The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Exodus 6:1,
"Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.'"
This statement of the Lord to Moses was his response to Moses' complaint, "Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Is this why you sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have not rescued your people at all." Exodus 5:22-23.
Moses complaint to the Lord was that the Lord had sent Moses to Pharaoh to ask him to let the Israelites leave for a three day festival to the Lord in the wilderness. However, Pharaoh's response was to make the Israelites lives more difficult. Moses complaint was that the Lord didn't make Pharaoh do it.
Moses might have recalled what the Lord told him earlier in Exodus 4:21, "I will harden his [Pharaoh's] heart so that he will not let the people go." It was the Lord's plan from the outset that Pharaoh would not initially let the Israelites leave, until only later, following a series of plagues from the Lord, Pharaoh would send them away. Whether Moses forgot this or not, there is something to learn here: the Lord's ways are not always our ways. The Lord is doing something in his own way, and Moses was interested in a more streamlined approach. The difference being, Moses is only thinking of one thing but the Lord is planning on much more.
The Lord's ways are not necessarily our ways. The Lord says his thoughts and his ways are different than ours in Isaiah 55:8. In the following verse the Lord says, "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
"Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.'"
This statement of the Lord to Moses was his response to Moses' complaint, "Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Is this why you sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have not rescued your people at all." Exodus 5:22-23.
Moses complaint to the Lord was that the Lord had sent Moses to Pharaoh to ask him to let the Israelites leave for a three day festival to the Lord in the wilderness. However, Pharaoh's response was to make the Israelites lives more difficult. Moses complaint was that the Lord didn't make Pharaoh do it.
Moses might have recalled what the Lord told him earlier in Exodus 4:21, "I will harden his [Pharaoh's] heart so that he will not let the people go." It was the Lord's plan from the outset that Pharaoh would not initially let the Israelites leave, until only later, following a series of plagues from the Lord, Pharaoh would send them away. Whether Moses forgot this or not, there is something to learn here: the Lord's ways are not always our ways. The Lord is doing something in his own way, and Moses was interested in a more streamlined approach. The difference being, Moses is only thinking of one thing but the Lord is planning on much more.
The Lord's ways are not necessarily our ways. The Lord says his thoughts and his ways are different than ours in Isaiah 55:8. In the following verse the Lord says, "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
How can anyone keep up with that? How can anyone fathom from start to finish what it is the Lord is doing? Moses will find that the Lord is entirely faithful in what he says he will do as the story continues.
Moses' lesson in learning to take what the Lord says on faith - even when things may look otherwise - is my lesson as well. I may think things should be this way or that. I may think the Lord should do whatever it is this way or that way. However, as Moses learned, the Lord has his own ways in how he goes about things, and it just may not be what I may expect. As Moses had to grow in his faith in the Lord and learn to count on what he says, no matter how things look, so must I.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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