Many of us enjoy reading biographies and autobiographies because they tell the fascinating and personal stories of people that we only know and hear about from a distance. More importantly, they provide a window into the heart and soul of the person. The book of Exodus is an autobiography of Moses. He is honest and raw about his strengths, weaknesses and sin. Exodus is also a biography of God. If you want to learn about the God of the Bible with no filter, Exodus is your book. Genesis, the first book of the Bible, begins with God and nothing and no one else. As Genesis progresses, we see that God creates and fellowships with His creation. Exodus shows us the lengths that God will go to keep His promises to His people and to rescue His chosen nation, Israel. These stories and events provide insight into the heart of our God: sometimes fearful and harsh; sometimes confusing and confounding, sometimes gentle but always loving and rescuing. Unlike human biographies which inform, provide understanding and entertain, God’s biography is intended to inform, provide understanding and to urge us to trust Him (believe His Word). In today’s passage, we are provided five windows into the heart of God. The first window is….
The God who visits His people
When a friend, family or church member visits, you appreciate it. The visit communicates that they value friendship and relationship. However, during a time of hardship and difficulty, a visit means exponentially more. That is because he or she intentionally rearranged their schedule to show care and concern during a troubling time and a desire to alleviate your pain. The language that Yahweh had visited the people of Israel is intentional. Yahweh is not unaware of His people’s trials. He saw their affliction and He heard their cries (Exodus3:7). The implied truth here is that God visits His people whenever we Christians hear His words. That is why, after the Scriptures are publicly read, that we respond with, “thanks be to God” . Throughout the Scriptures it is considered a curse and darkness whenever God is silent, but when the prophets speak…GOD has spoken. Notice, in Exodus 4:30, that Aaron spoke all of the words to the Israelites that God had previously spoken to Moses, including those spoken in Exodus 3:7-12, 3:19 and 4:21. Nothing was left out because all of the spoken words were important. And, within these words was a twofold message for the Israelites: 1) In this life, there will be much difficulty and suffering and 2) there will be deliverance by God and in His time. Brothers and sisters, our lives today will mirror those of the Israelites. God’s word makes it very clear that we will face many hardships and difficulties. But, His work makes it equally clear that God will deliver us in HIS time and in HIS way. Christian, do you believe the entirely of these words?….
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