"I have heard the cry of my people. I have come down to rescue them from slavery in Egypt and lead them to a Land flowing with milk and honey."

Let my people Go!

Even after a series of plagues, Pharaoh's heart remained hardened and would not let the Hebrew slaves go. Finally Moses instructed the people to slaughter a lamb and smear its blood on their door posts. That night the Angel of Death passed over the homes marked with the blood of the lamb, but struck down the first born of every Egyptian including the first born son of Pharaoh.

This tenth plague forced Pharaoh to say "GO!", but after the Hebrews left he sent his chariots after them.

With the Hebrews camped at the Red Sea and the dust of Pharaoh's chariots in the distance, darkness fell and kept the two groups apart. God commanded Moses to lift up his staff and all during the night a mighty wind blew over the waters. When dry land appeared, Moses led the people to the other side. The chariots followed but the waters returned drowning all the charioteers and destroying Pharaoh's army.

At last the Hebrew people were free.

When they arrived at Mt. Sinai, God entered into a covenant with them. A covenant is neither an agreement nor a contract but a commitment to a personal relationship. The basis for this relationship was one of love and a pledge of loyalty.

"I am the Lord, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the land of slavery." At the very heart of the covenant was God's statement,

"I will be your God and you will be my people."

Only then did God give Moses the 10 Commandments. The commandments are to be observed because of God's love for the people manifested in his saving action and his desire to have them use their new found freedom responsibly.

Shortly after the making of the covenant, God led the people to the the promised land, but they became fearful and would not trust the God who had saved them from the Egyptians. As a result they wandered through the wilderness for forty years.

But God never ceased loving his people. All during their time in the desert God fed his people with manna, a bread like substance, quail and water. And God fulfilled his promised by bringing them at last to the Promised Land.

• God hears our cries when we are caught in bondage.
• God acts at the last moment to save us so that it will be clear that it is God who is acting.
• Each day God gives us what we need to keep going.
• God fulfills his promises.