Scripture: But the LORD said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.”
God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them. I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners. Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant. Say therefore to the people of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the LORD.'” Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery.
So the LORD said to Moses, “Go in, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the people of Israel go out of his land.” But Moses said to the LORD, “Behold, the people of Israel have not listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me, for I am of uncircumcised lips?” But the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them a charge about the people of Israel and about Pharaoh king of Egypt: to bring the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt.
Exodus 6:1-13 ESV [Click here to read the entire chapter.]
Observation: Recapping Yesterday’s Daily Focus, Moses respectfully asks Pharaoh to let his people go on a three-day journey into the wilderness to hold a feast and make sacrifices to their God, lest pestilence and sword fall upon them. But, as Pharoah arrogantly contends, he does not know the Lord, nor will he oblige. Moreover, he instructs his taskmasters to increase the Hebrew slaves’ workload by making them gather straw for brick-making to teach them not to be idle or believe Moses’ lying words regarding Yahweh’s command and consequences.
So when the Hebrew supervisors ask Pharaoh why the added burden, he tells them they are idle. Thus, when they return to Goshen, they meet with Moses and Aaron and rant at them for the trouble they have brought upon their people. Indignant, they add that Moses and Aaron have made them a stench to Pharaoh, who is bent on killing them. As one reaction sparks another, Moses then turns to the Lord, complains that his plan only worsens things, and questions why Yahweh sent him, for he has not delivered his people.
Today’s reading continues the escalating conflict. In response to Moses’ despairing question of why the Lord sent him to speak to Pharaoh since nothing but trouble has ensued, Yahweh reiterates his promises. He reminds Moses that he is the God of his ancestors, a covenant keeper who will lead the nation to their Promised Land. Moreover, he has heard Israel’s groanings and will respond and redeem.
Moses then speaks to Israel, but they do not listen because of their physical and emotional pain and despair. So, Yahweh again commands Moses to tell Pharaoh to let Israel leave. Still smarting from his fellow people’s rejection, Moses reminds God that Israel did not listen to him. Moreover, Moses further contends that Pharaoh would not listen to him either, mainly because he speaks faltering words (uncircumcised lips). Nevertheless, God charges Moses and Aaron to bring Israel out of Egypt.
Takeaway: In the Hebrew Bible (our Old Testament), attaching the word “uncircumcised” to a body part conveys a sense of “faltering” (as paraphrased above). Other examples include Jeremiah’s uncircumcised ears (Jeremiah 6:10) and heart (Jeremiah 9:26). For Moses, this marks the fourth time he seeks a way out based on his lack of eloquent speech and the fourth time God bypasses Moses push to abdicate responsibility.
Indeed, four times, God self-identifies, “I am Yahweh,” and with each declaration, the Lord reveals a divine action:
- Yahweh appeared to Moses’ patriarchs as God almighty but did not fully reveal himself to them as he now has with Moses (vv.2-3).
- Yahweh will deliver Israel from slavery and redeem them with great acts of judgment (v.6).
- Yahweh will take possession of Israel as his chosen people, and they will come to know he is their God (v.7)
- Yahweh will bring Israel into the Promised Land as sworn to the patriarchs (v.8).
The point? It’s not on you, Moses and Aaron, to deliver Israel. Your part is to listen and then do as told. So stop making excuses and trust the process.
Our takeaway? This passage is a tragic moment in the Exodus narrative. Four hundred years of steady decline, only to have their spirits lifted when Moses and Aaron announced that God would deliver them from slavery (verified by a miraculous sign), but now this deflating setback. Indeed, if we imagine how we would feel, we would surely sympathize with their despair. It’s hard for us to hear from the Lord when broken in spirit. In those moments, our prayers often seem to bounce off the ceiling. But our gracious Savior, who understands our oppression and suffering, has given us his Holy Spirit, who intercedes when words elude us (Romans 8:26).
Our part? Start with listening. In our moments of despair, we must patiently wait for his still, quiet voice in our thoughts, external signs that speak to our hearts, and the assuring words of the community of believers. Then, like Moses, remember that the results are God’s, and obey his charge. Meanwhile, he invites us to cast our anxieties on him because he cares about us and will lift us from our sorrows at the right time (1 Peter 5:6-7). And if we continue to struggle with fear and doubt, refocus on the Son’s life, death, and resurrection, all of which shout to us: “I forgive you; you are delivered from sin’s oppression because I love you for all eternity.”
Prayer: Father God, we thank you for demonstrating your love for us by giving us your Son so that whosoever listens to and believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). Still, we confess, when we grow tired and weary, we find it hard for us to listen patiently and then obey. So please help us to cast our anxiety upward to you in prayer, trust that the results are yours, and stay focused on your Son’s life, death, and resurrection—remembering that for the joy (us )set before him, he scorned the shame of the cross and now is heavenly enthroned over creation (Hebrews 12:2). Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
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