God's Haven For Heavy Hearts

A. Social Problem, 5:20-6:9

1. The Problem Situation, 5:20-21.

This is the reaction against Moses in view of their situation.

“Moses and Aaron, you have made us a stench and offense in Pharaoh’s sight, and in his servant’s sight because now they have a weapon in their hands that they might use to kill us. May the Lord, whom you claim to serve, look upon you and discipline you. We do not believe in you at all.”

Unknown to the children of Israel with these words by the officers, the Lord begins to keep account of the times that Israel will murmur against the Lord and against Moses. So it will be when Israel murmurs at Kadesh-Barnea, in Numbers 14, God tells that generation that they are through, or to state it another way, He is through dealing with them.

Numbers 14:22–23 NASB95

“Surely all the men who have seen My glory and My signs which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have put Me to the test these ten times and have not listened to My voice, shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who spurned Me see it.

There is still unbelief in the hearts of the people. They will not believe the word of the Lord and stand totally and completely upon the promise of Him who cannot lie. All they see is circumstances; all they know is the taskmasters rod. They do not know the Lord and who it is that is spoken to them. They are still in unbelief and they cannot be saved and redeemed from Egypt until they come to believe the Lord.

Moses thought he had problems when Pharaoh rejected him, but now his problems are beyond any human measurement or ability. Moses has nowhere to turn but to the Lord.

No way to go but to the Lord! How often the Lord has dealt with each of us in just this way. The circumstances are as varied as the individuals involved, but the procedure is always the same. No way out except up. After it is all over we come to thank God for these times, for He leads us through the trials and afflictions, as the psalmist says in Psalm 34:19

Psalm 34:19 NASB95

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all.

Yet by those trials and afflictions we have come to know the Lord on our faces before him. Apart from the testings we would have gone our own way without Him and without knowing He never leaves nor forsakes us.

a. The Words of Moses to the Lord, 5:22-23.

Moses does not say to the officers: “Well, I'll pitch in and help you with your brickmaking.” Not at all. His service is prayer and the word. He can do far more in this way to defeat the power of darkness.

Moses has two questions to have cleared up, and once again he goes to the right place for the answer. The one question starts with “why” and it is in relation to the Lord's dealings with the children of Israel. The second question starts with “why” also and it is in relationship to Moses himself being sent. “I told you, Lord, I could not do it all along.”

The Lord is going to answer Moses in reverse order, speaking to Moses first, and then to the people.

Before we look at the Lord's answer, let us ask ourselves why is Moses discouraged and heavy hearted? He is this way because he has failed to believe the word the Lord spoke to him concerning what Pharaoh would do and how he would react. Listen once again to Exodus 3:19-20

Exodus 3:19–20 NASB95

“But I know that the king of Egypt will not permit you to go, except under compulsion. “So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My miracles which I shall do in the midst of it; and after that he will let you go.

Moses had failed to appropriate the word of God to his situation, and therefore he was discouraged and heavy hearted. God had ministered previously to Moses his need so that Moses need not be in the place where he is. He could have stood on thus says the Lord regardless of circumstances to the contrary. Moses is heavy hearted because he has failed to believe the word that God has given.

May I remind you that the situation is identically the same with us. When we come to the place where we ask “why” it is simply because we have failed to appropriate the word God has given us to our situation.

When Peter stood by faith on the word the Lord had given him, “Come,” he walked on the water. When he took his eyes off the Lord and his faith no longer was on the word of the Lord, he became fearful because of the waves and the raging sea, and he sank. When once again it was the word of the living God he believed, he walked with the Lord back to the boat on the top of the water.

Where are you today? You are in just the place you have placed yourself. You are either on the top or on the bottom, depending upon your relationship to the word of the living God. If you have failed to appropriate the word of the Lord to your situation, you are under the circumstances of life and they are drowning and choking you at this very hour. You feel God has forsaken you. He has let you down.

Friend, you have this whole thing wrong. God is not forsaken you; you have forsaken him. He has not let you down; you have let Him down for you failed to hold onto His word and believe it, regardless of the circumstances. You have failed to realize that His word is for you now in time.

The just shall live by faith. This is what it is like to live by faith. It is taking God at His word and believing Him regardless of the circumstances. There are over 10,000 promises in Scripture, and they are all for us who are believers in time. We will not be able to use the one of these promises in eternity. They are given that we now might remind God of His word and His promise and trust Him to operate to bring that word to pass. This is the life that is pleasing to the Lord today.

1) The answer of the Lord to Moses, 6:1.

All the Lord did was just to reaffirm His word and His promise to Moses. Moses had to have faith, not unbelief. Moses was suffering from heart trouble because of unbelief. God is telling Moses, the greater the opposition, the greater is My opportunity to manifest My power and My glory. When I get through with Pharaoh, he is not going to let you go; he is going to force you to go. He has laid his rod upon My people, so now I will lay my rod upon him -- and I have the greater rod.

Moses, you are looking the wrong way. You are looking back instead of forward. You are looking out instead of up. You are looking at yourself and how you have been rejected rather than to Me and how I have been defied and defamed. It is My glory and My honor that are at stake. It is My word and My promise that I have given that are in the balance in this thing. You are looking at your word and your honor. You are looking at the wrong thing. I will make you of no reputation for a while to magnify Myself. You just never mind about yourself, just mind about Me. You are My ambassador in a foreign court. You see to it that you have My interests at heart.

II marvel as I look at the life of Moses how well he learned these lessons, and how slow I am to learn them even with the Lord's written word. Moses comes to know what it is to be concerned only about the Lord and His honor and His word when he intercedes for the children of Israel.

God said to Moses, “Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation.” Moses does not think of himself but reminds the Lord that His glory is at state. What will the heathen say! His word is at stake that He gave to Abraham, Isaac, and Israel (Numbers 34:10-14). Moses had done just what God wanted him to do.

What about us? Where are we looking and for whose interests are we concerned? Whose reputation do we fight for? The answer to these questions reveals in truth whose servant we are.

2) The answer of the Lord to the people, 6:2-8.

The Lord not only takes care of Moses need; He also makes provision for the people’s need if they will receive it. The Lord goes back over His covenant.

a) In the past, 6:3-4

This entire section begins and ends with “I am the Lord.” It also occurs in the middle of this message in verse six. It is the name Lord that is translated in the King James Bible Jehovah, that is used in verse 3.

The reading of verse 3 has made for a great controversy. The liberal scholar says in light of this that every time the name Yahweh is used before Exodus 6 it must be the work of some later scribes who is inserted this name into the manuscripts because the Lord was not previously known by this name. They then proceeded to divide up the entire Pentateuch into various segments each with different authors which they designate as “J,” “E,” and “P” to name the main ones. The author “J” used the word Yahweh for God; they say “E” uses the name Elohim; and “P” put various stories together and added other sections himself, and so forth.

Considering the evidence that there is to the contrary, this entire procedure is preposterous. It is straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel.

There are two clear explanations as to the meaning of this passage before us. The first is to translate the sentence as a question, remembering that there were no question marks used in the original Hebrew. All questions are noted only by the use of the words in a particular context. The passage would then end in a question of which the expected answer would be “ yes.” “But My name, Lord, did I not make Myself known to them?” The answer would be, “Oh, yes, I did!”

What proof is there that this is valid? There is much. It would make all the references to the Lord by the patriarchs valid. God had revealed himself not only as El Shaddai, but also as Yahweh. El Shaddai is derived from the Hebrew word shad meaning breast and conveying nourishment, strength, satisfaction, and comfort. This name for God then carries the idea with it of the All Sufficient One, “The God Who Is Enough.”

Yahweh, as we have seen, has an entirely different meaning. The Lord reveals Himself and His character through this name as the Self-Existent One. He is the same always. He cannot change. Because He cannot change, His promises are yes and amen. He makes a promise and He keeps it. He gives his word and fulfills it. He is the covenant keeping God. His name, Yahweh, always reveals the Lord faithful to His word and covenant. Because God had already revealed Himself as Yahweh, Moses could go to the children of Israel with a commission from I am that I am and it would be understood.

Further proof that the name Yahweh was known to the patriarchs is found in this very chapter. Names were formed from El, and also Yahweh, before this time, signifying both names were known and used. An example is Jochebed in Exodus 6:20, which means “Yahweh her glory.” This was the name of Moses and Aaron's mother, showing that not only was the name known and used, but the significance was understood. There were those faithful ones who believed the covenant promise would be fulfilled. Jochebed’s parents were believers, they passed their faith on to her, and she to Moses and Aaron.

There is another possible explanation of this passage and that is that God previously has used the name Yahweh, as has been shown, but that now He is ready to reveal its great significance by fulfilling His covenant promise. It is that aspect of God’s nature that He is now revealing to the world.

He is the covenant keeping One. Israel is to know this and so is the world. He is All Sufficient, but He is more. He has entered into a covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob “to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, where they were strangers” and He cannot go back on His word. “All Israel needs to do is stand on My word. Teach them to do this, Moses.”

b) In the present, 6:5

Not only does God remember his past promises as the eternal present, but the present is also fully known to him.

“You may have thought that I didn't know and that I wasn't concerned, but you were wrong. I am more concerned than you will ever know. He who touches you, touches the apple of My eye” (Zechariah 2:8).

Could it be possible that you may have felt that God has not known about your problem and trouble and if He did know, He has not cared? This is not so, and do not listen when the serpent suggests such to your heart. God knows and He cares. Cast “all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

He does care for you! But you ask why doesn't He do something? Could it be because of your lack of preparedness and your unbelief? It was so with the children of Israel. Beloved, God does not have a problem, and whenever we think He has, He has a problem alright, but it is us, not Him.

c) In the future, 6:6-8

We now leave the statements concerning what the Lord has been and has done, and we come to what he will do. Seven times “I will” is stated as the word and promise of the God who says I am that I am.

When God says, “I will,” it is an unconditional promise which signifies that it is by pure grace. The Lord is going to do it all, not because of us or our loveliness, but even despite our unloveliness.

He starts with the message for their hearts of what I am and what I will do. Everything we have today to encourage our own hearts is also based upon a promise, which we are to believe and walk by faith. We have ours today, however, in writing we have a word made more sure (2 Peter 1:19) if such could be possible.

‘I am the Lord’

When He says, “I am the Lord,” He is saying that “My character is revealed through My name.

‘and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians,’

“Your taskmasters may appear large to you, but they are nothing to Me.”

‘and I will deliver you from their bondage.’

“Not only will I take the burdens from you but also the bondage.” The two acts are not the same. A slave could be sold to a kind master and thus be relieved of his burdens even though he would still be a slave. The Lord will not only take away our burdens, but he removes the total bondage to slavery and makes us free indeed.

‘I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.’

Here we have used the keyword of exodus: “redeem.” It is the first use of this word “gaal” in Scripture, which conveys one of the basic acts of our salvation. God is a kinsman to Israel having made them his firstborn (Exodus 4: 22) and will reclaim them from their helpless condition by buying them out of the slave market so that they will never be in slavery again. This act of redemption makes Israel God's “own possession” (Exodus 19:5) among all the peoples of the earth. He made the nation, and now he pays the price for their redemption.

The heavens are the works of the Lord's fingers (Psalm 8:3), while redemption is spoken of as the work of his arm. The Lord only spoke to create; He suffered to redeem. To redeem Israel, God had a stretched-out arm; to redeem us, he had two stretched out arms.

‘Then I will take you for My people,’

Redemption was for a purpose of blessing and fellowship. They would be under the special care of the Lord as a little child of the Father. Moses says that they were borne on eagle’s wings (Deuteronomy 32:11-12).

‘and I will be your God; and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.’

This was the purpose God wanted, but it has never yet been fully and finally fulfilled. This is why the prophets speak repeatedly of another day coming when this will yet be fulfilled. The Lord will yet be Israel’s God.

The gods of Egypt, the gods of the nations were nothing, but Israel went after other gods even as this nation is now in idolatry in Egypt. What a great day is coming for this people when the I AM fulfills His word with them.

‘I will bring you to the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,’

Not only will God take them out, but He will bring them in. That land into which He will bring them is that very land He promised. His word must stand.

‘and I will give it to you for a possession;’

That land is theirs, but the enjoyment of that land is conditional upon obedience to the word of the Lord. The first generation that was redeemed out of Egypt perished in the wilderness because of unbelief. The nation went off the land and into captivity because of unbelief of what the Lord said through His prophets. The nation again was taken off the land because of their unbelief of The Greater Prophet that came, and they believed it not. Paul says today that Israel is out because of unbelief, and the Gentiles are in because of faith. Yet there is coming a day when the Gentiles will be out because of unbelief, and Israel will once again be in because of faith (Romans 11:15-29). That land is given as an eternal inheritance.

‘I am the Lord.’

This section opened with “I am the Lord” and it closes with these words. Moses now understands something of the significance of this statement in the context. The I AM has given His word and He cannot lie. Therefore, with a thrilled heart rather than a heavy heart, he returns to speak to the people the words of the Lord.

b. The Words of Moses to the People, 6:9a.

Moses had a message now that was burning in his heart. Just think what God was going to do. But the people had not been where Moses had been. They had not been walking and talking with the Lord. They had been with their burdens and cares in unbelief.

2. The Problem Situation, 6:9b.

The reaction against the Lord because of Moses’s words in view of the situation.

When the people rejected Moses words, they were not rejecting him, but the Lord. They are still in unbelief. They are still dead in trespasses and sins. They are without life. However, the word has been spoken to them which is the basis of life, and the Lord will water that word and show His power and so manifest to them that His word is true. The Lord will begin to work in them to create faith. When they leave Egypt, they will leave because they are believers. The Lord has worked to make them so.

B. Spiritual Problem, 6:10-13

The reaction of unbelief to Moses’ message by the children of Israel sets up a personal problem in Moses. He is defeated and discouraged. He came out of the Lord's presence all on fire and the people throw cold water on him and now he is saying, “What's the use?”

God's command comes to him to go back to Pharaoh with the same message in verses 10 and 11. His reply is “Behold, the sons of Israel have not listened to me; how then will Pharaoh listen to me, for I am unskilled in speech (literally, uncircumcised of lips)?”

Uncircumcision of any part was a figure denoting imperfection. Moses says: “It's no use; I can't do it; I’ll only make a greater mess of things.”

The Lord would not hear it. Verse 13: “Then the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, and gave them a charge to the sons of Israel and to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt.”

Moses and Aaron have a commission. It is a charge and they are to obey regardless of their own personal desires, wishes, inabilities, or anything else. Moses knows enough not to talk back to the Lord here, and he does not. He is ready now to move out to do the Lord’s will and believe the one who is I AM.

What about you?