What is the meaning of Exodus 3:21? And I will grant this people - God Himself is the source of the promise. The initiative is His, not Israel’s. - This assurance reminds us of earlier divine guarantees, such as Genesis 15:14, where the LORD told Abram, “Afterward they will leave with great possessions”. - The phrase “this people” underscores God’s covenant focus on Israel as a collective—echoed later in Deuteronomy 7:6 where the LORD calls them “a people holy to the LORD your God.” such favor in the sight of the Egyptians - “Favor” signals a supernatural reversal: the very nation that enslaved Israel will end up blessing them. - Exodus 12:36 records the literal fulfillment: “And the LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted their request”. - Similar divine turnarounds appear in Proverbs 16:7: “When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies live at peace with him”. that when you leave - Departure is certain, not hypothetical. God’s timing might seem slow to the oppressed, yet Exodus 12:41 affirms, “At the end of 430 years, to the very day, all the LORD’s divisions left Egypt”. - The clause connects the present promise to a future action, reinforcing the reliability of God’s word—just as Numbers 23:19 declares He “will do” what He says. you will not go away empty-handed - Compensation for generations of forced labor comes directly from God’s justice. - Genesis 15:14 anticipated this: “They will come out with great possessions”. - The principle is later woven into Israel’s own law: if a Hebrew slave is released, “you shall not send him away empty-handed” (Deuteronomy 15:13–14). - The spoils also equip Israel for worship; Exodus 25:1–8 shows these very items becoming materials for the tabernacle. summary Exodus 3:21 underscores God’s faithfulness, justice, and sovereign ability to transform hostility into favor. He promises, secures, and fulfills—ensuring His people leave bondage abundantly supplied for the journey and for His worship. |
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