Exodus 6:1–9, YHVH redeems Israel. 

The stage is set for Israel’s redemption in Exodus 5:22–23. Yet Moses’ first venture to Pharaoh was a disaster. The plight of the children of Israel had deteriorated instead of improved. Discouraged, Moses almost takes on an accusative tone toward YHVH (Exod 5:22–23). Graciously, YHVH doesn’t rebuke Moses, but as a loving Father encourages him to refocus on his word and the veracity and surety of his promises (Exod 6:2–5).

YHVH encouraged Moses upward and onward despite his discouraging first attempt at gaining the release of the ­children of Israel. Is it possible that YHVH allowed immediate success to elude Moses at his first encounter with Pharaoh to bring Moses “to the end of himself” with regard to any tendency he might have had to rely primarily on himself and on his own wisdom to accomplish Elohim’s plans? After all, Moses, as either Pharaoh’s adopted grandson or his nephew (depending on whether this was the Pharaoh of Moses’ childhood or his son), had an “in” with the monarch that could have been exploited for the benefit of securing the release of Israel. As YHVH wanted Moses to rely on him alone for Israel’s deliverance, even so YHVH wants us to rely on him alone to accomplish his purposes in our lives and not primarily on any human abilities that we may possess. We have to be totally emptied of ourselves before we’re ready for the Master’s use. This doesn’t mean he won’t use our natural abilities or what he have gained through life’s experiences, but we must learn to submit all that we have and are to his sovereign will. In this way, YHVH, not man, gets the glory when success occurs (Jer 9:22–23).

Additionally, YHVH reaffirmed his covenant promises to Moses using his covenant name, YHVH, three times (Exod 6:6, 7, 8). Here are some other examples of how Scripture uses YHVH’s covenant name along with modifying adjectives to describe his promise and ability to meet all our human needs:

• YHVH Elohim (Gen 2:4–7)
• YHVH El Elohim: YHVH El of gods (Josh 22:22)
• YHVH Elohaykha: YHVH Your Elohim (Exod 20:2)
• YHVH Elohay Avotaynu: YHVH Elohim of our fathers (Ezra 7:27)
• YHVH Elohay HaShamaiyim: YHVH, Elohim of heaven (Gen 24:7)
• YHVH Elohay Yisrael: YHVH Elohim of Israel (Josh 24:2)
• YHVH Elohaynu: YHVH Our Elohim (Ps 99:5)
• YHVH Elohi: YHVH My Elohim (Zech 14:5)
• YHVH Asaynu: YHVH Our Maker (Ps 95:6)
• YHVH Echad U-Shmo Echad: YHVH Is One and His Name Is One (Zech 14:9)
• YHVH M’Kadishkhem: YHVH Who Sanctifies You (Exod 31:13)
• YHVH Nisi: YHVH Is My Banner (Exod 17:15)
• YHVH Ro-ee: YHVH Is My Shepherd (Ps 23:1)
• YHVH Rophekha: YHVH Who Heals You (Exod 15:26)
• YHVH Shamah: YHVH Is There (Ezek 48:35)
• YHVH Tzidkenu: YHVH Is Our Righteousness (Jer 23:6)
• YHVH Tzuree: YHVH My Rock (or Strength) (Ps 144:1)
• YHVH Tzvaot: YHVH of Hosts/Armies (Isa 6:3)
• YHVH Yireh: YHVH Will Provide (Gen 22:14)

Next, YHVH reveals to Moses the seven steps of Israel’s redemption, which are actually promises of what YHVH will do for Israel.

Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, “I am YHVH, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem [Heb. ga’al meaning “to buy back, ransom for money”] you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments, and I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you an Elohim, and you shall know that I am YHVH your Elohim, which brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am YHVH.” (Exod 6:6–8, emphasis added)

Here we find listed the seven steps of redemption YHVH lays out for Israel. YHVH uses his covenant name three times during the seven promises: at the beginning, middle and end. He wraps his covenant promises in his covenant name for emphasis.

YHVH is telling Moses (and us, as well!!) to just believe him! Believe his Word; trust that he is who he says he is (which is what his covenant name implies: I am who I am, or I will be what I will be; i.e. I will be your All Sufficient One and will meet your every need … So just trust and believe!)

Redemption involves three things. First, the exchange of one thing (money or blood) for something else (the sins of Israel) must occur. This is expressed in the phrase, “I will redeem you.” Through the shed blood of the Passover lamb, which prophetically and symbolically pointed to Yeshua’s death on the cross, YHVH redeemed Israel from the power and penalty of sin, which is death (Ezek 18:4; Rom 6:23). Second, redemption involves the use of divine power to extricate that which is being redeemed (in this case, Israel) from that which is holding it captive or enslaved (i.e. the world, sin and the devil as pictured by Pharaoh and Egypt). This is expressed in the phrase, “with an outstretched arm.” And finally, the third step of redemption involves judgment upon and or destruction of the captor. This is expressed in the phrase, “and with great judgments.” Israel was redeemed from the enemy (sin and Egypt) by the atoning blood of the sacrificed Lamb and by the outstretched arm of YHVH at the dividing of the Red Sea and the deliverance of Israel, and Egypt was judged through the ten plagues and the destruction of her army.

As YHVH promised to redeem the children of Israel, so he promises to do the same for us. He states in Exodus 6:6, “I will redeem you …” and likewise in the Testimony of Yeshua we read:

Forasmuch as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Messiah, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. (1 Pet 1:18–19)

For you are bought with a price; therefore, glorify Elohim in your body, and in your spirit, which are Elohim’s. (1 Cor 6:20)

YHVH promises to redeem his people “with an outstretched arm” (Exod 6:6),

And what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his mighty power. (Eph 1:19)

YHVH promises to redeem his people with an outstretched arm, “and with great judgments” (Exod 6:6; see also Rev 20:10, 14 where YHVH judges sin, death and Satan).

Let’s gain a deeper understanding of the concept of redemption. Redemption is deliverance by payment of a price. In the Testimony of Yeshua, redemption refers to loosing or ransoming something (Luke 2:38; Heb 9:12) and loosing away, delivering or releasing (Luke 21:28; Rom 3:24; Eph 1:14), and to salvation from sin, death, and the wrath of Elohim by Messiah’s sacrifice. In the Tanakh, the word redemption can refer to redemption by a kinsman (Lev 25:24, 48–52; Ruth 4:6; Jer 32:7–8), a rescue or deliverance (Num 3:49), and spiritual ransom (Pss 111:9; 130:7).

The NT emphasizes the tremendous cost of redemption: “the precious blood of [Messiah]” (1 Pet 1:18; Eph 1:7), which is also called an atoning sacrifice, ‘a propitiation by His blood’ (Rom 3:25). Believers are exhorted to remember the ‘price’ of their redemption as motivation to personal holiness (1 Cor  6:19–20; 1 Pet 1:13–19). The Bible also emphasizes the result of redemption: freedom from sin and freedom to serve [Elohim] through [Yeshua the Messiah our Master]. (Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, p. 904–5)

Let’s now explore the concept of Redeemer:

A redeemer is one who frees or delivers another from difficulty, danger, or bondage, usually by the payment of a ransom price. In the OT, the redeemer could function in several ways. He could buy back property (and even enslaved people) sold under duress (Lev 25:23–32). He (usually as owner, not as a relative) often redeemed from [YHVH] dedicated property and firstborn livestock (Lev  27:1–33; also Exod 21:28–30).

Boaz’s function as redeemer for Ruth (Ruth 3:13–4:10) is well known, as is Job’s resurrection hope in [YHVH], his Redeemer (Job 19:25). [YHVH] himself is the Redeemer of Israel, a fact mentioned 18 times—especially by the prophet Isaiah (Ps 78:35; Isa 41:14).

In the NT, [Messiah] is viewed as the ultimate Redeemer, although the Greek word for redeemer is not used. [Yeshua] gave his life “as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Thus, the apostle Paul speaks of believers as having “redemption through his blood’ (Eph 1:7)” (ibid.).

We see once again, as Moses could do nothing through his own ability to redeem Israel out of the Egyptians’ hands, so too we are powerless to accomplish our own deliverance and redemption from that holds us captive. We, as did Moses, must come to the end of ourselves and trust and believe in the covenant promises of YHVH.

And Moses spoke so unto the children of Israel, but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage. (Exod 6:9)

Here we see the heart response of unregenerate man: first he complains (groans, verse 5) about his bondage and then rejects the grace and deliverance freely available from the Redeemer (verse 9).

But finally in Exodus 6:10–13, 28–30; 7:1–10 armed with YHVH’s covenant promises, Moses goes forth to fulfill his commission. Moses responds with excuses and reluctance, yet finally, after encouragement and coaxing from YHVH, he obeys. We see here the patience of YHVH with his children. How long does he have to lovingly lead, coax and encourage us to do his will? To fulfill his destiny and plan for our lives?

Now let’s explore the concept of redemption as it applies to the four cups of wine drunk during the Passover (Pesach) Seder. The first four “I wills” of Exodus 6:6–7 are central to the Passover Seder. The four cups in the Passover Seder represent the four I wills that YHVH declares over Israel in this Scripture passage.

1. “I will bring you out” is represented in the Cup of Sanctification

2. “I will rid you out of their bondage” is represented in the Cup of Deliverance

3. “I will redeem you” is represented in the Cup of Redemption

4. “I will take you to me” is represented in the Cup of Praise or Completion. This last cup is marriage language. He is taking Israel to be his bride. We still use this type of language in our modern marriage ceremony.

The remaining three steps in YHVH’s plan of redemption are:

5. “I will be your Elohim.

6. “I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham…”

7. “I will give it to you as a heritage.”

These seven steps of redemption correlate to the seven biblical feasts, which are yet another way of explaining YHVH’s seven steps of salvation. (These seven steps also relate to the seven stations in the Tabernacle of Moses and the seven steps in the biblical Hebraic wedding, but that’s another discussion that we’ve already covered exhaustively in other studies.) Let’s review YHVH’s seven “I will” statements again to see how they line up with the seven biblical feasts.

1. “I will bring you out.” This points to Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which occurred when Israel was preparing to leave and then actually left Egypt. This a prophetic picture of YHVH delivering the believer from the bondage and enslavement to the world, the flesh and the devil at the time of one’s spiritual conversion or initial salvation.

2. “I will rid you out of their bondage.” This is YHVH delivering the children of Israel from their enemies. For the believer, Egypt is a prophetic picture of the world, and Pharaoh is a symbolic metaphor of the devil. Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread are a spiritual picture of this.

3. “I will redeem you.” This occurred when the Israelites put the blood of the lamb on their door posts on the Passover. This prophetically points to Yeshua’s death on the cross as an atonement for our sins.

4. “I will take you to me.” This is marriage language, and brings us to the next biblical feast, which is the Feast of Weeks (or Pentecost), where YHVH married Israel at Mount Sinai after giving them his Torah covenant.

5. “I will be your Elohim.” This is another picture of the Feast of Weeks when the children of Israel married YHVH and vowed to be faithful to him obeying all his Torah commandments. On the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, YHVH gave his saints the gift of the Set-Apart Spirit by which his Torah-commandments were written on their hearts thus enabling them to obey them. We become the people of Elohim and he becomes our Elohim when he redeems us from sin, and we choose to obey him faithfully (1 John 2:3–6; John 14:15).

6. “I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham.” YHVH promised to give the Israelites the land of Canaan as their promised inheritance if they would be faithful to him. Those who weren’t faithful, died in the wilderness. The Promised Land is a prophetic picture of the saint receiving eternal life in the kingdom of Elohim. This occurs when one receives their glorified bodies at the first resurrection when Yeshua returns to this earth on the Day of Trumpets. This also points to the Day of Atonement when Yeshua will lead his warrior bride into the land of Israel after having defeated the Babylon the Great new world order at the battle of Armageddon. The Feast of Tabernacles is a prophetic picture of YHVH’s people coming into their promised inheritance, which is the Promised Land of Israel from where the saints will be ruling over the world under King Yeshua for one thousand years during the Messianic Age or Millennium.

7. “I will give it to you as a heritage.” The land of Canaan or Promised Land was to be the permanent home of the Israelites with Jerusalem as its eternal capital for eternity. Similarly, after the one thousand year long Millennium, the saints will have as their eternal inheritance the New Jerusalem from heaven on the new earth. This is prophetically pictured by the Eighth Day, which is the last of YHVH’s seven biblical festivals.

This is yet another example of how the Word of Elohim weaves itself together like a rich, multi-colored pictorial tapestry with each layer and thread relating to and interdependent upon the others. When all the threads are woven together, they form a huge, varied and complex picture­—a gospel message tract that far excels any other! Only the infinite mind of Elohim could have engineered this in light of the fact that the Bible was written over a period of some 1800 years by dozens of authors from different backgrounds and countries on three different continents.