Exodus 3:7-17Preparing for God’s Deliverance

Context

The lesson reviews how God Prepares a People for Deliverance.

The study's aim is to help us discern the way God works through people and whether He utilizes their natural gifts

or works contrary to them.

Context

The study's application is to be on alert us to the events and circumstances that could represent the leading of the

Lord in our service to Him or worship of Him.

Context

In our study of Genesis we saw God appear to Abraham (Genesis 15), reaffirming his promise to make of him a

great nation. But God indicated that Abraham’s descendants would have to remain in Egypt for 400 years

(v. 13).

Context

While the Israelites were enslaved there, a baby boy was born. His mother hid him in a basket (a papyrus boat) and placed it in the Nile River, hoping his life would be spared.

Pharaoh’s daughter found him and drew him out of the water, giving him the name Moses.

Context

Moses saw that, while he had comfort in the palace, life for his people grew worse and worse. He wanted to help

them (Acts 7:25).

One day he killed an Egyptian in that attempt (Exodus 2:11-15). This made him a fugitive. He fled to the land of

Midian.

Context

Some 40 years later, we find him taking care of sheep there when today’s text begins. God appeared to him in

flames of fire from within a bush. Though the bush was on fire, it did not burn up.

God called Moses by name when he came over to look. Like Isaiah, he responded, “Here I am.” The Lord replied, “I

am the God of your father, the God of Abraham.”

Context

The revelation of God in the burning bush showed that though this God was unapproachably holy, he could dwell

among earthly things without destroying them (3:1-6).

That would serve Moses well when he would return back to the mountain with the people of Israel.

Exodus 3:7

Then the LORD said, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account

of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings,

Exodus 3:7

God told Moses three things that should encourage him: I see what is happening; I hear the cries of my people; and I

am concerned about them. God was stating that he was experiencing the pains of

body they were put unto, and the inward grief and trouble of their minds on account of them.

That is an amazing statement to imagine God can experience our human pain and turmoil.

Exodus 3:7

It might have been hard to convince the Israelites of this, but it was true. Often we are much like them.

We complain, “Where is God when I need him?” Martha told Jesus, “If you had been here, my brother would not

have died” (John 11:21). God still sees, hears, and is concerned—even when we

don’t recognize the fact.

Exodus 3:7

Lesson: God knows each of us and our circumstances better than we know ourselves (Exod. 3:7; Ps. 139:1-6)

Who of us does not have a bias to our success or failure? We spend a lot of energy explaining to others how they should see our situation or appreciate us. Yet we know

they do not see the whole story but God does. For better or worse, He understands our situation and us

as they truly are. Our gratitude should be that His answers will reflect that truth and we will be more honest with

ourselves and others.

Exodus 3:8

and I have come down to deliver them from 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 country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites,

the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

Exodus 3:8

“I have come down to rescue them.” Often the Lord uses people to do his work. He “comes down” through his

messengers. God would express that desire in His incarnation when Jesus came into the world one night centuries later in

Bethlehem.

Exodus 3:8

For now, he offers them a good and spacious land where the people would be freed from their oppressive

confinement in Egypt. The proverbial expression—a land flowing with milk and

honey—was often used to describe the fertility and loveliness of Canaan (Deuteronomy 6:3).

God had seen the Egyptians oppress his people, even though the Israelites were unaware of His compassion.

Exodus 3:9

The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them.

Exodus 3:9

The Israelites had been crying unto the Lord long before this time but it was not a prayer of repentance for

deliverance. The oppression of the Egyptians was growing so obvious that the Israelites knew they must relent or they would

perish. With Moses now prepared, God is able to respond to that

cry as He had planned.

Exodus 3:10

So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”

Exodus 3:10

“I am sending you to Pharaoh,” the Lord told Moses. Earlier Moses thought he was ready to be a deliverer and

judge for his people. Now God tells him that he is assigning Moses that very

task. But this time, Moses was hesitant.This was the first of several expressions of his reluctance

(3:13; 4:1, 10, 13). One has to wonder what changed Moses so dramatically.

Exodus 3:10

Lesson: In His goodness and grace, God usually enlists people to accomplish His plans (Exod. 3:10)

As God knows the truth about us and our needs, He also has access to those He will enlist to help us that we may

not imagine or worse, do not want. Not only do we want the answers we want, there are others we would just as

soon not know our need. God is not distracted by our personal preferences. He sends just the people we need to meet that need. We

must be open to help no matter the hand that delivers it.

Exodus 3:11

But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

Exodus 3:11

Sometime before he had offered himself of his own accord both as a deliverer and judge; but now he had learned

humility in the school of Midian, and was filled in consequence with distrust of his own power and fitness.

Exodus 3:11

Perhaps shame for his previous attempt that led to his exile by the Egyptians and his rejection by the Hebrews

narrowed his view for the role he could play. The Pharaoh could rightly have him executed and the

sheer number of Israelites who did not know him made the chances to lead appear futile.

Exodus 3:11

What Moses did not understand was that God was going to redeem not just a nation but this man He had ordained

long ago.

Exodus 3:12

He said, “I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the

people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.”

Exodus 3:12

Moses had come to realize his weakness. God, however, promised to add his strength (2 Corinthians 12:9). “I will

be with you.” What more could one ask? Jesus gave similar assurance to

his followers (Matthew 28:20). God promised Moses a sign (v. 12).

Exodus 3:12

Although he showed him other signs and let him perform miracles for the Egyptians, this sign still required faith.

One day in the future, the Lord told Moses, the Israelites would worship God at this very place, Mount Sinai, after

their deliverance.

Exodus 3:12

Lesson: God always enables those He enlists for His service (Exod. 3:11 -12; Isa. 41:10; Phil. 4:13)

Man’s greatest habit behind blaming another is offering an excuse. Blame may deflect the issue but excuses hope to diffuse them. Adam may have invented blame but Moses

perfected excuses. God would have neither. But for us, excuses have the greater danger. We may

actually believe our own excuses and step away from our responsibilities. If not God, ask someone to validate any

excuse you may have for a moral responsibility.

Exodus 3:13

But Moses said to God, “If I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to

them?”

Exodus 3:13

Moses raised an objection. When I tell the Egyptians that God has sent me, they might ask, “’What is his name?’

Then what should I tell them?” Moses knew they worshipped multiple gods.

God responded, “I am who I am.”

Exodus 3:13

James E. Smith points out that this ‘name’ can be rendered a number of different ways in English. “The name basically emphasizes the timelessness of God.

He is the self-existing one, the Eternal, the one without beginning or end.

The God of Israel’s ancestors was to be identified by the name Yahweh (he who is) throughout the generations.”

Exodus 3:14

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” He said further, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I AM has sent me to

you.’”

Exodus 3:14

This signifies the real being of God, his self-existence, and that he is the Being of beings.

It also denotes his eternity and immutability, and his constancy and faithfulness in fulfilling his promises, for it

includes all time, past, present, and to come. The sense is, not only I am what I am at present, but I am what I have been, and I am what I shall be, and shall be

what I am. It is hard even now to comprehend.

Exodus 3:14

This is the name Ehjeh, or Jehovah, Moses is empowered to make use of, and to declare, as the name of the Great

God by whom he was sent. That would serve both to encourage him, and strengthen the faith of the Israelites, that they should be delivered by

him who knew them before now, even now and in the future.

Exodus 3:15

God further said to Moses, ‘You are to tell the Israelites, “Yahweh, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham,

the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.” This is my name for all time, and thus I am to be

invoked for all generations to come.

Exodus 3:15

God defines His name as LORD. In Hebrew meaning Jehovah; a word of the same root and signification with I

am. This he adds, because God was best known to the

Israelites by that name; and to show, that though he had given himself a new name, yet he was the same God. This is my memorial, by which I will be remembered,

owned, and served by my people, and distinguished from all others. It is the name we most use for God now.

Exodus 3:15

Lesson: It is God's character that ultimately motivates men to trust and obey (Exod. 3:13-15)

Sermons or books cannot change your life of faith. They may inspire or encourage but your commitment cannot be one of honest faith till you and God have wrestled over the issue. Before you post it to your blog or lecture another, come to

terms with what you believe and what motivates you. Subject to God’s opinion as seen in His Word. Then engage

God in that honest conversation for which He is already waiting.

Exodus 3:16

Go and assemble the elders of Israel, and say to them, ‘The LORD, the God of your ancestors, the God of

Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying: I have given heed to you and to what has been

done to you in Egypt.

Exodus 3:16

Before Moses would be sent to Pharaoh, however, God sent him to his own people. They must first be told of the

Lord’s plan (Amos 3:7). God directed Moses to begin by assembling the elders of

Israel and telling them how the Lord had appeared to him. “I have watched over you and have seen what has been

done to you in Egypt. . . . I have promised to bring you up out of your misery.” The Lord Himself will bring the people

into the Promised Land (see. v. 7).

Exodus 3:17

I declare that I will bring you up out of the misery of Egypt, to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites,

the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.’”

Exodus 3:17

This was probably contrary to what most of the elders and people of Israel desired. In four hundred years, you set

down roots. They probably had no desire to return to the Promised

Land; all they wanted was to be made more comfortable in Egypt.

Exodus 3:17

But God is concerned with His immutable plan and keeping His covenant with their forefathers. This is not a

multiple choice test. They would be familiar with the promise and bounty of the land being offered but they were also aware of the

ferocity of these tribes and the threat they posed. They were less inclined to exchange one master they knew

for several they did not. They thought like slaves.

Exodus 3:17

Lesson: To be effective, God's Word must be shared (Exodus 3:16-17)

Personal time with God is critical to our relationship with Him and our faith in Him. Yet that Word cannot take its fullest form

in our lives till we share it with someone. Otherwise, our behaviors can be interpreted differently and our beliefs kept

vague. We hesitate to share God’s Word given to us because sharing it

breeds accountability. We become that Word and God is judged through us. One can understand the reluctance but

cannot excuse it. Salvation is still found through the lips.

Conclusion

Considered as a practical history, this sending away of Moses into the wilderness, and his long sojourn there, is

full of instruction. God shows Himself to us as destroying the hope of the

flesh and humbling its strength.

Conclusion

He makes of the adopted son of the Pharaoh a shepherd, under the protection of a stranger for forty years, before he can undertake God's work so that the work might be a work of obedience and the strength that of God so that

Moses would not lean to his own understanding.

Conclusion

Moses will need this unseen strength for the task and the people he would have to confront and those he would

lead which often were the same.