The Israelites are in Egypt; God has used Joseph to keep them alive during the famine. Time has passed, that generation has died off, the Israelites have multiplied so quickly that they soon filled the land and now there is a new Pharoah (king) that knows nothing of the Israelite's past. All he knows is that they are so numerous they could join forces with others to rise up and overtake the Egyptians. So he decides to make them his slaves and kill all newborn boys so they won't continue to multiply. But the midwives feared God, so they refused to obey the king and allowed the boys to live too. They told him the Hebrew women gave birth before they could get there. And now we read:
1:20 So God was good to the midwives, and the Israelites continued to multiply, growing more and more powerful. 21 And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.
I love that last sentance.
Long story short, God raises up Moses to be their deliverer. Moses killed an Egyptian and fled to Midian. The Bible says "Now it happened" when it describes the scene where Moses met his future wife. "Now it just so happened" - or otherwise today people would say "What a coincidence" - No, not a coincidence - ordained by God.
Then we come to:
23 Years passed, and the king of Egypt died. But the Israelites continued to groan under their burden of slavery. They cried out for help, and their cry rose up to God. 24 God heard their groaning, and he remembered his covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 25He looked down on the people of Israel and felt deep concern for their welfare.
I love that last verse - and I love to personalize: "He looked down on Sandy and felt deep concern for her welfare." Do we believe that? Do we believe he looks down on us and feels deep concern for our welfare?
A few days ago I was struck by the fact that "God sees, God knows, God cares." It surfaces again here, in several areas.
7 Then the Lord told him, “I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land. 9 Look! The cry of the people of Israel has reached me, and I have seen how harshly the Egyptians abuse them. 10 Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.”
16 “Now go and call together all the elders of Israel. Tell them, ‘The Lord, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—has appeared to me. He told me, “I have been watching closely, and I see how the Egyptians are treating you. 17 I have promised to rescue you from your oppression in Egypt. I will lead you to a land flowing with milk and honey—the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live.”’
19 “But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand forces him. 20 So I will raise my hand and strike the Egyptians, performing all kinds of miracles among them. Then at last he will let you go. 21 And I will cause the Egyptians to look favorably on you. They will give you gifts when you go so you will not leave empty-handed.
It's hard to believe, but for the next chapter and a half, Moses argues with God and tells him he can't do it. Even though he has 'seen' God speaking to him from a burning bush that never burns up. Even though he has heard God speaking directly to him. He protests all through chapters 3 and four and ends with this dialog:
4:10 But Moses pleaded with the Lord, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.”
11 Then the Lord asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.”
13 But Moses again pleaded, “Lord, please! Send anyone else.”
We have a very patient God. I would have said "OK, forget it" and rained down a little fire and brimstone and burned him to a crisp. The next verse does say that God got angry with him, but here is how God handled it:
4:14 Then the Lord became angry with Moses. “All right,” he said. “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he speaks well. And look! He is on his way to meet you now. He will be delighted to see you. 15 Talk to him, and put the words in his mouth. I will be with both of you as you speak, and I will instruct you both in what to do.
So Moses and Aaron went to the Israelites to tell them everything God had told them. I loved the Israelite's response:
31 Then the people of Israel were convinced that the Lord had sent Moses and Aaron. When they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.
I think that's the key. I think it's only when we really get a glimpse of the fact that He really does see us and are concerned for us - when we are truly convinced of it; when it is really personal to us - that is when we worship.
God, please give us eyes to see You and Your concern for us.
God does get angry at disobedience and arguing, but he is more persistent than we are stubborn. We need to live the way that he wants us to. We need to make the choice to follow God's plan for our life, and our life will become what we truly want.
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