GOD PROMISES DELIVERANCE

PROCLAMATION

“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.’ ”  Exodus 6:6 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These are the words of God which were revealed to and written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Chapter six of The Bible Book of Exodus is a continuation of the end of chapter five.  It is the answer to the prayer that Moses prayed at the end of the chapter. (Exodus 5:22-23)  The Lord God said to Moses, “Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh.” (Exodus 6:1)  Then He said that when He appeared unto Abraham, and unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, He identified Himself as God Almighty.  He did not tell them that His name was JEHOVAH. (Exodus 6:2-3)  He told Moses that He remembered the covenant and He has heard their groaning. (Exodus 6:4-5)  Then He told Moses to tell them the He will bring them out of Egypt with great judgments and bring them to the land which He swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (Exodus 6:6-8)  When Moses told them this, but they would not listen to him.  The Lord told Moses to go again to Pharaoh and tell him to let the people of Israel go.  Moses replied that if the Israelites will not listen to him, why then would Pharaoh listen to him. (Exodus 6:9-12)  After recording the genealogies of Moses and Aaron, (Exodus 6:14-25) The Lord God again told Moses to tell Pharaoh what He says, and again Moses questions Him. (Exodus 6:28-30)

 

APPLICATION

It is not clear why The Bible repeats itself, or why The Lord God repeats a message to us.  In the world of education it is said that if something is repeated in class, it is important.  If it is repeated a third time, then you know it will be on the test.  A professor in medical school told the class, you guys are intelligent and you don’t understand or remember everything that you hear the first time that you hear it; so, repeat the information that you give to your patients.  Maybe it is because the message is not being received that The Lord God keeps repeating it.  The Bible keeps telling us that deliverance is coming.  It also repeatedly says, “Repent, the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

  

THE WORD OF GOD CAME TO JOHN THE BAPTIZER AND TO US

Proclamation:

“… The Word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.  He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: ‘A voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way for The Lord …’”  Luke 3:2-4 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by Luke, the physician and frequent travelling companion of the Apostle Paul.  In this chapter Luke presents the beginning of ministry of John, the baptizer.  Luke identifies the time period by naming the leaders who were ruling at the time. (Luke 3:1-2)  Then he states that when The Word of God came to John while he was in the wilderness, that he got busy working for The Lord. (Luke 3:3)  His message was clear, “Repent, the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 3:2)  Luke noted that John’s preaching in the wilderness fulfilled the prophesy which was written by the prophet Isaiah. (Isaiah 40:3)  John not only baptized people but he also told them what they must do to produce good fruit in keeping with repentance. (Luke 3:7-14)  Many thought that he was the Messiah but he made it clear that he was not Him. (Luke 3:15-17)  Luke ends this chapter by recounting the lineage or genealogy of Jesus, The Christ, back to David, and continuing back to Abraham, and then all the way back to Adam.

Application:

Unfortunately, today too many believers are just “bench members” in church.  We pray when we get up, when we go to bed, and before we eat, and we attend worship services on Sunday.  The Lord God has kingdom building work for each of us to do.  Who did we share The Word of God with this past week?  What good work did we do that men might see and give God glory? (Matthew 5:16)  The Lord God has given each one of us a gift (1 Corinthians 12:7-11) which we are to use for His glory.  When The Word of God came to John, the baptizer, he got busy working for The Lord.  What did you do when The Word of God came to you?  Kingdom building is not just for preachers, all of us have work to do.