Moses is struggling. He has obeyed God, yet Pharaoh has not only refused to let the Israelites go but has actually made things worse for God’s people. Now, the people are angry with Moses and blaming him for their problems.

Moses’ complaint to God covers all of this, ending with the plaintive, “you have not rescued your people at all,” which betrays his lack of understanding of the Lord’s purposes.

God’s answer shows us his purpose. It is not only his plan to free his people, but also to make sure that Moses, the Israelites and even Pharaoh come to understand his power, his sovereignty and his nature.

If it had been too easy – if Pharaoh had just let the people go at Moses’ request – then future generations would perhaps have believed that their deliverance was because of Moses. Instead, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart until deliverance was impossible, and then did the impossible so that all generations would know that the Lord is the only one who delivers and saves. There would be no doubt that the Israelites had been delivered by God’s almighty hand, and nothing and nobody else.

This is a moment in history. God is declaring a fulfilment of his promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and a move towards a new kind of relationship with his people. He is about to seal this declaration with a display of sovereignty and power that is still remembered and spoken about today.

Moses wanted an easy path to walk, but God wanted to display his power. If we are bold enough to ask the Lord to display his power in our lives, our churches and our communities, are we also bold enough to turn our backs on the easy paths?

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NEWBOLD COMMUNITY CHURCH