Editor’s note – Randy DeVaul walks through Exodus with an eye many readers skip past: the slow work God does in a man before He does anything in Pharaoh’s court. We love the fireworks – the plagues, the parting sea – and race past the burning bush conversation where Moses stalls, argues, and finally obeys. That conversation is worth our attention long before we get to the miracles.
God Prepares His People for Deliverance
When most believers think about the book of Exodus, their minds immediately race to the dramatic scenes. We think of Pharaoh’s stubborn resistance, the devastating plagues, the Passover lamb, and ultimately the parting of the Red Sea. Those moments are unforgettable. Yet if we rush too quickly to the miracles, we miss one of the most important truths in the entire story.
Before God changed Egypt’s circumstances, He changed His people.
Before Pharaoh’s heart became the focus, God addressed Moses’ heart. Before deliverance came to Israel, surrender had to come to God’s servant. Before God demonstrated His power publicly, He worked privately. That pattern runs throughout Scripture and continues in the lives of believers today (2 Chronicles 7:14).
When God met Moses at the burning bush, Moses was not ready for the assignment before him. He had spent forty years tending sheep in Midian, living a very different life far removed from the power and privilege of Pharaoh’s court. Yet God appeared and called him to return to Egypt and confront the most powerful ruler in the world. Moses immediately began offering reasons why he was the wrong man for the job (Exodus 3-4).
From Excuses to Obedience
His objections sound familiar. “Who am I?” “Who are You?” “What if they do not believe me?” “I am not eloquent.” Finally, Moses simply says, in effect, “Send someone else.”
At first glance, these sound like questions. In reality, they reveal a deeper struggle. Moses was not lacking information. He was struggling with surrender. God answered every concern. He supplied every reassurance. Yet Moses still hesitated. Sometimes we do the same. We continue asking questions long after God has provided answers because the real issue is not understanding God’s will, but yielding to it.
Editor’s note – Notice how much of Moses’ resistance sounds like humility. It wasn’t. His questions were already answered; what he lacked was willingness, not information. The same is usually true of us.
Eventually Moses agrees to go. But even as he begins the journey, Exodus reminds us that obedience involves more than dramatic spiritual experiences. Moses first returns to Jethro and respectfully closes one chapter of life before stepping into another (Exodus 4:18). The man who once acted impulsively in Egypt now approaches this transition differently, showing consideration for his father-in-law and the responsibilities he is leaving behind. God’s calling never excuses us from treating people properly.
Many believers love the excitement of the burning bush, but they overlook the faithfulness required in ordinary responsibilities. Moses demonstrates that obedience includes honoring commitments, navigating difficult conversations, and leaving relationships in a way that reflects God’s character.
Israel as God’s Firstborn Son
As Moses heads toward Egypt, God reveals something profound. Long before the plagues, the Passover, or the Red Sea, He declares: “Israel is My firstborn son” (Exodus 4:22). This changes how we view the Exodus. God is not merely rescuing slaves. He is reclaiming a people who belong to Him. Relationship comes before deliverance. Ownership comes before freedom.
Many Christians desire God’s blessings while resisting God’s authority. We welcome His provision but hesitate at His claim upon our lives. Yet throughout Scripture, God establishes relationship before revealing His power. He wants Pharaoh, and Israel, to understand that these people belong to Him.
The Crisis at the Inn
Then comes one of the most sobering moments in the entire Exodus account.
Before Moses can confront Pharaoh, God confronts Moses. Exodus 4:24-26 records a crisis involving unfinished obedience within Moses’ own household. The details of the passage are challenging, but the message is clear. Moses was on his way to represent God publicly while neglecting obedience privately. Before God would use him as a leader, He addressed what remained unresolved at home.
This is a lesson every believer needs to hear. Before public ministry comes private obedience. Before leadership comes surrender. Before God works through us, He often works in us.
What is striking is that Moses’ delay did not affect only him. It affected Zipporah. It affected his son. It affected the entire mission. Delayed obedience can carry a greater cost, particularly when our decisions affect those around us.
The principle remains true today. Our spiritual decisions never impact only ourselves. The longer we postpone obedience, the greater the influence of that delay on the people around us.
Editor’s note – This is one of the more unsettling passages in Exodus, and DeVaul does not soften it. God will not use Moses publicly while something at home remains unaddressed privately. Public obedience without private obedience is not obedience.
Once Moses’ own heart and household are addressed, God turns His attention to Egypt.
The Plagues and Two Hearts
The plagues are far more than a series of supernatural disasters. They reveal God’s supremacy over Pharaoh, over Egypt, and over every false god the nation trusted. Each plague dismantles confidence in Egypt’s power and exposes the emptiness of idolatry (Exodus 7-10).
As these events unfold, a contrast emerges. Moses grows increasingly surrendered while Pharaoh grows increasingly resistant. One heart softens. The other hardens. The plagues reveal a timeless truth: our response to God’s revealed truth matters. We can humble ourselves before Him, or we can resist Him. The contrast between Moses and Pharaoh illustrates those two responses.
From the Lamb to the Blood
Finally, the story reaches its climax with the Passover. In the end, Israel’s deliverance does not come through Moses’ leadership. It does not come through Aaron’s assistance. It does not come because Pharaoh finally changes his mind. It comes through the lamb.
A lamb dies. Blood is applied. The people trust God’s instructions. A substitute dies so others may live (Exodus 12). The focus shifts away from human effort and rests entirely upon God’s provision. The Passover points forward to Christ, the true Lamb of God, through whom ultimate deliverance is secured (John 1:29).
Editor’s note – Every detail of the Passover points away from human effort and toward a substitute. That is the gospel in miniature – not our performance, but a Lamb who dies in our place (John 1:29).
The Pattern That Remains
Looking back over the journey from the bush to the blood, a clear pattern emerges.
Before God changes circumstances, He changes His people. Before deliverance comes surrender. Before revival comes repentance. Before God works through us, He works in us.
The question each believer must answer is not whether God is able to change circumstances. The question is whether we are willing to let Him change us.
From the bush to the blood, we encounter a God who prepares, purifies, and calls His people before He demonstrates His power. And perhaps the greatest miracle in the story is not found in the plagues or the Passover, but in the transformation of a reluctant shepherd into a willing servant through whom God would change history.
A Word from the Editor
Randy DeVaul’s survey of Exodus lands on a question every reader has to answer personally. God does not usually ask us to part a sea. He asks us to surrender the ordinary places – a conversation we’ve avoided, a commitment we’ve delayed, an authority we’ve resisted. The burning bush got Moses’ attention, but obedience at home and on the road prepared him to stand before Pharaoh. The same order holds for us.
Salvation – Eternal Life in Less Than 150 Words
Distributed by – BCWorldview.org
Editor Comment: Your reminder that God often does His deepest work in private, ordinary obedience before He ever displays His power publicly is a timely encouragement for every reader.
This article appeared on Medium and is reprinted with modifications and by permission.