March 27 -- "His Outstretched Arm"

 Today's Reading:  Exodus 6

"His Outstretched Arm"

Moses was hesitant to confront Pharaoh and demand the release of the Israelites. Here, God is reassuring Moses and the Israelites that He is the Lord, and He will bring them out of Egypt and free them from slavery.

God is making a promise to the Israelites that he will rescue them from slavery and oppression in Egypt. The first part of the verse, "I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians," indicates that God will physically remove the Israelites from their situation of bondage, thereby responding to Moses’ tentativeness.

The phrase, "I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment," indicates that God's rescue will be a display of his power and might. He will not only liberate the Israelites but also demonstrate his sovereignty and authority over the Egyptians. When all is said and done, Pharaoh will no longer be asking “Who is the Lord?”

The promise of God to bring the Israelites out of slavery can be a reminder to us that God is powerful and able to use His mighty outstretched arm to rescue us from our own struggles and challenges. Just as God rescued the Israelites from their oppression, He can bring us out of difficult situations and provide us with the strength and resources we need to overcome our problems.

There are several other verses in the Bible that mention God's outstretched arm. Here are a few examples: 

Deuteronomy 4:34: "Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?"

Isaiah 52:10: "The Lord will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God."

Psalm 136:12: "With a mighty hand and outstretched arm, his love endures forever."

In each of these verses, God's outstretched arm is a symbol of His power and might, as well as His willingness to act on behalf of His people. It is a reminder to all of us that God is not distant or uninvolved, but rather, He is actively working in the world to bring about His purposes and bring salvation to His people.