*Exodus 6:1-13
God assures Moses of his plan to liberate the Israelites and reveals his name Yahweh, the LORD, as a sign of a new covenant.
- God’s Reassurance:
- God speaks to Moses, reiterating His identity as the LORD (Yahweh), emphasizing His authority and faithfulness.
- He reminds Moses of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, underscoring His commitment to the Israelites’ deliverance.
- Moses’ Doubt:
- Moses conveys the people’s despair and disbelief, questioning the effectiveness of his leadership and God’s plan.
- He expresses doubt regarding the Israelites’ willingness to listen to him, suggesting that Pharaoh’s continued oppression has eroded their hope.
- God’s Response:
- God instructs Moses to convey His message of deliverance to the Israelites, assuring them of His intervention.
- He affirms His intention to free the Israelites from Egyptian bondage, emphasizing His sovereignty over Pharaoh and Egypt.
- Promise of Redemption:
- God outlines the stages of liberation, promising to bring the Israelites out of Egypt, rescue them from slavery, redeem them with an outstretched arm and great judgments, and take them as His own people.
- Moses’ Reluctance:
- Despite God’s assurances, Moses expresses further doubts about his ability to effectively convey God’s message to Pharaoh, citing his own speech impediment.
- God’s Appointment:
- God reasserts His choice of Moses and his brother Aaron as instruments of His will, empowering them to carry out His plan.
- He commissions Moses and Aaron to speak to Pharaoh, demanding the release of the Israelites from Egypt.
Exodus 6:1-13 teaches us that God is faithful to His promises, even when we feel discouraged. The Israelites were suffering, and Moses doubted that he could lead them, but God reminded him that He would rescue His people. This shows us that even when things seem hopeless, God is still at work. It encourages us to trust in His timing, keep believing in His promises, and remember that He is always in control, no matter how difficult our situation may be.
Exodus 6:1-13 (WEB)
6:1 The LORD said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh, for by a strong hand he shall let them go, and by a strong hand he shall 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 have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their travels, in which they lived as aliens. 5 Moreover I have heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered my covenant. 6 Therefore tell the children of Israel, ‘I am the LORD, 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. 7 I will take you to myself for a people. I will be your God; and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8 I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it to you for a heritage: I am the LORD.’ ”9 Moses spoke so to the children of Israel, but they didn’t listen to Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.10 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 11 “Go in, speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.”12 Moses spoke before the LORD, saying, “Behold, the children of Israel haven’t listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me, when I have uncircumcised lips?” 13 The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, and gave them a command to the children of Israel, and to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.