Freedom, acts of in OT

God’s people regain their freedom

The exodus from Egypt as an act of deliverance

Exodus 20:2 KJV 1900

I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

See also Ex 12:42; Ex 16:6; Ex 16:32 The people of Israel were frequently reminded that God had delivered them from Egypt; Jos 24:6; Jdg 6:8; 2 Sa 7:6; 1 Ki 8:16; 2 Ch 7:22; Ps 80:8; Je 2:6; Je 11:4; Ho 12:9; Am 2:10; Mic 6:4; Hag 2:5; Heb 8:9; Jud 5

The return from exile in Babylon as an act of deliverance

Isaiah 35:3–10 KJV 1900

Strengthen ye the weak hands, And confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: Behold, your God will come with vengeance, Even God with a recompence; He will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, And the tongue of the dumb sing: For in the wilderness shall waters break out, And streams in the desert. And the parched ground shall become a pool, And the thirsty land springs of water: In the habitation of dragons, where each lay, Shall be grass with reeds and rushes. And an highway shall be there, and a way, And it shall be called The way of holiness; The unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: The wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. No lion shall be there, Nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, It shall not be found there; But the redeemed shall walk there: And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, And come to Zion with songs And everlasting joy upon their heads: They shall obtain joy and gladness, And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

See also Is 43:14–45:5; Is 45:14–17; Is 49:8–26; Is 51:22–52:12; Is 54:1–17; Is 61:1–62:12; Eze 36:24–36; Eze 37:15–28

Freedom granted to individuals to reflect God’s past deliverance

Dt 15:12–15 the sabbath year: all servants to be freed after six years

The Year of Jubilee: all servants and slaves to be freed every fiftieth year:

Le 25:10; Le 25:39–43

God’s purposes in bringing about his people’s freedom

God sets his people free to be his own

Ex 19:4; Nu 15:41; Ho 13:4

God sets his people free to serve him

Ex 19:3–6; Le 25:55

God sets his people free to praise him

Isaiah 43:21 KJV 1900

This people have I formed for myself; They shall shew forth my praise.

God sets his people free to be holy

Le 11:45; Dt 28:9–10

God sets his people free to receive his promised gifts

Ex 3:8 The inheritance is the promised land of Canaan, which foreshadows the gospel inheritance of eternal life in the kingdom of God; Nu 14:7–8; Dt 8:7–9; Eze 20:6

Freedom is conditional upon obedience

Israel is commanded to remember the exodus as a matter of obedience

Exodus 13:8–10 KJV 1900

And thou shalt shew thy son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which the Lord did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt. And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the Lord’s law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath the Lord brought thee out of Egypt. Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his season from year to year.

Israel’s freedom depends upon continuing obedience to the Lord

Dt 28:25; Dt 28:47–48

Examples of Israel forfeiting freedom through sin

Jdg 2:14; Jdg 3:7–8; Jdg 3:12; Jdg 4:1–2; Jdg 6:1; 2 Ki 17:6–23; Ps 137:1–4