Then, as they came out from Pharaoh, they met Moses and Aaron who stood there to meet them. And they said to them, "Let the LORD look on you and judge, because you have made us abhorrent in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us."—Exodus 5:20-21
So Moses returned to the LORD and said, "Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people? Why is it You have sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people; neither have You delivered Your people at all."—Exodus 5:22-23
I love Moses. I understand why he was called humblest man on the face of this earth. The men of Israel had just lashed out at him because there first meeting with Pharaoh had gone very badly. They couldn’t take it out on Pharaoh, so they took out their fear and frustration on Moses. How does Moses react? Does he retaliate? Nope. He brings his heavy heart to the Lord and turns it upside down before Him. Beloved this is what makes Moses great…when the people yelled at him, he didn’t yell back. He brought it all before the Lord again and again.
Moses was grieved because his demand for freedom for the people of God had increased their sufferings, not eased them. The Lord’s reassurance to Moses in the next verses are good ones to tuck away and remember when you are in need of reassurance as Moses was here.
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh. For with a strong hand he will let them go, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land."
And God spoke to Moses and said to him: "I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name LORD I was not known to them. I have also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, in which they were strangers. And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. Therefore say to the children of Israel: I am the LORD; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage: I am the LORD.'" So Moses spoke thus to the children of Israel; but they did not heed Moses, because of anguish of spirit and cruel bondage.—Exodus 6:1-9
The first thing I noticed was that there were a lot of “I will’s”. God would save them. God would liberate them from bondage. God would redeem them with an outstretch arm and great judgments. God would adopt them as His children and be their God. As I read I couldn’t help but notice the parallels in my own journey with the Lord. (Saved, freed, redeemed and adopted). The last “I will” we read is this:
And I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage:
He will bring them into the land…the promised land….the placed He had prepared for them. Beloved…God has promised to do the same for us who are His children.
"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know."—John 14:1-4
He assures Moses that He heard the groaning of the children of Israel. He felt their burdens and was on their side working on their behalf.
Beloved…Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. We serve an all powerful, promise-keeping God who sees us, knows what we are going through and acts on our behalf. He is not ignorant of our needs nor is He unconcerned about our suffering. He does not delay our deliverances. Everything in the lives of those that are called by His name is working in accordance with His perfect plan. God is our Helper. He is the One who will never leave us or forsake us. He has promised to see us through and He will do it. He will not fail. So go ahead…do as Moses exampled.
“Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).
