“Moses said to Pharaoh, ‘I leave to you the honor of setting the time for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs, except for those that remain in the Nile.’” Exodus 8:9,10
In this exchange between Moses and Pharaoh, we see the start of how the relationship between God and His people can be. After Pharaoh says “Tomorrow” as the day Moses should pray, Moses states with confidence in verse 10, “It will be as you say, so that you may know there is no one like our God.” Moses trusted the Lord to make Himself known in this way. He knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that the Lord would show up and give yet another example to Pharaoh, the people of Egypt, and the world, that He is at work and He is God.
The Lord was also showing His people how a relationship with Him works. It is to be “mutual”, the people recognizing that He is Lord, He hears their voices, and He responds. We know He would have worked His will without Moses’ appeal, for He is God. But He wants to hear from us. He wants to be in relationship with His people, an interactive and responsive relationship. So early in the evolution of this relationship between the Lord and His people, God is showing how things are to be, how they can be with one another.
It is an example for the ages as He never changes. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He wants to hear from us and He wants to show us how He watches over us, how He hears us and how He responds.
In Deuteronomy 31:19b-20a, Moses states, “Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him. For the Lord is your life…”. Words spoken so long ago and still so true for us today. Choose life! The Lord offers us so much in this life and even more so in the next.