God Promises Action
May 28, 2022
Commentary
In the previous chapter Moses became very discouraged and began to question why God had put him in this situation and then why he had not delivered His people. When we are discouraged it is very easy to be tempted to question God and wonder why He hasn’t taken care of our problems. However, just like Moses, we must trust Him and be assured that his purpose and timing is for our ultimate good. Moses certainly was discouraged but in this passage he takes his problem to the Lord! When he does God encourages him by reminding him of:
- Who He was – (vv 1-3) – All powerful.
- His covenant – (v. 4) – Promised Israel the land of Canaan.
- His personal concern – (v. 5) – About how the people are suffering because of the Egyptians.
- Great judgments on Egypt (v. 6) – Promises to punish the Egyptians.
- An inheritance of the Lord (vv. 7-8) – Will bring the people into the promised land.
God’s purpose in allowing Pharaoh to oppress Israel was that His power and glory might be known to the world. However, when Moses reported these assurances to the people they still would not listen (v. 9). This caused Moses to hesitate and question his own oratorical ability. However, this objection was answered by the Lord’s command for him to again go to Pharaoh and demand the release of Israel (vv. 10-13).
Application
I should never be discouraged and tempted to quit when other Christians don’t seen to appreciate what I’m doing for the Lord? Instead I need to trust His timing and ultimate purpose.
Exodus 6:1– 13 (NET)
1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh, for compelled by my strong hand he will release them, and by my strong hand he will drive them out of his land.”
2 God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the Lord. 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name ‘the Lord’ I was not known to them. 4 I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they were living as resident foreigners. 5 I have also heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant. 6 Therefore, tell the Israelites, ‘I am the Lord. I will bring you out from your enslavement to the Egyptians, I will rescue you from the hard labor they impose, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. 7 I will take you to myself for a people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from your enslavement to the Egyptians. 8 I will bring you to the land I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob—and I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’”
9 Moses told this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and hard labor. 10 Then the Lord said to Moses, 11 “Go, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt that he must release the Israelites from his land.” 12 But Moses replied to the Lord, “If the Israelites did not listen to me, then how will Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with difficulty?”
13 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them a charge for the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt to bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt.