In the last message we covered two of the positive aspects of God’s further training: God’s name and God’s covenant. Hence, in this message we begin with God’s word of assurance.
God assured Moses that the children of Israel would be delivered out of the Egyptian bondage (6:1, 6-7; 7:5). This was a word of assurance, which is different from a word of promise. As God was assuring Moses, it seems He was saying, “Moses, forget the people’s unbelief, forget Pharaoh, and forget the condition of your lips. But be impressed with My word of assurance. I am Jehovah, and I remember the covenant which I have established. According to My covenant, I will surely deliver the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt. Moses, believe this word of assurance and care for it. I assure you My chosen people will be delivered.”
In 6:7 the Lord said, “I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God.” Here God assured Moses that He would take the children of Israel to Him for a people and that He would be a God to them. The Lord did not want Moses to tell Him how bad the people were or how they refused to hearken to his word. Instead, He wanted Moses to believe and to declare that the children of Israel were the best people on earth. The Lord loved them; they were His special treasure.
If we had been Moses, we probably would have argued with the Lord about His people. We might have said, “Lord, don’t take them to You for a people. I can testify from my experience that they are not good at all. Probably I am the only one who is obedient to You.” No matter how the people seemed in the eyes of Moses, God was assuring Moses that they were His chosen people. In His eyes, they were excellent.
In verse 7 the Lord also said, “And ye shall know that I am Jehovah your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians” (Heb.). The Lord would do whatever was necessary to cause the children of Israel to know that He was Jehovah, their God. To assure Moses of this, He repeated again and again the words, “I am Jehovah.”
Furthermore, the Lord assured Moses that He would make the children of Israel His armies (6:26; 7:4). This means that He would use them to fight the battle for Him. What a word of assurance this was!
Finally, in 6:8 the Lord said, “I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did lift up my hand to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it to you for a possession: I am Jehovah” (Heb.). The Lord did not want to hear any complaint concerning His chosen people. He would take them to Him for a people. He would make them His armies, and He would bring them into the good land as He had promised. This was God’s word of assurance to Moses.
Naturally speaking, what Moses said to the Lord regarding the children of Israel and regarding Pharaoh was true. But God did not believe the situation. Instead, He believed in Himself, in His covenant, and in His word of assurance. He also believed in what His mighty hand was able to accomplish. Eventually, God did make the children of Israel His armies. Look at what happened at the conquest of Jericho. As the children of Israel were marching around that city, the angels in heaven must have been rejoicing to see the army God had gained for the defeat of His enemy. Because God believed in what He was able to do, He paid no attention to the outward situation concerning the unbelief of His people and the stubbornness of Pharaoh.
The Lord’s word of assurance to Moses should be an encouragement to us in the Lord’s recovery. Some say that it is impossible to have the recovery of the church life today. However, if the recovery of the church life is not possible, then the Lord Jesus has no way to come back. For the sake of His coming back, He needs the church to be built up. Only the church built up according to the Lord’s desire can be the stepping stone into the age of the kingdom. In Matthew 16:18 the Lord said, “I will build My church.” Therefore, we believe that it is altogether possible to have the recovery of the proper church life today. We have the Lord’s promise and His word of assurance.
We need to be reminded that the Lord’s recovery did not originate with us. What we are doing in the recovery today is not according to our plan; it is according to the Lord’s covenant and His word of assurance. The Lord Jesus said that He would build His church. This is taking place today, not according to our plan, but according to the Lord’s word. Do not believe the environment or the circumstances— believe God’s word of assurance. If you are sent by the Lord to a particular place for the church life, do not believe the negative things in the environment. Instead, hearken to the Lord and pay attention to His word of assurance. We all need training in these matters.