Exodus 3:13–22 (ESV)

Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations. Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, 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.”’ And they will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us, and now please let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’ But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand. So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders that I will do in it; after that he will let you go. And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty, but each woman shall ask of her neighbor, and any woman who lives in her house, for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing. You shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians.”

Moses has just been told that God is sending him to deliver Israel, and his first question is, “Who am I?” Now he asks the next question: “Who are You?”

It is such an honest moment. Moses knows that when he goes back to the Israelites, they will want to know who this God really is. So he asks for a name, and God gives him one that is unlike any other: “I Am Who I Am.”

This name, Yahweh, tells us that God simply is. He is not defined by anyone else. He is not changing or dependent. He just is. He is the living, self-existent, eternal God. Everything else in the world depends on Him, but He depends on nothing.

That might sound abstract, but it is actually very personal. When God says, “I Am,” He is saying, “I am the same yesterday, today, and forever. I am the God who was with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I am still with you.” The name “I Am” means He is always present.

God also gives Moses His covenant promise again. He reminds him that He has seen the suffering of His people and will bring them into the land He swore to give. He tells Moses that Pharaoh will resist, but God Himself will compel him. The outcome is not in doubt. God’s plan will stand.

This is what Israel needed to hear, and it is what we need to hear too. The God who calls Himself “I Am” is not distant or changing. He is faithful and near. When we doubt, when we wonder if He still cares, He says, “I Am.”

This name finds its fullest meaning in Jesus. In John’s Gospel, Jesus takes that same name on His own lips. “Before Abraham was, I Am.” He is the same God who spoke to Moses from the burning bush, now come in human flesh to redeem His people. In Him, the eternal “I Am” has come down to dwell among us.

So when we face fear or uncertainty, we can remember who God is. He is not the “I was,” or the “I might be.” He is the great “I Am,” always present, always faithful, always enough.

Prayer

Father, thank You for revealing Yourself as the great “I Am.” Thank You that You are not distant or changing, but faithful and near. When we are afraid or unsure, remind us that You are still the same God who heard the cries of Israel and sent a deliverer. Help us to trust You as the unshakable foundation of our lives. We praise You for Jesus, the eternal “I Am,” who came to save us and who will never leave us. In His name we pray, Amen.

Exodus 3:1–12 (ESV)

Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Do not come near, take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. Then the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you, when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

Moses is out in the wilderness tending sheep. It has been decades since he fled Egypt. He probably thought that part of his life was over. Then one day, he sees something that stops him in his tracks. A bush is on fire, but it is not burning up. He goes closer to look, and that is when God speaks.

“Moses, Moses.”The same man who once acted out of pride is now being called out of humility. The one who ran away is being called back.

God tells him to take off his sandals, because he is standing on holy ground. The fire that does not consume is a picture of God’s holiness, pure and burning, yet full of grace. And God identifies Himself, not as some new deity, but as the same covenant God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The God who made promises is now fulfilling them.

Then God tells Moses why He has come. “I have seen the affliction of my people. I have heard their cry. I know their sufferings. I have come down to deliver them.” Those are some of the most comforting words in the Bible. God does not stay far off. He comes down.

And then comes the surprising part. God says, “Come, I will send you.” Moses, the man who failed, is the one God chooses to use. No wonder Moses asks, “Who am I?” He knows his weakness, and that is exactly what God can work with.

God’s answer is everything: “I will be with you.” That is what makes all the difference. Deliverance will not depend on Moses’ strength, but on God’s presence.

That is the heart of God’s call. He does not choose people because they are strong, capable, or impressive. He calls those who know they cannot do it alone. He promises His presence, and that is enough.

This story points us straight to Christ. He is the One who truly came down to deliver His people, not from Pharaoh, but from sin and death. And just like God sent Moses, Jesus sends us to bear witness to His salvation, not in our strength, but in His. “I will be with you” is still His promise to us.

Prayer

Father, thank You that You see, You hear, and You come down to save. Thank You that You use weak people to do Your work. Forgive us for the times we have said, “Who am I?” and forgotten that You are with us. Give us courage to obey when You call, and faith to trust that Your presence is enough. We praise You for Jesus, who came down to deliver us and who is with us always. In His name we pray, Amen.

Exodus 2:23–25 (ESV)

During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.

These verses might be brief, but they carry so much weight. Israel’s suffering has gone on for years. Generations have lived and died in slavery, crying out under the weight of their burdens. And then finally, the text says, their cry came up to God.

That doesn’t mean He hadn’t been listening before. It means that now, in His perfect timing, He moves to act. Their pain reaches the appointed moment of His mercy.

I love the verbs in this passage. God heard. God remembered. God saw. God knew. Those words tell us everything we need to know about His character. He’s not distant. He’s not indifferent. He’s near, attentive, and faithful to His promises.

When it says God “remembered his covenant,” it doesn’t mean He had forgotten. In Scripture, when God “remembers,” it means He’s about to take action. He’s about to fulfill what He promised.

That’s the turning point of Exodus. After all the suffering, silence, and waiting, finally God moves. Deliverance begins, not because Israel earned it, but because God is faithful to His covenant.

And that’s still how salvation works. We don’t cry out to a God who’s indifferent; we cry out to One who already knows, who has already acted in Christ. Just as God heard Israel’s groans, He hears the cries of everyone trapped in sin, shame, or fear. And just as He sent Moses to lead His people out of bondage, He sent His Son to bring us out of ours.

There’s something so comforting about that final phrase: “God knew.” It’s simple, but it’s everything. He knows what’s happening. He knows their pain. He knows His plan. And He knows exactly when to step in.

Maybe you’re in a place right now where it feels like your prayers aren’t getting through. This passage reminds you: they are. Your groaning doesn’t go unnoticed. God hears. He remembers. He sees. And He knows.

Prayer

Father, thank You that You are not far from our pain. Thank You that You hear the cries of Your people and that You act out of covenant love. When we feel forgotten, remind us that You never lose sight of us. Teach us to wait on You with faith, trusting that Your timing is perfect and Your mercy sure. We praise You for Jesus, who came because You heard our cries and remembered Your promise to save. In His name we pray, Amen.

Exodus 2:1–10 (ESV)

Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it. When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, ‘This is one of the Hebrews’ children.’ Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, ‘Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?’ And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, ‘Go.’ So the girl went and called the child’s mother. And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, ‘Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.’ So the woman took the child and nursed him. When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, ‘Because,’ she said, ‘I drew him out of the water.’

So while Pharoah is trying to kill all the children of Israel, God works to raise up a deliverer from his people. Notice the divine irony. A nameless mother gives birth to a baby boy at the worst possible time, just when Pharaoh has ordered every Hebrew son to be thrown into the Nile. But instead of giving him up to death, she hides him. When she can’t hide him any longer, she does something both desperate and faithful: she places him in a little basket and sets him on the river.

That river the very place Pharoah ordered the children to be killed in, becomes the place of God’s salvation. The same Nile that was meant to destroy Hebrew sons now carries the one who will deliver God’s people. Does this not remind you of Joseph’s words in Genesis. “You meant this for evil, but God meant it for good.”

And then, in one of those surprising “coincidences” that only God can orchestrate, Pharaoh’s own daughter finds the baby. She knows exactly what she’s looking at “one of the Hebrews’ children.” But she, like the midwives before her, ignore Pharaoh’s instructions to kill the child and decides to save him instead.

Again we should feel the weight of God’s ordained irony here. Pharaoh wants to destroy Israel, and now his own daughter is paying a Hebrew woman to raise the child who will one day confront him. And this child’s name is Moses, which means means “drawn out.” That’s going to mark his whole life. He was drawn out of the water to one day draw God’s people out of slavery.

And again one day in the future, there would be another baby, born under threat of death, who would have to escape to Egypt and would one day rescue his people.

Prayer

Father, thank You for showing Your power in the most unexpected ways. Thank You that even when life feels dangerous or uncertain, You are still in control. Help us to trust You like Moses’ mother did, willing to let go, believing You will provide. Teach us to rest in Your providence, knowing that nothing can stop Your plans. We thank You for Jesus, the greater Deliverer, who came to rescue us out of sin and death. In His name we pray, Amen.

Exodus 1:15–22 (ESV)

“Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, ‘When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.’ But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live. So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, ‘Why have you done this, and let the male children live?’ The midwives said to Pharaoh, ‘Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.’ So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, ‘Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.’”

Things get darker here. Pharaoh sees that the Israelites keep growing, and he comes up with a terrible plan. He tells two Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, that whenever a baby boy is born, they’re to kill him. It’s horrifying to us but it also shows how afraid Pharaoh really is. He’s not as powerful as he wants everyone to think. Fear is driving him.

But then we meet these two women and they’re an incredible testament to being faithful to God even when they could face dire consequences. The text says they feared God and didn’t do what Pharaoh told them to do. Just think about that. They’re standing before the most powerful man in the world, and they quietly decide, No. We’re going to do what’s right. They knew there was a higher King. Interstingsly Pharoah feared Israel and did the wrong thing, these women feared God and did the right thing. Their fear of God, the deep awe and reverence at who God is is at the core of their obedience. They knew that obeying Him matters more than pleasing people.

And God blesses them for it. The people keep growing, and the midwives themselves are given families. Pharaoh’s plan backfires completely. Every time he tries to shut down God’s promise, it only grows stronger.

If we are to take away one message from this passage it is to see how God often uses ordinary people, who quietly and obediently serve him to stem the tide of evil. Shiphrah and Puah didn’t have swords or armies. They just had faith. And God used that faith to protect a whole generation of children including one baby boy who would soon be born and placed in a basket.

This story reminds us that God’s purposes don’t depend on our power or our position. They depend on God and our trust in him. The world will always try to pressure us to compromise, to go along with what’s wrong. But like these women, we can choose to fear God more than man, trusting that He sees, He knows, and He honors those who stand firm.

Prayer

Father, thank You for the example of these two women who chose to honor You when it wasn’t easy. Give us that same kind of faith — steady, quiet, and courageous. Help us to trust You when doing what’s right comes with a cost. And remind us that You are always at work, even when the world seems to be winning. Thank You that through Christ, Your plan of redemption can never be stopped. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Exodus 1:8–14 (ESV)

“Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, ‘Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.’ Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.”

This is where the tone of Exodus shifts. The peaceful growth of God’s people suddenly runs into resistance. A new king arises one who doesn’t remember Joseph, who doesn’t remember how God saved Egypt through him, and who certainly doesn’t remember the covenant promise. In just a few short verses, we go from fruitfulness to fear, from blessing to bondage.

That phrase “a new king who did not know Joseph” is kind of tragic. It’s a reminder of how quickly the world forgets what God has done. Joseph had once been a hero in Egypt, but now, generations later, his name means nothing to those in power. The world’s memory of God’s good work fades pretty quickly.

Pharaoh looks at God’s people and sees not a blessing but a threat. He says, “They are too many and too mighty for us.” In other words: we’re afraid of them. So in fear Pharaoh tries to control what he can’t understand. So Egypt enslaves Israel. They set taskmasters over them, crush them with heavy burdens, and make their lives bitter.

Power often works this way it starts with fear, moves to control, and ends in cruelty. Pharaoh’s heart shows us what happens when human pride sets itself against God’s purposes.

But notice what happens when people oppress God’s people. “The more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied.” You can almost hear the irony Pharaoh is trying to crush them, but the very thing meant to destroy them becomes the means of their growth. That’s often how God works. The very thing that opposes him ends up being the very thing driving his purposes forward. When the church is persecuted, when believers are sidelined, when obedience feels costly, that is often precisely when God’s kingdom grows.

And just as no power on earth could stop God from fulfilling His promise to Israel, no power in hell could stop Christ from fulfilling His promise to us. The cross looked like the end for God’s promise, just like Egypt. But God always wins and his plans cannot fail, even when the world pushes back.

Prayer

Father, thank You that Your purposes never fail. Even when the world resists You, even when Your people are pressed down, You remain sovereign. Forgive us for the times we’ve feared human power more than Your promises. Strengthen our faith when life feels heavy, and remind us that You are still at work, even in our suffering. Teach us to trust Your plan when we can’t see the outcome. We thank You for Jesus, our Redeemer, who conquered every enemy and leads us out of slavery into freedom. In His name we pray, Amen.

Exodus 1:1–7 (ESV)

“These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. All the descendants of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt. Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.”

This passage doesn’t seem dramatic at first glance. There is no burning bush. No plagues and no parting of the red sea. It is rally just a list of names. But in God’s wisdom this is how Exodus begins. The book opens quietly with a list of names. In fact the words “These are the names” is the title of Exodus in the Hebrew bible. So why the weird start?

Because it reminds us that this is a story that continues from the story that came before. This is really the sequel to Genesis because God’s plan didn’t stop with Joseph’s death at the end of Genesis. And his promises didn’t go away, just because one generation passed away.

Here we see something that feels very ordinary but is actually extraordinary: God is keeping His promises in the background even in the middle of a strange land, where they weren’t meant to be. The people are multiplying they are “fruitful,” “increased greatly,” “grew exceedingly strong.” Notice, these are the words that remind us of God’s original blessing to Adam and Eve. “Be fruitful and multiply.” It’s also an reminder of His covenant promise to Abraham, that his descendants would become a great nation.

Even while Israel is living in a foreign land, surrounded by idols God’s promise is quietly unfolding. It is worth us pausing and reflecting on this, because I think sometimes we only think God is working when something miraculous happens, like you know, burning bushes and parting seas. But Exodus begins by showing that God’s faithfulness is often quiet, and steady and can go unnoticed.

So perhaps you are in a season of life right now where God seems silent, or you can’t see much spiritual movement in your life. Well if that is you these opening lines from Exodus can remind you that God is active behind the scenes. It ultimately takes 400 years for God to set Israel free from Egypt. We can trust him in the background even when we can’t see his work in the foreground.

Notice too how personal the text is. It lists names: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah and so on. God knows each one. And that’s how He knows His people today, individually, by name. The same God who knew every family of Israel knows you.

Now the verse closes with something striking: “the land was filled with them.” This sets up the tension for what will happen next. God’s people are thriving, but Pharaoh will soon see this growth as a threat. In other words, God’s blessing will soon attract the world’s opposition. That’s often the pattern in Scripture and in our lives too. Faithfulness brings fruit, but fruitfulness also brings conflict.

The story of Exodus begins here, in the quiet multiplication of a people who seem forgotten, but aren’t. Setting up a conflict in which God will be glorified as a result of what he has done in the background.

Prayer

Father, thank You that You are faithful even when we cannot see it. Thank You for the quiet ways You keep Your promises, in ordinary days and long seasons of waiting. Forgive us for doubting Your presence when we don’t see Your power. Help us to trust that You are still working, still growing, still redeeming even in the background. Fill us with the hope that Your promises never fail. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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