This is God's Will for Humanity

In Exodus 5, Moses is overwhelmed. He’s complaining to God, saying, “I can’t.” His words reflect frustration, insecurity, and disappointment. Pharaoh hasn’t changed, the Israelites are still suffering, and Moses is questioning everything. His focus has shifted inward: “I can't. You haven’t.” These are not words of faith.

But in Exodus 6, everything changes. God responds, not with frustration but with a powerful reminder: “I am.”

This chapter is not just a turning point for Moses. It’s a revelation of the very heart of the gospel. God declares what He’s about to do, and in doing so, shows us that His plan for salvation was never dependent on Moses’ strength. It was, and always will be, rooted in His sovereignty.

God’s Response: “I Am”
When Moses complains, God doesn’t reassure him with flattery or promises of easier circumstances. Instead, God redirects Moses’ gaze to who He is.

God tells Moses, “I revealed myself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty (El Shaddai), but to you and to Israel I reveal myself as ‘I Am that I Am.’”

This isn’t just a statement of identity. It’s a declaration of intent. God is about to act, not because Moses is ready or able, but because His will is already in motion.

He lays out His plan with clarity:

I will bring you out.
I will deliver you.
I will redeem you.
I will take you.
I will bring you in.

These promises are saturated with grace. They reveal that God’s plan is not built on human effort but on divine action. Moses and Israel are freed from the pressure of outcomes. God is taking ownership of the mission. Moses is invited to cooperate, not to carry the weight.

 A Foreshadowing of the Gospel
 What unfolds in Exodus 6:6-8 isn’t just a rescue mission from Egypt. It’s a preview of the greater rescue story to come. The structure of Israel’s salvation is a mirror of our salvation in Christ.

 God says:
 "I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God... I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord."

 Each of these statements echoes the gospel:
 
Deliverance from burdens and slavery speaks to our rescue from sin and death.
Redemption with an outstretched arm and great acts of judgment points forward to the cross.
Being made His people is fulfilled in the Church, where God calls us sons and daughters.
The promise of a new land anticipates our eternal home, the city whose architect and builder is God, as described in Hebrews 11.

The Gospel Seen in Exodus
 This passage sets the stage for how the entire Bible will point to Jesus. What God did for Israel in Egypt, He does for us through Christ.

 In Romans 6, we read that we were slaves to sin, and that through Christ, we have been set free.

Galatians 3:13-14 says, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us... so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.”

 The cross was God’s great act of judgment and redemption, foreshadowed by the plagues and the Passover in Egypt.

So, when God says, “I will redeem you with great acts of judgment,” it’s not just about Egypt. It’s about the Lamb of God, slain before the foundation of the world, stepping in to absorb the judgment we deserved.

 Moses’ Struggle, Our Struggle
 Despite God’s promises, Moses is still struggling. He’s looking at outcomes. He’s focused on what people think. He’s discouraged that things haven’t gone the way he imagined.
 But God reminds him, “I predetermined this long ago. Four hundred years ago, I told Abraham what would happen. None of this is a surprise.”

 Even so, Moses hesitates. He waffles. And we get it. We do the same. When opposition comes, we often shrink back. When the journey gets hard, we question whether we’re really called.

 Yet, God is patient. He reaffirms the charge to Moses and Aaron in Exodus 6:13, almost repeating what He said before. Why? Because that’s how we grow. In the process of walking with God, we often need to be reminded and re-commissioned. He doesn’t abandon us when we falter. He invites us back in.

 Joining What God Is Already Doing
 This story isn’t just about Israel. It’s about us. God is still working out His sovereign plan today.

 As Henry Blackaby once said in Experiencing God, “Find out what God is doing and get in on that.” What is He doing? He is fulfilling His predetermined will. People from every nation will gather around the throne and worship the Lamb.

 Through the Church, God is reaching the nations. As Romans 11 explains, there is a partial hardening of Israel until all the Gentiles have come in. God is orchestrating this through His providence and sovereignty.

 But here’s the challenge. Many of us hear this and still choose not to join in. We come, we listen, we’re stirred, but we stop short of participation. That’s a choice. A choice to resist. And when we resist, we miss out.

 We miss the joy of the journey. The goodness of being part of what God is doing. The beauty of knowing Him more deeply by walking in obedience.

 God’s Plan Is Still Unfolding
 Moses’ journey reminds us that God’s plan will move forward, whether or not we feel ready. His invitation is to join Him, not to perform for Him.

 He tells Moses, “I am.” Not “You must.” And in that truth is freedom. We don’t carry the mission. We follow the One who does. We cooperate with a plan that has been in motion since before time began.

 So don’t wait for everything to make sense. Don’t wait for fear to vanish. Join Him now. Step into what He’s doing. There’s joy in the obedience, purpose in the calling, and assurance in knowing that the outcomes don’t rest on us.

 God is moving. Let’s go with Him.



This blog is based on the message shared by Senior Pastor Dr. Roger Patterson at our CityRise West U campus on Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. Check out the full message below!