God Doesn't Shop Around (Exodus 6:1-13) Series

Last week, we ended on what was maybe the low point of the book of Exodus. Yahweh had commanded Moses and Aaron to go, and tell Pharaoh to let his people go. And they did. But when they spoke to Pharaoh, he resisted, hard. He didn't acknowledge Yahweh, and he wouldn't let the people go. Instead, he made life even more difficult for the Israelites.

By the end of chapter 5, it looks like Pharaoh has achieved total victory. Moses and Aaron were sent packing.

The Israelites rejected Moses and Aaron, and actually called on God to judge them for what they'd done.

And Pharaoh ends up squeezing even more production out of his slaves. Everything looks like a glorious victory for Pharaoh, and a bitter defeat for Moses, in particular.

What would you do, if you were Moses? Give up? Wonder if God was unfaithful? Or weak?

What Moses does, is return to Yahweh. Moses has nowhere else to turn, really. Moses didn't want any of this. He didn't ask to be Israel's leader, or spokesman. And why would God send him all the way from a good life in Midian, for this? Moses has questions. Does God have any answers?

This brings us to Exodus 5:22, where we will pick our story back up this week:

(22) and Moses returned to Yahweh,

and he said,

"Lord, why have you done evil to this people?

Why have you sent me?,

(23) and from the time I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done/brought evil to this people,

and you haven't actually rescued/delivered your people,"

(6:1) and Yahweh said to Moses,

"Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh,

because with a strong hand he will send them out,

and with a strong hand he will drive them out from his land.

Yahweh starts out by agreeing with Moses, in part. Up until now, Yahweh has not revealed his power. Up until now, God hasn't actually rescued his people. Now, though, Moses will see.

Now, the question is, why did God do it this way? Why didn't God reveal his power at first?

I thought about that question a lot this week. When you read chapter 5 in light of chapter 6, and then go back, why didn't God just reveal his power right away?

In chapter 5, Yahweh gives Pharaoh an opportunity to do the right thing. He wants Pharaoh to acknowledge his place in the world-- to recognize Yahweh's authority over him, and over Israel. And the specific demand is a modest one-- Yahweh wants his people to journey out three days into the wilderness to worship and serve him.

Israel, one way or another, is leaving Egypt for Canaan. But how this happens is an open question. If Pharaoh had acted wisely, none of this needed to be as painful, or costly, for him and his people. And God gave Pharaoh the chance to act wisely, and do the right thing.

It's not a perfect parallel, but I found myself thinking about the U.K., Canada, and the U.S. this week. Originally, Canada and the U.S. were both British colonies. But both Canada and the U.S. were too big, and too far, for Britain to successfully maintain control over. Inevitably, they were going to become independent-- along with basically every other British colony in the world.

The question is, how would this happen? When we look at our history, and Canada's, we understand that there was an easy way, and a hard way. The U.K. didn't let us go, and it launched a costly war against us, which it lost.

But the U.K. let Canada go. There's still a relationship there, but Canada is allowed to make its own bad decisions about who its leaders should be. It self-rules. The U.K. accepted Canada's independence.

Pharaoh's choice is similar to the U.K.'s. But in chapter 5, Pharaoh wasn't willing to give up control, or acknowledge that Yahweh had power and authority over him. What Pharaoh is doing, is choosing the hard way. So now the gloves come off. Now, Yahweh will reveal his power.

Verses 2-5:

(2) And God spoke to Moses,

and He said to him,

"I [am] Yahweh,

and I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as El Shaddai ("God of Power"),

while my name Yahweh I didn't make known to them,

(4) and, what's more, I established my covenant with them to give to them the land of Canaan-- a land they lived in as foreign aliens,

where they stayed as foreigners in it,

(5) and, what's more, I have heard the groaning of the sons of Israel who are in Egypt, being made to serve the Egyptians,

and I have remembered/minded my covenant.

What exactly is God doing in verses 2-5? None of what God tells Moses is new. God has already told Moses that his name is Yahweh. God has already told him about how he remembers his promise to give his ancestors the land of Canaan. And God has already told Moses that He has heard the groans of the Israelites.