Exodus 2:25
So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.
New Living Translation
He looked down on the people of Israel and knew it was time to act.
God reveals Himself to us in an accommodative way. That means that He deliberately uses language and examples that we would identify with and understand. If God doesn’t accommodate us, we would never understand Him nor appreciate Him.
God’s accommodation of human beings unless understood, will cause misinterpretation of the entire Bible. The Bible as the word of God is one evidence of God accommodating us. God chose human writers to write His message in human language. God’s message in the story of a community of Israelites. God does this not because He couldn’t do better but He does it to accommodate us.
The Birth of Jesus was another accommodation. This we could understand. He was born like us. Lived like us. Experienced what we experienced. Then He suffered, died, and was resurrected. This blew us away as we were mesmerized at what love this was. Jesus would have come straight and died for us. But we would consider Him a stranger and would not appreciate the love He expressed. Therefore to accommodate us, God took that route.
To further accommodate us, God uses language that can’t be applied literally but expresses how we relate with God. God refers to Himself as a husband and His people as His wife. This is not literal in the husband and wife sense, but it does help us understand how we relate to God. God also uses the language of God the Father and God the Son. This is not literal but a language that seeks to accommodate us to understand God. Without that understanding of accommodation, we would start thinking of God having a wife in heaven and Jesus being a biological son. We would also start thinking that Jesus is inferior to God the Father and that the Godhead or trinity has a hierarchy. These basics of theology make a difference. Revelation is accommodative!
In our text today, Israelites are suffering as slaves in Egypt. They cry to God. The good news is that God hears their cry. But in addition to that, is a comforting message that God is concerned about the suffering. This is accommodative language. To be concerned means you have now realized that things are serious. God cannot now realize because He ever knows everything. To be concerned means you are actively searching for a solution. God does not search for a solution, God knows the solution. To be concerned has a degree of helplessness as one realizes things are serious and help must be sought. God cannot be helpless. Therefore the language in our text today is totally accommodative revelation!
The New Living Translation version of the English Bible which is one of the many excellent paraphrases expresses this concept in a nice way. It says that God knew it is time to act. It has a concept of a person who was waiting for a signal on when to act and now the signal has come and it’s time to act. God does not need a signal in order to know when to act. God is omniscient and with or without a signal, He knows when to act. Therefore to tell us that God knew it is time to act, is to use accommodative language, so that we appreciate how God responded to the cry of the suffering Israelites. This is still an accommodative revelation!
We worship a God who gets concerned. We worship a God who knows it is time to act. God is concerned about our grades in school. God is concerned about our piling homework. God is concerned about our body aches and regular indisposition. God is concerned about our weight that is too low or going up. God is concerned about our low income and high expenses. God is concerned about our prayer-less life. God is seriously concerned that we avoid worship with all flimsy excuses. God is concerned and He knows that it is time He acts before things get worse!
We worship a concerned God. That should be comforting. He doesn’t just listen to our prayers with indifference. Sometimes it seems like God enjoys our suffering. Sometimes it seems like God doesn’t mind when we suffer. Sometimes it seems like God can look down from heaven, see us in trouble, feel nothing and do nothing. The Bible refutes that perception by telling us that God is concerned. God is concerned and He knows that it is time He acts before things get worse!
When God is calling Moses to go rescue Israelites, Israelites are suffering and praying with no evidence that God is doing anything. Sometimes and many times for that matter, when God seems quiet and no answer comes from heaven, we may think God is not doing anything about our situation. I declare to you today in the name of Jesus, that even when God is silent, He is concerned and doing something about your situation. Even in the silence of God, He knows when to act. God is concerned and He knows that it is time He acts before things get worse!
God was silent when the three Hebrew men were threatened with being thrown in the fire. That silence did not mean He didn’t listen or He didn’t care. Even in silence, God was concerned. When they were thrown in the fire, God was already in the fire and He saved them without saying anything. God’s silence to our situation and prayers does not mean that He is not concerned. When Daniel was threatened with being thrown in the lion’s den, God remained silent, but He saved him from the lions. Even when God is silent, He is concerned. God doesn’t have to keep talking to us or shouting what He will do, He just acts. May you have faith and comfort after prayer even when God is silent. God is concerned and He knows that it is time He acts before things get worse!
God may be silent for a long time or a short time, but do not forget that He is concerned and He knows when to act. When Joseph went into slavery, that was a very long time. God was silent for years. When Joseph was in prison, God was silent for a long time. Eventually, God acted at the right time and Joseph became a leader in Egypt, his brothers came apologizing and the entire family was restored. God may be silent for a long time or a short time, whichever way, He is concerned and knows when to act. God is concerned and He knows that it is time He acts before things get worse!
In silence, God knows the financial situation that you are praying about and He knows when to act, just keep trusting Him. He knows the trouble we are facing. He knows our worries. He knows we are advancing in age before achieving our dreams. He knows we are desperate. He knows we are sliding and losing grip on the situation. He knows we are on the verge of giving up. He knows we are tired. He knows we are even getting suicidal ideations. God is concerned and He knows that it is time He acts before things get worse!
Jesus was called to attend to a seriously sick Lazarus. Jesus was silent and went four days after burial. But even in what seemed as lateness, He was on time and saved the situation by raising Lazarus from the dead. God’s delay and lateness will bring bigger and better results. Trust God even when He is late and silent, He is still concerned and knows when to act. God is concerned and He knows that it is time He acts before things get worse!
Dear God, thank You for being accommodative of us and me in particular. Teach me and help me to trust that You are concerned about my situation and that You will act at the right time, in Jesus’ name, Amen!
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It’s comforting to know that God is conserned with my challenges and will act in due time. Thank you Pastor..
Hallelujah!
Dear God, thank you for being accommodative to my situation, though I was in Verge of despair I now know your time to act has come. Give me the understanding of you and trust in you knowing that you will act for situation in Jesus Holly name Amen. Thank you pasto for today’s message.
Glory to God!
Marvelous grace! Thank you
Grace indeed!
Amen
Amen!
Amen 🙏
May God teach and help me to trust that He is concerned about my situation and that He will act at the right time- in the Name of Jesus I pray and believe.
My prayer for you too my friend and thank you for sharing such a powerful piece on a Sunday morning.
Blessed week 😊
Hallelujah!
My God is concerned. Amen
Amen!
“God’s delay and lateness will bring bigger and better results. ” May we learn this and be patient. He will act at the right time.
Amen!
Oh, that I may trust Him more and deliberately so, Amen
Amen!
May the good Lord help us to trust upon him even when we think that he has delayed too much for he will act when the time is right. Amen
Amen!