Episode 349 - "The LORD will deliver his people" - Exodus 3:7-12
Ex. 3:7 Then the LORD said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, 8 and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9 And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. 10 Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”
If you recall from our previous episode, the LORD God is speaking to Moses by the angel of the LORD. Once again, there is an emphasis on the LORD’s attention to the plight of the Israelites in Egypt. Exodus 3:7-9 makes it clear that this is not some random event. The LORD has “seen” their affliction, “heard their cry,” and he “knows their suffering.” The situation has the full attention of the LORD.
More importantly, the LORD is going to do something about it. This is revealed by the LORD’s words to Moses in verse 8. “I have come down to deliver them” from the oppression in Egypt and bring them to a place of abundance, a land that was currently supporting at least six other groups of people.
If you’re wondering if there’s anything special about this list of people who are inhabiting the land where the LORD will take the Israelites, I’ve yet to discover what that significance is. We do know these groups did not worship the LORD. They served other so-called gods. The Jebusites, Amorites, and the Hivites were descendants of Canaan. It’s safe to assume that they will not be thrilled when the LORD brings the Israelites up to their land. This suggests a future conflict.
In verse 9, the LORD restates his awareness and concern for the plight of his people in Egypt before laying out his plan on how he is going to accomplish this deliverance. Then, in verse 10, the LORD informs Moses that he will send Moses to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt. Before we consider Moses’ response, it is important to stop and remember that the LORD has already announced that he has “come down” and will deliver his people. How does this line up with this announcement that he is going to send Moses to Pharaoh and use him to deliver the Israelites? Simply put, it means that the LORD’s power and authority will accomplish it, but that Moses would be the LORD God’s human agent of communication and authority. More on this shortly.
Moses responds to the LORD’s charge with a very reasonable question: “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (v.11) Let’s stop for a moment to think about what is going on in Moses mind. Moses was approximately 80 years old at this point. The first half of his life was spent growing up in Egypt and in Pharaoh’s house. My guess is that if the LORD had commissioned a much younger Moses to do this, he might have thought that he was a logical pick since he seemed to know that he was a Hebrew, but also had the privilege of being a part of Pharaoh’s household. That’s simply a guess. But now Moses was a murderer, a fugitive, disrespected by at least a few of his kinsmen whom he tried to help, and for the last forty years has been leading sheep around in the wilderness. In Moses’ mind, he is entirely unqualified for this task. Moses appears not to have heard the LORD say, “I have come down to deliver them.” (v. 8) His focus is entirely upon his perception of his own identity and questions the LORD’s charge.
In response to Moses’ self-doubt, the LORD assures him that he will be with Moses. (v. 12) The LORD instructed Moses that the sign that he is the LORD’s agent is that he will return to this same mountain with the Israelites. Notice that the sign is not something to motivate him to follow the LORD’s instruction. The sign is the LORD’s foretelling of something that will happen in the future, and it will affirm to Moses that he can trust the LORD’s words. The LORD is giving something to Moses. But Moses must have faith in what the LORD has promised.
Do you see the application for us today? The bottom line is that the LORD gave his disciples commands that I believe we are supposed to continue today. For example, we must love the LORD our God and love our neighbor as ourselves. The LORD also gave his disciples the Great Commission to go into all the world and make disciples, teaching others what Jesus had taught his disciples. We have no right to say, “Who am I?” If the LORD is giving us something to do, we are not doing it by our own authority, power, or wisdom. We are being blessed to be agents of God’s work, grace, and truth. God is the one doing the real work. We just need to follow the LORD’s commands by faith. What a privilege.