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“O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all.” Exodus 5:22-23, ESV

Have we not all at times cried out to God, if not verbally, then in our inner spirit, “Lord, why is this happening?” Have we not all at times felt that while we’re trying to do the right thing God is not doing his part? That was Moses’ complaint. So what’s God’s response?

But the LORD said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.” Exodus 6:1, ESV

God tells Moses that his plan to rescue his people from Pharaoh’s oppression would not be thwarted by the recent actions of Pharaoh, for ultimately God is in control.

But the LORD said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.” God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the LORD. 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. I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners. Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant. 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. 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. 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.’” Exodus 6:1-8, ESV

God doesn’t reveal to Moses why exactly he’s doing what he’s doing in effecting his plan of deliverance of the children of Israel. Instead, God reminds Moses about who he is as the LORD. In other words, in times of difficulty and hardship, when we’re not really sure what God is doing and why he’s doing it, it makes all the difference in the world, when it comes to our perseverance if we know who he is.

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. Exodus 6:3, ESV

The LORD is saying to Moses that in the past he hadn’t made his personal name ‘Yahweh’ known in the way that he was now going to do so to Moses and the people of Israel. While in the past he had revealed himself as God Almighty, now he was going to reveal the fullness of his name ‘Yahweh’ as the promise keeping and saving God.

Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant. 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. 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. 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.’” Exodus 6:5-8, ESV

The way that the LORD is going to reveal himself to Moses and his people of old as Yahweh, the promise keeping and saving God, is not only in their coming divine deliverance, but also in their present experience of difficulty and hardship precipitating that deliverance.

“…you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.” Exodus 6:7, ESV

For Moses and God’s people of old, it was in their time of greatest need that they came to know the LORD as never before as promise keeper and Saviour through the exodus event. There are things about our coming to know the LORD well that are only revealed to us in the hard times of life, and God’s work in and through them.

Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery. Exodus 6:9, ESV

The people are so despondent over their present adverse situation that they’re just not interested in getting to know better their promise keeping and saving LORD. Such was exactly what Pharaoh, the adversary and enemy of God’s people of old, wanted to happen back in that day, that they would pay no regard to the word of the LORD.

Throughout the Bible, we’re called upon to patiently wait upon the Lord.

They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31, ESV

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! Psalm 27:14, ESV

Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you. Psalm 33:20-22, ESV