Exodus 6:1-13 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Exodus 6:1-13. Let’s go!
Exodus 6:1 (NIV)
1 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.”
On verse 1: Moses and Aaron had approached Pharaoh about letting the Israelite slaves go, but Pharaoh rejected their request and even increased the Israelite slaves’ workload as a result. Moses could not understand why, especially when God had promised that Pharaoh would let the Israelites go (see Exodus 5:22-23). God reassures Moses that Pharaoh will (eventually) let the Israelite people go.
What can we learn from this? When God promises to do something, He will do it according to His timing, not your timing. Rather than getting upset with God because God didn’t do things according to your way and timing, trust God that His way and His timing are perfect. When God doesn’t do it in your way and your time, it means that He is writing a greater story than the one you have in mind.
Exodus 6:2-8 (NIV)
2 God also said to Moses, “I am the LORD.
3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them.
4 I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they lived as aliens.
5 Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant.
6 “Therefore, 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 from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.
7 I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.
8 And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD.'”
On verses 2-8: In response to Moses’ questions, God promises that He will bring the Israelites out of Egypt into a land of their own. At least 7 times God says, “I will”. Now why should you trust God? It’s because, as God says 3 times in this same passage, “I am the LORD”. As we learned earlier this week, “LORD” is a reference to the Hebrew name “Yahweh”. “Yahweh” is God’s personal name. He invited His people Israel to call Him by that name. “Yahweh” means “I AM WHO I AM” or “I WILL BE WHO WILL BE”.
The name “I AM WHO I AM” speaks of God’s presence: that God is present with us right now. It speaks of God’s greatness: that God’s existence does not depend on anyone or anything, and that God has ultimate power over everything. It speaks of God’s sovereignty: that God does not need anyone’s permission to be or do anything He wants. It’s as if God was saying to Moses, “Because I am, I will. Because I am who I am, I will do what I say I will do.” Not even Egypt, the most powerful empire in the world at the time, could stop God from doing what God pleases. (Considering what “I AM WHO I AM” means, you can see why in John 8:58, the Jews were shocked when Jesus said “Before Abraham was, I AM!” Jesus a man of about 30 years in age was claiming to be this same Yahweh.)
Because the Lord is who He is, you can trust Him to do what He says He will do. Nothing can stop Him from fulfilling His promises. Because He is, He will.
Exodus 6:9-12 (NIV)
9 Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and cruel bondage.
10 Then the LORD said to Moses,
11 “Go, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his country.”
12 But Moses said to the LORD, “If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips?”
On verses 9-12: Because the Israelites were discouraged and in pain, they did not listen to Moses (v9). Because Moses himself was discouraged by the way Pharaoh and the Israelites rejected him, Moses was reluctant to go again to Pharaoh and demand that Pharaoh let the Israelites go (v10-12). It goes to show that our openness to obey and listen to God depends on the condition of our hearts.
When we are discouraged, we might hesitate to look to God and to listen to Him, especially when our discouragement is the result of stepping out in faith and failing. Like Moses, when you experience failure or discouragement, don’t run from God but run to Him and keep dialoguing with Him.
Exodus 6:13 (NIV)
13 Now the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron about the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he commanded them to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.
On verse 13: While Moses and Aaron’s courage and their feelings about their mission would go up and down, God remained consistent in His message to Moses and Aaron. Praise God that He is our rock, the One whose word doesn’t change depending on His mood or the circumstances. God stays consistent. He is the same yesterday, today and forever.
Heavenly Father, thank You that You are faithful to keep Your promises and to accomplish Your purposes. You are Yahweh – present, pre-eminent, sovereign, and unstoppable. Thank You that in my discouragement, I can run to You. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
