Seen and Heard

Exodus 2:23-25; 3:7-15

Memory Verse: Exodus 3:12

God sees the plight of His people.

The French philosopher Ren? Descartes (1596-1650)
was excited to discover the answer to the question, How do I know

that I exist, that I am not just an illusion?
The answer was, "I think, therefore I am.”
Few of us, however, are satisfied with such self-knowledge.

All of us, from childhood into adulthood, have a longing to be
seen and heard-to have others acknowledge and value our
existence.
We want to matter to someone besides ourselves.

The Bible repeatedly assures us that our way is never hidden from
the Lord
(Psalm 139:3; Isaiah 40:27).

Psalm 139:3

3 You scrutinize my path and my lying down,
And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.

Isaiah 40:27

27 Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel,
"My way is hidden from the LORD,
And the justice due me escapes the notice of my God"?

In Genesis, the Egyptian slave, Hagar, named God "the one
who sees me” (Gen. 16:13).
This encouraging truth is underlined in the opening chapters of
Exodus.
Moses learned firsthand that God sees His children and hears their
cries
(Exodus 2:23-25; 3:4,7-10).

Exodus 2:23-25

23 Now it came about in the course of those many days that the
king of Egypt died.
And the sons of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they
cried out;
and their cry for help because of their bondage rose up to God.

24 So God heard their groaning;
and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

25 God saw the sons of Israel,
and God took notice of them.

FIRST THOUGHTS

Expectant parents often agonize about naming their newborn.
Many consult lists to help them come up with the right name.
Names rise and fall in popularity.
The ten most popular baby names in the 1980s were Jessica,
Jennifer, Amanda, Ashley, Sarah, Michael, Christopher, Matthew,
Joshua, and David.
The most popular in the 2010s were Emma, Olivia, Sophia, Isabella,
Ava, Noah, Liam, Jacob, William, and Mason. Not o
ne name appears on both lists, separated by just thirty years.
(PSG, p. 10)

ENGAGE

Ask:

What name was popular a generation ago that you never hear
anymore?

What causes a name to become popular for a while?

What causes a name to fall out of favor? (PSG, p. 10)

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