God The Hope Of Us All

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Scripture: Exodus 2:23-25 (ESV)

23 During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. 24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.

Devotion:

            The above text is sandwiched between the story of Moses meeting Jethro and the scene of Moses with the burning bush. It is easy to gloss over this material without really paying attention to what is going on in these three short verses. Let us take some time and unpack the message God has for us in this bit of scripture.

            In verse 23 we read that the king of Egypt died. This is important to the story because now Moses could return to Egypt without being a criminal. We read that the people of Israel groaned and cried out to God because of their slavery. And God heard their cries. How many times do we cry out to God to change something in our own lives. We can take comfort in these words and know that whatever our situation God hears us.

            God remembered the covenant he had made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. His covenant that these people who were being oppressed were chosen by God to be a chosen people. They were to live in the land of Canaan. How much more do you think God remembers his new covenant that he has with us. We can know that God will provide for us the salvation that was promised in Jesus life, death, resurrection, and glorification. A much better promise of a new heaven and a new earth where we can worship God without the weight of sin.

            Verse 25 indicates that God saw the horrible conditions that the children of Israel were living under. Even so God sees each of us. He sees our slavery to sin, our bondage to the ways of this world. God sees everything that happens on the earth. A sparrow doesn’t fall without God’s knowledge. God truly does see everything, even what we try to keep secret in our hearts.

            Because of all of the above we can be sure that God knows. Just assuredly as he knew what was happening to the people of Israel and understood what needed to be done to change their circumstances and rescue his chosen people God knows what is needed in our circumstances. God is faithful to his people in every age. God always keeps his covenants with his people. God doesn’t always work on our preferred timetable, but he always works.

Prayer:

            O God we cry to you as the children of Israel did all those millennia ago. We are not in bondage to an earthly taskmaster. However, we are slaves to sin. The world, the flesh, and the devil combine in an unholy trinity to keep us from experiencing the freedom we are promised in your word. Be with us today, Lord. Lead out of our bondage to sin into freedom in Christ Jesus. Thank you that you are always faithful to us. Amen

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