Theme of the Week: Exodus
Bible Verse: “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. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.” Exodus 3:7-8
Scripture Reading: Exodus 3:7-22
Few things in life can have as significant an impact as being seen and heard—in both the literal and figurative sense. Whether it is by mom and dad when you are on the diving board for the first time, in a school play, or by a friend or significant other to whom you have bared your soul and in response, they look you in the eye and say, “I see you.” Or perhaps they hug you. Being seen, understood, known for who you are, what you do or don’t have to give, the things you have done in the past, or the things done to you. It is security to be seen and heard.
This is what God tells Moses from the bush. He has seen, heard, and perhaps most significantly, intends to act.
Of course, if we have read the story, we know that God sees. He saw Hagar when she was alone, running away from the abuse of Sarai (see Genesis 16). And when God saw her, He acted. He gave her direction and hope for the future of her unborn child. A child she would name Ishmael, which means God hears. In Hagar’s story, we are introduced to the God who sees and hears, so when God tells Moses that He has seen the suffering of His people and listened to their cry for justice, it may have surprised Moses, but it does not surprise us.
There is something else to consider here, and we have to know the story of Moses for it to make sense. Though Moses had stood up for his people, albeit in a less than moral way, he had run away. He had not been with his people for 40 years. He knew they were mistreated. But he had not been there to see it or hear it. Moses had left.
God’s statement to Moses that He saw and heard the cries of the people may have landed like a heavy hand on Moses’s conscience. It is perhaps part of the reason that Moses did not want to go back, to be the one to lead the people out. He had abandoned his people and had not shared in their plight, which brings us back to being seen and heard. Moses’s past and present were no mystery to God. God chose Moses in all his brokenness, doubt, and mistake-filled path, just as Jesus would choose Saul thousands of years later despite his horrific past.
God sees; God hears; God cares. We can rest securely in the fact that our God sees us.
Prayer: God who sees me, thank you that nothing is hidden from your sight. I confess that sometimes I hide from myself and foolishly think I am hiding from you too. Thank you that you see me, hear me, and love me. Amen.
Reflection: What part of your life do you need to know God sees and still cares? Is there someone to whom you can be the eyes and ears of God to let them know they are seen, heard, and loved?
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