Lesson 3: Rough Start
3.3 The Divine “I”
Despair meets promise – when God answers our complaint
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Introduction
There are moments in life when everything seems to turn against us – even God. Moses experienced such a moment. He had acted on God’s word, approached Pharaoh full of hope, but instead of deliverance, came deeper oppression. Everything got worse, not better. Courage failed, the people complained, and Moses honestly poured out his frustration before God.
But at this low point, one of the most powerful revelations of God in the Old Testament begins. God does not respond with an explanation but with a self-revelation – the “I am the LORD.” This encounter doesn’t immediately change the outward circumstances, but it transforms the perspective.
What happened back then in Egypt still happens today: God speaks His “I AM” into our uncertainty. And that divine “I” carries you – especially when your plans seem to fall apart.
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Bible Study: Exodus 5:22–6:8
Context
Moses had only just been called by God. With fear, but obedience, he went to Egypt. The mission: the deliverance of Israel. But instead of success, he met rejection. Pharaoh responded with defiance, the people with frustration. The situation was disastrous – and Moses felt abandoned and betrayed.
Structure of the Passage:
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Moses’ Complaint (5:22–23)
“Why have you sent me?”
This question strikes at the heart of every calling. Moses isn’t just afraid – he begins to doubt God himself. Why does it get worse when God wants to help?
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God’s Powerful Response (6:1)
“Now you will see…”
This is where God begins to act. He lifts the pressure from Moses, making it clear that the results are not Moses’ responsibility. The moment of divine initiative has come.
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God’s Self-Revelation (6:2–5)
“I am the LORD”
God reminds Moses of:
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His appearance to the patriarchs
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His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
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His compassion for the suffering people
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His faithfulness
This shows that God’s actions are always rooted in His story and His covenant faithfulness.
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The Seven Divine “I Will” Statements (6:6–8)
This is the heart of the passage:
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I will bring you out
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I will deliver you
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I will redeem you
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I will take you as my people
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I will be your God
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I will bring you into the land
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I will give it to you as a possession
These “I will” promises show God’s initiative, faithfulness, and love. They reflect His covenant – God acts not because Israel is strong, but because He is faithful.
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Answers to the Questions
Question 1: What theological truths does God’s answer reveal to Moses?
God’s response reveals core theological principles:
1. God is the God of history
He doesn’t act randomly – He acts based on His covenant. The story with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is alive. God does not forget.
2. God is a relational God
The repeated “I am the LORD” (Hebrew: YHWH) is a name of relationship. It shows that God is not just powerful, but personally present.
3. God’s timing is not our timing
For Moses, it felt too late. For God, it was precisely the right moment: “Now you will see…”
4. God carries out the action
The seven “I will” statements make clear: God does it. Israel does nothing but receive. Grace, redemption, salvation – all come from God.
5. God speaks before He acts
Before intervening, God reassures faith. He gives promises so we can learn to trust, even when nothing has yet changed.
Question 2: Who complained to God – and why is it okay for us to do the same?
The Bible contains many examples of men and women who honestly brought their complaints to God:
Examples:
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Job: Cursed the day of his birth and wrestled with God’s justice
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Jeremiah: “Why is my pain unending?” (Jer. 15:18)
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Habakkuk: “How long, O Lord, must I cry for help?” (Hab. 1:2)
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David: Many psalms begin with lament: “Why, O Lord, do you stand far off?” (Ps. 10:1)
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Jesus: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46)
Why is lament allowed – even important?
Because God seeks our heart, not our façade. A true relationship includes honesty. Complaint in prayer is not unbelief – it’s wrestling toward trust.
But it’s important: The lament remains within the conversation with God.
It doesn’t drive us away from Him – it draws us closer.
Faith means: Even when I don’t understand God, I don’t stop talking to Him.
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Spiritual Principles
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God keeps His covenant, even when we don’t feel it.
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We may lament – but we should remain in trust.
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God’s “I AM” is greater than any “Why?”
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God often begins to act when our strength ends.
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Relationship comes before explanation. God introduces Himself before He intervenes.
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Application to Everyday Life
If you feel today like your prayers make no difference – remember:
God’s answer often begins not with change, but with His presence.
Have the courage to voice your lament to God – but stay in the conversation.
When you can’t do anything more – trust in God’s “I will.”
Take God’s promises personally:
“I will lead you… save you… redeem you…”
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Conclusion
Moses’ despair was real – and God did not respond with anger, but with promise.
He reminded Moses: “I am the LORD.” These words apply to us too.
They are an anchor in trouble, a bridge across the valley of disappointment.
Whatever you’re going through today – the divine “I AM” remains.
It carries. It saves. It loves. And it keeps what it promises.
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Thought of the Day
“When you can’t do anything anymore – remember what God has already done.”
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Illustration – “I Am Here – Even When You Don’t See It”
Characters:
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Main character: Leonie, 34, passionate social worker
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Supporting: Tarek (teen), Anna (best friend), Pastor Johann
Chapter 1 – The Collapse
Leonie was always the one with the open heart. The one who listened when others stayed silent. The one who still believed in people everyone else had given up on. As a social worker in a rough neighborhood, she had been fighting for years – for youth, for second chances, for hope.
One of them was Tarek. 17, angry, smart, disillusioned. Leonie believed in him. She invested time, found him an apprenticeship, advocated with teachers, social services, even his mother.
Then came the call.
Tarek had been arrested.
Armed robbery. Knife. A wounded man.
Leonie sat in her office, staring at the wall. Her coffee turned cold. Her heart felt empty.
“Why, God? Why now? I did everything I could…”
Chapter 2 – The Doubt
In the following days, doubt crept into Leonie’s heart like fog.
She prayed – but it felt like speaking to a locked door.
She remembered her calling, that moment she had felt “sent” by God.
And now? Everything she had built seemed to fall apart like sand.
She spoke with Anna, her best friend:
“I don’t know why I keep doing this. I thought God had put Tarek on my heart. But maybe… I was just wrong.”
Anna was quiet. Then she said gently:
“Moses also asked why God sent him when everything only got worse…”
Leonie looked up. “And what did God say?”
“He didn’t explain. He said: I am the LORD.”
Chapter 3 – The Encounter
A few days later, Leonie sat alone in the small chapel in her neighborhood. It was silent, except for the drip of a radiator.
She had no prayer left, no request – just one sentence:
“Lord, if you’re there, say something. I can’t anymore.”
Her eyes fell on a framed inscription on the wall – one she had seen dozens of times, but this time she read it with new eyes:
“I am the LORD. I have heard your cry. I have seen you. I will rescue you.”
(Inspired by Exodus 6:5–6)
And suddenly, in the emptiness, there was something. No beam of light. No thunder.
Just a quiet, firm certainty:
You are not alone. I am here. I have not stopped working.
Chapter 4 – Signs of Grace
Two weeks later, Tarek sent Leonie a handwritten letter from juvenile detention. No swearing. Just words.
“Leonie. I messed up. You believed in me.
I don’t know if I can change. But I want to try.
Not for you – but because, for the first time, I believe there might be someone who actually gives second chances.”
Leonie folded the letter slowly. Tears ran down her cheeks – not from pain, but from quiet hope.
God had not only heard her cry – He had touched Tarek’s heart.
Chapter 5 – I Am the LORD
Six months later, Leonie sat in a chapel at the youth detention center. Tarek had signed up for a volunteer program and was giving a talk – about guilt, failure, and hope.
He said:
“I’ve heard a lot of names in my life: failure. problem kid. threat.
But the name I believe now is: I am the LORD your God, who brings you out.
It’s from some old book. But for me, it’s new.”
Leonie smiled. She knew: the road would still be long. But she no longer felt defeated – she felt carried.
Story Summary
Like Moses, Leonie felt like everything got worse, even though she was following God’s call. Her lament was honest. Her despair was real. But right there – at her lowest – God didn’t give explanations, He gave presence: “I AM.”
That experience didn’t immediately change the situation – but it changed Leonie. And through that change, transformation became possible.
Source: https://fulfilleddesire.net/lesson-3-rough-start-3-3-the-divine-i-exodus-living-faith/
