Exodus Chapter 6
God’s Assurance to Moses
A. God comforts Moses.
(Exodus 6:1)
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh. For with a strong hand he will let them go, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.”
The Lord responded to Moses’ discouragement by affirming His control and power over Pharaoh and the situation in Egypt. Though Moses had lost confidence due to Pharaoh’s hardness and the worsening conditions for Israel, God reminded him that He was fully sovereign and His plan would not fail. When the Lord said, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh,” He was emphasizing that His own might, not Moses’ ability or Israel’s strength, would accomplish deliverance.
Moses had become discouraged because he was too impressed by Pharaoh’s earthly authority and not sufficiently awed by the Lord’s divine power. God, in His grace, reassured Moses that Pharaoh himself would act under divine compulsion, not merely allowing the Israelites to leave but forcing them to go. The phrase “with a strong hand he will drive them out” revealed that Pharaoh’s resistance would turn to desperation under God’s judgment. The same Pharaoh who defied the Lord would eventually become the very instrument used to send His people out in haste.
This was a message of grace and divine assurance. God was saying in effect, “Moses, you will see My power displayed so completely that the oppressor himself will become an agent of deliverance.” It was a solemn charge and a merciful reminder that when human reasoning fails, God’s sovereignty prevails. G. Campbell Morgan wrote, “This was the divine declaration made in answer to the statement of human difficulty. It was a message of divine self-assertion and therefore necessarily a message of grace.”
(Exodus 6:2–5)
And God spoke to Moses and said to him: “I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name LORD I was not known to them. I have also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, in which they were strangers. And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant.”
Here God again declared His covenant name to Moses: “I am the LORD.” The name Yahweh (Jehovah) emphasizes His eternal, self-existent nature and His faithfulness in keeping His word. This reminder came at a critical moment when Moses needed to refocus on who God truly was. When the Lord declares “I am,” it signifies His unchanging presence, His independence, and His sufficiency. As F. B. Meyer noted, “When all human help has failed, and the soul, exhausted and despairing, has given up hope from man, God draws near, and says, I AM.”
When the Lord said, “I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name LORD I was not known to them,” He was explaining that while the patriarchs were aware of His name, they had not yet experienced the fullness of its meaning. They knew Him as El Shaddai, the Almighty God, who made promises; but they did not see the promises fulfilled in their lifetimes. Now, in Moses’ generation, God would reveal Himself as Yahweh—the God who not only makes covenants but also keeps them.
The patriarchs had faith in the covenant but lived as pilgrims, owning nothing in the land of promise except burial sites. They knew God as the Giver of promises; Moses and Israel would know Him as the Fulfiller of them. As Kaiser wrote, “The patriarchs had only the promises, not the things promised.”
God also said, “I have remembered My covenant.” This does not imply that God had forgotten, but that He was now bringing His promises into action. His remembrance signified divine timing, not human delay. He had heard the groaning of His people and was now ready to move in power. For Moses, this was a call to trust not in present circumstances but in the eternal faithfulness of God.
Believers today can draw from this same truth. God desires to be known not only as Almighty in power but as personally faithful to His promises. In every hour of doubt or discouragement, the believer’s supreme need is a renewed vision of who God is. As Morgan said, “The supreme need in every hour of difficulty and depression is a vision of God. To see Him is to see all else in proper proportion and perspective.”
B. God’s Promise of the Seven “I Wills” to Israel
(Exodus 6:6–8)
“Therefore say to the children of Israel: ‘I am the LORD; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage: I am the LORD.’”
The Lord now directed Moses to take His message directly to the people of Israel. Whereas the earlier statements (Exodus 6:2–5) were primarily meant to encourage Moses personally, this declaration was given to strengthen the hearts of the nation. It was a divine proclamation of certainty, beginning and ending with the solemn affirmation, “I am the LORD.”
In this passage, God issued seven definitive promises, known as the “Seven I Wills.” Each declaration reveals not only God’s commitment to His covenant but also His complete sovereignty over redemption and deliverance. These statements show that their freedom would not depend on their strength, wisdom, or political leverage, but solely on the power of God’s outstretched arm.
The promises are as follows:
“I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.”
God promised deliverance from oppression. He saw their heavy burdens and would personally act to remove them. Spiritually, this points to how Christ delivers His people from the bondage of sin.“I will rescue you from their bondage.”
This expresses not only deliverance but also emancipation. God would not merely lighten their load but would completely free them from slavery.“I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.”
Redemption means to buy back or deliver by paying a price. God Himself would redeem His people, and this redemption would come through mighty acts of judgment against Egypt. This foreshadowed the greater redemption that Jesus Christ would accomplish at the cross, redeeming humanity through His own blood.“I will take you as My people.”
This reveals a covenant relationship. God was not only delivering them from something; He was delivering them to Himself. Israel would no longer belong to Pharaoh, but to the Lord, becoming His covenant people.“I will be your God.”
Here is the heart of divine fellowship. God would dwell among His people and reveal His presence, affirming His faithfulness and care.“I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
This marked the ultimate fulfillment of God’s ancient promises to the patriarchs. Deliverance from Egypt was not the end but the beginning of Israel’s journey into the land of promise.“I will give it to you as a heritage.”
God promised not only to lead them into the land but to give it as a lasting inheritance, a heritage grounded in His unchanging covenant.
Each of these “I will” statements reveals the unbreakable certainty of God’s word. Remarkably, in Hebrew, these verbs are written in the perfect tense, meaning that their fulfillment was so sure that they were expressed as though they had already been completed. As Kaiser observed, “Each of these verbs are in the Hebrew past tense instead of the future tense, for so certain was God of their accomplishment that they were viewed as having been completed.”
This divine confidence stands in sharp contrast to the five “I will” statements of Satan in Isaiah 14:13–15, where the fallen angel declared, “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God, I will also sit on the mount of the congregation, on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.” Unlike Satan’s futile ambitions, God’s “I will” declarations are anchored in omnipotence and covenant faithfulness.
When the Lord concluded this series of promises with the words, “I am the LORD,” He reaffirmed His covenant-keeping character. He was reminding both Moses and Israel that the fulfillment of these promises rested entirely on His unchanging nature, not on their fluctuating faith or circumstances.
As Matthew Henry once observed, “He that begins with ‘I am the Lord,’ ends with the same, that His name alone may have the glory, and that our faith may have the comfort.”
C. The Response of the Children of Israel
(Exodus 6:9)
So Moses spoke thus to the children of Israel; but they did not heed Moses, because of anguish of spirit and cruel bondage.
When Moses delivered these magnificent promises to the Israelites, they were too broken and weary to believe. Their years of harsh slavery had robbed them of hope and dulled their faith. Though Moses spoke the very words of God, “they did not heed Moses, because of anguish of spirit and cruel bondage.”
Their unbelief was rooted in suffering. The term “anguish of spirit” expresses a deep internal torment. As Kaiser noted, “The NIV weakly translates this as ‘their discouragement,’ but it was the inward pressure caused by deep anguish that prevented proper breathing — like children sobbing and gasping for their breath.” They were spiritually suffocating under oppression, unable to receive hope even when God Himself extended it.
Israel’s reaction mirrors a common struggle among believers today. Many find it difficult to trust God’s promises when crushed by circumstances or disappointment. Yet, as the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 12:1–2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Just as Israel needed their minds renewed to see God as greater than Pharaoh, so must Christians today allow their thinking to be shaped by faith rather than fear.
The prophet Ezekiel 20:5–9 reveals a deeper reason behind Israel’s unbelief: they had adopted the idolatry of Egypt. The passage records, “Thus says the Lord GOD: On the day when I chose Israel and raised My hand in an oath to the descendants of the house of Jacob, and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt, I raised My hand in an oath to them, saying, ‘I am the LORD your God.’ On that day I raised My hand in an oath to them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, ‘flowing with milk and honey,’ the glory of all lands. Then I said to them, ‘Each of you, throw away the abominations which are before his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.’ But they rebelled against Me and would not obey Me. They did not all cast away the abominations which were before their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I said, ‘I will pour out My fury on them and fulfill My anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.’ But I acted for My name’s sake, that it should not be profaned before the Gentiles, among whom they were, in whose sight I had made Myself known to them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt.”
Even while Israel’s faith faltered, God’s purpose remained steadfast. He restrained His judgment for the sake of His own holy name, demonstrating His faithfulness even to a faithless people.
D. God Instructs Moses to Stay the Course
(Exodus 6:10–13)
And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Go in, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the children of Israel go out of his land.” And Moses spoke before the LORD, saying, “The children of Israel have not heeded me. How then shall Pharaoh heed me, for I am of uncircumcised lips?” Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, and gave them a command for the children of Israel and for Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.
Once again, the Lord called Moses to approach Pharaoh with the divine demand: “Let the children of Israel go.” This was the same command that had seemingly failed before (Exodus 5:1–2), yet God directed Moses to persevere. Moses, however, struggled to see the purpose in repeating what appeared to be a fruitless mission. His discouragement was evident when he said, “The children of Israel have not heeded me. How then shall Pharaoh heed me, for I am of uncircumcised lips?”
Moses reasoned that if his own people would not believe him, Pharaoh certainly would not. But his reasoning was flawed because he was evaluating God’s plan based on human success or failure rather than divine authority. When he described himself as having “uncircumcised lips,” Moses expressed not a lack of eloquence as before (Exodus 4:10), but a deep sense of personal unworthiness and impurity. G. Campbell Morgan insightfully noted, “That inability was now born of a sense, not as before of his lack of eloquence, but of his uncleanness.” Moses was beginning to recognize the moral distance between himself and the holy task God had given him.
Despite Moses’ hesitation, God reaffirmed His command to both him and Aaron. The Lord made it clear that this was not a matter of suggestion or negotiation but a divine directive. The command was for both the children of Israel and Pharaoh — meaning that both the oppressed and the oppressor would be subject to God’s sovereign will.
The Lord was training Moses to be steadfast. Faith must endure beyond the first disappointment. Moses had wanted to quit after his initial failure, but God was shaping in him the endurance required to lead Israel through decades of wilderness hardship. True faith persists even when results are delayed, and the Lord was building this endurance into Moses’ character.
This moment illustrates a vital spiritual principle: obedience to God is not measured by immediate success but by faithfulness in the face of discouragement. As Hebrews 10:36 declares, “For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.” The Lord was not only preparing Moses to deliver Israel but also transforming him into a leader who could withstand the weight of spiritual resistance.
In this way, God was teaching Moses that deliverance would not come by human persuasion but by divine compulsion. Pharaoh would not be convinced by eloquence but broken by judgment. The task of the prophet was not to produce results, but to remain faithful to God’s command.
This section closes with the Lord giving Moses and Aaron a clear directive “to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.” The outcome was assured because it rested upon the authority of God’s word, not on the capability of His servants.
E. The Genealogies of Reuben, Simeon, and Levi
Following this reaffirmation of God’s plan, the narrative turns to a record of genealogies — a vital pause in Scripture that links the divine mission with its human agents.
F. B. Meyer wisely cautioned, “Tread gently here! This is a private burying-ground, the last resting place of the founders of a family to which the world is deeply indebted for priceless service.” These genealogies were not mere lists of names; they established the lineage of Moses and Aaron, confirming their divine authority to represent Israel before Pharaoh and before God.
(Exodus 6:14–15)
These are the heads of their fathers’ houses: The sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. These are the families of Reuben. And the sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. These are the families of Simeon.
This record begins with the two eldest sons of Jacob — Reuben and Simeon. By listing them first, Scripture acknowledges their primacy by birth, even though both tribes later lost prominence because of sin (Genesis 35:22; 49:5–7). Reuben forfeited the birthright through his transgression with Bilhah, and Simeon’s violence in Shechem cost his tribe honor and inheritance. Nevertheless, they remain recorded among the tribes of Israel, a testament to God’s grace in maintaining their lineage despite moral failure.
(Exodus 6:16–19)
These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. And the years of the life of Levi were one hundred and thirty-seven. The sons of Gershon were Libni and Shimi according to their families. And the sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. And the years of the life of Kohath were one hundred and thirty-three. The sons of Merari were Mahali and Mushi. These are the families of Levi according to their generations.
Here the focus narrows to the tribe of Levi, from which Moses and Aaron descended. Levi had three principal sons — Gershon, Kohath, and Merari — forming the three main branches of the Levitical line. Each of these families would later be assigned distinct duties concerning the tabernacle and its service.
The Gershonites were charged with the care of the tabernacle coverings, curtains, and hangings (Numbers 3:25–26). The Kohathites carried the most sacred furnishings — the Ark of the Covenant, the table of showbread, the lampstand, and the altars (Numbers 3:31). The Merarites were responsible for the structural components — boards, bars, pillars, and sockets (Numbers 3:36–37).
Even in these genealogical details, Scripture reflects divine order and precision. Nothing in God’s Word is incidental; every name and lineage serves a purpose in His redemptive plan. These genealogies confirm that the deliverers of Israel, Moses and Aaron, came from the divinely chosen priestly tribe — Levi — the family appointed to mediate between God and His people.
F. The Levitical Lineage of Moses and Aaron
(Exodus 6:20–27)
Now Amram took for himself Jochebed, his father’s sister, as wife; and she bore him Aaron and Moses. And the years of the life of Amram were one hundred and thirty-seven. The sons of Izhar were Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri. And the sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan, and Zithri. Aaron took to himself Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab, sister of Nahshon, as wife; and she bore him Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. And the sons of Korah were Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. These are the families of the Korahites. Eleazar, Aaron’s son, took for himself one of the daughters of Putiel as wife; and she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites according to their families. These are the same Aaron and Moses to whom the LORD said, “Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies.” These are the ones who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt. These are the same Moses and Aaron.
This genealogy completes the line of Levi by showing the descent of Moses and Aaron through Amram, the son of Kohath. It establishes their Levitical heritage and legitimizes their divine calling as leaders and priests of Israel. The genealogy connects the Exodus deliverers directly to the tribe chosen by God for priestly service, anchoring their authority not merely in their calling but also in their covenant lineage.
Amram, the son of Kohath, married Jochebed, his father’s sister, who bore him Aaron and Moses. The text notes that Amram lived one hundred and thirty-seven years, the same lifespan as Levi himself (Exodus 6:16), a detail that emphasizes continuity within this sacred line. Aaron’s sons—Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar—are listed because from them the priesthood would descend. These names are significant, as Nadab and Abihu would later die for offering profane fire before the Lord (Leviticus 10:1–2), while Eleazar and Ithamar would continue the priestly line. Eleazar’s son Phinehas, also mentioned here, would become a hero of righteousness and zeal for God in Numbers 25:7–13, where his act of holy judgment caused God to establish His “covenant of peace” with him.
Aaron’s wife, Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, connects the priestly family to the royal line of Judah. Nahshon was a direct ancestor of King David (Ruth 4:18–22; Matthew 1:4), showing how the priestly and royal lines of Israel were intertwined from early on. This points prophetically toward the ultimate union of kingship and priesthood in the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who is both King and High Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 7:17).
Also noted are the sons of Korah—Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph—who were cousins to Moses and Aaron. Their father Korah, a son of Izhar, would later lead a rebellion against Moses and Aaron in Numbers 16, challenging their leadership and priestly authority. Though Korah perished under divine judgment, his descendants later became temple singers and poets, composing several of the Psalms (Psalms 42, 44–49, 84–85, 87–88). This is a powerful example of God’s mercy in restoring a lineage that once rebelled, turning the descendants of a rebel into worshippers.
The closing verses (Exodus 6:26–27) identify this Moses and Aaron explicitly as the very men God commissioned to lead Israel out of Egypt. This repetition is intentional, removing any ambiguity about their identity and authority. Scripture declares, “These are the same Aaron and Moses to whom the LORD said, ‘Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies.’” The phrase “according to their armies” describes Israel not as a group of slaves but as an organized, covenant people prepared for movement under divine command. God was transforming them from an oppressed multitude into a disciplined nation.
Thus, this genealogy not only affirms historical lineage but also spiritual legitimacy. The priesthood of Aaron and the prophetic leadership of Moses were firmly rooted in divine purpose and ancestral covenant, ensuring that their authority would be beyond question among Israel and before Pharaoh.
G. Moses Objects Again
(Exodus 6:28–30)
And it came to pass, on the day the LORD spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, that the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “I am the LORD. Speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say to you.” But Moses said before the LORD, “Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh heed me?”
After this genealogical interlude confirming his divine calling, the narrative returns to Moses’ recurring sense of inadequacy. Once again, God commanded him to go before Pharaoh and speak all that He had commanded. Yet Moses hesitated, saying, “Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips.” This repeated objection echoes his earlier protests (Exodus 4:10), revealing that his struggle with self-doubt had not yet been fully overcome.
The expression “uncircumcised lips” may refer to a perceived speech impediment, but it also likely carries a deeper spiritual meaning. In Hebrew thought, circumcision represented consecration, the cutting away of what was impure or unfit for God’s service. Thus, Moses may have been confessing his own sense of moral and spiritual inadequacy, feeling that his lips were unworthy instruments for God’s holy message.
This sentiment parallels Isaiah’s vision of the Lord in Isaiah 6:1–8, where the prophet cried out, “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” Just as God purified Isaiah’s lips with a coal from the altar, so He would empower Moses to speak His words with divine authority. The Lord does not call the qualified; He qualifies the called.
God’s repeated command, “I am the LORD,” reminded Moses that success did not depend on human eloquence but on divine faithfulness. The power to persuade Pharaoh lay not in Moses’ words but in the authority of the One who sent him. Moses’ sense of weakness was precisely what made him usable, for as 2 Corinthians 12:9 declares, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”
Moses’ journey of faith was still unfolding. The Lord was stripping him of self-reliance and teaching him that obedience, not confidence, was the key to divine power. His human frailty would soon be overshadowed by the might of God’s miracles in Egypt.
