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Exodus 3:16–17
“The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, ‘I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt, and I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.’ ”
Now that Moses has learned that he is to be the agent through whom the God of Israel will deliver His people from slavery in Egypt (Ex. 3:1–15), he needs to know what to tell the Israelites in order to accomplish his mission. In today’s passage, Moses learns what the Lord will have him to say to His people.
First, Moses must “gather the elders of Israel together” (v. 16). The elders of Israel were senior members of the Israelite tribes who were respected by the people and were tasked with administering the standards of the community as its leaders. Moses must address them first because it will be impossible for him to meet with the entire nation at once and because securing the elders’ support will be vital for the mission at hand.
Moses, after explaining to the elders that their God, the God of the patriarchs, has sent him, must tell them that the Lord has seen Israel and how the Egyptians have made them suffer (v. 16). This will be important not only as a sign to the people that God cares for them but also that He is about to act. As we noted in our study of 2:23–25, mentions of God’s noticing the suffering of His people do not mean that the Lord has been looking elsewhere for many centuries and that He is just now noticing their plight. After all, nothing escapes His notice (Ps. 33:13). Instead, mentioning that the Lord has seen His people is a Hebrew way of communicating both His care and His intent to act in their behalf to rescue them.
After this, Moses must tell the Israelites that God has promised to bring them up out of the land of Egypt (Ex. 3:16–17). Matthew Henry makes the apt comment that while the actions of human beings do not always match their promises, God’s actions always coincide with His promises. He is utterly trustworthy, being truth itself and unable to lie (Job 34:12). He never makes covenant promises that He cannot or will not keep. Thus, those who trust in the Lord understand that when they hear God’s promises, what He has promised is as good as done. He will certainly fulfill His word (Num. 23:19).
When we hear God’s promises and do not believe them, we have sinned. Thankfully, the Lord forgives the sins of all those who trust in Him through Christ Jesus (1 John 1:8–10). Nevertheless, we are to strive to be people who always take God at His word. He has proven Himself so often that we have no cause to doubt Him.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
Dr. R.C. Sproul frequently remarked that the real challenge of the Christian life is not to believe in God but to believe God, to trust that He will do all that He has promised. As those who must still endure the presence of sin, we can find it hard sometimes to believe the Lord. Through Jesus Christ, God will forgive us for not being quick to believe, but we must still endeavor to believe God when we hear His Word.
For Further Study
- Deuteronomy 7:9
- Hebrews 6:13–20