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Daily Devotions

Exodus

Exodus 
Day 
Day 17

"For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, And He ponders all his paths." Proverbs 5:21

Text: Exodus 3 : 7

OMNISCIENCE OF THE LORD

Moses was in for a “crash course” in theology. There were many lessons that he had to learn – and swiftly! One concerned the omniscience of the Lord.

“And the Lord said, ‘I have surely seen
the oppression of My people who are in Egypt,
and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters,
for I know their sorrows.'”
EXODUS 3:7

Moses must have been both excited and baffled as he listened to the Lord.

1. Excitement

One reason for a great sense of excitement must be the fact that Moses heard the voice of the Lord! It was a rare privilege indeed to have the Lord speak to anyone and at such great length too!

Another reason for feeling excited was the fact that God expressed knowledge of the sufferings of the children of Israel! He had “seen” their oppression. He had heard their “cry”. He understood and felt their sorrows! What a wonderful God He must be!

2. Bafflement

There must have been unspoken questions in Moses’ mind. If God had known the suffering of the children of Israel, why did He wait for so long before He acted? If God had felt for His people, couldn’t He have resolved their difficulties a long time ago? Moses would not have had to flee Egypt! He would not have come to this foreign land where he had lived the past forty years!

Moses feared the Lord and thus he did not raise a word of protest. He quietly listened as God spoke to him. God must have had His own reasons why He had waited so long before He answered! He did not have to reveal all His thoughts and plans to a mere human being! Would there have been full understanding, if He had revealed all His plans?

REASONS FOR THE “DELAY” OF RELEASE FROM BONDAGE

Why indeed was there a “delay”? Actually there was no delay. Two reasons may be highlighted as to why God had waited till now to bring deliverance to the children of Israel.

1. The Grace of God given to the inhabitants of Canaan

God spoke to Abraham concerning this matter. He was waiting till the sins of the Amorites were full and “complete” (Cf. Genesis 15:16)!

2. The Need to Enlarge the number of people who made up Israel

Hundreds of years must pass before the population could become sizeable! These were two excellent reasons why Israel had to wait for so long before deliverance came.