We are in chapter six of Exodus. If you remember God is answering Moses who is struggling with why things are worse instead of better all because they did what God told them to do. Our word is one of the three things God says he will be doing: bringing them up out of the burdens of the Egyptians, delivering them from slavery, and redeeming them. Let’s look at our word for today. יָצָא come or go out, bring out, come or go forth, proceed, come forward, lead out. It is used 1,061 times in the Old Testament, five times in our chapter. Let’s look at all of these. Exodus 6:6-7 Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will וְהוֹצֵאתִ֣י bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has הַמּוֹצִ֣יא brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. Exodus 6:13 But the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them a charge about the people of Israel and about Pharaoh king of Egypt: to לְהוֹצִ֥יא bring the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt. Exodus 6:26-27 These are the Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said: “הוֹצִ֜יאוּBring out the people of Israel from the land of Egypt by their hosts.” It was they who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt about לְהוֹצִ֥יאbringing out the people of Israel from Egypt, this Moses and this Aaron. This is a lot of emphasis God is placing on bringing out from underneath the burden of Egypt repeating it five times in just one chapter. This is who God is he lifts or brings us out from underneath our burdens. Psalm 25:17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged; הוֹצִיאֵֽנִיbring me out of my distresses. Psalm 107:28 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he יוֹצִיאֵֽם brought them out of their distress. Psalm 136:10-12 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, for his steadfast love endures forever; and וַיּוֹצֵ֣א brought Israel out from among them, for his steadfast love endures forever; with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his steadfast love endures forever.
I’ll close with this great promise from Jesus’ words about being weighed down with the challenges of life. Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
