God Saw Exodus 2:23-3:18

-God Raises Up a Savior for His Suffering People

Recently I was at a pastors conference where I heard one of our speakers, David Uth, pastor of FBC Orlando, tell about an encounter he had on a Sunday morning. Walking through their very large church, he was talking to a few folks, when he stopped by one man that he didn’t know well, put a hand on his shoulder, and quickly spoke. Not a big deal until you hear what came next. This man was hurting from some personal losses and had been praying for some time, “God, if you see me, let me know”. That one hand on the shoulder was the reminder that God did see!

I. God Sees vv. 23-25

In this morning’s passage, we move forward from Moses and encounter a 40-year gap in time

Two big things happen. The King of Egypt who wanted Moses dead died

Meanwhile, the slavery continued and God’s people cried out to Him for help

What happens when God’s people cry out to Him?

He is aware of their suffering

On the one hand, we know that God knows everything

On the other, we see that there is a special sort of awareness here. He hears their cries and sees His people

He remembers

He remembers His covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

As He remembers His covenant, He remembers His people

He acts

Exodus here says that God “knew” or that He gave consideration to the Israelites

This acknowledgment is powerful because it demonstrates that His understanding and His remembrance is moving Him to act on their behalf

I hope that we don’t overlook this: God is still a God who sees

He sees the brokenness caused by sin in all sorts of ways

The harm that has been caused to us

The harm that we have inflicted on ourselves and others

He is not dispassionate about it: He remembers His promise and He is prepared to act!

He knows you and your circumstance and He has a plan

II. God Speaks vv. 1-6

Next, our scene shifts and we encounter Moses in the wilderness

He is minding his own business, tending the sheep

Seemingly, he has left both Egypt and Israel behind and they are out of sight, out of mind

In this moment, God does what is the least likely thing:

He seeks Moses in the wilderness, with all of his past, flaws, and failures

He speaks to Moses, from a burning bush

Moses may have forgotten about God’s people, but God hasn’t forgotten about Moses

What happens when God speaks?

There is a fresh awareness of His presence

There is a fresh awareness of His holiness

There is a fresh awareness of His identity and covenant

In a really powerful way, God reveals Himself to Moses. The same God speaks to us today by the Spirit:

The Word

Prayer

The Church

Circumstances

God is speaking, but are we listening?

I don’t think my hearing is that bad. In fact, sometimes it can be quite good. Unfortunately though, when I am in a crowd filled with voices, I just can’t hear much of anything. Everything seems unintelligible. My reply to every statement question is, “huh?” It turns out, I just can’t hear. The mark of one of the Lord’s sheep is that we know and hear His voice!

John 10:2–5

[2] But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. [3] To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. [4] When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. [5] A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” (ESV)

III. God Sends vv. 7-12

What does God say when He speaks to Moses?

He acknowledges the suffering of His people

He has a plan for this situation

How will God rescue His people?

He is going to deliver them from Egyptian slavery

He is going to bring them into a land of promise, the land that was promised Abraham, in fulfillment of His covenant promises

He is going to send Moses to lead them

At this point, things probably seem a little surreal

This is exactly what Moses attempted to do many years earlier, but now God is sending him back to complete the task

He failed (spectacularly) before. What is going to be different now?

God is sending Moses as His messenger to confront Pharaoh; this will not be about organizing an uprising against the Egyptian system, but will strike at the heart of Egyptian authority

God will be with Moses and empower him for the task

When God sends His servant, things change

This notion of sending is a really powerful one

God’s call on Moses gives us a little bit of a picture of a greater servant than Moses

Jesus will fulfill the picture given by Moses; rather than delivering us from Egypt to Canaan, He delivers us from sin and death to eternal life and righteousness

Galatians 4:4–7

[4] But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, [5] to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. [6] And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” [7] So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. (ESV)

IV. God Saves vv. 13-18

Finally, God reveals something about Himself to Moses

Moses has a good question: “Who should I say sent me?” On whose authority is Moses speaking

God shares His name, I AM WHO I AM

What does this name tell us about who God is?

He is self-existent- He does not derive being from any other God

He is without equal, rival, or comparison. The only being who compares to I AM is I AM

He is known. This name “Yahweh” or the LORD is the God of their fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

This is not a call to a new god in a new place

It is a call to remember the God of your fathers and to place your trust in Him

He is the God who saves:

He has a plan

God sees you and knows you

God has a plan for your rescue

He will execute the plan:

To rescue you from sin, as He delivers the Israelites from Egypt

To take you to glory, as He delivers the Israelites to Canaan

To bring you to Himself, as He delivers the Israelites to Himself

He will transform you:

Please don’t miss the power of all of this in Moses’s life

He will not finish in shame or fear, but in strength

Instead of rejection, he will be accepted and followed

God will fulfill Moses’s desire to free the Israelites and will use Moses as the instrument of deliverance

Back in 2016, my family made our first ever trip out West. We took a road trip from Arab, Alabama all the way to Montana. After several days on the road, we checked into the Dancing Bears Inn in East Glacier. We met the Innkeeper at this little old-fashioned motor court hotel and he immediately started peppering me with questions about our plans for our stay. We planned to do a brief hike that afternoon and he asked us about bear spray. He refused to let us leave his inn without it! It turned out that our innkeeper was an interesting guy: In his free time he was a high country rescue worker, an innkeeper, and an investor in bear spray. It turned out that this guy was just in the rescue business!

Genesis 16:13

[13] So she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.” (ESV)

How do you need to respond?

Do you need to believe the Gospel?

Do you need to listen to God’s calling?

Do you need to trust God’s plan?