Great Is Your Faithfulness

I recently visited the story of Moses in Exodus. One of the things I love most about the book of Exodus is that it’s so full of blatant expressions of God’s power. From sending plague after plague throughout a nation, to parting an ocean, to raining down manna from heaven, God’s power and his faithfulness to his people are undeniable. As I read I noticed a pattern of God asserting his authority. He sought Moses, spoke to him, and laid the tremendous call before him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. But Moses, consumed by fear and doubt, did not want to do what the Lord asked of him. Multiple times God proceeded to show Moses his power and command him to go, promising to be with him and to deliver his people out of Egypt. But Moses continued to refuse God’s command, and the word says that the anger of the Lord was kindled towards Moses—rightfully so, as all authority belongs to him, and he most certainly has the right to tell us what to do. 

But God was patient. Eventually after “negotiating” with God, Moses traveled to Egypt with specific instructions from the Lord in what to do and say. I read of God casting plagues over the people and the land of Egypt, as God continued to instruct Moses’ words. But Pharaoh’s heart was continually hardened under God’s authority, just as he told Moses it would be, and Pharaoh continued to disobey God. I read through the first plague of God turning the Nile River into blood, and through the second plague of God bringing frogs up to cover the land, and the third and fourth plagues of gnats and flies covering the houses of the Egyptians. I was amazed in a fresh way at the sheer power of God, and at the righteous judgment he could pour out against those who disobeyed him. 

After four plagues, and after even Pharaoh’s magicians recognized God’s authority, Pharaoh asked Moses to plead with God on his behalf. I suddenly came to the verse that struck me: “So Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord. And the Lord did as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one remained” (Exodus 8:30–31). I reread the beginning of verse 31 multiple times, “The Lord did what Moses asked.” ‬ God listened to Moses. The previous chapters had been full of God instructing, asking, and commanding. He is God—he has the right to call the shots and owes us nothing. Who is Moses, to ask of God? Moses hadn’t even listened to God or trusted him in the way he should have. But God listened to Moses. Not only did God do as Moses asked, he did it in full—not even one fly remained. 

I was amazed at a second pattern throughout the book of Exodus: God’s faithfulness to his people. There was nothing that Moses did in his own power or authority to earn God’s ear. Instead, God chose Moses. God revealed his beautiful character of love and faithfulness to his people through his pursuit of Moses. God saved Moses from Pharaoh’s command that he and all Hebrew baby boys be killed. God’s favor was evident when the Princess found Moses in a basket in the river and decided to raise him as a son. When Moses grew and left Egypt, God didn’t lose sight of him. God sought Moses and called him by name to be God’s mouthpiece and lead his people out of Egypt. Even in the midst of Moses’ doubt, when God was more than enough to do what he promised He would, God allowed Moses to take his brother Aaron to do the talking that Moses was afraid to do. When Moses prayed and asked of God, God chose to answer his request, despite Moses’ displays of disobedience, doubt, and weakness along the way. God is faithful.

God has promised his faithfulness to those who belong to him, and his covenant and promises to his people will not be broken. We who are in Christ are his people. We share in the unearned favor and faithfulness from God that was displayed to Moses and the people of Israel. And how much more certain for us, being bought with the blood of Jesus? We know that Jesus has broken the dividing wall of hostility that our disobedience created, paying for it on the cross. We now have an open invitation to approach the throne of God with confidence and make our requests known to him. We have the ear of the all-powerful and most high God, and the promise of his faithfulness to us. We can trust in this promise, knowing he will never break it. Our Savior is interceding, we’re sealed with the guarantee of the Holy Spirit, and our Father is listening. Let’s ask of God with assurance, knowing that we belong to him.