Today began my study into Exodus. At the end of Exodus 2, I was amazed by a single phrase: “God saw the people of Israel—and God knew” (Exodus 2:25). If you go back to God speaking to Abraham, we knew God predicted their affliction in Egypt (Genesis 15:13). That word, though, knew, indicates that God was intimate or well acquainted with what His people were going through. When I read that, I was comforted on a deep level. You and I, loved one, are strangers in a foreign land. Some of us are afflicted, pray always for the church in persecution, for their groans are not dismissed by heaven! Some of us are lonely, depressed, beset by life’s troubles. All of us are exiles in a land that is not our home. God sees us, God knows us. And we know that is more true because Jesus Christ lived as one of us.
I am in constant awe of Jesus. God became a man for us. He lived as one of us. He is intimately acquainted with our doubts, our fears, our worries and our temptations. In fact, God in human flesh was tempted in every way and did not sin (Hebrews 4:15) and suffered in his temptations (Hebrews 2:18). God sees us. God knows us. God lived for us as one of us, but perfect in every way, and died the death we deserved. He rose again to give us a full and abundant life. He lives now, telling our name to the Father, our faithful King and High Priest. So take heart. Whatever your circumstance, whatever your affliction, God sees you. God Knows you. Surrender to Him and live for Him.
Exodus 2:23-35
During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.
Hebrews 2:
Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.
For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. It has been testified somewhere,
“What is man, that you are mindful of him,
or the son of man, that you care for him?
You made him for a little while lower than the angels;
you have crowned him with glory and honor,
putting everything in subjection under his feet.”
Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying,
“I will tell of your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.”
And again,
“I will put my trust in him.”
And again,
“Behold, I and the children God has given me.”
Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Hebrews 4:14-16
Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
