Pray the Word with David Platt is a resource from radical.net.

Exodus chapter 1, verses 13 and 14.

So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves

and made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and brick,

and in all kinds of work in the field.

In all their work, they ruthlessly made them

work as slaves. These verses at the very beginning of the book of Exodus paint a clear picture

of oppression, of slavery. Verse 8 in Exodus chapter 1 says, a new king arose over Egypt who did not know

Joseph and he was very much against the people of Israel, the people of Jacob, Joseph's father.

And as a result, he enslaved them and treated them. I mean, it says multiple times in this chapter, even in the

verses we just read, ruthlessly made them work as slaves. And as I read these verses, I think about

the reality of oppression and even slavery in the world today. And I think about what God says over and over and over

again in His Word, over a hundred different times, the Bible emphasizes how God works for the

oppressed. Psalm chapter 9, verse 9, the Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed.

Psalm 1018, the Lord does justice for the fatherless and the oppressed. Psalm 103, verse 6,

the Lord works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed, which is why God says to

his people in Isaiah, chapter 1, verse 17, learn to do good,

seek justice, correct oppression. This is the good news of the Bible for all who are oppressed.

The Lord is a stronghold for you. The Lord does justice for you. The Lord works righteousness and justice for all who are

oppressed. And he calls his people to do good, seek justice, and correct oppressions. So as we pray,

according to Exodus chapter one, I just want to bring this text into our lives. This is even in my own personal time with the

Lord. I have a prayer guide, so to speak, that I use every week and just praying for different

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