July 8, 2026
Wednesday, July 8
I love the Bible’s sheer honesty. This book is not propaganda. If it were, its heroes would be flawless, and everything they attempted would succeed. But as we saw yesterday, Moses took his first big leap of faith, confronting Pharaoh (as God had commanded) and two things happened: 1) Life for the Israelites got worse, and 2) The people blamed Moses. Then the would-be hero blamed God: “Why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me?” God’s response is found at the start of Exodus 6:
2 God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the Lord. 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself known to them. 4 I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners. 5 Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant. 6 Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘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 judgment. 7 I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8 I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the Lord.’”
Look at verse 3: “I appeared to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” Now look at v. 8: “Abraham Isaac and Jacob.”
Look at v. 4: “I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canan…” and again at v. 8: “I will bring you into the land that I swore…
Notice the way God’s speech to Moses begins: “I am the Lord,” and ends: “I am the Lord.”
Why is God repeating Himself? Because of the way ancient speeches were often structured. These days, sermons and speeches start slow and build to a climax. A speaker will typically begin with pleasantries, or with a dry introduction of his subject matter, and end with the most important information of all. But in ancient times, it was common to structure a speech like a mountain peak, where your first point is the same as your last point, and your second point is the same as your second-to-last, and it’s all leading up to a peak in the middle, which is your main point. That’s what God is doing here. He’s answering Moses’ question, “Why did you ever send me?” And He’s answering Pharaoh’s question, “Who is the Lord?”
So what is His central point? Read verses 6 and 7 again. God is saying, “Who is the Lord? I am the God who saves. From this day forward, I want everyone to know that if you need salvation, you turn to me.” Please understand what this means: The Exodus wasn’t just about freeing some people from slavery three millennia ago (as praiseworthy as that is). It was about showing all the world where salvation could be found. Even today, the Exodus miracle speaks to everyone in need of a Savior: The Lord is the answer.
“Lord, I don’t know why you wanted to save me. But I know for sure that you did, and I will praise you for it forever. Grant me an opportunity soon to tell someone else what you’ve done. In your name, amen.”
Senior Pastor
First Baptist Conroe
More from Pastor Jeff at his website: jeffbergerwriting.com
