Promise of Deliverance

Today I read Exodus 1-6 and was very blessed by the picture God gave me of present day deliverance and what that looks like. It amazes me when I read the Old Testament and can only think about how this applies to us now and in the future...something so far in the past being used in present day, one of the many remarkable things about the Bible.

As I read through the first part of Moses life I get a great description of how he was born, raised, serves, gets married, gets spoken to from God, how he doubts God and his own ability. Through all of Moses' debating with God, God tells him that He will always be with him (Exodus 3:12) and that it will be His (God's) words that he speaks (Exodus 4:12). I just love the story of Moses and could seriously blog and talk about it for weeks... God uses such a regular, average Joe guy like Moses to do something CRAZY like deliver the Israelites out of slavery and into freedom! Reminds me so much of Jesus delivering us out of slavery and into freedom.

When I read Chapter 6 of Exodus I see the promise of deliverance for the Israelites but also for us. Before the promise Moses went to Pharaoh and asked if the Israelites could go into the wilderness for 3 days to sacrifice to God but Pharaoh said no and made the burdens already placed on the Israelites even harder. Moses cries out to God saying,

"O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all." (Exodus 5:22, 23)

I feel this way all the time, asking God why He leads me somewhere or tells me something and then things seem to get worse. But God always reminds me that He promises deliverance...doesn't say when, but He will. He is not a liar.

"Now you shall see what I will do...I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgement. I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your od, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians." (Exodus 6:1, 6,7)

This promise makes me think of now and not yet. The promise of current deliverance when we are going through a hard time and the Lord promises to take us out from underneath our burdens and it also makes me think of the promise of final deliverance when we won't be in the wilderness, or slavery, or the oppression of this earth but we will be in Heaven! The land flowing of milk and honey! (Exodus 3:8) I really can't wait and it is coming quickly, really woke me up last night how much I need to follow Christ amidst this corrupt world and not have any room for justification... He is coming quickly, much quicker than we think. He is coming to fullfill His promise! While also fullfilling it everyday in our lives. Nuts! Absolutely nuts!