Sermon # 28 - God's Redemptive Plan Series

We have been meditating in the last couple of messages on this passage from Psalms 77:11-12, “I will remember your great deeds, LORD; I will recall the wonders you did in the past. I will think about all that you have done; I will meditate on all your mighty acts.” (GNB)

We have been deliberating on the great deeds of the Lord, recalling the wonders He performed in the past, and considering all of His mighty acts that He has accomplished. The old covenant as described in the Old Testament, is filled with powerful signs and wonders that God performed. It is only in studying these in detail, can one comprehend, the beauty of the fulfilment of the new covenant as revealed in the New Testament.

Firstly we looked at the fact that God is the one who created the world, and as one who sustains it. Secondly, we are beckoned to recall all of the wonderful deeds that He did in the past. Today we meditate on some of the mighty acts that God carried out in order to redeem His people out of bondage.

God is close at hand

We will observe in detail one of the potent wonders God executed as recorded in the following scripture passage.

We read in, Exodus 6:5, “Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant.” (ESV)

The fact that the Israelites were in slavery to the Egyptians, implied that they were unable to exercise their free will. Also, being in bondage meant that there was no way they could think and live the way they wanted to or desired. As the people of Israel groaned in their enslavement the Lord drew nigh, and heard their moans of distress.

Many people truly long to read the bible more and spend more time in prayer. They might have even taken some serious New Year resolutions, to effectuate these decisions, but as the months go by, often they even forget about these resolves. The reason for this is that the bondages of this world, prevent us from living the life of liberty that God designed for us. There are many who are simply content with taking their bible with them to church on Sundays only. If we don’t have time to read and meditate on the word of God, we can be sure that we are trapped in some sort of worldly bondage that prevents us from spending time with God and His word. These bondages could be our work, relationships or unhealthy habits, but one can be sure that when we are in enslavement to any of these, they will assuredly hamper our prayer time, and the time spent with reading God’s word.

The Bible says that God heard the groaning of His people. If someone has to hear the groaning of another, they have to be extremely close to the person to do so. The assurance we have is that in the midst of all our struggles is that the Lord is so very close to us, that He can hear our sighs and groaning. The Lord is close at hand not to gloat over our sufferings, but to deliver us from our bondages. However, if God should intervene to deliver us, it will be possible only if we are willing to co-operate with Him. If we are in rebellion and disobedience, the Lord cannot help us in any way.

It is critical that we give as much importance to the word of God, as we give to eating our regular meals. Instead of the bible being near at hand, some have kept it high up, and far away in the altars in their homes. It might be a good idea to keep our bibles near our plates on our dining tables, to remind us that as many times as we think it important to eat our physical food, it would be far more beneficial for us to read the word, and thereby partake of the spiritual food. It is only when we pray and read the bible, the Spirit of God will open our hearts and minister to us.

All of us who have had or seen babies know the importance of food for their physical growth, and that is why when a baby refuses to eat, we take great efforts to force the food down, so that they remain healthy. As much as physical food is important for the body, the word of God is vital for our souls, and if not fed on the word regularly, our souls will slowly die. If we can make the word of God the focus of our lives, we will certainly experience tremendous transformation. That is why Jesus said, ‘Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ There are so many who have strong and healthy bodies but are impoverished in their souls. It is only when we read the word in depth, will we be able to comprehend all that the Lord has done for His people.