Exodus 2

The Mediator and Redemption (2:1-22)

In order to free people to worship him, God raises up a mediator, a deliverer, a savior, named Moses.

Of course, there are a number of similarities between him and the greater mediator Jesus Christ, who will crush the head of the serpent, and give us salvation.

Let’s take a look at Moses.

The Birth of a Moses (2:1-10)

1-2: Despite the circumstances, a Levite woman was able to have her son and keep him for three months.

3: When it became to dangerous to hide him, she place him a basket and set him afloat in the Nile.

The basket in this instance is the same word in Hebrew (tebah) used to describe Noah’s ark (only found in in the Bible).

"Basket" was probably a covered papyrus box, maybe with air holes.

She for some reason puts him in a little boat, like Noah, that was pitched in.

Huge - Every Hebrew would have caught the significance of this word. Just as God’s hand of grace was on Noah, a deliverer, bringing salvation, so it was with the deliverer, Moses.

There he goes floating down the Nile! It is dangerous in the Nile. Why? Because for one, there are crocodiles in the Nile! Can you imagine that?

Is this not a picture of the sovereignty of God…great picture of how God is in control of all things…even nature.

Not only is he spared from the crocodiles; he is also saved from starvation and drowning.

Vs. 5-9: The daughter of Pharaoh takes pity on him.

God uses the nurturing instinct in her life to take care of Moses. Moses is then going to be nourished and taught by an Israelite, his mother, it seems, as an infant (7-9).

God is working to raise up a deliverer, right under Pharaoh's nose!

Many times we think things are falling apart, but God is providence is working out his great plan.

Vs. 10: It is fascinating that the daughter of Pharaoh gave the child the name Moses, thinking “I drew him out of the water”

The name Moses actually means “to draw out.” Is this not a picture of what Moses would do with his people as he was led by God?

Notice the time between verses 10-11. Moses had grown up. Again, we see a number of similarities between Moses and the greater Savior, Jesus. Let me point them out before we move on… • Like Moses, Jesus was born to be a Savior and was rescued from an evil ruler at birth (2:16). • Like Moses, he had a sojourn in Egypt, “Out of Egypt, I have called my Son” (). • Like Moses, he passed through the waters .. of baptism. • Like Moses, there were silent years before his public ministry. • Like Moses and the Israelites, who wandered for forty years in the wilderness, so Jesus spent forty days. • Upon his return, he went to a high mountain and gave “the law,” his sermon (), much like Moses did on Sinai. Of course, Jesus is greater than Moses. Jesus was without sin, and Jesus was fully God. So it shouldn’t surprise us when we see Moses fail. All the mediators in the OT failed at some level. 2B. The Growth of Moses (2:11-15) As the Story continues, we find that when Moses “had grown up,” he witnessed the brutal assault of one of his people, the Hebrews. tells us that this was when Moses was 40 years old. When Moses saw this, “he struck down the Egyptian.” While some may say that Moses had the right to kill him as son of Pharaoh, his own conscience reveals to us that he knew it was wrong, for before he acted, he “looked this way and that,” and after he acted, he “hid [the Egyptian] in the sand.” This act reveals that Moses still had a lot to learn before he would be ready to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. It was not only wrong for Moses to kill the man, but it was wrong for him to attempt to begin leading the people out of Egypt without God’s instruction.Going back to , Stephen tells us that Moses assumed that “his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand.” This attempt led to the rejection of his leadership (READ 2:13-14). • It wasn’t time yet, nor was he ready yet…. That’s a good word for those preparing for ministry. App: This is a picture of a huge mistake from a guy who will eventually be used to fight for justice and mercy, serving God faithfully. Some of you probably made huge mistakes in the past, but it is good to know that Moses is still going to be used by God greatly. On a more positive note, Moses’ act also reveals that he desired to be associated with the people of God rather than the Egyptians. Ryken notes that the same word used to describe the exodus event is used here to tell of Moses’ going “out to his own people” (2:11). Essentially, “before Israel could go out of Egypt, Moses needed to go out of Egypt, emotionally if not yet physically.” says, “By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.”... “He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward” (). 2C. The Flight of Moses (2:15-25) Moses is now an outlaw on the run! As Moses fled, he ended up in Midian (15). The Midian name came from the fourth son of Abraham by his second wife, Keturah (). As a result, it is likely that many of the teaching of Abraham continued with the Midianites. Josephus tells us that the Midianites lived around the Gulf of Aqabah, which is at the north end of the Red Sea, about 120 miles south, south-west of the Dead Sea - this is the wilderness. While Moses was at a well in Midian, the daughters of the priest of Midian came to get water. During their visit, some shepherds came and “drove them away” (17). Moses acted to combat this injustice. But this time he did not kill anyone. Instead, he acted only as was necessary to drive them away. It is hear that we begin to see Moses first act as the deliverer he was meant to be. He not only “saved them” but also “watered [the priest of Midian’s] flock” (vs 17). So Moses begins he quest for servant leadership. This act of service was rewarded with not only food but also with marriage. (bread?). Moses married Zipporah and had a son - Gershom. The Book of Acts shows that Moses spent forty years Midian! Someone said, “Moses was 40 years in Egypt learning something; 40 years in the desert learning to be nothing; 40 years in the wilderness proving God to be everything” (Boyce, 59). Think about that! He spent two years of preparation for everyone one year of ministry. There are three experiences that Moses had in this situation that prepared him for leading the Israelites.(1) By living in the wilderness, he learned to rely on God. The wilderness prepared him for ministry and service to God. (2) By having a family, he learned to lead, guide, and discipline those whom he loved. (3) By working with the Midianites, most likely as a shepherd, he developed skills that would enable him to better lead the Israelites out of their enslavement. He would go on to lead some obstinate sheep! “You led your people like a flock, by the hand of Moses and Aaron” (; cf., ) Of course, I don’t want to imply that God selected Moses because he was so skilled (see next two chapters). Moses was totally inadequate for the task! He was desperate for God’s power! But, these experiences in the wilderness seem to have had a shaping effect on his life. God wastes nothing. Everything is preparation for the next. #3: God’s Motive of Redemption (2:22-23) 23: King of Egypt dies. This meant that Moses could return to Egypt as a prophet not as a fugitive (see 4:19). 23-25: despite the change in government, the slavery is still intense. It says, “Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God” (23). This is intense grief, distress, and agony. They cry out! (cf., ; ; ). The verbs in this section show us why God was moved to act. 3A. God’s Knowledge of the Oppressed Notice God’s response: God heard their cry .. He saw or looked upon their oppression; He knew, meaning He was concerned. God heard. God saw. God knew. • Seeing and Hearing “The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry” (). • Knowing When the Scripture says that God “knew,” it means that he knew all about them. This verse is saying that God is intimately aware of their agony. God knows. This causes him to act. He knows you, as well. 3B. God’s Covenant Memory “He remembered His covenant with Abraham.” God remembers his unbreakable promise of salvation. This covenant is God’s love relationship with his people. It may be best defined in The Jesus Story Book Bible as "a never stopping, never giving up, unbreaking, always and forever love." This is the first time it appears in Exodus. It appears 25 times in Genesis. As mentioned, Exodus connects with Genesis. God is driven by his declared intention to bless Israel and fulfill his covenant to Abraham. • Later in Exodus, Moses will appeal to God’s covenant as he intercedes for Israel (32-34). • The same God sent Jesus to save us. God remembered his covenant to make a people from all nations. • If you belong to God through Jesus Christ, then you are part of his eternal covenant: "his never stopping, never giving up, unbreaking always and forever love." These motives, as Wright suggests, perpetually motivates God throughout the Bible. God’s Purpose of redemption and mission given to Abraham continues in Exodus. This same God is still on the same mission of reclaiming worshipers. #4: The Mission of the Redeemed Wright says, “Exodus shaped redemption demands Exodus shaped mission. And that means that our commitment to mission must demonstrate the same broad totality of concern for human need that God demonstrated in what he did for Israel…. Our mission must be derived from God’s mission.” We mentioned under the first point that God would deliver his people from (1) socio-political-economic slavery, and (2) spiritual slavery. I contend that we too must share these same concerns. There are urgent physical and spiritual needs around the world. May God help us to reflect his character in living out his mission. 4A. Two Mistakes to Avoid: 1. Spiritualized Approach Only: Evangelism with No Social Action. That is, so emphasizing the spiritual freedom in Exodus that we neglect real physical needs. Basically, that the application we draw from Exodus is that God delivered the Israelites from Egypt, but now God is delivering us from sin through the cross. Therefore, the mission is to “evangelize” because people are in bondage. This is true but we should not miss the socio-politicaleconomic dimension. Don't forget these are real people being enslaved by a real ruler, and they can't worship when they are carrying rocks all day…. Many of these girls today who are enslaved are raped multiple times a day for profit. It is sickening, maddening, and demands a response. I believe the primary thing or most important thing for the church is “proclamation” but can girls who are being raped 22 times a day hear your proclamation? There are 27 million slaves today, not to mention other victims of injustice. Don’t you think we should fight to free them, so that they may have life, and know Jesus? • Clearly we need to spread the Gospel so that people can escape the bondage of sin. • Clearly, the deepest human need is for people to be redeemed from their sin, and know Jesus. The problem is that many people stop there. The problem is not in what they affirm, but what omit. • They are not biblical enough. • They have reduced mission solely to the “spiritual.” 5 Things to Remember to keep the emphasis on justice/mercy i. Keep in mind is that Israel is not so much being redeemed from “their sin” but by “Egypt’s sin.” To be clear, they were sinful. Dreadfully sinful. But the Exodus is not like the Exile. God sent Israel to exile in Babylon because of sin. “But there is no hint whatsoever that Israel’s suffering in Egypt was God’s judgment on sin” (Wright). In Exodus there is an outside force that is oppressing them. So, being delivered out of slavery to our sin is not exactly the same as Israel being delivered from their slavery. It is similar; it is true, and the primary application for us to make, but it’s not the only application for us to make. The exodus shows God’s victory over outside powers of injustice, violence and death. We cannot miss this. i. It is not as though the NT exchanges the spiritual Exodus for the physical dimensions of the Exodus; it extends it from physical to spiritual. iii. God has not changed. It is a great mistake to think that God was concerned about real injustice then, but not now. Think of how many laws are given related to justice, and how many Psalms speak of it. Jesus railed on the Pharisees who had their religious sacrifices, but denied the “weightier matters of mercy and justice.” (). Other examples include ; . iv. It is wrong to think that what God did for Israel is not what God wants or will do for other people. To think “Yeah, God freed Israel from oppression, but that was Israel,” is to miss God’s purpose for choosing Israel in the first place: to be a blessing to the nations. And he chose them and acted on behalf of them so that people may know what he is like. While it is true that God did not free everyone in the Near East, it does not mean that he did not know, or was not concerned about them, and that his anger was not against violent oppressors! Israel stands as a model as to how God works in the world. Further, the OT does show that God acts for those who cry out under oppression. goes from the “Exodus” character of God, to the universal claim of his love (v. 5), to the fact that all of human life is under his gaze (13-15). does a similar thing. “He has compassion over all that he has made” (9). Amazingly, in , even Egypt itself is scheduled for redemptive blessing when they cry out to the Lord. “When they cry to the Lord because of oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and deliver them… in that day they will worship… he will hear listen to their pleas and heal them” (20, 21, 22) So Israel, was distinct, but you should not think that what God is doing here in freeing them, is something exclusive, limited only to them – instead, they stand as a model for who God is. v. A final reason we should not miss the call to social action is that the midwives are honored for their act. They are examples for us to follow in protecting the week and vulnerable. 1.Socio-Political-Economic Approach Only: Social Action with No Evangelism. That is, being so focused on these social dimensions that the spiritual dimension is lost. • Forms of liberation theology take this view. They are solely devoted to the issue of freeing those in oppression. Many times it is even arguable what they consider to be oppression. • Here is the opposite problem to the Spiritualized Approach. This problem is to ignore the spiritual purpose of Exodus, and the explicit NT connection to the cross and the saving work of Jesus. What to Remember to Avoid this Mistake • God wanted to free them that they may worship him! There was a spiritual freedom at the heart of this physical release. • Don’t miss Israel’s deepest problem: Egypt inside of them! After they are freed, they fall into sin in their hearts, idolatry, and are given to exile. So, we want to free people from physical oppression, but we want to ultimately free them spiritually. • A love got the gospel, for redeemer, must fuel our social action. It must remain central. Don't assume the gospel or make it second. 4B. The Model to Pursue: Integrative Model We need an integrative model of mission. That is, a balanced, fully biblical, missional position. The integrative model takes into account the same broad totality of concern that God has. • Evangelize: To see people saved from bondage to sin and death. To be “transferred from the kingdom of darkness, into the kingdom of his beloved son, in whom we have redemption” () • Care for the Oppressed. To reflect the character of our God and fight for justice for the physically enslaved. • Justice and mercy ministry go together. Mercy ministry is caring about the babies thrown in the river; justice is about going upstream and stopping it people from throwing the babies in the river. Christians care about alleviating suffering: temporal & eternal suffering. Our PEACE Plan is our humble attempt at reflecting an integrative model at IDC. We want to practice “justice.” So welcome to Exodus. May God help us better understand our redemption. And may he help us better understand our mission.

Notice the time between verses 10-11.

Moses had grown up.

Again, we see a number of similarities between Moses and the greater Savior, Jesus.

Let me point them out before we move on…

Like Moses, Jesus was born to be a Savior and was rescued from an evil ruler at birth (2:16).

Like Moses, he had a sojourn in Egypt, “Out of Egypt, I have called my Son” ().

Like Moses, he passed through the waters .. of baptism.

Like Moses, there were silent years before his public ministry.

Like Moses and the Israelites, who wandered for forty years in the wilderness, so Jesus spent forty days.

Upon his return, he went to a high mountain and gave “the law,” his sermon (), much like Moses did on Sinai.

Of course, Jesus is greater than Moses. Jesus was without sin, and Jesus was fully God. So it shouldn’t surprise us when we see Moses fail. All the mediators in the OT failed at some level.

The Growth of Moses - Read 2:11-15

As the Story continues, we find that when Moses “had grown up,” he witnessed the brutal assault of one of his people, the Hebrews.

tells us that this was when Moses was 40 years old.

When Moses saw this, “he struck down the Egyptian.” While some may say that Moses had the right to kill him as son of Pharaoh, his own conscience reveals to us that he knew it was wrong, for before he acted, he “looked this way and that,” and after he acted, he “hid [the Egyptian] in the sand.”

This act reveals that Moses still had a lot to learn before he would be ready to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.

It was not only wrong for Moses to kill the man, but it was wrong for him to attempt to begin leading the people out of Egypt without God’s instruction.

This is a picture of a huge mistake from a guy who will eventually be used to fight for justice and mercy, serving God faithfully.

We have all made mistakes in the past, but it is good to know that Moses is still going to be used by God greatly.

On a more positive note, Moses’ act also reveals that he desired to be associated with the people of God rather than the Egyptians.

says, “By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.”... “He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward” ().

The Flight of Moses (2:15-25)

Moses is now an outlaw on the run! As Moses fled, he ended up in Midian…a wilderness place toward the north end of the Red Sea.

While Moses was at a well in Midian, the daughters of the priest of Midian came to get water. During their visit, some shepherds came and “drove them away” (17).

Moses acted to combat this injustice. But this time he did not kill anyone. Instead, he acted only as was necessary to drive them away.

It is hear that we begin to see Moses first act as the deliverer he was meant to be.

He not only “saved them” but also “watered [the priest of Midian’s] flock” (vs 17). This act of service was rewarded with not only food but also with marriage.

Moses married Zipporah and had a son - Gershom.

The Book of Acts shows that Moses spent forty years Midian!

Someone said, “Moses was 40 years in Egypt learning something; 40 years in the desert learning to be nothing; 40 years in the wilderness proving God to be everything”

Think about that! He spent two years of preparation for everyone one year of ministry.

There are three experiences that Moses had in this situation that prepared him for leading the Israelites.

(1) By living in the wilderness, he learned to rely on God. The wilderness prepared him for ministry and service to God.

(2) By having a family, he learned to lead, guide, and discipline those whom he loved.

(3) By working with the Midianites, most likely as a shepherd, he developed skills that would enable him to better lead the Israelites out of their enslavement.

I don’t want to imply that God selected Moses because he was so skilled (see next two chapters). Moses was totally inadequate for the task! He was desperate for God’s power!

But, these experiences in the wilderness seem to have had a shaping effect on his life. God wastes nothing. Everything is preparation for the next.

God’s Motive of Redemption (2:22-23)

Vs. 23: King of Egypt dies…Seti I.

Ramses II comes on the scene…this is the person who Moses would look in the eye and say…Let my people go. Picture from Wednesday.

This meant that Moses could return to Egypt as a prophet not as a fugitive (see 4:19). 23-25: despite the change in government, the slavery is still intense. It says, “Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God” (23). This is intense grief, distress, and agony. They cry out! (cf., ; ; ). The verbs in this section show us why God was moved to act. 3A. God’s Knowledge of the Oppressed Notice God’s response: God heard their cry .. He saw or looked upon their oppression; He knew, meaning He was concerned. God heard. God saw. God knew. • Seeing and Hearing “The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry” (). • Knowing When the Scripture says that God “knew,” it means that he knew all about them. This verse is saying that God is intimately aware of their agony. God knows. This causes him to act. He knows you, as well. 3B. God’s Covenant Memory “He remembered His covenant with Abraham.” God remembers his unbreakable promise of salvation. This covenant is God’s love relationship with his people. It may be best defined in The Jesus Story Book Bible as "a never stopping, never giving up, unbreaking, always and forever love." This is the first time it appears in Exodus. It appears 25 times in Genesis. As mentioned, Exodus connects with Genesis. God is driven by his declared intention to bless Israel and fulfill his covenant to Abraham. • Later in Exodus, Moses will appeal to God’s covenant as he intercedes for Israel (32-34). • The same God sent Jesus to save us. God remembered his covenant to make a people from all nations. • If you belong to God through Jesus Christ, then you are part of his eternal covenant: "his never stopping, never giving up, unbreaking always and forever love." These motives, as Wright suggests, perpetually motivates God throughout the Bible. God’s Purpose of redemption and mission given to Abraham continues in Exodus. This same God is still on the same mission of reclaiming worshipers. #4: The Mission of the Redeemed Wright says, “Exodus shaped redemption demands Exodus shaped mission. And that means that our commitment to mission must demonstrate the same broad totality of concern for human need that God demonstrated in what he did for Israel…. Our mission must be derived from God’s mission.” We mentioned under the first point that God would deliver his people from (1) socio-political-economic slavery, and (2) spiritual slavery. I contend that we too must share these same concerns. There are urgent physical and spiritual needs around the world. May God help us to reflect his character in living out his mission. 4A. Two Mistakes to Avoid: 1. Spiritualized Approach Only: Evangelism with No Social Action. That is, so emphasizing the spiritual freedom in Exodus that we neglect real physical needs. Basically, that the application we draw from Exodus is that God delivered the Israelites from Egypt, but now God is delivering us from sin through the cross. Therefore, the mission is to “evangelize” because people are in bondage. This is true but we should not miss the socio-politicaleconomic dimension. Don't forget these are real people being enslaved by a real ruler, and they can't worship when they are carrying rocks all day…. Many of these girls today who are enslaved are raped multiple times a day for profit. It is sickening, maddening, and demands a response. I believe the primary thing or most important thing for the church is “proclamation” but can girls who are being raped 22 times a day hear your proclamation? There are 27 million slaves today, not to mention other victims of injustice. Don’t you think we should fight to free them, so that they may have life, and know Jesus? • Clearly we need to spread the Gospel so that people can escape the bondage of sin. • Clearly, the deepest human need is for people to be redeemed from their sin, and know Jesus. The problem is that many people stop there. The problem is not in what they affirm, but what omit. • They are not biblical enough. • They have reduced mission solely to the “spiritual.” 5 Things to Remember to keep the emphasis on justice/mercy i. Keep in mind is that Israel is not so much being redeemed from “their sin” but by “Egypt’s sin.” To be clear, they were sinful. Dreadfully sinful. But the Exodus is not like the Exile. God sent Israel to exile in Babylon because of sin. “But there is no hint whatsoever that Israel’s suffering in Egypt was God’s judgment on sin” (Wright). In Exodus there is an outside force that is oppressing them. So, being delivered out of slavery to our sin is not exactly the same as Israel being delivered from their slavery. It is similar; it is true, and the primary application for us to make, but it’s not the only application for us to make. The exodus shows God’s victory over outside powers of injustice, violence and death. We cannot miss this. i. It is not as though the NT exchanges the spiritual Exodus for the physical dimensions of the Exodus; it extends it from physical to spiritual. iii. God has not changed. It is a great mistake to think that God was concerned about real injustice then, but not now. Think of how many laws are given related to justice, and how many Psalms speak of it. Jesus railed on the Pharisees who had their religious sacrifices, but denied the “weightier matters of mercy and justice.” (). Other examples include ; . iv. It is wrong to think that what God did for Israel is not what God wants or will do for other people. To think “Yeah, God freed Israel from oppression, but that was Israel,” is to miss God’s purpose for choosing Israel in the first place: to be a blessing to the nations. And he chose them and acted on behalf of them so that people may know what he is like. While it is true that God did not free everyone in the Near East, it does not mean that he did not know, or was not concerned about them, and that his anger was not against violent oppressors! Israel stands as a model as to how God works in the world. Further, the OT does show that God acts for those who cry out under oppression. goes from the “Exodus” character of God, to the universal claim of his love (v. 5), to the fact that all of human life is under his gaze (13-15). does a similar thing. “He has compassion over all that he has made” (9). Amazingly, in , even Egypt itself is scheduled for redemptive blessing when they cry out to the Lord. “When they cry to the Lord because of oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and deliver them… in that day they will worship… he will hear listen to their pleas and heal them” (20, 21, 22) So Israel, was distinct, but you should not think that what God is doing here in freeing them, is something exclusive, limited only to them – instead, they stand as a model for who God is. v. A final reason we should not miss the call to social action is that the midwives are honored for their act. They are examples for us to follow in protecting the week and vulnerable. 1.Socio-Political-Economic Approach Only: Social Action with No Evangelism. That is, being so focused on these social dimensions that the spiritual dimension is lost. • Forms of liberation theology take this view. They are solely devoted to the issue of freeing those in oppression. Many times it is even arguable what they consider to be oppression. • Here is the opposite problem to the Spiritualized Approach. This problem is to ignore the spiritual purpose of Exodus, and the explicit NT connection to the cross and the saving work of Jesus. What to Remember to Avoid this Mistake • God wanted to free them that they may worship him! There was a spiritual freedom at the heart of this physical release. • Don’t miss Israel’s deepest problem: Egypt inside of them! After they are freed, they fall into sin in their hearts, idolatry, and are given to exile. So, we want to free people from physical oppression, but we want to ultimately free them spiritually. • A love got the gospel, for redeemer, must fuel our social action. It must remain central. Don't assume the gospel or make it second. 4B. The Model to Pursue: Integrative Model We need an integrative model of mission. That is, a balanced, fully biblical, missional position. The integrative model takes into account the same broad totality of concern that God has. • Evangelize: To see people saved from bondage to sin and death. To be “transferred from the kingdom of darkness, into the kingdom of his beloved son, in whom we have redemption” () • Care for the Oppressed. To reflect the character of our God and fight for justice for the physically enslaved. • Justice and mercy ministry go together. Mercy ministry is caring about the babies thrown in the river; justice is about going upstream and stopping it people from throwing the babies in the river. Christians care about alleviating suffering: temporal & eternal suffering. Our PEACE Plan is our humble attempt at reflecting an integrative model at IDC. We want to practice “justice.” So welcome to Exodus. May God help us better understand our redemption. And may he help us better understand our mission.

This meant that Moses could return to Egypt as a prophet not as a fugitive.

Vs. 23-25 -despite the change in government, the slavery is still intense. There is intense grief, distress, and agony. They cry out! The verbs in this section show us why God was moved to act.

God heard their cry .. He saw their oppression; He knew, meaning He was concerned. God heard. God saw. God knew.

This verse is saying that God is intimately aware of their agony. God knows. This causes him to act.

The same God sent Jesus to save us.

God remembered his covenant to make a people from all nations.

God keeps His promises.

Promised to never leave us…promised to give us abundant life…promised to prepare a place for us…promised to save us…promised to return for us…promised that we will spend eternity with Him.

Live like the promises are true.

Pray