Bible: A Story That Makes Sense of Life 

Western culture is obsessed with the pursuit of freedom. But are we making a success of it?   

Human trafficking operates today in secret but continues to reap its reward. An estimated 27 million slaves contribute to the billion-dollar wealth of the industry. The chains of injustice and inequality continue to shackle the world we live in. Covid-19 and racially charged cases of police brutality are two windows that show this to be truer than ever. We are not as free as we think.  

Yes, Israel’s slavery in the Exodus story we’re about to dive into was more obvious and physical. But we can be just as trapped on the inside – imprisoned by fear and anxiety, guilt and shame, anger and bitterness, habits and addictions. Our escapes never last and rarely help. True freedom can seem so far off. We dream of freedom like a castaway at sea dreaming of the shore, but when we arrive there the shore can be a horror worse than the sea itself. Bono’s famous line, ‘I still haven’t found what I’m looking for’ is a collective groan of western culture.  

This is why Jesus came. He came so we can experience Exodus and come home to God. In John’s Gospel, Jesus warns that ‘everyone who sins, becomes a slave to sin’. But God’s Son then makes a stunning promise: ‘If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed!’ As The Message translation puts it, ‘you will be free through and through’.  

The Son set us free by dying the death we deserve so that we might be brought back to God. When we’re brought back to God we find our way back to who we were made to be. This is true freedom – becoming our true selves. God made us to know and to love him, to reflect his beauty to the world. Jesus makes that possible all over again. So, if you feel like you’ve still not found what you’re looking for, turn to the Son. He can make you free through and through! 

Respond.  

Could you become a freedom fighter today and join the A21 campaign?