2God also said to Moses, “I am the Lord. 3I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty,a but by my name the Lordb I did not make myself fully known to them. 4I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners. 5Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant.
6“Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. 7I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. 8And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’ ”
9Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labor.
10Then the Lord said to Moses, 11“Go, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his country.”
12But Moses said to the Lord, “If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lipsc ?” (Exodus 6)
Thoughts: Moses witnessed to Pharaoh that there is a true God- the God of Israel. Pharaoh did not know or acknowledge God, so the plagues came to soften his heart. But Moses also witnessed to the people of Israel who seemed to have little faith. Though Moses felt he did not have the gifts of speaking (6:12), yet Moses words were very important.
Prayer: Lord, use me to speak to believers and non-believers about you. May my faltering words be used of you to make a difference and set the captives free.
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