Daily Verse: Exodus 6:7

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.

 

In the first 12 verses of Chapter 6 in the book of Exodus, God uses the word “will” twelve times. He is speaking to Moses of all the things that he “will” do for the Israelites to relieve them of the added burden that Pharaoh has put on their shoulders. Moses had told Pharaoh that God had called for Pharaoh to let the Israelite people go out into the desert for a time of worship. Pharaoh basically responded by saying “I don’t know your God and therefore I don’t answer to him” (Exodus 5:2). And because of Moses request, Pharaoh put his boot down harder on the Israelites, making them work in harsher conditions. When Moses told God about this, God went into his “will” statements. God said that He will free them…he will redeem them…he will take them as his own people…he will be their God. All things that he is going to do…one day…not necessarily that day. It’s striking how God was repeatedly asking the people to be patient while they were knee-deep in misery. Examples of this in Scripture seem to help put into place the battles in our lives today. God more or less took his time in rescuing the Israelites because he had a plan…a bigger plan, something perhaps beyond the understanding of the Israelites. It’s good humbling medicine to acknowledge that we are not in control as much as we think we are…to realize that life is not going to respond at the snap of our fingers. Our suffering may have to go on for a few more days, weeks, months, years…or heck, maybe even for the rest of our earthly lives. I don’t think this is because God wants to “stick it to us”…but rather because God has a different time and a master plan in place. So maybe at times we are going to have to put a stick between our teeth and bite down with all we have inside, gritting through the pain…and we can be ok with that. Because I am convinced that when we look at our side, Jesus is right there, fighting the fight with us…feeling our pain, understanding our struggle, and providing a path of hope out of the ashes. There is peace in knowing that we don’t have to “grin and bear it” alone. To God be the glory!