Joel M Bradshaw

23During 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. 24And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.–Exodus 2

In their distress, Israel groaned and cried out. The text doesn’t even say that they intentionally sent their prayers to God. Israel just wanted help in any form. And their cry simply arrived ‘across God’s desk’. God’s responded with four verbs.

1. GOD HEARD.
2. GOD REMEMBERED.
3. GOD SAW.
4. GOD KNEW.

This is how God treats those He is in a covenant with. He is never too distant from them and their difficulties are never too difficult for Him. Many are groaning in Israel today in a time of national distress. God’s four verbs are always in play regarding the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 100:3). Know that when God’s people cry out, He hears, remembers, sees, and knows. He is not some deistic uncaring omnipotent being. In the Exodus story God not only received the information, but responded in care. What could be more comforting than that?–JMB