World English Bible
- The LORD said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh, for by a strong hand he shall let them go, and by a strong hand he shall 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 was not known to them.
- I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their travels, in which they lived as aliens.
- Moreover I have heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered my covenant.
- Therefore tell the children of Israel, ’I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments.
- I will take you to myself for a people. I will be your God; and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
- I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it to you for a heritage: I am the LORD.’”
- Moses spoke so to the children of Israel, but they didn’t listen to Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.
- The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
- “Go in, speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.”
- Moses spoke before the LORD, saying, “Behold, the children of Israel haven’t listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me, when I have uncircumcised lips?”
- The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, and gave them a command to the children of Israel, and to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.
- These are the heads of their fathers’ houses. The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi; these are the families of Reuben.
- The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the families of Simeon.
- These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari; and the years of the life of Levi were one hundred thirty-seven years.
- The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei, according to their families.
- The sons of Kohath: Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel; and the years of the life of Kohath were one hundred thirty-three years.
- The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their generations.
- Amram took Jochebed his father’s sister to himself as wife; and she bore him Aaron and Moses. The years of the life of Amram were one hundred thirty-seven years.
- The sons of Izhar: Korah, and Nepheg, and Zichri.
- The sons of Uzziel: Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.
- Aaron took Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab, the sister of Nahshon, as his wife; and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
- The sons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph; these are the families of the Korahites.
- Eleazar Aaron’s son took one of the daughters of Putiel as his wife; and she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites according to their families.
- These are that Aaron and Moses to whom the LORD said, “Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies.”
- These are those who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt. These are that Moses and Aaron.
- On the day when the LORD spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt,
- The LORD said to Moses, “I am the LORD. Tell Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I tell you.”
- Moses said before the LORD, “Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh listen to me?”
Exodus 6:6-7 (English Standard Version)
“Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the LORD, and I will
bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians…I will take you to
be my people, and I will be your God…’”
After the pressure and frustration we encountered yesterday in chapter 5—when Pharaoh hardened his heart and intensified oppression—chapter 6 opens with reassurance from God Himself. Moses, discouraged and questioning, needs divine affirmation; and God provides this by declaring His name again as “Yahweh,” the covenantal, faithful God who will fulfill every promise.
Indeed, Exodus 6 pivots on a powerful revelation. In verses 3-5, God says He appeared to Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as “God Almighty” (El Shaddai), but now reveals Himself intimately as “the LORD” (Hebrew: YHWH or Yahweh). This is profound. The patriarchs knew God primarily as the Covenant Maker and Power Provider (“El Shaddai”), but the generation of Moses would come to know Him intimately as Covenant Keeper—the personal, present, powerful “I AM.” God’s name, Yahweh, indicates personal closeness, active engagement, and steadfast commitment.
When we read the short genealogy that appears in Exodus 6:14-25, we might tend to skim over these verses. But pause a moment: genealogies served crucial historical and theological purposes. They anchor the narrative within history, giving Israelites confidence and confirming God’s enduring promise to their ancestors. These verses aren’t simply dry details; they are rich evidence of God’s meticulous faithfulness across generations, a reality deeply valued in the ancient Near Eastern culture that treasured genealogical continuity.
Western readers often overlook how deeply meaningful and intentional these genealogies were. To a Hebrew reader, recounting ancestral lineage was sacred—it demonstrated continuity, divine oversight, and legitimacy. This genealogy effectively establishes Aaron and Moses as divinely chosen leaders, descendants of Levi, granting them rightful authority and credibility among the tribes.
Moreover, the repetition of God’s covenant promises (“I will redeem,” “I will bring you out,” “I will take you as my people”) stands out beautifully in Hebrew poetic structure. These promises use powerful language of redemption (ga’al), implying personal relationship and familial protection—echoing language used later in Ruth’s redemption by Boaz. God’s deliverance is not impersonal and detached; it’s intimate, redeeming His people as family.
Exodus 6 confronts our temptation to lose heart when God appears silent or inactive. The Israelites could hardly listen to Moses because of anguish and harsh slavery (v. 9). Yet, God patiently restates His promises, reminding us His timing and methods often differ from our human expectations. Augustine and later John Calvin both wrote extensively about the providence and sovereignty of God, especially when human hope falters. Calvin specifically encouraged believers to gaze more deeply into God’s revealed character rather than externally visible obstacles.
We, like Israel, must choose either to trust circumstances or trust the faithfulness expressed in God’s name: “I AM the LORD.” His declarations remain foundational for faith even when the fulfillment seems distant or impossible.
To meditate further on the patient, covenant faithfulness of God, reflect on the beautiful and stirring hymn “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” by Thomas Chisholm. Its thoughtful lyrics and calming melody remind us vividly that God’s mercies, compassion, and promises never fail us.
How quick we are to forget God’s steadfast faithfulness in times of discouragement! No obstacle—not Pharaoh’s power, not human stubbornness, not past disappointments—can ever negate the sovereignty and faithfulness of our covenant-keeping God. As discussions in previous devotionals have shown, our struggles never diminish the surety of God’s promises.
Take a moment today: Are you discouraged because the promises of God seem distant or unrealistic amid your current struggles? Pause and reflect that the same Yahweh Who patiently reassured Moses and enacted deliverance from Pharaoh will faithfully fulfill His promises to you. He has never failed; He never will.
Heavenly Father, Yahweh, Covenant Keeper and Redeemer,
Forgive my weary heart when circumstances lead me to doubting.
Strengthen my faith through Your unchanging character and faithful
promises. Grant me the courage of Moses, the patience of Your servants
through generations, and the confidence to trust You beyond what my eyes
can see. Thank You for calling me Your own, redeemed and beloved by Your
sovereign grace. In Christ’s victorious name I come. Amen.