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Forty years is quite a long time. Moses spent forty years faithfully shepherding the flock of his father- in-law, Jethro. Forty years spent in the quiet isolation of the desert. Forty years to think ... to think about what might have been!

Were those long and lonely years as barren to Moses as the barrenness of so much of the land which he was passing through? There may have been times, many times, when he felt that such was the case. Yet, he had become aware of the development of a different perspective. The particular perspective which came into much sharper focus as he stood there on Mt. Horeb -- the mount of God!

He began to grasp the fact that during all the times of solitude and apparent silence, there was One who had been continually at work in him ... imperceptibly, most of the time. Yet now it was far more real to him! This One had been correcting him, teaching, and instructing him ... disciplining him, so that he became aware of a real difference in himself. He was actually changed!

Moses stood on Mt. Horeb, attracted by the burning bush. The Lord knew that He had effectively brought His servant to this crucial moment. He knew that Moses was ready, even if Moses himself did not fully comprehend all that the Lord was seeking to do! There, Moses heard the Lord speak to him. In speaking, He revealed the astonishing dimensions concerning God's involvement in the situation which so greatly concerned Moses.

God did see! God did hear! God did know! God did care! God was moving in power! He was committed to do all that He knew needed to be done!

The Lord revealed to him that He had chosen Moses to be His instrument to effectively accomplish His purpose -- the same Moses! He had tried once! Tried, and utterly failed. The Lord assured Moses that he would not fail this time. He would be under the Lord's direction, not impetuously acting on impulse. He would be carrying out God's plan, not his own hastily conceived schemes. He would be acting under God's authority and power, not his own. In all He revealed, the Lord gave to His servant Moses the assurance that this time there would not be any failure.

"And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is My name for ever, and this is My memorial unto all generations." (v. 15)

"And God said!" It is of the greatest importance that we notice the significance of this development. The Lord had already spoken to Moses. In verse six He had specifically identified Himself: "I AM the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob."

Why this repetition? First, it is a mistake to think that once the Lord has spoken on a particular issue, He then falls silent as though He has nothing to say which would reiterate or reinforce His Word.

There are too many Christians who live by the assumption that that is the way it is: God has spoken, and there is nothing more than that. The actual reality is: God has spoken! God continues to speak! God will continue to speak ... to be heard by all who continue to listen to Him.

He has spoken to reveal TRUTH! He continues to speak to enable us to understand and apply the TRUTH which He has spoken, even as He continues to speak to expand, deepen and develop our comprehension of the TRUTH.

God will continue to speak because of the infinite and eternal dimensions of His Word ... dimensions which we will never be able to fully explore or utterly comprehend. Therefore, we need to continually listen to the Lord as He re-affirms His Word to us.

Also, there is the expansion of the audience. Verse six was directed to Moses personally. In this verse Moses is instructed to share this Word of God with all of the people of Israel.

The entire nation needed this assurance: The LORD! The God of the Covenant confirmed to them that He was on the move to deliver them from bondage.

Moses is clearly reminded of the fact that it is God who sends. Earlier he had intervened on his own initiative. He had acted impetuously, foolishly, only to be made aware of his own futility.

But, not now! The people of Israel needed to know that the Covenant God is personally involved! He Himself is acting in sovereign authority and almighty power. Now Moses is a man under orders from the Lord!

Previously the Israelites had responded to the intervention of Moses with the challenge: "Who made thee a prince and a judge over us?" (Exodus 2: 14) Moses was unable to answer their challenge then. Now, however, he had the answer! It was the only answer he would ever need. "Who has made me the messenger of God's intervention and deliverance? God Himself!" He could declare that fact with total confidence.

He had heard God speaking to him in the place of prayer ... standing in the most holy place ... so completely and personally conscious of the awesome presence and holiness of the Eternal God! It was there that deep heart conviction was made so clear: God Himself was sending him!

The reality of this personal awareness of the involvement of God is inextricably tied to the place of true prayer! Today, it is still only in the place of prayer where our hearts and minds are one with the Lord, that we can know we have this assurance. Here we are able to receive clear guidance and direction as to His will and purpose.

Moses now knew! To have been in the Holy Place with the Lord was to stand humbly and yet boldly confident! All that was true for Moses is equally true for the Christian today. We can know, without any doubt, that we have stood in the Holy Place with the Lord. We know with humble, bold confidence His will and plan!

God never changes! Moses, remember that fact as you go out to fulfill the commission which He has given to you. Always hold this reality central in your thinking.

Why was this important? Moses would discover so soon that the call of God on his life would be severely tested. He would inevitable experience opposition and rejection. A wide variety of developments would throw his mind into perplexity and turmoil.

All that Moses would experience, the Christian must also expect to experience. In all such moments of trial, this fact will be the sure anchor for your faith: "This is My Name forever!" Count on it! Hold on to it in faith! Stand on it with tenacity!

Moses, when the storms of trial engulf you, remember ... faith in this Word of assurance guarantees that all you will have to endure will never be able to touch the peace of mind which this truth gives to you.

The Word of assurance ... received in the place of prayer. This is still our assurance today, to be claimed in faith in the place of prayer: "Be careful (full of care, anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (stand guard over) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4: 6, 7).

"Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt." (v.16)

There is a most vital principle which is revealed here. The Lord had drawn Moses to Himself in the place of prayer with the purpose of revealing Himself and His will to His servant. But, the inspiration and blessing which flowed to Moses in that exciting experience was not for Moses alone!

"Go, and gather the elders of Israel together!" All that Moses was experiencing of the personal presence and involvement of the Lord was to be shared with the elders. The assurance that the Lord did see all that touched their lives. The Lord did hear. The Lord was responding. He was coming down to them!

The mature Christian who has learned the secret of entering into the dynamic experience of true prayer understands this. The Word he hears, and the blessings he experiences, are not for him alone. They are to be shared. It is a mark of immaturity, even carnality, to think otherwise. Yet some do respond as though God was treating them as His special favorites.

All God seeks to do, He seeks to do for all! Everything He wants to say, He wants all to hear. All need to see... to hear ... to know! The Lord Jesus told His disciples, "Teaching them to observe ALL things whatsoever I have commanded you" (Matthew 28: 20).

Paul wrote to Timothy, "The things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also" (2 Timothy 2: 2). Notice this crucial progression. The thrilling truth is passed on ... from Paul to Timothy ... then to faithful men. To others also!

This is the way the Lord intends it to be today. If we break the progression, we are withholding from those who need to hear the Word which the Lord commands us to share. Many lives will be the poorer as a direct result.

Also, if we fail to share His Word with others, we so quickly discover that the Lord stops sharing His Word with us! He will not continue to bless the selfishness which ignores the needs of others.

The Lord was expressing a most dynamic promise in these words -- a glorious assurance! Moses had every right to go to the Israelites and tell them, "I am coming to you from a most vital encounter with the Lord in the place of prayer. The Word which I share with you is His Word spoken to assure you."

His previous attempts to intervene had failed. He did not, could not, state the confidence of a man coming from the personal presence of the Lord. He had to rely on his own feelings and vague hopes.

Now ... what a difference! He had personally met with the Lord! The Lord had spoken so clearly, so decisively to him. It was none other than the Lord who had appointed him to go to the Israelites. The Lord assured His servant that this fact would make all the difference. He knew that he could act with strong confidence as he held to that promise.

Again, this aspect of the experience of Moses should be the experience of every Christian. It will become more personally real as we discipline ourselves to meet with the Lord in the place of prayer... being committed to humbly, sincerely seek to know Him and His will.

He will not turn any sincere seeker aside. He will respond. He will speak. He will guide. He will inspire our confidence as He assures us of His will. As His people, He wants us to have all we need to enable us to press on in His will ... confident in His Word of assurance.

Moses was standing in the presence of the Lord. He was open to the Lord and thus able to hear the Lord speak these words which the children of Israel so obviously needed to hear. They had endured so much suffering, anguish, and heartache over many long years. How often they must have felt that no one was taking any notice ... that no one cared.

But in these words, God was assuring both Moses and His people: "In and throughout all you have suffered - I have surely visited you! You may have been utterly unaware of My presence and My involvement, yet all the while, I have been with you! I am with you!"

"I have seen all that has been done to you. None of your anguish has escaped My attention. No aspect of the agony which you have had to endure has gone unnoticed.” This revelation from the Lord, given through Moses, would come as the most thrilling inspiration to the suffering people of God -- which is just what the Lord intended.

Think of the implications of these developments. As we share in the place of prayer with the Lord, we give to Him the opportunity to share with us the amazing depth of His concern. Not only for us, but also for those for whom we pray. He enables us to go to them and, speaking with assurance, encourage them: "Never forget, God is with you! He does see! He does know! Even though you may be unaware of His presence or His involvement, He has faithfully maintained His loving vigil on your life!"

He does see! Always! He does hear! Always! He never stops caring! He wants us all to stand strong on His Word of assurance.

It is in the place of prayer that He is able to bring us to a deeper fuller realization of the greatness and the depth of His love and concern for all those for whom we pray.

"And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey." (v. 17)

This is the strong Word of assurance which the Lord gave to Moses. His personal intention was to let the elders of the people of Israel know that He had committed Himself to a specific action which He guarantees to carry through in power. "I WILL!"

How we need to notice certain details of this revelation which the Lord was making in the place of prayer. First, He was emphasizing: This is My Word! I Myself have spoken it! He wanted His servant and His people to know that He had spoken His Word in power and authority. His Word! That is always such an essential key. His Word is His absolute guarantee.

"I WILL!" This declaration is so very definite ... so gloriously specific! When it comes to the Word which the Lord speaks to us, it is never "Maybe!" Or "Perhaps!" God does not deal in vague possibilities!

"I WILL!" Every promise of God to His people today is expressed with equal emphasis. It is specific and definite! He wants His people to always count on that fact ... to discipline themselves to rely on it in the place of prayer.

Moses was honest enough to acknowledge, "All that I could say was, 'I will try!' I did try and I failed! " That is man's experience. Man at best can promise, "I will try." God guarantees: "I WILL!"

Moses had personally witnessed the depth of the affliction of the Israelites. He had been so deeply moved by all he had seen. He made the decision to step in and save his people. He tried, and failed. The personal awareness of his futile attempt continued to live with him. It was common knowledge that he had tried, and failed, to save the Israelites! As the result, he was compelled to flee to save his own life! In all of the following years he carried the stigma of his failure, his futility.

Now, in the place of prayer, the man who failed hears the Word of God: "I will bring you up out of the affliction!"

Just because man fails, does not mean that it cannot be done. Even if the best of men motivated by the best of intentions try and fail, that fact in no way limits God's ability to do everything He says He will do!

"Is anything too hard for the LORD?" In the place of prayer we are taught to adjust our thinking about the things which we have decided are "too hard!" We learn to no longer measure them by what man may be able to do. We begin to see them in a new light -- what the Lord can do!

"With God all things are possible!" The Israelites may have been held in the most cruel, the harshest bondage by the Egyptians. They may have been reduced to abject slavery. They may have become completely convinced that there was no hope. None! Nothing and no one could help them.

Into such darkness God speaks His enlightening Word, "Lift up your eyes. Look beyond man. Realize that “I AM” is still on the throne! “I AM” still wields the absolute authority and the almighty power!"

When God says, "I WILL bring you up out of the affliction," He means it! He will do it. He cannot and He will not fail!

This is the vital reality which is expressed in every promise of the Lord. When God says: "I WILL!" The one who prays in faith joyfully responds: “Our God means exactly what He says! HE WILL!”

It is thus that the promises are claimed! Experienced! All doubt and uncertainty dies in the face of such glorious assurance.

This was the Lord's assurance -- from the land of severe bondage to the land of glorious plenty! From the place of great suffering to the place of the most gracious covenant. From the most humiliating affliction to such wonderful affirmation!

God reminded His people of the covenant which He had entered into with Abraham. "Unto a land that I will show thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing" (Genesis 12: 1, 2).

The passing of those many long and bitter years had not changed one word of the Lord's commitment to the covenant. Yes, there had been failure, human failure. There had been many defeats, such as those which Moses had endured. Affliction and suffering had been the lot of the Israelites, but none of these developments had changed God's commitment to His Word of Covenant. God Himself had not changed! God has not changed!

His commitment to the new covenant which He has established in and through the Lord Jesus Christ stands unchanged and unchanging! Each new day He seeks to remind us, His people, of the reality that every blessing of the new covenant is ours to claim ... to experience ... to live every aspect of the covenant, waiting on us to claim in and through the prayer of faith. He has "blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ" (Ephesians 1: 3).

Listen again as He speaks His gracious Word of assurance to those who share with Him in the place of prayer: "I will bring you into the fullness of the blessing!" He encourages us to confidently claim the fullness of His commitment. He will not fail!

As Moses listened to the Word of the Lord, he would remember those events of the much earlier time. The time when he attempted to intervene. Then he heard one of his Hebrew "brothers" say, "Who made thee a prince and a judge over us?" (Exodus 2: 14) They certainly did not listen to Moses then. Yet, he heard the Lord giving him the assurance: "Now, they will listen to you!" What could possibly bring about such a dramatic change of attitude in them?

Very simply -- the fact that the Lord was personally involved with His servant. Moses would be acting under the orders of the Lord, and not on his own initiative. The initiative had been grasped by God! "Now, I am on the move! I intend to use you, Moses, to achieve my goals! This fact ensures that they will listen to you!"

This is still God's method of effectively accomplishing His work today. In the situation involving Moses, we have illustrated the most vital principles of what it means to be used by the Lord. First, He must be "LORD!" -- in actual reality. When He is in sovereign control, and we are humbly submissive to Him and His Word, then, He is Lord! This relationship gives to Him the opportunity to use us to do things which we could never do on our own.

It becomes quite obvious that in the years which followed there were many times when the Israelites resisted the leadership of Moses. In fact, there were times of open opposition and rejection of his God-appointed position. Moses was not slow in learning the answer to such problems: faithfully do everything the Lord instructed him to do. In each case, the negative reactions to his leadership were overcome. At times, the Israelites subjected themselves to very severe chastisement, but they were made to listen!

The fact that at times a great cost was demanded by God, should come as a personal challenge to us. Are we really listening to all the Lord is seeking to say to us? Are we responding in the way which honors Him?

"And thou shalt come … unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, the LORD God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God."

This was the plan of the Lord, most interesting in its instruction concerning approaching this pagan king. Notice the strong emphasis placed on: "The LORD, God of the Hebrews!" They were to express this to Pharaoh, who believed that he himself was a "god!" A "god" who obviously had these Hebrew people exactly where he wanted them! What kind of God could this One -- "the LORD, God of the Hebrews" -- be?

There may have been some who would want to suggest that there could be a better way of achieving their goals. There was no better way! There could be no better way than God's way! The LORD God was personally identifying Himself to this pagan king. In doing so, He was openly challenging everything that this mere man represented! God knew exactly what He was doing!

These were His people. He was insisting, based on the authority of His own Name, that they be let go. Let man do as he pleased. No matter who he was or thought he was, he would not be able to resist the power and authority of the Name of the LORD.

How God's people today need to continually remember this spiritual reality. Daily claiming it in the place of prayer. "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8: 31)

This spiritual principle clearly confirmed the power and effectiveness of the prayer of faith. God has spoken. He assures us: "So shall My Word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it" (Isaiah 55: 11).

"And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand. And I will stretch out My hand, and smite Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in the midst thereof; and after that he will let you go." (v v. 19, 20)

Moses was listening to the Lord as he heard the Lord command him to go and confront Pharaoh. He was to demand that the king of Egypt let the people of Israel go.

Then the Lord warned Moses: "Do not take success for granted! Yes, the Lord is sending you. Yes, He will be with you. But, you need to know that you will face an antagonist who will prove to be very determined in his resistance."

God knew! "I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go!" Somehow Moses later forgot that warning. In the same way, we as Christians all too often forget so many of the warnings which the Lord gives to us.

It is for this reason that the Lord Jesus challenges us: "Count the cost! Remember, you are facing a determined and a dangerous foe! One who will not give in easily, who is determined to oppose your every attempt to honor the Lord ... wanting to thwart your every move ... countering every step. You must go, yes ... but as you go, remember you are going out into truceless warfare!

"Not by a mighty hand, Moses. Pharaoh will use all his resources to oppose you. All his great power and authority will be committed against you. Do not under- estimate his will to crush your efforts!"

How we need such a reminder. Our battle is against "the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places!" They are determined to defeat every aspect of our loyal service for the Lord. Remember that fact!

Yes, the king of Egypt does have "a mighty hand!" In response the Lord says, "I will stretch out My hand!" Put the two "hands" side by side, and "the mighty hand" of Pharaoh becomes so obviously utterly puny and ineffective!

The king of Egypt will oppose. The Lords says, in the opposition, Pharaoh will bring on himself and his people terrible retribution, but "I will smite Egypt with all My wonders!"

Moses heard the Word of the Lord revealing that the coming contest would not be equal. It could not be equal. Pharaoh and all the might of Egypt were nothing compared to the glorious power of the Lord.

What a dramatic illustration of our highly privileged position! Yes, we do face inevitable conflict. The enemy which we face is both mighty and determined. He will use every weapon at his disposal in his resolve to destroy us. But: "IF GOD BE FOR US, WHO CAN BE AGAINST US?" (Romans 8:31) "In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us" (Romans 8:37).

The Lord graciously revealed all of this to Moses. Yet there was to come a time when Moses forgot both the warning and the promise. The effect was seen in him becoming distressed and disturbed by the opposition which he had to face. The Lord in grace reminded him of His Word! The Lord added: "Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh!" (Exodus 6: 1)

As Christians, the majority of our problems and perplexities come when we forget either the warnings or the promises of the Lord, or both! He ever seeks so graciously to draw us back into the place of prayer so that He can reveal to us once again the fullness of both His Word of warning and His Word of promise.

"And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty." (v. 21)

Humanly speaking, every aspect of the promise of the Lord to Moses appeared to be impossible. It was impossible -- to Moses! It was impossible -- to the Israelites. There can be no doubt about that fact. Yet, notice once again the key aspect of this promise: The Lord says, "I will give you!" "I will give this people favor." God did not suggest to Moses, "You have to do that!" He was not telling the Israelites, "That is one thing I expect you to accomplish." He said, "I will do it!"

Give the Israelites favor with the Egyptians? Mere human opinion would answer, "That will never happen." The Egyptians despised the Hebrew people. They continually, relentlessly abused them. Treated them as dirt ... or less! Give such favor? God says, "I will do it!" This Word of assurance is the only factor which counts! Even as it is the one factor which makes all the difference. Never let us forget this fact. All that the Lord seeks to accomplish today is utterly impossible -- to us! Yet, "With God, all things are possible!"

"I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians!" We demand to know how? "Lord, how will you do that?" His answer is simple. The "how?" is not your concern. You have only one concern: “Believe My Word!" You have the promise of God. Claim His promise in the prayer of faith!

Every promise which God gives, He gives with the absolute guarantee that He will honor that promise. Even as He reminds us that the key to claiming the performance of the promise is through the prayer of faith.

This is God's perfect method of transforming the impossible into the possible. When God says, "I will!" and faith claims His Word, that which appears most completely impossible is brought well within our reach!

Compare this with the earlier experience of Moses. He was convinced that he had the God-given responsibility to deliver his people from Egypt. He had attempted to do so, relying on his own judgment and resources. He failed. Moses was forced to flee from Egypt -- with nothing!

God has assured His servant: "My way will work!" Come into the place of prayer to hear the Word of the Lord. In His Word God reveals His way of doing His work. Then ... go and do God's work God's way! Apply that principle, and both you and this people will be abundantly blessed.

This is such a vital spiritual principle. Recognize the fact that we are called to do ... God's work! Because it is God's work, we must so highly value our time spent with God in the place of prayer. With the Lord, in the place of prayer, we are able to hear His Word of guidance. His directions as to how we are to do His work His way.

Then, having received His Word of guidance in the place of prayer, apply it. Do His work ... His way. By faithfully applying all aspects of His Word, His gracious and glorious provision is fully guaranteed to all those who will in simple faith follow these steps.

The Hebrew people were abused and afflicted ... reviled and despised. Yet, God knew! God in love and power moved to make a difference. In answer to the prayer of faith, those same people would be delivered and provided for in glorious abundance! Impossible? Yes! -- to man! But not to God!

God had spoken to Moses, and Moses met with Him in the place of prayer! The Lord assured His servant, "I will do it! I WILL!"