heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with
Isaac, and with Jacob." Verse 24.
3. What did God say to Moses?
"Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto Me: and I
have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. Come now therefore,
and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth My people the children of
Israel out of Egypt." Ex. 3:9,10.
4. In giving Israel His law, how did God describe Himself?
"I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of
the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage." Ex. 20:2.
5. What provision did God make against slavery and oppression in Israel?
"And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and
serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from
thee. And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away
empty: thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and
out of thy wine-press: of that wherewith the Lord thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt
give unto him. And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt,
and the Lord thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing today." Deut.
15:12-15. "Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were
strangers in the land of Egypt." Ex. 22:21. See 2 Cor. 1:3,4.
6. What was one reason assigned why Israel should keep the Sabbath?
"And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the
Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched-out arm: therefore
the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath day." Deut. 5:15.
NOTE.-This would suggest the idea that in their servitude and oppression in Egypt they
had had difficulty regarding the observance of the Sabbath, which is a fact. From the
accusation brought against Moses and Aaron by Pharaoh, as recorded in Ex. 5:5,- "Ye
make them rest [Heb., Shabbath] from their burdens,"- it is plain that
the Sabbath had been denied them, that they had been required to work on the Sabbath, and
that Moses and Aaron were teaching them to keep it. Where individual rights and religious
liberty are recognized, Sabbath observance is neither denied nor required by civil law.
7. What proclamation was to be made throughout the land of Israel every fifty years?
"And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the
land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall
return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family."
Lev. 25:10.
8. Because Israel failed to do this, became oppressive, and disregarded and misused
the Sabbath, what did God do?
"Therefore thus saith the Lord; Ye have not harkened unto Me, in proclaiming
liberty, every one to his brother, and every man to his neighbor: behold, I proclaim a
liberty for you, saith the Lord, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the
famine; and I will make you to be removed into all the kingdoms of the
earth." Jer. 34:17. See also Jer. 17:24-27; 2 Chron. 36:19-21.
9. What fault did God find with the way in which Israel came to celebrate her fasts
and seasons of worship?
"Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your
labors. Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the
fist of wickedness." Isa. 58:3,4.
10. What does God set forth as the acceptable fast to Him?
"Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to
undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break
every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring
the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover
him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?" Verses 6, 7.
NOTE.-All this shows that God loves liberty, and hates bondage and oppression.
11. What was Christ's mission to this world?
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the
gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach
deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at
liberty them that are bruised." Luke 4:18.
NOTE.-The Gospels show that a large part of Christ's time even on the Sabbath was
devoted to relieving the oppressed and distressed.
12. In what condition are those who commit sin?
"Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin." John 8:34.
13. Why was Christ's name to be called Jesus?
"And thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their
sins." Matt. 1:21.
14. What lies at the root of all sin?
"When lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin." James 1:15. "
I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet."
Rom. 7:7.
NOTE.-Lust, covetousness, and unlawful desire are only different names for selfishness.
Selfishness lies at the root of all sin; and selfishness is simply the love of self to the
disregard of the equal rights of others.
15. By what scripture is the equality of rights clearly shown?
"Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Lev. 19:18.
16. What rule of conduct has Christ laid down in harmony with this command?
"Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them." Matt.
7:12.
NOTE.-Selfishness, then, must be uprooted from men's hearts before they will recognize
the equal rights of their fellow men.
17. Who alone can cleanse men's hearts from selfishness?
"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under
heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12. See also 1 John 1:9.
18. Who alone, then, can give men real freedom?
