"When God Says 'I Am'"
(Exodus 5–24)
Moses stood before Pharaoh, the most powerful man on earth, and said the impossible:
“Let my people go.”
But Pharaoh scoffed. “Who is the LORD that I should obey him?”
Instead of release, the Hebrew slaves faced heavier burdens. Brick quotas increased. Straw was withheld. The people turned on Moses, and Moses cried out to God.
But God hadn’t forgotten His promise. He reminded Moses:
“I am the LORD. I will bring you out with a mighty hand. You will be My people, and I will be your God.”
Then came the showdown between heaven and empire.
Plague after plague struck Egypt.
— The Nile turned to blood.
— Frogs filled the land.
— Gnats, then flies.
— Disease struck livestock.
— Boils, hail, locusts, and darkness.
Each plague wasn’t random—it was a direct hit against Egypt’s gods. Yahweh was declaring: “There is no one like Me.”
Still, Pharaoh’s heart hardened.
Then came the final blow: the death of every firstborn. But God made a way for Israel to be spared. A lamb, unblemished, was slain. Its blood painted on doorposts. That night, death passed over every house covered by the blood.
It was Passover—and the night of deliverance.
With cries echoing across Egypt, Pharaoh finally relented. The Israelites, now millions strong, left in haste. But Pharaoh’s regret turned to rage, and he pursued them to the Red Sea.
Trapped between the water and the Egyptian army, the people panicked. But Moses lifted his staff, the sea split, and Israel walked through on dry ground. Pharaoh followed—and the waters collapsed. The might of Egypt drowned behind them.
Freedom had come.
The people sang. Moses’ sister Miriam danced. Their God had triumphed gloriously.
But freedom would test their hearts.
In the wilderness, water ran short. Food was scarce. The people grumbled. But God provided—sweet water from bitter springs, manna from heaven, quail in the evening, and water from a rock. He was teaching them to trust.
Then came Mount Sinai.
Thunder. Lightning. A trembling mountain wrapped in smoke. God descended in fire. The people were terrified. Moses went up. And there, God spoke not just with power—but with purpose.
He gave them the Ten Commandments, His covenant with His people. Not laws for slavery, but principles for freedom—a new way to be human:
This was more than a moral code. It was an invitation into covenant relationship—God would dwell with them, and they would represent Him to the world.
The people trembled and said, “We will do everything the Lord has said.”
Moses built an altar. Sacrifices were made. Blood was sprinkled—on the altar, and on the people. A covenant sealed.
Then Moses, Aaron, and seventy elders saw God and ate a meal in His presence. Heaven touched earth. The God who brought them out of Egypt was now bringing them into something greater—a holy nation, a kingdom of priests, set apart to reflect His glory.
From chains to covenant, from the brick pits of Egypt to the blazing glory of Sinai, this is the story of a God who not only sets His people free—but calls them His own.
The God who delivers is also the God who dwells.
