Our God Saves

Exodus is the rescue of God’s people from slavery in Egypt. Genesis ends with God’s chosen people, Abraham’s descendants, settling in Egypt. They quickly grow from 70 into a large nation (Ex 1). The Egyptians feel threatened and subsequently enslave them.

God begins by saving the saviour, Moses. This saviour, however, is in stark contrast to Jesus, the Saviour of the world. This unwilling saviour eventually returns to Egypt and confronts an unwilling Pharaoh. God's supreme power is clearly seen. Plague after plague after plague annihilate the gods worshipped by the Egyptians. They worshipped the river, so God turned it to blood. They worshipped the sun, so God blocked out its light. By God’s mighty hand the Israelites are set free. And even Pharaoh’s change of mind is no threat as God opens up the sea and makes a way for his people to move from slavery to freedom. God’s freed people journey across the desert to Mount Sinai where God spells out what it looks like to be his chosen people. They’ve been saved to be his people, set apart from other nations to live as his holy people.

Kindness is a big theme in the book of Ruth. Orpah and Ruth show kindness to Naomi (1:8), Ruth’s kindness to Naomi impresses Boaz (2:11-12), Boaz shows kindness to Ruth (2:13) by offering protection, food and grain. And finally, Boaz is aware of Ruth’s kindness in choosing him and not other men (3:10). All of this is a little taste of the kindness of the God they worship. But the central theme is that of ‘kinsman redeemer’. Boaz pays the price of Naomi’s land in order to rescue Ruth from a life of poverty and insecurity. This redemption payment was given freely and at a cost to him. And it would be someone from Boaz and Ruth’s family line who would come into the world and pay the ultimate redemption price. Ruth and Boaz’ grandson was David and from David would come the true kinsman redeemer of the world, our Lord Jesus.