By Ife J. Ibitayo
The Israelites suffered under the heavy hand of the Egyptians for 400 toilsome years. But through a miraculous series of events, the LORD raised up Moses to deliver them. (Exodus 2:1-10). He commissioned Moses from the midst of a blazing bush, equipped him with miraculous powers, and supplied him with his older brother to speak on his behalf (Exodus 3-4). Together, they stormed into Pharaoh’s palace and uttered these famous words for the first time, “Let my people go! Let them hold a feast for me in the wilderness” (Exodus 5:1).
But Pharaoh said, “I won’t let them go. Why are you making these people rest from their burdens? They’re obviously idle. That’s why they want to hold a party in the wilderness.” So he commanded their taskmasters to stop giving the Israelites straw to make bricks (Exodus 5:4-9).
The overburdened Israelites grumbled at Moses, and he, in turn, grumbled at God, “‘Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Is this why you sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have not rescued Your people at all’” (Exodus 5:22-23 NIV).
God Promises
God said, “‘I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob…I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners’” (Exodus 6:2-4 NIV). God began by reminding the people of the promise He’d made them.
Hundreds of years earlier, He’d told their ancestor Abraham, “Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be slaved and mistreated there. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions’” (Genesis 15:13-14 NIV).
Even before their slavery, God knew the hard times His people would face. And He had already prepared a rescue plan for them. The LORD never makes a promise He cannot keep.
God Listens
Secondly, God said, “‘You can be sure that I have heard the groans of the people of Israel, who are now slaves to the Egyptians. And I am well aware of My covenant with them’” (Exodus 6:5 NLT).
Sometimes prayer can feel like futile shouting into the empty void, but be assured: God hears you. King David once asked, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there” (Psalm 139:7-8 NIV). From the depths of Marianas Trench to the tip of Mount Everest, God’s presence fills all in all. He is watching over us, listening to us, and knows what we are going through.
God Provides
Lastly, the LORD said, “‘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. 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.’” (Exodus 6:7-8 NIV). God always desires to take us from where we are to a better place: from hunger to fullness (John 6:35), from striving to peace (Matthew 11:29), from slavery to liberty (Isaiah 61:1). By providing us the hope of heaven, God has cemented a positive trend to our existence. We know that things are going to get better soon.
Conclusion
The Israelites responded to the LORD’s heartfelt speech by refusing to listen to Him anymore. “They had become too discouraged by the brutality of their slavery” (Exodus 6:9 NLT).
The LORD has a message of hope for each of us. He keeps His promises, cares about our situation, and desires to deliver us to the Promised Land. We must cling on to these truths as our lifeline in these battering times, lest we also succumb to hopelessness.
“Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise Him again—my Savior and my God!”
(Psalm 43:5 NLT)
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