Compassionate Action     Exo. 2:23-3:10, 19-20     March 07, 2010

Introduction

     Can you tell when someone really cares? I do not like phonies, nor do I appreciate someone who talks about doing, but never does what he/she talks about. All of us have failed to follow through on occasions but that should be the exception and not the rule. God has demonstrated His concern in ways that ought to convince anyone of His love and Compassionate Action.

1.  Compassionate Action Expressed As God . . Listens. 2:23-25

      A.  God Listens To The . . Cry Of His People. 2:23:24a

               23 After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned because of

           their difficult labor, and they cried out; and their cry for help ascended to

           God because of the difficult labor. 24 So God heard their groaning,

      B.  God Listens To The . . Covenant He Made With His People. 2:24b - 25

“. . . and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

           25 God saw the Israelites, and He took notice.

We can be sure God listens, and that He listens with a compassionate ear. Why did He take so

long to answer? Could God have answered sooner? We can only guess, or suggest answers, but it would appear God wanted His people to get in the frame of mind where He could accomplish with them what was best for them and history. Did the people cry out to God earlier? Did they cry out in the same way? The text tells us God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I don’t believe God forgot His covenant but there were two parts to it. The reason they were in captivity boils down to their not keeping the covenant. Perhaps they began to remember God’s covenant after these years of confinement.

2.  Compassionate Action Expressed As God . . Leads. 3:1-6

      A.  God Leads As He Impresses Moses To . . Heed His Call. 3:1-3

1 Meanwhile Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.

           2 Then the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire within a bush. As Moses

           looked, he saw that the bush was on fire but was not consumed.

           3 So Moses thought: I must go over and look at this remarkable sight. Why isn't the bush

           burning up?

      B.  God Leads As He Impresses Moses With The . . Holiness Of His Call. 3:4-5

4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called out to him from the bush, "Moses, Moses!" "Here I am," he answered.

           5 "Do not come closer," He said. "Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you

           are standing is holy ground."

     What will God do if He wants to get your attention? Anything He wants to do! I have read that a bush bursts into flames out on the dessert on many occasions. The fact that this bush burned and did not become consumed caused Moses to turn aside and see what caused this phenomena. God used the action to get Moses attention and then God spoke to him out of the bush.. Note after God got his attention He impressed on him the awareness of this being holy ground and a holy occasion. You might ask if anyone has a holy place where he/she regularly have a place of devotion with God. I do believe today’s generation may be guilty of being rather flippant about the place and style of worship.

3.  Compassionate Action Expressed As God . . Liberates. 3:6-10

      A.  God Liberates from His . . Omnipotence. 3:6

               6 Then He continued, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the

           God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Moses hid his face because he was afraid

           to look at God.

      B.  God Liberates from His . . Observation. 3:7-8

7 Then the Lord said, "I have observed the misery of My people in Egypt, and have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I know about their sufferings.

           8 I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and to bring them

           from that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the

           territory of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.           

      C.  God Liberates from Pharaoh’s . . Oppression. 3:9-10

9 The Israelites' cry for help has come to Me, and I have also seen the way the Egyptians

           are oppressing them.

           10 Therefore, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh so that you may lead My people,

           the Israelites, out of Egypt."

     How did God liberate His people from bondage? He did it through His omnipotence power. God made a fresh observation of what the Egyptians were doing and decided it was enough. In His power He planed to end the oppression of Pharaoh. God planned to do His work of deliverance by using Moses as His leader. 

4.  Compassionate Action Expressed As God . . Legislates. 3:19-20 

      A.  Legislates With A . . Strong Hand. 3:19

          19 "However, I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go, unless he

          is forced by a strong hand.

      B.  Legislates With A . . Stretched Out Hand. 3:20

          20 I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My miracles that I will

          perform in it. After that, he will let you go. HCSB

     The King of Egypt thought he was all powerful, but he had a rude awakening related to the children of Israel. God revealed His strong hand and the King eventually broke down and released God’s people. The stretched out hand of the Lord humbled Pharaoh. Everone of the plagues God sent affected some aspect of the Egyptian’s system of worship. God did this through His Compassionate Action. Amen? Amen!