THEY DID NOT LISTEN TO HIM / EXODUS 6:9

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(KJV) Exodus 6:9

And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.

Rescued by Grace: When Our Faith is Too Weak to Listen

We have all been there. A season of life hits so hard, the pressure builds so high, and the pain runs so deep that when someone tries to offer a word of encouragement or a promise of hope, we simply cannot take it in. Our spirits are too crushed to listen.

This is exactly where the children of Israel found themselves in Exodus 6:9.

God had just given Moses an incredible, sweeping declaration of redemption. He promised to break their chains, deliver them from slavery, and claim them as His own chosen people. It was a message filled with absolute certainty, anchored by the ultimate authority: “I am the LORD.”

But look at how the people responded:

“Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labor.” (Exodus 6:9, NIV)

They did not listen. Not because they were actively rebellious, but because of anguish of spirit and cruel bondage. Their circumstances were so overwhelming that their ears—and their hearts—were entirely closed to hope.

Saved by Grace, Not Great Faith

If the story of the Exodus depended on the great faith of the Israelites, the journey would have ended right there in the mud bricks of Egypt. But the beautiful truth embedded in this passage is that God did not rescue Israel because they had great faith.

He rescued them because of His grace—His completely undeserved favor—and His unwavering faithfulness to His promises. Centuries earlier, God had made a covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Genesis 17:1-8; 50:24). When Israel groaned under the weight of slavery, God remembered that covenant.

At the starting line of their deliverance, their faith was incredibly weak. They couldn’t even muster up the strength to listen to Moses. Yet, God did not abandon them for their lack of belief. Instead, He stepped into Egypt and systematically revealed His sovereign power and intimate concern through the ten plagues.

Step by step, plague by plague, God built up their fragile faith. By the time they reached the night of the Passover, that weak faith had matured into active obedience (Exodus 12:28). God met them in their despair, carried them when they couldn’t walk, and provided the faith they lacked.

The Beautiful Parallel to Our Salvation

This Old Testament reality mirrors our spiritual reality today. Just like ancient Israel, we are rescued by grace through faith—and even that faith is a gift from God, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Jesus did not wait for us to have our lives perfectly together, nor did He wait for us to display flawless, unshakable faith before dying for us. While we were still helpless, trapped in the spiritual bondage of sin, Christ died for the ungodly (Romans 5:6).

When you find yourself in a season where your spirit is broken, when the “harsh labor” of life makes it impossible to hear the promises of God, take comfort in Exodus 6:9. Your deliverance does not rest on the strength of your grip on God. It rests entirely on the strength of His unbreakable grip on you. He is faithful even when we are faithless (2 Timothy 2:13).

A Closing Prayer for the Broken Spirit

Heavenly Father,

We come to You today acknowledging the heavy seasons of life. Lord, there are days when our bondage feels too cruel, our work feels too harsh, and our spirits are too anguished to listen to Your promises. Forgive us for the times our faith wavers and our vision is clouded by our immediate pain.

Thank You that our salvation and our security do not depend on the strength of our own faith, but on Your unmeritied grace and perfect faithfulness. Thank You for remembering Your promises even when we forget them.

When our spirits are crushed, we ask that You would do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. Gently reveal Your power and Your deep love to us. Rebuild our fragile trust, quiet our anxious hearts, and fight for us when we are too weary to move. We rest knowing that You are the LORD, and You are faithful to bring us through. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

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