making the scriptures plain

Jesus has taken on many roles for our sakes. Apart from being one of the members of the trinity that forms the Godhead, He is the angel of God. And most importantly for us, He is the Son of Man.

Since the fall of mankind, God the Father has not often spoken to us directly, but rather through His Son. Even during Jesus’ earthly ministry, God the Father rarely spoke to mankind. Jesus told the Jews that they had never heard the Father's voice. John tells us that it is Jesus Christ who declares God the Father.

The Son may speak God’s message directly to one of His prophets, in His role as Michael the Archangel. Or the Son may pass on the message to one of His angels to relay it to His prophet. In either case communication from God to man is from the Father to Jesus the Son, from Jesus to His angel, from His angel to His prophet.

Therefore the I AM that sent Moses to the children of Israel was Jesus. He reminded Moses that He was the God of Moses’ forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And He told Moses that He was going to rescue the children of Israel from their oppressors the Egyptians, who had enslaved them. He called Himself Yahweh, the Redeemer of Israel, who would free them with a powerful arm and great acts of judgment.

Even today He is ready to redeem us too, just as long as we are willing. With the yearning of a pining suitor, Jesus aches for us to turn to Him, to love Him and to acknowledge Him as our Lord. He claims us as His very own people. He wants to be our one and only God.

Repeatedly, Jesus told Moses that ‘I am the Lord’. In fact it seems that the reason for the plagues, the reason for the mysterious lack of plagues in Goshen, is not so much to persuade Pharaoh to free the Hebrews as to show that He is the Lord. He instructs the Hebrews to tell their children and grandchildren about how He made a mockery of the Egyptians and about the signs He displayed, just so they would know that He is the Lord.

He executed judgment against all the gods of Egypt to show He is Lord. He hardened Pharaoh’s heart so that he chased after the children of Israel, to display His glory and let the Egyptians know that He is Lord. Clearly Jesus wants everyone to know that He is Lord!

It is Jesus that went before the Israelites in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. He is the angel of God. He is the Lord who will heal His obedient people. He is the Lord who will provide food to His people. He is the Lord who delivered the ten commandments to Moses. He is the Lord of the Old Testament.

And He is a merciful Lord and an intimate Lord. He will help those who have fallen on hard times. He wanted to live among the children of Israel.

To remember that He is Lord, the One who makes His people holy, He instructed the children of Israel to keep His Sabbath day, for the Sabbath, He says in Exodus, is a sign of the covenant between Him and His people for ever.

In Exodus we see God, in the person of Jesus the Son, forming the nation that He had promised to Abraham. This nation of Israel was to be nurtured and lead by God. And it was to be the means He would use to teach His ways to the entire world.

I am the God of thy father

Exo.3.6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

Exo.3.8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

I AM hath sent me unto you

Exo.3.14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

I will bring you out

Exo.6.2 And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD:
Exo.6.6 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:

I will take you to me for a people

Exo.6.7 And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
Exo.6.8 And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD.
Exo.6.29 That the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, I am the LORD: speak thou unto Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say unto thee.

I am the LORD

Exo.7.5 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.
Exo.7.17 Thus saith the LORD, In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.

The land of Goshen

In the ears of thy son

Exo.10.2 And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am the LORD.

I will pass through the land

Exo.12.12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.

I will harden Pharaoh's heart

Exo.14.4 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. And they did so.
Exo.14.18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen

Give ear to his commandments

Exo.15.26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.

At even ye shall eat flesh

Exo.16.12 I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.

Out of the house of bondage

Exo.20.2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

Wherein shall he sleep?

Exo.22.27 For that is his covering only, it is his raiment for his skin: wherein shall he sleep? and it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious.

I may dwell among them

Exo.29.46 And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the LORD their God.

My sabbaths ye shall keep

Exo.31.13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you.