After increased suffering, unanswered questions, and growing discouragement, God reassured Moses that His covenant promises had not failed. Lord Will Show Power, reminded him that He had heard the cries of His people, remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would soon display His mighty power. Though Moses felt inadequate and questioned his ability to lead, God was preparing to accomplish redemption through him. Exodus 6 reveals a timeless truth: God does not call the qualified—He empowers the called.
God’s Covenant, Obedience, Trust, Faith, Redemption, Bloodline of Promise, God’s Mighty Hand, Called for a Purpose
📖 Exodus 6:1 (NIV)
“6 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.”
After Pharaoh increased the Israelites’ burdens, Moses found himself discouraged and questioning God’s plan. The people were suffering more than before, and even they refused to listen because of their despair. Yet at the very moment Moses felt weakest, God reminded him that redemption was never dependent upon human strength. God’s covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob remained secure. The Lord was preparing to demonstrate His power through imperfect servants, proving that He does not call the qualified—He empowers those He calls.
📖 Exodus 6:2-3 (NIV)
“2 God also said to Moses, “I am the Lord. 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty,[a] but by my name the Lord[b] I did not make myself fully known to them.”
The chapter opens with God’s direct response to Moses’ frustration:
“Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh.”
The focus immediately shifts away from Moses’ weakness and onto God’s power.
Pharaoh may appear strong, but the Lord’s mighty hand is stronger.
The deliverance of Israel will not happen because of Moses’ abilities.
It will happen because God has decided to act.
📖 Exodus 6:4-5 (NIV)
“4 I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners. 5 Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant.”
God reminds Moses of His covenant promises.
“I am the Lord.”
The Lord had appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and established an everlasting covenant with them.
He had promised:
A people
A land
A future
A blessing
Now God declares that He has heard the groaning of His people.
“I have remembered my covenant.”
God had not forgotten.
The suffering of Israel did not cancel the covenant.
The delay did not mean abandonment.
God’s redemption plan was moving according to His perfect timing.
📖 Exodus 6:6–8 (NIV)
” 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. 7 I 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. 8 And 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.’”
God gives one of the most powerful declarations in Scripture:
“I am the Lord.”
Then He announces a series of promises:
I will bring you out
I will free you
I will redeem you
I will take you as my people
I will be your God
I will bring you to the land
I will give it to you
These promises rest entirely upon God’s faithfulness.
Redemption begins with God.
Salvation belongs to the Lord.
The covenant bloodline tied to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob remains under God’s protection and blessing.
📖 Exodus 6:9-12 (NIV)
“9 Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labor.”
“10 Then the Lord said to Moses, 11 “Go, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his country.”
“12 But Moses said to the Lord, “If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips[c]?”
Moses faithfully delivered God’s message.
Yet the people did not listen.
“Because of their discouragement and harsh labor.”
Their suffering had become so overwhelming that they could not receive words of hope.
Many believers experience similar seasons.
Pain can make God’s promises difficult to see.
Yet God’s promises remain true even when human hearts struggle to believe them.
📖 Exodus 6:28-30 (NIV)
“28 Now when the Lord spoke to Moses in Egypt, 29 he said to him, “I am the Lord. Tell Pharaoh king of Egypt everything I tell you.”
“30 But Moses said to the Lord, “Since I speak with faltering lips, why would Pharaoh listen to me?”
God again instructs Moses to speak to Pharaoh.
Moses immediately focuses on his weakness:
“Why would Pharaoh listen to me?”
He still sees himself as inadequate.
He still sees his faltering speech.
But God continues calling him.
The Lord never argues with Moses about his limitations.
Instead, God continually points back to His own authority and power.
God’s work depends on God’s strength.
📖 Exodus 6:13,18,20,26,27 (NIV)
“13 Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron about the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he commanded them to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.”
“18The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. Kohath lived 133 years.”
“20 Amram married his father’s sister Jochebed, who bore him Aaron and Moses. Amram lived 137 years.”
“26 It was this Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said, “Bring the Israelites out of Egypt by their divisions.” 27 They were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing the Israelites out of Egypt—this same Moses and Aaron.”
At first glance, the genealogy may seem out of place.
Yet it serves an important purpose.
The listing of Aaron and Moses connects them directly to the covenant family of Israel.
Their calling is not random.
God is working through the family line He promised to bless.
This genealogy reminds readers that redemption is tied to God’s covenant faithfulness across generations.
The same God who called Abraham is now sending Moses.
Throughout this chapter, Moses repeatedly points to his weaknesses.
God repeatedly points to His promises.
Moses sees obstacles.
God sees deliverance.
Moses sees Pharaoh.
God sees redemption.
The lesson is clear:
God does not choose people because they are perfect.
He empowers imperfect people to accomplish His perfect purposes.
God’s covenant promises remain secure even during difficult seasons.
Discouragement does not cancel God’s plan.
God’s power is greater than any earthly ruler.
Redemption begins with God’s initiative.
Faith grows when we focus on God’s promises instead of our limitations.
God often uses imperfect people to accomplish extraordinary things.
God’s timing is always connected to His covenant purposes.
The Lord empowers those He calls.
Exodus 6 stands as a powerful reminder that God’s promises do not depend upon human ability. Moses doubted himself, the Israelites were discouraged, and Pharaoh remained stubborn. Yet none of these obstacles could stop God’s redemption plan.
The Lord had made a covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and He intended to fulfill every promise. Through His mighty hand, He would redeem His people and bring them into the land He had sworn to give them.
When God’s people feel weak, discouraged, or unqualified, Exodus 6 reminds us that the Lord still says:
“Now you will see what I will do.”
God empowers the called, fulfills His covenant, and accomplishes His redemption through His strength, not ours.
