Daily Devotion, May 13, 2020

Devotion:

Read Exodus 3:1-10.

Let’s stand beside Moses in this experience. What would we have seen and heard? Dr. Walter Brueggemann says to hear loud and clear (with hope) the verbs here which the voice of the Lord speaks. These same verbs which are in Exodus 2 are repeated here in Exodus 3. “I have seen the misery…I have heard them crying…I am concerned (or know) about their suffering.”

Dr. Brueggemann says there is a fourth verb here in Exodus 3 which is not paralleled in Exodus 2 and this verb phrase “decisively advances the action: ‘I have come down’ (vs.8) God not only knows, but God is now physically mobilized to be present in the midst of trouble. These action words articulate Israel’s understanding of God in the Old Testament and continue in the incarnation of Christ---God has ‘come down’ into human history. The verb phrase ‘come down’ is followed by two other verbs of enormous power: ‘deliver, and bring up.’” 

This God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob rescues those who are oppressed! Psalm 107 in The Living Bible has declarative sentences within it which are repeated in various ways. As in Psalm 107:13 which says,“Then they cried out to the Lord in their troubles, and he rescued them!”

We serve the living God who sees, hears, knows, comes down and rescues those who are oppressed. God’s ears and eyes are not closed. God cares and God will rescue! These are definitely words of hope! This living God is a God of relationship! And this living God is a God of presence!

Jesus knew this relationship well as he often referred to God as Heavenly Father and began the prayer he taught his disciples to pray with, “Our Father which art in heaven….” Jesus knew that his heavenly Father is the God who comes down and rescues all who are oppressed! That’s great news!

Personal Worship Option:

 A contemporary Christian song titled “Song of Hope (Heaven come down)“ written and sung by the Robbie Seay Band has as its chorus lyrics, “I will sing a song of hope sing along, God of heaven come down, heaven come down, Just to know that You are near is enough, God of heaven come down, Heaven come down!” We have the assurance God has come down and is with us, always! Amen.