GOD WILL SAVE HIS PEOPLE

OPENING PRAYER:

Gentle Shepherd, banish despair from my life and speak to me about hopeful and hope-filled living.

READ: Exodus 5:22 – 6:12

And Moses returned unto Jehovah, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou dealt ill with this people? why is it that thou hast sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath dealt ill with this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.

And Jehovah said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for by a strong hand shall he let them go, and by a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.

And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am Jehovah: and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, as [a]God Almighty; but [b]by my name Jehovah I was not [c]known to them. And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their sojournings, wherein they sojourned. And moreover I have heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant. Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am Jehovah, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments: and I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah your God, who bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you in unto the land which I sware to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for a heritage: I am Jehovah. And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for [e]anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage. And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, Go in, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land. And Moses spake before Jehovah, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips? Exodus 5:22 – 6:12

REFLECT:

‘Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness’ (Lamentations 3:22,23). Spend some time in praise to God today before you read. What a journey we have come on with Moses and the Israelites! We have seen them going to and fro in faith and obedience. This passage is no different (5:22; 6:9–12). And are we much different ourselves? Perhaps like Jesus’ disciples after he had risen from the dead, we need his continuing reassurance in all we face (see, for example, John 20–21). God is the hero of this story. He unrelentingly loves and cares for his people. See how he sticks to his plan: ‘I will redeem you…’ (vs 1–8). He doesn’t waver or change his mind. He does not question his commitment to his people, or refrain from showing compassion. We know that all that God says will happen does come to pass later in the book of Exodus and then throughout the Bible. We can be confident that, even though today’s reading ends with Moses’ uncertainty (v 12), God will fulfill all his promises.

APPLY:

‘I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him’ (Lamentations 3:24,25). Bring your day ahead before God and set your hope in him alone.

CLOSING PRAYER:

I thank You Lord, that if our desires are honoring to You, You delight to give us these desires. Thank You for being such a generous God.

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