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Chapter 23 Ten Words of Comfort from Our
Savior ÒAnd the
LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their
cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; And I am come
down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up
out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk
and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the
Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Now
therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I
have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. Come now
therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my
people the children of Israel out of Egypt. And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh,
and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? And he
said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have
sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall
serve God upon this mountain. And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of
Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto
you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said
unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the
children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. And God said moreover unto
Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your
fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath
sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The LORD God
of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto
me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in
Egypt: And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt
unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the
Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk
and honey. And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and
the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The
LORD God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee,
three daysÕ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD
our God. And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by
a mighty hand. And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my
wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you
go. And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it
shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty: But every woman
shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house,
jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your
daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians. (Exodus 3:7-22) This
chapter gives a brief account of some of the circumstances that preceded GodÕs
deliverance of the children of Israel from their captivity and bondage in
Egypt. But we must not forget that these things were written Òfor our
learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have
hopeÓ (Rom.
15:4). ÒThey are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the
world are comeÓ
(1 Cor. 10:11). The
One speaking to Moses is speaking to us; and the One speaking is our Lord
Jesus Christ, the Angel of the Lord. In these verses, our Savior speaks ten
sweet, comforting words to and about his people. 1.
ÒI
have surely seen the affliction of my peopleÓ (v. 7). Deprived of liberty, the children of Israel were slaves to
the king of Egypt. They were compelled to work in the open air, beneath the
burning rays of the desert sun, in one of the hottest climates in the world.
They were forced to make bricks without straw, having to walk great distances
each day to gather the straw (stubble) needed to make the bricks. Their
work was performed under the eye of vigilant and rigorous task-masters, who
constantly upbraided them and beat them. Their food was meager and contained
little nourishment. It consisted only of the sheep they raised and of the
leeks and onions that grew like wild weeds in Egypt. Painful
and distressing as those things were, they were the smallest part of IsraelÕs
misery. While the fields resounded with their cries in the day, their huts
echoed their lamentations night, because their sons were dragged from the
arms of their mothers, and put to death by drowning to prevent their
increase. Degraded
and oppressed, they had been in bondage for four hundred years. Who can
imagine the anguish of heart caused by such sufferings? We cannot begin to
understand their sorrows. To them the morning sun arose without hope; and the
setting of the sun yielded no comfort. The beauties of new life budding forth
in the spring had no charm for their eyes. The bounties of harvest in the
fall only reminded them of their poverty and emptiness. Even ordinary charms
of domestic life were made bitter to them. The expectation of a child being
born was heart-wrenching torture. To them everything was misery, grief and
despair! Though
they knew it not, and would not have believed it had they heard it, the Lord
God says, ÒI have surely seen the affliction of my people.Ó In their great sorrow they had
forgotten God; but they were not forgotten of God. Though, for wise and
gracious reasons, he delayed to appear in their behalf for four hundred
years, he was not indifferent to their sufferings. He saw their affliction
and heard their cries. His eye was upon them. His ear was constantly open to
their sobbing hearts. Every tear they shed was observed by him. Every groan
they uttered he recorded. These
words of our Savior, ÒI have surely seen the affliction of my people,Ó might be read, ÒIn seeing, I
have seen the affliction of my people,Ó indicating much more than his
omniscience. The words express the clear, distinct, and full sight he had of
their affliction, his sympathy toward them in their trouble, an affectionate
concern for them, and the fixed, settled, determination in his heart to
deliver them. He thoroughly observed their affliction; and he was moved by
what he saw. ÒIn all their afflictions, he was afflicted;Ó and he was bent upon delivering
them from it. Child
of God, ever remember this: Our God sees us. His eye is upon us. He watches
over us with all the affection of a tender father, and all the goodness of
his holy Being. ÒThou God seest meÓ (Gen. 16:13). What a word of comfort that is to my soul!
Though men oppress me, though Satan assails me, though sorrows crush me,
though my own heart condemn me, ÒThou God seest me!Ó He sees you. He sees you
perfectly. He sees you always. He sees you where you are. He sees you with
the eye of his perfect love. ÒWithin Thy circling power I
stand, On every side I find Thy hand; Awake, asleep, at home, abroad, I am surrounded still with God!Ó 2.
ÒI
have heard their cryÓ (v.
7). What an indescribable blessing! When we cannot put our
cries into words, our Savior hears the groans of our hearts (Rom. 8:26). ÒAnd
it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the
children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their
cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. And God heard their groaning,
and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with JacobÓ (Ex. 2:23-24). The time of
affliction is the time for supplication; and our extremity is GodÕs
opportunity. The God of Glory hears the cries of our hearts. ÒIn my
distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out
of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his earsÓ (Ps. 18:6). The doors of mercy are
always wide open for our needy souls. And the King of Heaven says to us, ÒLet
me hear thy voiceÓ
(Song 2:14; Heb. 4:16). Prayer
is not eloquence, but earnestness. It is not the definition of helplessness,
but the feeling of it. It is the cry of faith to the ear of mercy. By the
merit and efficacy of ChristÕs precious blood, the cries and groans of our
hearts penetrate the very heart of our God! 3.
ÒI
know their sorrowsÓ (v.
7). No man can truthfully make such a statement. The tender
feelings of anotherÕs heart no human sympathy can touch. But our blessed
Savior, the Prince of Sufferers, he who led the way in the path of sorrow, Òknoweth
our frameÓ and
remembers that we are dust. When crushing sorrow lies like ice on your heart,
when the dearest earthly friend cannot enter into the grief you bear, Christ
can and does! He who once bore my sins and carried my sorrows is touched with
the feeling of my infirmity. His tender eyes were once dim with weeping, too. ÒI
know their sorrows!Ó
— He may at times hide his face, causing it to appear that he has
forsaken us and forgotten us, causing us to cry, ÒIs his mercy clean gone
for ever? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in anger shut up his
tender mercies?Ó
(Ps. 77:8-9). — Even then, he is bending over us in tender love. He
often allows our needs to attain their extremity that he may stretch forth
his omnipotent hand to help and reveal the sufficiency of his grace. Our
blessed Savior takes great care to comfort his people in their many trials
and sorrows in this world. He says to his preachers, ÒComfort ye, comfort
ye my peopleÓ
(Isa. 40:1). Here are three things described in the Word of God that should
be of great comfort to every believer. A Bag He has made a bag for our sins. Job said, ÒMy
transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou sewest up mine iniquityÓ (Job 14:17). In ancient times,
when men died at sea, their bodies were placed in a weighted bag, which was
sewn together and sealed. Then they were cast into the depths of the sea.
That is what God has done with our sins. They are cast Òinto the depths of
the sea.Ó When
Christ died, by his one sacrifice, he put away all our sins. They were buried
in the sea of GodÕs infinite forgiveness, put away, never to be brought up
again. God almighty will never charge us with sin, impute sin to us, remember
our sins against us, or treat us any the less graciously because of our sin.
That is forgiveness! ÒBlessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute
sin.Ó A Book The Lord God has written a book for our names. Take heart,
child of God. Your name is written in the book of God! Before the worlds were
made, the Lord God inscribed the names of his elect in the LambÕs book of
life. In that book God has recorded, not only the names of the chosen heirs
of heaven, but also all things pertaining to them. ÒIn thy book all my
members were writtenÓ (Psa. 139:16; Phil. 4:3; Rev. 13:8; 17:8). The LambÕs book of life
is the book of GodÕs eternal purpose of grace, predestination, and election.
The fact that our names are written in that book means that our salvation is
a matter of absolute certainty, and that all things work together for our
good, by GodÕs arrangement, to secure our predestined end, which is perfect
conformity to Christ (Rom. 8:28-30). When our Lord says, ÒRejoice because
your names are written in heaven,Ó he is telling us that we have nothing to fear. All is
well for those whose names are written in heaven. A Bottle Moreover, the Lord God keeps a bottle for our tears (Ps.
56:8-9). It was customary at ancient Egyptian funerals for mourners to have a
small cloth or sponge to wipe away their tears. Then, they were squeezed into
a small vial, a tear bottle, and placed in the tomb with the dead,
symbolizing the care the mourners had for the one who had died. Even so, the
Lord our God, our heavenly Father, our almighty Savior, and our holy
Comforter, tenderly cares for us. In all our afflictions he is afflicted. We
are the very apple of his eye. Could
anything be more comforting in this world of sin, sorrow, and death? The Lord
our God has put our sins in a bag and buried them, our names in a book to
remember them, and our tears into a bottle to show his tender care for us.
Each one is counted, drop by drop, tear by tear. They are sacred things among
the treasures of God! Sorrow may have entered deep into our souls, yet we
have reason to rejoice. Great is our honor. We are partakers with Christ in
his sufferings. Our tender, sympathizing Savior knows our sorrows. Our
heavenly Father knows. John Trapp wrote, ÒThat is a sweet support to a
sinking soul, that God knows all, and bears a part.Ó My Father knows. That is
enough! IÕm a pilgrim and a stranger, Rough and stormy is my road, Often in the midst of danger; But it leads me to my God. Clouds and darkness oft distress
me: Great and many are my foes; Anxious cares and thoughts oppress
me: But my heavÕnly Father knows. Oh, how sweet is this assurance, ÔMidst the conflict and the
strife! Although sorrows past endurance, Follow me throughout my life. Home in prospect still can cheer
me; Yes, and give me sweet repose, While I feel His presence near me: For my heavÕnly Father knows. Yes, He sees and knows me daily, Watches over me in love; Sends me help when foes assail me, Bids me look to Him above. Soon my journey will be ended, Life is drawing to a close; I shall then be well attended: This my heavÕnly Father knows. I shall then with joy behold Him, Face to face my Savior see; Fall with rapture and adore Him For His boundless love to me. Nothing more shall then distress
me In the land of sweet repose; Jesus stands engaged to bless me: This my heavÕnly Father knows. 4.
ÒAnd
I am come down to deliver themÓ (v. 8). He who sees our affliction, hears our cries, and knows our
sorrows rises from his throne, not to command the armies of angels that
surround his throne to fly to the relief of his suffering children, but to
come down from heaven in his own Person to deliver us! God the Son came into
this world in human flesh, that he might deliver us from our sins by his
obedience as our Substitute. He sends his Holy Spirit, at the appointed time
of love, to deliver his redeemed from spiritual death in regeneration. And he
graciously comes down to restore and revive our souls with his grace. ÒClouds
and darkness are round about him,Ó but Òrighteousness and judgment are the habitation
of his throneÓ
(Ps. 97:2). ÒO sing unto
the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and
his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory. The LORD hath made known his
salvation: his righteousness hath he openly showed in the sight of the
heathen. He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of
Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Make a
joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice,
and sing praise. Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the
voice of a psalm. With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise
before the LORD, the King.Ó (Ps. 98:1-6) 5.
Our
blessed Savior declares, ÒCertainly, I will be with theeÓ (v. 12). He will be with you, child of God, in all your afflictions
to encourage and protect you, to strengthen and help you, to support and
comfort you, and to sustain you by his grace (Isa. 41:10; 43:1-5; Heb. 13:5).
He says to you, ÒFear thou
not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen
thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of
my righteousnessÓ
(Isa. 41:10). ÒI will never leave thee, nor forsake theeÓ (Heb. 13:5). That
is GodÕs promise to every believing sinner in this world. It is given to us
that we may, as Isaiah puts it, ÒSuck, and be satisfied with the breasts
of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the
abundance of her gloryÓ (Isa. 66:11). ÒBut now
thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O
Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through
the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when
thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the
flame kindle upon thee. For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I
gave Egypt for
thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Since thou wast precious in my sight,
thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men
for thee, and people for thy life. Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed
from the east, and gather thee from the west.Ó (Isa. 43:1-5) 6.
In
the last line of verse 12. Our Savior declares, ÒYe shall serve God
upon this mountain.Ó The Lord God promised Moses that he and the children of
Israel would serve him upon Mount Horeb, or Sinai, as they did at the giving
of the law. There they built an altar upon a hill and offered burnt offerings
and peace offerings (Ex 24:4-5). So it shall be with all who trust him. The
high mountain of sorrow and trouble that rises before you shall be made a
mountain of praise, upon which you shall offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and
praise to your God. 7.
In
verse 14 we have the most powerful incentive possible to believe that it
shall be so. — He who made these promises declares, ÒI Am That I Am.Ó That is his name. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal,
self-existent, self-sufficient God, the Being of beings. He comprehends the
past, the present, and the future. I do not merely mean that he knows the
past, present, and future. I mean he comprehends it. It all exists in him! Yet,
there is more. This name, by which our God reveals himself, ÒI Am That I Am,Ó means, not
only I am what I am at present, but I am what I have been and I am what I
shall be, and shall be what I am. In a word it declares he is the constant,
invariable, immutable, faithful God. Our Savior here declares that his name, ÒI Am That I Am,Ó is the sure
foundation upon which we may rely. The mighty I AM will do all that he has
said! 8.
ÒI
will bring you up out of the afflictionÓ (v. 17). He purposed it. He promises it. And he will do it. And
when he does, he will bring you into Òa land flowing with milk and honey.Ó He squeezes milk and honey out
of every hard rock of adversity and causes the milk and honey to flow with
such abundance into our souls that the rock of adversity from which it flows
is soon forgotten. 9.
The
Lord God promises to give his people favor, even among the Egyptians, and he
says, ÒYe shall not go emptyÓ (v. 21). You know how the Egyptians loaded the sons of Jacob with
everything they would need in the wilderness, when the Israelites fled from
them. So it shall be, believer, with you, when the Lord God delivers you from
any trial by which he may momentarily crush your heart. You shall not go out
empty, but enriched by the experience (2 Cor. 4:17-18; 1 Pet. 1:3-9; James
1:12; Rom. 8:28). Your light, momentary affliction will work for you Òa
far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.Ó The trial of your faith is more
precious than perishing gold, and shall Òbe found unto praise and honor
and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.Ó ÒAll things are for your sakes, that the
abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of
GodÓ (2 Cor.
2:10). — ÒFor all things are yours: the world, life, death, things
present, things to come; all are yours; and ye are ChristÕs; and Christ is
GodÕsÓ (1 Cor.
3:21-23). 10.
There
is one more word of comfort I want you to see in the last line of verse 22.
God our Savior says, ÒAnd ye shall spoil the Egyptians.Ó Just as Israel took everything worth having out of Egypt,
so it shall be with us at last. In that great day that knows no night, when
God our Savior has made all things new, when all his elect have at last been
made possessors of their heavenly Canaan, they shall come from all the
nations of the earth, bringing the spoils of the nations with them (Rev.
21:22-27; Zec. 14:1, 9, 20-21). ÒIn that day shall there be upon the bells
of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the LORDÕS house shall
be like the bowls before the altar. Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah
shall be holiness unto the LORD of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall
come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no
more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.Ó |
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