As the Israelites were in slavery in the land of Egypt and Moses and Aaron stood before Pharaoh for the very first time, they announced the message, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness’” (Exodus 5:1). Pharaoh not only refused their request (Exodus 5:2) but also made the Israelites’ labor far more intense (Exodus 5:4-15). When Moses and Aaron first came to the Israelites, they believed that they would be set free (Exodus 4:31). On the contrary, when Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh, the Israelites were placed under greater labor, grief, suffering, and sorrow. In the midst of their great difficulty and trial, the Israelites blamed Moses for this tragic turn of events (Exodus 5:20-21). With great doubt in his heart and many questions running through his mind, Moses brought the situation to God (Exodus 5:22-23). What God pointed out to Moses is something that we need to remember today when we experience trials of various kinds.
God reminded Moses that He is the God of Israel’s past (Exodus 6:2-4). He was the one who appeared to their fathers. He was the one who established a covenant with them. If God had been with them in the past, He was not going to give up on them in the present. When we go through trials, we need to remember all the times that God has been with us in the past. Has God been with you through the trials and pain of your past? Can you think of situations in your past that you would not have conquered if God had not been with you? If God has been with you through all the trials of your past, do you really think that He is going to give up on you now? God is the God of your past.
God also reminded Moses that He is the God of Israel’s present (Exodus 6:5). In the present time, when the Israelites groaned because of the intense work that they had to do, God heard them. When they cried for help in the midst of their grief and pain, God saw them. When they felt as if God had left them and was no longer interested in them, He was still by their side. When we go through trials, we need to remember that God hears, sees, and promises to be with us even in the most difficult of moments. Do you take the time to pray to Him or to think about His abiding presence? God is the God of our present.
As God finished speaking to Moses, He closed by reminding him that He is the God of Israel’s future (Exodus 6:6-8). God made several promises to Moses that center on a blessed future for Israel. God promised Israel that He would bring them out of the burden of their slavery, take them as His people, and bring them to the land that He promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. When we go through trials, we need to remember what God has promised for our future. God has promised to work everything together for good, if we love Him and are a part of the called (Romans 8:28). God has promised us an eternal home that cannot even be compared with the sufferings of the present time (Romans 8:18), if we choose to remain faithful to Him (Revelation 2:10). Do you ever reflect on God’s great and precious promises (2 Peter 1:4)? Do you allow them to alter the way that you view life? God, through His promises, is the God of our future.
Do you want to triumph over the trials that you are dealing with right now? Here is a good place to start: learn to trust the God of your past, present, and future.
-Tyler Alverson
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