“God Who Has Brought Us”

Black History Month Preaching Series

“God Who Has Brought Us”

Exodus 3: 7-12 (NIV)

February 2, 2025

The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” 12 And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”

Introduction: The story of the Exodus of the Israelites is a story of freedom for enslaved people in America. God is concerned about His people. He sees tears and hears our cries. He saw the children of Israel in their suffering. God was not afar off. He was aware of what their oppressors were doing. Exodus 2: 23-25 During that extended period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. God heard their groaning, and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. So, God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them. The Israelites complained by groaning, crying and they cried out to God. God respond to His people in that He heard, he remembered, he looked, and he acknowledge. The death of pharaoh likely Thutmose (thud-most) III had died meant that Moses could return to Egypt. The Egyptian authorities dropped all pending charges even in capital cases. The plight of the Israelites bondage was more egregious during Moses's absent. God had a plan for the fugitive that the murder charges dropped. God called Moses to lead His people in defiance, lead a protest against Pharaoh, speaking truth to power, demanded that he let God’s people go. God cared about his people and planned to deliver them from Egypt to Canaan. The story of the Exodus adds the critical truth that God’s heart is especially for the oppressed and marginalized, and that God will raise up leaders and step in firsthand to make a way when there seems to be no way.

Scriptural Text: The plight of the Israelites in their forced labor with four words: “misery, crying out, slave drivers, suffering.” God announced his compassion: “I have indeed seen, I have heard them, I am concerned.” God is carefully watching what happens then and now. He is paying close attention to policies and leaders who are oppressing His people,” This shows the intensity of God’s interest in the misery of his people. God called Israel “my people.” God declares a rescue plan that “I have come down [descended]” and divine rescue of humanity through Jesus the Son of God. He promised to bring them to a place ample in both size and nourishment for them-- land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey. By mentioning the Canaanite-Amorite groups, God both clarified for Moses exactly which territories he planned to give his people the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. God had not forgotten his people, was deeply concerned for them, and would act on their behalf. Moses’ being called to a task by God, he properly and respectfully expressed his humility at being given such an important assignment. In other words, Moses’ question, “Who am I?” At this point, he was not trying to get out of the assignment the Lord was calling him to perform. God’s reply to a promise of help and guidance (“I will be with you”) and a fulfillment sign. For God to “be with” someone means that he provides that person direct, special help and guidance that, can cause people to recognize your worth and/or authority in given situations. A fulfillment sign is a confirmation that a prophet or leader has completed a key part of a task assigned him by God. The fulfillment sign for Moses’ call was a successful exodus followed by arrival at Mount Sinai and worship there by all the people. This is significant because it is not merely measurable by the movement of the people from one place to another but also by their movement from one faith to another. Trusting God in your wilderness experience. They would get to Sinai, but more importantly they would get to saving belief in the only true and living God. Fulfillment signs require faith since they promise proof to follow after an interval of time rather than immediately. It would be fulfilled three months after the start of the exodus (Exod 19:1) but would continue to provide its retrospective reassurance for forty more years.[2]

God brought us through time Look at the comparison four hundred years 250 slavery one hundred years Jim Crow, but God kept us. Psalm 40:1 “I waited patiently for the Lord, and He inclined to me and heard my cry.” When we cry out to Him, He inclines His ear to listen. God’s timing is perfect, and He hears our cries when the time is right. Trust in Him bring the assurance that He will respond.

2. God brought us through trouble Look at all Pharaohs did to discourage children of Israel and all the things done to African Americans. Exodus 22:23 “If you afflict them in any way, and they cry at all to Me, I will surely hear their cry.” God’s heart is moved by the cries of His people when they face affliction. His promise is to listen and respond when they cry out to Him. God is attentive to the sufferings of His children and acts on their behalf. Psalm 34:17 “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.”

3. God brought them out triumphantly. Raised up courageous leaders. Raised up countless miracles Raised up considerable resources. For Black people God has done the same thing. Through all the sacrifices, persecution, and discrimination of African American involved in the movement were triumphant to getting the civil rights act in 1866, then the 14th amendment, civil rights act of 1964 ended segregation, women’s rights 1913 Women suffrage 19th amendment, and the voting right 1965. This is why we cannot ever lose hope because we know God can and will bring us out if we trust. If we stay with God Even if its death God, I will bring us through He brought Jesus through time He brought Jesus through trouble He brought Jesus out triumphantly with all power and authority in the earth and the heavens. No wonder the slaves sang I will trust in the lord until I die. 1 John 5: 14, 15 “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

Conclusion: Psalm 116:1-2 “I love the Lord because He has heard my voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.” Let me close with the lyrics of You brought Me by the Mississippi Mass Choir. Yes, you brought me from a mighty. Anybody here know he brought you from a mighty, oh when I was in trouble, living deep in sin Jesus came along, took me on in. Somebody say thank you, Lord you brought me from a mighty long way Yeah, You brought me, Somebody up here know he did He brought us all the way, Oh he brought me, I want to tell him thank you, a mighty long Oh, when I was in trouble Nobody but Jesus, he came along and brought me on in Lord you brought me, yes you did Mighty long way Yeah, I've had my share of trials, Anybody else in here been thru tribulations too I had prayed, but it was nothing to lose I counted it all gained I got sick doctors thought I wasn't gone get well He healed my body, left me here to tell God brought me all the way, yes he did He brought me all the way. Can't nobody do me like Jesus. He has been there thru the storm and rain, Jesus, thank you, you took me in oh yes you did Lord, a mighty long way. Weeping endures for a night, but joy came in this morning, Isaiah 65:24 “It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer, and while they are still speaking, I will hear.” For that I want to say thank you Lord, I could have been dead sleeping in my grave. But you made old death get back and behave, nobody but you I want to say yes, I thank you. Yeah, yes, I thank you Somebody say yea, thank you. Yes, yeah, thank you. Lord, you brought me Not only did he bring me, He bought me He paid the price for my eternal life. On Calvary he set me from Anybody here want to give him praise For the rest of my days, I want to give him praise. I will bless His name. I will sing praises all the days of my life. Lord, you brought us from a mighty long way. If it had not been for the Lord on our side, tell me what would we do? Thank you Jesus. You brought me out into the marvelous light. Then you Jesus, you brought me out from a pit and place my feet on solid ground. Thank you for bringing me out victorious! Yes, thank you! Yeah, thank you Jesus! Closing Prayer: God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, thou who has brought us thus far on the way; Thou who has by Thy might Led us into the light, keep us forever in the path, we pray. Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee, Lest, our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget thee; Shadowed beneath Thy hand, may we forever stand. True to our God, True to our native land. Amen.

[1] Douglas K. Stuart, Exodus, vol. 2, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2006), 116.

[2] Douglas K. Stuart, Exodus, vol. 2, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2006), 117–119.