Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.
The language of oppression and violent means to throw off oppression has become increasingly common through the 20th century and into the 21st century. Yet I think we may not all understand it in the same way the Bible would discuss it, particularly in this week’s reading from Exodus 3. Here God, speaking to Moses through a burning bush, says he has seen and heard about the trouble of his people. In Exodus 3:9 he sees “oppression.” How are the people of Israel to deal with oppression?
God does not incite the people of Israel to overthrow their oppressors, using violence or any other means. On the contrary, God himself will rescue the people from their enemies. The people will not do it. Even Moses will not do it.
In the Bible, God is the deliverer of His people. He rescues them from earthly opponents, but even more so from the tyranny of sin, death, and hell. This is no kind of battle for us to carry on. Rather, it is one conducted supernaturally by the mighty God. By Jesus’ death on our behalf, we are ushered from death to life.
This is the good news of Exodus 3. God’s people, faced with trouble, cried out to God. He saw their trouble. He remembered them and rescued them from those who oppressed them. Our Lord can undertake these jobs which we cannot. Our role is to call out to God and be ready to follow Him when He changes our world. God is the deliverer.
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