God Renews His Promise
(Exodus 6:1 - 7:7)
Moses had just come from his first meeting with Pharaoh. It had gone terribly. Pharaoh refused, made the Israelites' work harder, the people blamed Moses, and Moses was left crying out to God in frustration. It was one of the lowest moments in the entire story.
Then God spoke.
He did not scold Moses. He did not lecture him. He spoke a word of power and promise: "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh. For with a strong hand he will let them go, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land."
Then God reminded Moses of something deep. He said, "I am the LORD." He had appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but now He was making Himself known by His covenant name, the LORD. This was not a new God or a new plan. This was the same God who had made unbreakable promises to the fathers, and He had not forgotten a single word.
God then spoke the most beautiful rescue promise in the Old Testament. He said to Moses: "I will bring you out from under the burdens of Egypt. I will deliver you from slavery. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and great acts of judgment. I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God. And I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."
Four great promises: bring out, deliver, redeem, take as His people. Notice what every single one of them has in common. The subject is always God. God does the bringing. God does the delivering. God does the redeeming. God does the taking. Israel had nothing to offer. They were broken, exhausted, and barely able to listen. Their salvation would come entirely from what God did, not from what they could do.
Moses told the people, but "they did not listen to Moses because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery." So God told Moses to go back to Pharaoh. Moses still felt inadequate. "Even the Israelites won't listen to me," he said. "How will Pharaoh listen to me?" But God was patient. He gave Moses and Aaron specific instructions and sent them together. Aaron was eighty-three years old. Moses was eighty. Two old men, armed with nothing but God's word, heading to the throne room of the most powerful nation on earth.
A Curious Question
Every single one of God's promises in this passage starts with the words "I will." God never said, "If you work hard enough, I will consider rescuing you." Why do you think God made the rescue entirely His own job instead of asking Israel to earn their freedom?
Jesus Connection
The four promises of Exodus 6 are the clearest picture of grace over human effort in the entire Old Testament. God did not say, "Try harder and maybe I will help." He said, "I will bring you out. I will deliver you. I will redeem you. I will take you as my people." Every verb belongs to God. Israel contributed nothing except their desperate need.
The word "redeem" is the key. To redeem something means to pay the price to buy it back from slavery. God was not just going to help Israel escape. He was going to pay a price on their behalf. This points us straight to Jesus, who is called our Redeemer throughout the New Testament. We are all born enslaved to sin. We cannot buy our own freedom. We cannot be good enough or try hard enough. Jesus paid the full price on the cross, not because we earned it, but because God made the same kind of promise He made in Egypt: I will bring you out. I will deliver you. I will redeem you. I will take you as my people. That promise is now fulfilled completely in Christ.
Discussion Questions
- The Israelites could not even hear God's good news because they were crushed by their suffering. Has there ever been a time when you were so sad or worried that good news felt hard to believe? What helped you start to trust again?
- God said "I will bring you out, I will deliver you, I will redeem you, I will take you as my people." Count all the things God promised to do. What does it mean that God did all the work in this rescue, not Israel?
- Moses was eighty years old and still felt like he was not the right person for the job. What does it tell us about God that He keeps sending Moses back even after every doubt and every setback?
"So What?" What Can I Do?
This week, memorize the four "I will" promises from Exodus 6:6-7 and say them as a prayer: "Lord, You promised to bring me out, to deliver me, to redeem me, and to take me as Your own. I believe Your promises are true." Write the four words, bring out, deliver, redeem, and take, on your hand or a sticky note where you will see them. Every time you doubt that God is working, read them and remember: the rescue belongs to God, not to you.
Memorize God's Word
Exodus 6:6: "I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm."
Hand Motions:
- "I will bring you out": Reach forward with both hands as if grabbing someone's wrists, then pull them toward you.
- "from under the burdens of the Egyptians": Crouch slightly with shoulders hunched as if under a heavy weight, then stand tall.
- "and I will deliver you from slavery": Hold both wrists together as if bound, then open them wide and lift your arms free.
- "and I will redeem you": Cross both hands over your heart, then open them outward with palms up, as if giving a great gift.
- "with an outstretched arm": Stretch one arm out strong and steady, palm forward, fingers pointing up.
Praying with Kids
Dear Father, thank You that You never gave up on Moses, even when he was confused and afraid. Thank You that You never gave up on Israel, even when they were too crushed to listen to good news. And thank You that You have never given up on us. Your promises say "I will," not "if you will." Help us to rest in what You have already done for us through Jesus, our great Redeemer. In His name, amen.
Craft: The Four Promise Bracelet
This wearable craft helps children carry God's four great rescue promises with them as a daily reminder that their salvation is entirely His work.
Materials Checklist:
How to Make the Bracelet:- Choose Your Colors: Assign one color bead to each of God's four promises. For example: blue for "bring out," red for "deliver," gold for "redeem," and green for "take as my people."
- Thread the Beads: Help children thread the four colored beads onto their cord in order, spacing them evenly. If letter beads are available, add a "GOD" or cross bead in the center.
- Tie the Bracelet: Tie the ends of the cord together to fit the child's wrist. Help younger children tie a double knot.
- Review the Promises: Before the children put their bracelets on, have them hold up one finger for each promise as you say them together: bring out, deliver, redeem, take as His people.
- Send It Home: Encourage children to tell one family member the four promises when they get home.
Effective Teaching Techniques
The theological heartbeat of this lesson is the shift from "you must earn it" to "God will do it." You can set this up right at the start with a simple illustration. Put a stack of ten books on a table and tell the class: "Imagine these books represent all the good things you would have to do to be free from sin. How many could you manage?" Let a few kids try to lift them. Then say: "Jesus came and took the whole stack. That is what Exodus 6 is showing us about God." This physical image makes the theology stick.
When you read the four "I will" promises, have the children count them on their fingers. Say each one slowly and have the class repeat it. Then ask: "Who is doing the work in each of these promises?" The answer is always God. This repetition plants the seed that salvation is entirely God's initiative, not a reward for human performance.
For younger children, simplify to one big truth: "God says I will, not you must." Draw a simple balance scale on a whiteboard. Put "our good works" on one side and "God's promise" on the other. Show how God's promise is infinitely heavier. For older children, ask: "If God does all the rescuing, what does that do to our pride? What does it do to our fear?" This opens a rich conversation about both humility and confidence in Christ.