Exodus 6 reminds me of the joy I get when my grown children repeat words I said to them when they were young. Children don’t always seem to listen, so it’s nice to know that something stuck! Conflicting actions can undermine our words. Today’s lesson is that our children watch what we do before they hear what we say. The chapter begins with God answering the doubt and hesitation of Moses. Notice that God says what HE will do, not what THEY will do. Moses is only told what to say to the Israelites. The chapter begins with God’s response: “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of My mighty hand he will let them go… he will drive them out of his country”. What can change someone’s mind 180 degrees? The short answer is, God. Sometimes it takes us a while to realize that God accomplishes His will with us, or in spite of us. The Lord continues: “I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but… I did not make Myself fully known to them.” Exodus 33:20 God tells Moses: “you cannot see My face, for no one may see Me and live.” God is perfect in holy righteousness. Sin simply cannot exist in His presence. An encounter with God can be transformational. Even a partial revealing of God’s presence reveals the stark contrast to our own sinful life. The Lord continues: “I…established My covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan”. He established the covenant with the patriarchs, but He will FULFILL His covenant through Moses. He continues: “I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered My covenant.” Our prayer moves the heart of God, but He acts out of faithfulness to His Word. One of the reasons we read scripture is to make sure we pray in accordance with scripture. I believe it pleases God when we remember His promises.
God’s instruction to Moses continues: “Say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you… and I will redeem you… with mighty acts of judgment.’”. When God says “I will”, it might be translated as “I am doing it now”. God is not constrained by time. There is no past or future from His perspective. God’s promise is very personal: “I will take you as My own people, and I will be your God.” Remember, God made a 3-fold covenant with Abraham that He would make Abraham a great nation, give his descendants the Land, and that all the nations would be blessed through him (Genesis 12). Why the delay? Our faith can be so fragile. We are not always ready to accept change. Sometimes we have to experience difficulty before we will move on. God’s promise to Abraham included this delay of 400 years; not just to prepare Israel, but because God was also preparing the land for Israel. We do not know what God is doing in the life of others while we wait. During the Egyptian captivity, Israel remained separate and the people grew into a nation. The chapter continues: “I will bring you to the land I swore… to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.” We read that and think, how could they hesitate after hearing such clarity? But we are slow to act in faith when we are not 100 percent certain. Is God preparing you for something new?
“Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labor.” Discouragement is insidious. It can derail any forward movement by robbing us of hope. “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Go, tell Pharaoh… to let the Israelites go’”. Without missing a beat, Moses responded: ”If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips?” My first response is to criticize Moses’ lack of faith, but how many times have I held my tongue even when I knew I was supposed to speak up. God seems to randomly insert the genealogy of Jacob’s first three children: Reuben, Simeon, and Levi. Although many of the names will play an important role later, why insert them here? I think God wants to remind them who they are. They are part of the family of God. Any time I get down on myself for falling short, I recall that I have been redeemed by God’s grace through the Cross of Christ. I am not perfect, but I have a perfect Savior. What’s keeping you from listening? 1 John 1:9 teaches us: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”. Friend, is it time to remember and receive God’s promises for you?