I am so excited about this series in Exodus. As many of you know, I have a deep love for the Old Testament (especially the Torah). And I love the idea of paralleling this study with some of the insights and ideas from one of my all-time favorite movies: The Shawshank Redemption.
Let me make sure if you are going out to rent it that you are well aware that this is NOT a movie for children. It is a real and honest look at the despair and hellish existence inside a prison. You can bypass the very harsh language by watching it on TV (it is often on the AMC channel). But, I chose this story because it is such a brilliant tale of redemption even in the worst of places. Much like the Exodus story! God’s redemption is so much more than praying a prayer and saving yourself a spot in heaven! As we will see in the story of the Exodus (and the exodus that occurs in the movie), redemption is about living out freedom even in the midst of oppression and pain. It is about facing the powers-that-be with the truth of God’s superior power to bring freedom.
So as we go through this series, my adjuration is to think about what oppression and captivity looks like for you and to read Exodus through the lens of the cross where Jesus Himself proclaimed that He had come to “proclaim release to the captives…to set free those who are oppressed” (Luke 4:18). What will freedom look like for you? What do you have to hope for?
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