Key Verses: Exodus 6:6, 6:7, 6:9
The LORD reassures Moses that Pharaoh will indeed be forced by a strong hand to let the people go. God solemnly declares, “I am the LORD,” and reminds Moses that He appeared to the patriarchs as God Almighty (El Shaddai) but was not fully known to them by His name YHWH. He affirms His covenant and gives a series of magnificent “I will” promises: I will bring you out, I will deliver you, I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and I will bring you into the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Moses relays this to the people, but they do not listen because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery. The LORD then commands Moses to go to Pharaoh, and Moses objects again that he is of uncircumcised lips. The chapter records the genealogy of Reuben, Simeon, and especially Levi, tracing the line to Amram and Jochebed, the parents of Aaron and Moses, and establishing the priestly and prophetic credentials of the two brothers whom God has appointed to lead Israel out.
At the heart of this chapter stands the sevenfold “I will” of redemption, an unbreakable chain of divine commitment grounded entirely in God’s character and covenant rather than in Israel’s worthiness or response. The refrain “I am the LORD” anchors the promises in God’s self-existent, faithful being revealed at the bush, assuring the people that the One who is will surely accomplish what He has spoken. The covenant formula “I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God” is the golden thread of the entire Bible, reaching its consummation in Christ and in the new heavens and earth where God dwells with His people (Revelation 21:3). That the Israelites cannot hear the good news because of their crushed spirit is a sobering reminder that faith itself is a gift, and that redemption depends on God’s action, not human capacity to believe. The verb “redeem” evokes the kinsman-redeemer who pays the price to free his own, foreshadowing Christ who redeems us with the outstretched arm of the cross.
Key Terms & Words:
- גָּאַל (ga’al) - Exodus 6:6 - “Redeem”; the kinsman-redeemer who buys back his own, fulfilled in Christ’s redemption
- אֵל שַׁדַּי (El Shaddai) - Exodus 6:3 - “God Almighty”; the name by which the patriarchs knew God, now surpassed by the fuller revelation of YHWH
- בְּרִית (berit) - Exodus 6:5 - “Covenant”; the binding relationship God remembers and acts to fulfill
Cross-References:
- Revelation 21:3 - “They will be his people, and God himself will be with them,” the covenant formula consummated
- Titus 2:14 - Christ gave Himself to redeem us and purify a people for His own possession
- Jeremiah 31:33 - The new covenant restatement, “I will be their God, and they shall be my people”
- 1 Peter 1:18-19 - Redeemed not with silver or gold but with the precious blood of Christ
- Genesis 17:1 - God Almighty (El Shaddai) appears to Abraham, the earlier revelation now deepened
Discussion Questions:
- What do the sevenfold “I will” statements reveal about the basis and certainty of God’s redemption?
- The Israelites could not receive God’s promises because of their broken spirit; how does discouragement hinder your ability to trust God’s word, and where do you find hope?
- How does the Hebrew concept of redemption (ga’al), the kinsman-redeemer paying the price, illuminate what Christ has done for us?