The Long Journey Home: ‘Ears that Hear and Eyes that See’

During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God.  And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.

Exodus 2:23-25

We are following the story of God’s rescue plan for humanity as it unfolds through the narrative of the Bible. Previously we looked at the unique covenant that God enters into with Abraham. A covenant in which Abraham and his descendants are the recipients of all the blessings or benefits and God takes on all the responsibility. He does this because He knows that Abraham is unable to live up to the terms. God mercifully shoulders the responsibility for Abraham and subsequently for those like Abraham who place their faith in Him. Jump forward roughly 500-600 years and we find Abraham’s descendants stuck in slavery in Egypt. This is the backdrop of the story of Moses and God’s rescue of His people from slavery to Pharoah. Many are familiar with the story from the 1956 film starring Charleton Heston “The Ten Commandments” or the more recently produced Disney animated film “Prince of Egypt” in 1998. Both films tell the story of the people of Israel found in the book of Exodus. What many may not realize is that the rescue of Israel from slavery to Egypt presents us with a picture parallel to the bigger story of God’s rescue of humanity enslaved to sin. There are numerous correlations that can be made which display the heart of God for His people and the nature of His delivering work and the life that follows for His rescued people.

And it is at the beginning of this epic story that we read the verse posted above. And it provides profound encouragement to the one who listens to it.  In these verses you have a people who are enslaved and under an intense amount of pressure. And in their desperate situation they begin to cry for help. And we are told that God hears, remembers, sees and knows. These four verbs are a profound reminder that the God who created us, who we have often held at arm’s length, is not a distant God. He is not an unconcerned or indifferent God. Many people have tried to paint the God of the Bible as too distant to care or bother with the details of our lives. But this verse presents us with a far different reality. And for the one who is groaning under the difficulties of this life, this verse brings a comfort and solace to know that your groans do not go unnoticed. And in view of what God has promised Himself He sees and knows. So if today you are in a place needing rescue…you are not alone. You have only to cry for help and your creator who hears and sees and knows will offer rescue through faith in Him. It’s a rescue provided through His promise, His provision and His work. Exodus 14:14 says The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” There is a rescue available to the one willing to look to The Rescuer who hears, remembers, sees and knows. But to receive His rescue you’ll have to be silent. In other words you’ll have to be willing to listen, stop trying to be your own rescuer, and put your life in His hands.

(Aaron Gesch is pastor of Basin First Baptist Church.)