Verse 1 Then the LORD said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.
At the end of chapter 5, Moses was blaming the LORD for the worsening condition of the Hebrew people and questioning God’s plan. He was not seeing the situation with spiritual eyes but just looking at the physical problems. He had not spent enough time in the presence of the LORD to see things as He saw them. The Bible account does not tell us if Moses even knew the LORD before his encounter in the desert with the burning bush. So more than likely he would be what we would call today a baby believer, without enough spiritual experience to know the mind of God. Notice that the LORD did not chastise Moses for his questioning. Instead, He says, “Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh.” In essence, God, who knew what Pharaoh would say or do before he spoke or acted, allowed the situation of the slaves to deteriorate so that He could use it to show both the Hebrews and the Egyptians His awesome power and glory. He was also giving Pharaoh a chance to do the right thing.
Application: It is possible for the believer to have the mind of God. That does not mean the believer becomes a god and knows everything. There is only one God, one LORD Almighty. To know or have the mind of God means that the believer can see the world as God sees it through spiritual eyes. This is accomplished because of the presence of the Holy Ghost in every believer’s life, by the studying of the Bible and applying the principles learned there, and by spending time with the LORD in prayer. This is not any different than what people do in the natural world to understand how parents, spouses, friends and family think and feel. The key is in taking time to be with the person or with God. Think about it.
Verse 2 And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD:
Moses needed to be reminded who he was working for and to have a little faith in the LORD and Savior of the Hebrew people.
Note that God refers to Himself as “I am,” the name He gave to Moses in Genesis 3:14 when He said to tell the Hebrews that, “. . .I AM hath sent me unto you.”
Application: Sometimes believers forget who they are working for and become less respectful of God and who He is. He is taken for granted. Since the Bible teaches that He holds our very breath in His hands, isn’t it a wise practice to always treat the LORD with reverence and respect because He deserves it and because our very existence depends on His power? See Daniel 5:23.
Verse 3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
This is the first appearance of the name “Jehovah” in the KJB, verifying what God is telling Moses. This name only appears three other times: Psalms 83:18, Isaiah 12:2, and 26:4. This seems to be another form of LORD or God. Perhaps the LORD was making Himself more familiar to Moses by providing a name to him that was not given to the patriarchs, the famous men through which the Hebrew people came into existence.
Verse 4 And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.
On the surface, it appears that God was reviewing Hebrew history. But could it be that Moses, being raised an Egyptian, did not know the history of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and that he was not aware of the covenant given to his forefathers until this conversation with the LORD?
Verses 5-6 And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant. 6 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:
The “stretched out arm” referenced in the above verse refers to a symbol of strength. When arms are stretched out, they can also be seen as welcoming someone for an embrace. God was saying that He was going to embrace the Hebrew people spiritually and use His power to free them from physical bondage.
Application: Luke 24:44 says, “And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.” When Jesus came to Earth, He fulfilled all the words in the Old Testament that were pointing to His birth, His ministry, His death and resurrection from the dead, and the establishment of the New Covenant which is in effect today.
There are similitudes of prophecy in which an Old Testament prophecy is fulfilled, but yet is still applicable for today. This is why the Bible is said to be a living book. Verse 6 above is an example of a similitude of prophecy. The LORD did bring the Hebrews out from Egyptian bondage by His power and great judgments. No other nation in history has been destroyed by ten unnatural disasters as those that occurred in Egypt, fulfilling the prophecy given to Moses. By changing the wording in verse 6 above just slightly, the believer today can see that this passage is also pointing to Jesus, and that what the LORD promised to do for Israel of old, the LORD has done and is doing for the Church today. The prophecy is ongoing. No disrespect for the Word of God is meant here nor is this writer changing the Word of God in any way. This is simply meant as an example of a similitude of prophecy and of how the Old Testament books all point to the coming of Jesus and to His great act of reconciliation and the remittance of our sins. So let me be clear that the following are this writer’s words. “Wherefore say unto the Church, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of sin, and I will rid you out of sin’s bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm upon the cross of Calvary and with the power of My shed blood.” Just as the LORD rescued the Hebrew people from bondage to an enemy nation, He has also rescued believers from the bondage of the enemy of sin, death, and Hell. The Christian believer is a child of God and can claim His promises, His protection, and His provisions.
Verse 7 And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
Why did the LORD have Moses tell the people that He would be to them a God? Had they forgotten the God of their patriarch, Abraham? The Hebrews had been living in Egypt for around 400 years and, even though they were living in the land of Goshen (Genesis 45:10) and not in the midst of the Egyptian people, over time they more than likely had adopted the religious system of that nation. Since it was a polytheistic religion of many gods, the LORD was bringing them back to faith in the one and only true God. He made them a promise that He would take them for a people and rescue them. When this was accomplished, they would know that it was through the power of a single God, the great I AM.
Application: Did you know that just like the Egyptians who placed their faith in many gods, people today in and out of the Church have many gods? Ask yourself who or what do people worship today? Worship means to give your heart. Who or what do people spend time on and give a prominent place to in their lives? How about football, wrestling or any other sport? How much time is spent in front of the TV watching games? And what about the computers, the Internet, the smart phones, and all the other electronic devices available today? And then consider the popular music of today and all the video games that young people invest their time in. You get the idea. All these distractions (in and of themselves not necessarily wrong or bad) when given more time than that which is spent with the LORD and with His Bible become idols. Perhaps it is wise to check how we use our time each day and identify anything that has become an idol in our lives.
Verse 8 And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD.
In the book of Genesis, the travels of the patriarchs are documented and it is the land they wandered over that God promised to give to them as an inheritance. Although Abraham, Isaac and Jacob never possessed that land in its entirety, they knew it was promised to their descendants. They knew their God by faith and by experience with Him and they knew He would bring His promise to pass.
Ask yourself why God chose the land known today as Israel for the Hebrew people. Why did He not just give them Egypt or all of Africa? You have probably heard real estate people say, “Location, location, location,” meaning that the location of a property is important as it could effect the price and the desirability of the property. Well, God is the original real estate owner and property manager. All the Earth belongs to Him and He puts people groups where He wants them to be. The land bridge that became the promised land was connecting three different areas: Europe, Africa and Asia. All trade routes going from these three areas would have to go through Israel as that was the shortest and easiest land route to travel with camels, donkeys and people. Bordering the Mediterranean Sea would bring the trading ships to the shores of Israel. Therefore, having His people living in the path of this trade route would expose the other regions to Hebrew culture and their monotheistic government and religion. It was an evangelistic plan by the LORD to reach the peoples of the world.
Application: Like the nation Israel of old who believed in the LORD God Almighty, the believers in Jesus Christ are today’s spiritual Israel and chosen people. The nation Israel was destroyed by the Romans in 70AD when Jerusalem fell. All the Jewish people were scattered and the nation called Israel today is not the exclusive chosen of God. Why? There are two main reasons. First, because the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed as prophesied by Jesus in the gospels, all the records proving the genealogy of the Jewish people were destroyed. The Jews of today cannot prove they are descended from Abraham, Issac and Jacob. No one can. Secondly, because the people claiming to be Jews today have, for the most part, rejected the LORD Jesus Christ who is God in the flesh, they have prevented the LORD from being their God. Paul wrote in Galatians 3:6, “Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness, Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.” Paul goes on to say in verse 26, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” So scripture teaches that anyone, Jew or Gentile, who believes and puts their trust or faith in Jesus is a child of Abraham and a child of God. Since most Christian establishment churches today teach that the Jews are God’s chosen people still, this truth as penned by the apostle Paul may be difficult to accept. Please research it yourself. Since God is no respecter of persons, it makes perfect sense that any person of any nationality can be His chosen if they have faith in Jesus. See Acts 10:34, Romans 2:11, 1Peter 1:17
Verse 9 And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.
Application: When life gets hard, believers often withdraw from fellowship with the LORD and with their church family. It becomes increasingly difficult to hear the voice of God and often the believer sinks into a depression and all joy is gone from their daily life. The Hebrew people experienced this as their life became increasingly difficult under the cruelty of Pharaoh and the Egyptian taskmasters and their future looked dim. The child of God should always seek to be closer to the LORD in times of distress and not move away. This is easier said than done, but answers to problems and heartaches will come much quicker when in the presence of the LORD and His loving care.
Verses 10-13 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 11 Go in, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land. 12 And Moses spake before the LORD, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips? 13 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, and gave them a charge unto the children of Israel, and unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.
Moses and Aaron must have felt discouraged at this point. They knew from what the LORD has said that Pharaoh would be stubborn and refuse to release the people. But they must have been counting on support from the suffering slaves and their families. Instead, no one was listening to them.
Application: When working in the service of the LORD, the believer will encounter many obstacles and set backs because there is a demonic enemy that wants to destroy what God is trying to do. Satan did not want the Hebrew people to be freed because it was through them that the Messiah would come. He wanted them destroyed. Just like Moses and Aaron, the believer needs to push forward in the setbacks and trust the LORD to do what He said He would do. He will never fail His people.
Verses 14-15 These be the heads of their fathers’ houses: The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel; Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi: these be the families of Reuben. 15 And the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman: these are the families of Simeon.
Reuben and Simeon were the first and second sons born to Jacob’s wife, Leah. Moses, who wrote the book of Exodus, is listing the tribes in order of the birth of their patriarchs. Note that Shaul is reported to be the son of a woman from Canaan. The Hebrew people started out as Syrians, but intermarriage into other nationalities made them a mixed race people. The blood lines were not pure at the time of Moses.
Verse 16 And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari: and the years of the life of Levi were an hundred thirty and seven years.
Levi was Leah’s third son, and it is through the descendants of Levi that Moses and Aaron and their sister Miriam were born. The Levites became the priests and temple managers under Moses when living in the desert. From this verse through to the end of the chapter, the descendants of Levi are chronicled.
Verses 17-19 The sons of Gershon; Libni, and Shimi, according to their families. 18 And the sons of Kohath; Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel: and the years of the life of Kohath were an hundred thirty and three years. 19 And the sons of Merari; Mahali and Mushi: these are the families of Levi according to their generations.
Jacob and his sons all traveled to Egypt to live in the land of Goshen near Jacob’s son Joseph. Because of the length of time these people lived, Moses and Aaron were only the fourth generation removed from their great, great grandfather, Jacob.
Verse 20 And Amram took him Jochebed his father’s sister to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years.
The reader will note that the scriptures are very specific regarding the lists of descendants, also referred to as the generations. It is because of these lists that the genealogy or generation of Jesus could be so well documented in the first chapter of the book of Matthew in the New Testament.
Verses 21-25 And the sons of Izhar; Korah, and Nepheg, and Zichri. 22 And the sons of Uzziel; Mishael, and Elzaphan, and Zithri. 23 And Aaron took him Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab, sister of Naashon, to wife; and she bare him Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 24 And the sons of Korah; Assir, and Elkanah, and Abiasaph: these are the families of the Korhites. 25 And Eleazar Aaron’s son took him one of the daughters of Putiel to wife; and she bare him Phinehas: these are the heads of the fathers of the Levites according to their families.
Perhaps these long lists of names seem somewhat tedious to the reader, however many of these names will appear later on in the next chapters and it will be easier to make the historic connections because of exposure to them now. Regardless, Moses, as stated in the next verse, was making sure that the reader would know without a doubt that he and Aaron were children of Israel (formerly Jacob) and that it was to them that the LORD appeared and then entrusted them to lead the nation Israel into a free land.
Verses 26-30 These are that Aaron and Moses, to whom the LORD said, Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies. 27 These are they which spake to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt: these are that Moses and Aaron.
28 And it came to pass on the day when the LORD spake unto Moses in the land of Egypt, 29 That the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, I am the LORD: speak thou unto Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say unto thee. 30 And Moses said before the LORD, Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me?
When Moses referred to his lips as being uncircumcised, he was showing total humility before God and expressing that he was not worthy to fulfill the commission he has been given which required him to take on a powerful world leader and set an nation free.