Acts 7:26-34: a reflection

26“The day following, he appeared to them as they fought, and urged them to be at peace again, saying, ‘Sirs, you are brothers. Why do you wrong one another?’ 27But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? 28Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ 29Moses fled at this saying, and became a stranger in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons. 30“When forty years were fulfilled, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush. 31When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight. As he came close to see, the voice of the Lord came to him, 32‘I am the God of your fathers: the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ Moses trembled and dared not look. 33The Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you stand is holy ground. 34I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their groaning. I have come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send you into Egypt.’

As Stephen recounts God's word to Moses at the burning bush, we hear the heart of God toward his suffering people: I have seen their affliction, I have heard their groaning, and I have come down to deliver them. I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, God says to Moses, and have heard their groaning. I have come down to deliver them. God's people had been suffering in slavery, groaning under affliction. And God declares that he is not distant or indifferent to their suffering: he has seen their affliction, heard their groaning, and has come down to deliver them. God saw, heard, and acted on behalf of his afflicted people. This shows that God sees the affliction of his people, hears their groaning, and comes to deliver. God sees the affliction of his people and hears their groaning. God is not indifferent to your suffering, but sees and hears. God comes down to deliver his afflicted people. Your groaning does not go unseen or unheard by God.

Notice the words God speaks about his suffering people. He does not say merely that he is aware of their situation in a distant way; he speaks with the language of one deeply moved and engaged: I have surely seen their affliction, I have heard their groaning, I have come down to deliver them. God saw their affliction, really saw it; he heard their groaning, really heard it; and he came down, moved to act, to deliver them. This is not a God distant and indifferent to his people's suffering, but a God who sees, hears, and acts. This reveals God's heart toward his suffering people, then and now. When God's people suffer, groan under affliction, cry out in their distress, God is not far off and unmoved. He sees their affliction, truly sees it; he hears their groaning, truly hears it; and he is moved to come down and deliver. Our suffering does not escape God's notice, nor does our groaning fail to reach his ears. He sees, he hears, and he acts on behalf of his people. This is a deep comfort in affliction: that we do not suffer unseen and unheard, before an indifferent God, but that God sees our affliction, hears our groaning, and comes to deliver. We do well, in our affliction, to trust that God sees us, hears us, and is not indifferent, but comes to deliver his people. Trust that God sees your affliction and hears your groaning; he is not indifferent. God is moved by his people's suffering and comes down to deliver. Your groaning does not go unseen or unheard by God. You do not suffer before a distant, indifferent God, but one who sees, hears, and acts.

That is worth taking to heart, for God sees the affliction of his people, hears their groaning, and comes to deliver, as he declared to Moses at the bush. We can feel we suffer unseen before an indifferent God; but God told Moses he had seen his people's affliction, heard their groaning, and come down to deliver. God sees and hears. When you are afflicted and groaning, do not think God distant and indifferent; he sees your affliction, hears your groaning, and is moved to deliver his people. In your affliction, trust that God sees your suffering and hears your groaning, and is not distant or indifferent but comes down to deliver his people, as Stephen recounted God's word to Moses at the burning bush, revealing the heart of God toward his suffering people, that he had surely seen their affliction in Egypt and heard their groaning and had come down to deliver them; for God's people had been suffering in slavery and groaning under affliction, and God declares that he is not distant or indifferent to their suffering but has seen their affliction, heard their groaning, and come down to deliver, seeing and hearing and acting on behalf of his afflicted people, which reveals God's heart toward his suffering people then and now, that when his people suffer and groan and cry out in distress God is not far off and unmoved but sees their affliction and hears their groaning and is moved to come down and deliver, our suffering not escaping his notice nor our groaning failing to reach his ears, a deep comfort in affliction that we do not suffer unseen and unheard before an indifferent God but that God sees, hears, and acts, so that we do well in our affliction to trust that God sees us and hears us and comes to deliver his people.

Lord, as Stephen recounts your word to Moses at the burning bush, I hear your heart toward your suffering people: I have seen their affliction, I have heard their groaning, and I have come down to deliver them. I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, you say to Moses, and have heard their groaning. I have come down to deliver them. Your people had been suffering in slavery, groaning under affliction. And you declare that you are not distant or indifferent to their suffering: you have seen their affliction, heard their groaning, and have come down to deliver them. You saw, heard, and acted on behalf of your afflicted people. Show me the words you speak about your suffering people. You do not say merely that you are aware of their situation in a distant way; you speak with the language of one deeply moved and engaged: I have surely seen their affliction, I have heard their groaning, I have come down to deliver them. You saw their affliction, really saw it; you heard their groaning, really heard it; and you came down, moved to act. You are not a God distant and indifferent to your people's suffering, but a God who sees, hears, and acts. This reveals your heart toward your suffering people, then and now. When your people suffer, groan under affliction, cry out in distress, you are not far off and unmoved. You see their affliction, truly see it; you hear their groaning, truly hear it; and you are moved to come down and deliver. My suffering does not escape your notice, nor does my groaning fail to reach your ears. This is a deep comfort in affliction: that I do not suffer unseen and unheard, before an indifferent God, but that you see my affliction, hear my groaning, and come to deliver. Take that to my heart. In my affliction, keep me from thinking you distant and indifferent; help me trust, Lord, that you see my suffering and hear my groaning, and are not far off but come down to deliver your people, so that I do not suffer before a distant God, but one who sees, hears, and acts.