LifeWay Explore the Bible Series for March 7: Compassionate action

God takes notice (Exodus 2:23-25)

At the end of Genesis, the Israelites arrive in Egypt as honored guests. They are relatives of Joseph who serves as second in command to Pharaoh, Egypt’s king.

Unfortunately, Exodus tells us that as time passes, the political climate in Egypt changes. One pharaoh dies and is replaced by another, who either does not know Joseph and his family or who chooses to ignore the fact that Joseph’s calculated planning once saved many lives in Egypt. The new pharaoh is intimidated by the sheer number of Israelites living in Egypt. His fear of a revolt causes him to take drastic action, and the Israelites, who once arrived in Egypt as royal guests, are forced into slavery.  

The heart of the book of Exodus is the story of God’s deliverance of his people from slavery. Forced to do back-breaking labor day after day, the Israelites cry out in pain. Scripture tells us God hears them and is concerned. This passage assures us that although God may sometimes feel distant, God hears our prayers just as he heard the Israelites.

But not only does God hear, God also acts on our behalf. God informs Moses that he has come down to rescue the people. One might hope God would swoop in and just obliterate the oppressive Egyptians. Instead, God acts by calling Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery.  

God discloses himself (Exodus 3:1-6)            

After killing an Egyptian and fleeing his home, Moses is living a quiet existence as a shepherd in Midian. He is tending his father-in-law’s sheep near the mountain called Horeb or Sinai when he glances up and sees a curious sight, a bush that is on fire but is not consumed. Curiosity draws Moses over to the bush, but immediately, God lets him know this is no casual matter. He is standing on holy ground.
 
In Scripture, holiness is a characteristic considered unique to God. To speak of anything else as holy is to stay it has God’s mark on it. The ground Moses is standing on is holy because of God’s presence. An angel or messenger of the Lord appears to Moses, but it is God’s voice Moses hears. God asks Moses to remove his sandals, a gesture of reverence in the East even today. Then, as Joseph Heller puts it, Moses takes off his shoes and there goes the rest of his life.
   
God takes action (Exodus 3:7-10)

From this point on, Moses’ life is not his own. God tells him he has come down to rescue the Israelites and quickly Moses learns he will be the instrument of deliverance. Despite his hesitance, Moses actually is the ideal candidate to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses is an Israelite himself. Yet, he is familiar with Egyptian politics since he grew up in Pharaoh’s house.

As an added bonus, Moses also is well acquainted with the wilderness the Israelites must travel through on their way to the “land flowing with milk and honey” because he has been tending his father-in-law’s sheep in that area for years.
 
God works wonders (Exodus 3:19-20)

Moses may be God’s instrument of rescue, but that does not mean it is going to be an easy task. Exodus chapter 1 says Pharaoh is using the Israelites to build the cities of Pithom and Rameses. Pharaoh will not allow his labor force to simply walk away. God knows Pharaoh’s heart. It will take 10 plagues and the death of Pharaoh’s own child for him to let God’s people go.    

Despite this difficultly, God is ready to fight for his people. When we pray for help, we too can rest assured God will act on our behalf. However, God usually acts in unanticipated ways and often works through unexpected methods. Surely, when the Israelites cried out for help, they hoped God would send more than a shepherd, but God’s plan of deliverance was to work through Moses. God may not respond in the manor we want him to or as rapidly as we would like. But God will come to our aid. Our task is to learn to trust that.
       
Author Brannon Manning recounts the story of a missionary family home on furlough. They were staying at the lake house of a friend. One day, dad was puttering in the boathouse while the three children played outside. Four-year-old Billy escaped his older siblings’ watchful eye and wandered down to the dock. When he attempted to climb into the shiny aluminum boat tied to the dock, Billy fell in the murky water.

When his siblings began to scream, dad came running out.  Realizing what had transpired, he dove into the water frantically searching for his son. Twice out of breath, he returned to the surface. Filling his lungs again, he dove down and finally found Billy, clinging to the wooden pier several feet under. After prying his fingers loose, he swam to the surface with Billy. When they arrived safely on shore, his father asked, “Billy what were you doing down there?” The 4-year-old replied, “Just waiting on you, Dad.”
   
The son’s response may seem naïve, but Billy and his father have a track record. Billy knew his dad to be trustworthy. He knew that his dad would come to get him. The Israelites also have a track record with God. This is why God tells Moses to describe himself as “the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob” (v. 6). God wants them to remember he was faithful to their ancestors. He provided for them during the famine by bringing them to Egypt. Now, God will be faithful by delivering them from Egyptian slavery. The Exodus will become a new sign post for the Israelites. In the future, when they doubt God, they will remember the Exodus and trust in his provision.  

For Christians today, one of the main tasks of discipleship is to learn to trust in our Father. When we doubt, it is important for us to look back over our lives and think about the times when God was faithful. Recalling those times helps us to trust that during our darkest hour, God will come to our rescue, just as he did for the Israelites.