~Nine hours later, the melody is still coming back to haunt me!

This “Negro Spiritual,” recommended to me by a friend for the occasion, was perfect to accent the reading and get people more engaged in this morning’s weekly Bible study which I lead for our residents.

It was suggested because we’re studying Moses and the Exodus. Instead of just reading and discussing the scriptures (valuable as that is), I like to use music and/or an activity to enhance these gatherings.

I am so grateful for being introduced to this peppy little song! We’ve been having fun with it off and on all day! I made an overhead transparency (yes, I still use these) with the lyrics and listened to it repeatedly to learn it myself.When Israel was in Egypt’s land,

Let My people go!

Oppressed so hard they could not stand,

Let My people go! Refrain:

Go down, Moses,

Way down in Egypt’s land;

Tell old Pharaoh

To let My people go! No more shall they in bondage toil,

Let My people go!

Let them come out with Egypt’s spoil,

Let My people go! Oh, let us all from bondage flee,

Let My people go!

And let us all in Christ be free,

Let My people go! You need not always weep and mourn,

Let My people go!

And wear these slav’ry chains forlorn,

Let My people go! Your foes shall not before you stand,

Let My people go!

And you’ll possess fair Canaan’s land,

Let My people go! ~ ~ ~

One word that especially touched me in this song (and Exodus passage) is the pronoun “My.” This is accentuated by the tenacity with which these words are proclaimed in the song. The Israelites were God’s people, and He was carrying out deliverance for them.

In our Bible studies, I try to connect the scriptures to our daily lives. Today, I saw this connection in that we are God’s people, too, in Christ who was sent for our deliverance and freedom.

May I add a little side note (actually, an important one)? This song was actually used during the times of the underground railroad both as a code song and as a way of rallying people in the African-American slaves’ quest for freedom. I had suspected this on hearing it, noticing the possible correlation; my suspicions were confirmed this evening when I perused an article on Wikipedia.

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