As we go into chapter six we see right away God’s answer to Moses accusing him of allowing evil specifically Pharaoh’s evil of not just the continued oppression of slavery but now even harsher. They had to find their own straw to make bricks. God allowed things to get worse instead of delivering them out of slavery like he had promised. God answers with our word for today. רָאָה see, understand, spy, reveal, look at, examine, inspect, show. It is used 1,289 times in the Old Testament. We find our word used in the sense to perceive by sight or have the power of sight. Exodus 2:11-12 One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and וַיַּ֖רְאwatched them at their hard labor. He וַיַּרְא֙ saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. Looking this way and that and וַיַּ֖רְאseeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. Moses saw an Egyptian beating Hebrew and it bothered him. What Moses saw changed his life and directed him up to this point where he is struggling with what God is doing. Then later Moses sees again. Exodus 3:3-4 So Moses thought, “I will go over and וְאֶרְאֶ֔ה see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.” When the Lord וַיַּ֥רְא saw that he had gone over to לִרְא֑וֹת look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” Both of these events where Moses really looks at what is happening changed his life and directed him up to this point where he is struggling with what God is doing. And now as God answers Moses in his struggle is saying you haven't seen anything yet. You will see miraculous acts of judgement that have not ever been seen before. Let’s look at our word in our chapter today. Exodus 6:1-3 But the Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall תִרְאֶ֔ה see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.” God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself known to them.
In other words, you will see just how motivated Pharaoh will be to get the people out. He will do it with a strong hand and he will drive them out. You will also see what I will do. God says watch and see what I am going to do to Pharaoh. God then says he will do three things bring his people out of the burdens of the Egyptians, deliver them from slavery, and redeem them. So just when it seems like we can’t see God doing anything. He shows up in a big way. In fact, this way is so big that it hasn’t been done before to this scale up to this point. We will see that as we go through the Bible these miraculous acts of judgment will be referred to throughout the Bible at various times in history as evidence that God is in control and will accomplish good for his people at the right time.
I’ll close with this great encouragement for us Moses example of choosing to see things the way God sees them and follow God even when it takes a long time and is not easy. Hebrews 11:24-27 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.
