THREE THINGS GOD COULD  NOT IGNORE

And the LORD said, I have surely Seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have Heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I Know their sorrows;
Exodus 3:7 KJV

INTRODUCTION
The key thought in this article focuses on the three things God could not ignore when Israel was in Egypt. The text tells us how God felt about the condition  of his people and his response in the circumstance. We shall see how God intervened on behalf of the children of Israel for their deliverance.

RATIONALE
To demonstrate from the word,  God's response and  concern about those who cry to him in their afflictions and oppressions of different sorts under different situations.

PROPOSITION
God is a Living personal God who interacts with humanity at all levels.

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATION
"God is a Living Personal God"
God in his greatness and sovereignty is good and kind enough to relate with humanity and and even stoop so low to reach down to the condition of the sufferer.

"Even though the Lord is high above, he sees humble people ⌞close up, and he recognizes arrogant people from a distance."
Psalms 138:6 GW.
From our key text we see three personal attributes of God.
a. I have seen - God sees - all seeing God
b. I have heard - God hears - all hearing God
c. I know - God knows - all knowing God

THREE THINGS GOD COULD NOT IGNORE

1. GOD COULD NOT IGNORE - THE AFFLICTION OF THE PEOPLE

" I have surely Seen the affliction of my people".

Affliction : Something that causes pain or suffering (oxford)

The Pharaoh that knew Joseph had passed on or died, and after him arose another Pharaoh who had no regard for what his predecessor had done and acted on behalf of Joseph and his people.
Then a new king, who knew nothing about Joseph, began to rule in Egypt.
Exodus 1:8 GW
So the Egyptians put slave drivers in charge of them in order to OPPRESS them through forced labor. They built Pithom and Rameses as supply cities for Pharaoh.
Exodus 1:11 GW
So they FORCED the Israelites to work hard as slaves. They made their LIVES BITTER with BACK-BREAKiNG WORK  in mortar and bricks and every kind of work in the fields. All the JOBS the Egyptians gave them were BRUTALLY HARD.
Exodus 1:13‭-‬14 GW

This is the kind of affliction and oppression that God in his highly exalted dwelling place could not ignore. He acted upon seeing these kind of atrocities upon the children of Jacob.

#/ God could not Ignore the AFFLICTION of his people

2. GOD COULD NOT IGNORE -THE CRY OF THE PEOPLE

" I have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters.."
After a long time passed, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites still GROANED because they were slaves. So they CRIED OUT, and their CRIES for help went up to God.
Exodus 2:23 GW
God heard their GROANING, and he remembered his promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Exodus 2:24 GW

The Children of Israel cried out to God for help cos they could not bear the burdens imposed on them and the cruelty of their task masters and slave drivers. God heard and listened to them.
Righteous people cry out. The Lord hears and rescues them from all their troubles.
Psalms 34:17 GW

I waited patiently for the Lord. He turned to me and heard my cry for help. He pulled me out of a horrible pit, out of the mud and clay. He set my feet on a rock and made my steps secure.
Psalms 40:1‭-‬2 GW
The God who listened to a Nation( Israel) when they cried is the same God who listens to an individual when he or she cries.

#/ God could not ignore the CRY of his people

3. GOD COULD NOT IGNORE THE SORROWS OF THE PEOPLE

" For I know their sorrows"
Sorrow is about anything  that borders around agony, heartache, pain, regret, suffering, distress,misery and whatever affliction inflicted on you as a person. There is physical sorrow, emotional sorrow, and psychological sorrow.

The sorrow that the Israelites experienced in Egypt was in all these three areas mentioned above.
The affliction, misery, the beatings by the slave drivers, the back-breaking heavy loads created the sorrow in their hearts . They cried out  for liberation and deliverance to God. God at the appropriate time sent Moses assisted by Aaron to engage Pharaoh  for their deliverance.
And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters and oppressors; for I know their sorrows and sufferings and trials.  Ex.3:7 AMPC
When  God says:  "and I know their sorrows",He implies knowledge of the condition and situation of the people by  identifying with them in their sorrowful condition. He understands the sorrow and misery people go through - physically, socially, emotionally, psychologically and even economically because they cannot make ends meet under certain social conditions.

#/ God could not ignore the Sorrows of the people.

4. I AM COME DOWN - GOD ACTED

"So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land...." Exodus 3:8 NIV
The interesting part here is that God himself says " I have come down to deliver them" God does take the initiative in matters of human suffering and intervens on their behalf as mentioned above.  This is how God did it:
"So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”
Exodus 3:10 NIV.
 God initiated their deliverance after hearing their cries and seeing their afflictions and finally understanding their sorrows.

He awaits for people to mend up their ways and change their minds, this goes on while he shows and displays his patience that should lead one to a turnaround action.

In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.”  Genesis 15:16 NIV.  God waits until the fullness of time for the appropriate action. Gal.4:4 KJV

FINAL THOUGHT

Human suffering should not be a deliberate cause by one or some people taking advantage of others. God may seem far and unconcerned  but nothing goes unnoticed with him. At the fullness of time he shows up and carries out his determines purpose.

When God intervenes he shakes everything that can  be shaken. In Egypt his finger was seen in the ten different plagues that represented the strongholds of the land in terms of their religious base.

 Keep  crying and calling on him for he sees and hears he understands and knows what you are going through..! He promised them deliverance.

He is patient, and patient enough to allow people time either to change their ways or continue until their iniquity reaches a point of divine retribution.

AMCReflections