Concerned

DEVOTION

EXODUS

CONCERNED

Ex 3:7-10

7 The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey — the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt."

NIV

From this text it would seem that God just now became concerned about the children of Israel. That after all the years of the harsh treatment from the Egyptians, he now has heard their moaning and groaning, their outcry because of their pain and suffering. But that cannot be the case. God does not ever leave us nor forsake us.

Deut 31:8

8 The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

NIV

Although he said this to them sometime after their rescue from the hand of the Egyptians, God is God and he does not change. Therefor since he created Adam and Eve he has been with his people, his creation. We could say this might only apply to his chosen people, the Israelites. The rest of creation is on their own, without his oversight, having been forsaken, given over to their depraved minds. The discussion regarding this concept is complete within the letter to the Romans, however just this portion shows us this might be true in a sense.

Rom 1:28

28 Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.

NIV

Although he turned them over to their own depraved minds, it does not mean he forsake them, forgot all about them, even though they forgot all about him. This is what appears to have happen to the children of Israel for those many years in Egypt. It appears they had forsaken God during the good times, but after being so long in the bad times, they remembered to cry to God for help. He was there all along waiting to hear them call upon him. Some might say God had this all planned from the get go. That man, the children of Israel, had no choice in the matter so that he could demonstrate his power to deliver, showing the world his grace through sending his Son to be our deliverer. There is a huge difference between predetermined and foreknowledge. He surely knows how everything is going to happen, but he does allow his creation to act on their own, even if they make mistakes. So Israel makes a mistake and forgets about God until things get really bad, then he acts on their behalf, he comes down to provide their deliverance. This might appear as God is reactive rather than active. In some sense that is true, he does respond to our prayers. He does desire for us to ask him anything in the name of Jesus. He does answer when we call upon him. But this is the way he decided to interact with us. It was his decision and his alone to create all things that are created including us. He designed our very being, our inner most parts. He did this for the purpose to have fellowship with us. To be our God and we to be his people. Yet he allows his people the ability to choose to ignore him. When they do, he simply gives them over to their own choices, but when we call upon him, he is there to answer our call. He never left, he never forsakes us, and he always is willing to answer our call. He has always been concerned about the children of Israel, and he is always concerned about us. His willingness to allow us to wander off on our own also shows his concern for us. No matter what we do, he does not become unconcerned about us, forsaking us to our own matters. But when we forget about him, we do not call upon his name, we do not want or care about him. Yet his concern is shown in that somehow he reminds us of his love. In those days he used various methods, today he has sent his Spirit to convict mankind of their need of a Deliverer, a Savior. He wants all men to call upon his name. He is concerned about all his creation. Through this life of Moses, he shows us how he provides for our redemption, our deliverance from the bondage of sin. As the children of Israel were in bondage, so were we, but God was concerned about them, and he has been and will continue to be concerned about us.