How were the Israelites redeemed apart from their own works?
The Israelites were redeemed not by their own works but by God's power. They escaped the death angel through the blood of the Passover lamb, then passed through the Red Sea—a burial picture—and emerged on the other side as a redeemed people, a resurrection experience.
Les teaches that Israel’s redemption from Egypt illustrates the Gospel. Israel was in slavery and bondage, but because of the blood of the Passover lamb they escaped the death angel. They did not remain in Egypt; they went through the Red Sea, which pictured the burial and death of Christ, and came out on the other side as a redeemed people. Les explains that they did not work for it—it was all the power of God—yet it required the shed blood indicative of Christ’s death. Their crossing was a resurrection experience, and believers go through the same process.