Today’s Reading: Exodus 1-2:10, Psalm 5
I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. — Psalm 40:1-2
God spoke into Job’s situation, and he was humbled. God was paying attention. He was never unaware of the suffering Job was going through. God corrected Job’s friends, who had inaccurately represented him when Job needed them most. When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes (Job 42:10). His brothers, sisters, and friends arrived to comfort and console him. Each of them brought Job some money and a gold ring, in order to generously share what they had with their family member and friend.
So the Lord blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning. For now he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 teams of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. He also gave Job seven more sons and three more daughters. He named his first daughter Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch. In all the land no women were as lovely as the daughters of Job. And their father put them into his will along with their brothers. Job lived 140 years after that, living to see four generations of his children and grandchildren. Then he died, an old man who had lived a long, full life. — Job 42:12-17
This generous God of Job’s is the same God we serve today. He is present, He is aware, and He is paying attention. We see evidence of this in the history of God’s people as we move on to the book of Exodus.
The nation of Egypt had grown very powerful because the hand of God was on Joseph’s life, yet they continued to be a self-seeking, sinful people and they oppressed God’s children. A new king was now in leadership and he was intimidated by the size of Joseph’s growing family, the Israelites. He developed a strategy to keep the size of this group from growing larger. He decided to make them slaves and appointed brutal slave drivers over them, assigning them with crushing labor.
Life was bitter for the Israelites as they were made to work hard for Pharaoh, without mercy and under the pressure of ruthless demands (Exodus 1:11-14). The more Pharaoh oppressed God’s people, the more the Israelites multiplied and spread. Pharaoh gave an order to the Hebrew midwives to kill every newborn boy, only letting the baby girls live. But the Hebrew midwives feared God and refused to carry out the King’s orders, making excuses for why the baby boys were surviving. So Pharaoh ordered all the Egyptians to kill every newborn Hebrew boy (1:22). Imagine the terror and grief of God’s people as their babies were yanked from their arms and cast into the Nile River. God heard their cries.
BUT GOD IS NEVER CAUGHT UNAWARE. HE IS NEVER WITHOUT A PLAN.
What a wonderful truth. Time and time again in history, we see evidence of God’s response to the oppression of a group of people. He raises up a leader or a team of people to stand up in opposition to injustice — racism, sexism, discrimination, hatred, abortion and more. God is not uninvolved, nor is He unaware. He does not wring His hands in uncertainty or turn His back. He empowers and equips His people, calling them to rescue and restore.
The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time. – Psalm 34:19
God raised up a leader from those baby boys to rescue his people. A married couple from the tribe of Levi gave birth to a son and hid him for three months. When they could no longer hide him, they placed him in a basket and laid it among the reeds of the Nile River, with the baby’s sister watching close by. Pharaoh’s daughter found the baby and claimed it as her own — she adopted him. And because GOD IS GENEROUS, He even worked out a way for the baby’s mother to take him back home and nurse him until he was old enough to move into the palace and be raised by the princess.
The princess named him Moses, for she explained, “I lifted him out of the water.” – Exodus 2:10b
His name was Moses because he was lifted out of his situation and rescued. God does not always respond immediately, but He is involved. There may be a period of time in which we cannot see the evidence of His involvement, but we can trust that He has a plan and that He is working it out for us. It may not be time for you to be lifted out of a situation, but you can trust that He is holding you in his hands and will keep you from sinking deeper if you will just let Him.
The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right;
his ears are open to their cries for help. – Psalm 34:15
O Lord, hear me as I pray; pay attention to my groaning.
Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for I pray to no one but you.
Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord.
Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly. – Psalm 5:1-3
Heavenly Father, thank you for the many ways in which you have generously provided for us. Thank you for being present and active in our lives, knowing what has been and what will come. It is comforting to know that nothing about my day will catch you off guard; you are never unaware. Help me to trust you in the midst of it all. Amen.
But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them sing joyful praises forever.
Spread your protection over them,
that all who love your name may be filled with joy.
For you bless the godly, O Lord;
you surround them with your shield of love. – Psalm 5:11-12