[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.thedeepthingsofgod.com\/they-cried-and-groaned-and-god-heard-them-meaning\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.thedeepthingsofgod.com\/they-cried-and-groaned-and-god-heard-them-meaning\/","headline":"They Cried and Groaned, and God Heard Them","name":"They Cried and Groaned, and God Heard Them","description":"Do you ever feel as if life's stresses are too much for you to bear? Have you ever wanted to quit due to stress from your job, family, finances, or church? \n \nI'm talking about those times when you feel helpless and all you can do is cry, whimper, or quiver. Does this sound familiar?\n \nI've got some good news for you: God has a \"verb\" solution for every one of your suffering verbs. Read on!\n","datePublished":"2022-08-11","dateModified":"2024-09-19","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.thedeepthingsofgod.com\/author\/pastero\/#Person","name":"Martin Kiogora","url":"https:\/\/www.thedeepthingsofgod.com\/author\/pastero\/","identifier":1,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.thedeepthingsofgod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/pr-martin-kiogora-1-jpg-150x150.webp","url":"https:\/\/www.thedeepthingsofgod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/pr-martin-kiogora-1-jpg-150x150.webp","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Person","name":"The Deep Things of God","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.thedeepthingsofgod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/cropped-the-deep-things-of-god-logo-1.png","url":"https:\/\/www.thedeepthingsofgod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/cropped-the-deep-things-of-god-logo-1.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.thedeepthingsofgod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/verbs-jpg-webp.avif","url":"https:\/\/www.thedeepthingsofgod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/verbs-jpg-webp.avif","height":426,"width":640},"url":"https:\/\/www.thedeepthingsofgod.com\/they-cried-and-groaned-and-god-heard-them-meaning\/","about":["Bible Verse Insights","Daily Devotionals"],"wordCount":3231,"articleBody":"God\u2019s Deliverance Verbs for Your Verbs \u2013 The Meaning of Exodus 2:23-25Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them. (Exodus 2:23\u201325 NKJV)Do you ever feel as if life\u2019s stresses are too much for you to bear? Have you ever wanted to quit due to stress from your job, family, finances, or church?\u00a0I\u2019m talking about those times when you feel helpless and all you can do is cry, whimper, or quiver. Does this sound familiar?I\u2019ve got some good news for you: God has a \u201cverb\u201d solution for every one of your suffering verbs.In this post, we\u2019ll look at the meaning of Exodus 2:23-25 and how God responds to His people\u2019s cries and groans. We\u2019ll look at human suffering verbs as well as divine verb responses for ours.But then you ask, \u201cWhat do you mean by God has a \u201cverb\u201d solution for every one of your\u00a0 suffering verbs?\u201d\u00a0Let me explain.Do you remember the story of Joseph and his family?\u00a0Permit me to refresh your memory a little.Join me on a journey through time to Egypt. And here we find a group of nomads scurrying through the desert\u2019s sand dunes.The pack is led by Jacob, the group\u2019s oldest member. His eleven sons are following close behind. They\u2019re all heading to Egypt because Joseph invited them. We read:Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, \u2018Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not tarry. You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children's children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. (Genesis 45:9-10 ESV)The Elevation of the Children of IsraelJoseph had already made all of the necessary preparations for his family\u2019s arrival.From then on, they would reside in Goshen, Egypt\u2019s most fertile and productive region in the eastern delta.Goshen was a highly productive area for raising crops and livestock. This ensured that both humans and animals had ample food and water.\u00a0The settled life was significantly better than the nomadic life they had known in the past.The population of God\u2019s people continued to grow even after the death of Joseph and his brothers.\u00a0This population growth can be attributed to their improved standard of living. The Bible states:Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers and became so numerous that the land was filled with them. (Exodus 1:6-7 NIV)However, it was God\u2019s favor and not better living conditions that allowed them to thrive. God\u2019s blessing was the reason for their abundance and rapid population growth.Joseph was aware of the favorable conditions at Goshen. He purposefully used his position to benefit his family by allocating the most fertile land to them.The native Egyptians took cognizance of the preferential treatment given to the visitors. The Egyptians were dissatisfied, but there was little they could do while Joseph was in power.The Demotion of the Children of IsraelAfter Joseph\u2019s death, however, a new pharaoh ascended to power, and the situation quickly changed.The new pharaoh was probably aware of Joseph\u2019s apparent favoritism toward his family. He was determined to obliterate Joseph\u2019s legacy in the annals of his country. The Bible records:Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. (Exodus 1:8 NKJV)According to the Bible, the new pharaoh \u201cdid not know Joseph.\u201d\u00a0How could he not have known Joseph? Given that it was through Joseph\u2019s efforts that a national famine disaster was averted.Joseph\u2019s intervention during the seven years of famine could only be forgotten through selective amnesia.\u00a0The king purposefully chose to forget Joseph.With the ascension of the new Pharaoh to the throne, the children of Israel\u2019s preferential status under Joseph\u2019s premiership came to an end.\u00a0The new Pharaoh began to terrorize the children of Israel.Under the new Pharaoh, their status as a privileged class was reduced to servitude.\u00a0People who had previously lived relatively comfortable lives were suddenly forced to work as slaves in appalling conditions.\u00a0As a result of their new slave status, the children of Israel suffered severe physical and psychological trauma.\u00a0The Israelites became easy targets for their oppressors\u2019 anger, stigma, and shame.They were overworked and given insufficient food rations in an effort to break their will. The Bible records:And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage\u2014in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor. (Exodus 1:14 NKJV)They had no time to rest, day or night, and many of them died due to the violence they endured.They were subjected to mind control techniques in order to tame their will and seize control of their lives.\u00a0Their confidence and self-esteem were damaged by these mind control techniques.The hardships were so severe that the children of Israel collectively cried out to God for deliverance after the death of the Pharaoh. We read:\u201c...Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage.\u201d (Exodus 2:23b NKJV)Pharaoh\u2019s DeathIn the passage of time, the cold and ruthless Pharaoh died. We read:\u201cNow it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died\u2026\u201d (Exodus 2:23a NKJV)\u00a0It was his turn to go \u201cthe way of all flesh.\u201d Death is inevitable and has no regard for a king or a subject.The oppressors and tyrants also meet their demise. Those who inflict pain and suffering on others will also perish one day.The people of God cried out to God for help shortly after the death of the despotic pharaoh. The Bible records:\u00a0Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them. (Exodus 2:23\u201325 NKJV)In Exodus 2:23\u201325, the Bible uses two verbal expressions to describe the sufferings of the children of Israel at the hands of their Egyptian masters. These are:\u201cGroaned\u201d\u201cCried out\u201d\u00a0Let us look at these two expressions first before moving on to the rest of the passage.\u201cThen the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out\u201dAfter the reigning Pharaoh died, the oppressed Israelites started to have some hope that their situation would change.However, despite the death of Pharaoh and the ascent of a new one, the situation of the children of Israel remained unchanged.In reality, the new Pharaoh enacted harsher, more oppressive policies.\u00a0As a result of this harsh treatment, the children of Israel groaned and cried out to God like never before.\u00a0The oppressor increased his efforts, and the oppressed increased their prayers to God.In Exodus 2:23, Moses uses the Hebrew word \u201cneaqah\u201d to describe the intensity of the Israelites\u2019 \u201cgroanings.\u201dThe Hebrew word \u201cneaqah\u201d means to groan, whimper, cry, or make the sound a mortally wounded person makes as he dies (Ezekiel 30:24).What then does it mean that the children of Israel \u201cgroaned\u201d and \u201ccried out\u201d\u00a0 to God? It means their anguish was so intense that it could be compared to the moaning and crying of a mortally wounded man. Their agony was so severe that they cried out to God like never before.\u00a0The pressure was so intense that, \u201cThey cried out for help, and their cry rose up to God\u201d (Exodus 2:23).\u00a0Moses later composed a song (Psalm 107:6) to commemorate their cry for help and deliverance. We read:\u201cThen they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.\u201d (Psalm 107:6 NIV)The Divine response to their cries was immediate.God\u2019s Response to the Cries and Groaning of the Children of IsraelGod was moved with pity for them and swung to action.In Exodus 2:24-25, the divine response to Israel\u2019s cries and groans is described in four ways:\u201cGod heard their groaning\u201d\u00a0\u201cGod remembered His covenant\u201d\u00a0\u201cGod looked upon the children of Israel\u201d\u201cGod acknowledged them\u201d\u00a0Next, let\u2019s consider what Moses meant when he said that God \u201cheard,\u201d \u201cremembered,\u201d \u201csaw,\u201d and \u201cacknowledged\u201d the sufferings of the Israelites.\u00a0What exactly do these phrases mean? Do these phrases suggest that God has poor vision, hearing, and memory?\u00a0All of these questions have the same answer: God has infinite sight, hearing, and memory.\u00a0It\u2019s just that, due to the limitations of our human languages, we sometimes attribute human characteristics to God. In theology, this is known as anthropomorphism.What is anthropomorphism? Anthropomorphism is the practice of attributing human characteristics to God. It is a way of describing divine activities in terms that humans can understand.\u00a0Anthropomorphism is also a means of communicating God\u2019s love, tenderness, displeasure, and other godly attributes in human terms.\u00a0For example, biblical authors frequently use terms such as \u201cgrieving,\u201d \u201crepenting,\u201d \u201cremembering,\u201d and others to describe God\u2019s actions. All these are anthropomorphic descriptions.Now, let\u2019s examine the meaning of each of the four expressions in Exodus 2:24-25.1. \u201cGod heard their groaning\u201dWhat does it mean \u201cGod heard their groaning\u201d? It means that God heard, paid attention to, was interested in, and took note of the children of Israel\u2019s sufferings.Here is an explanation of what we mean by the above statement.The Hebrew word for \u201cheard\u201d is sh\u00e2ma, which means \u201cto listen with attention or interest.\u201dIn other words, God was drawn to the sufferings of the children of Israel. God was touched by their cries and suffering.2. \u201cGod remembered His covenant\u201d\u00a0What does the phrase, \u201cGod remembered His covenant\u201d mean? It means God recalled \u2013 in the sense of acting on, upholding, and fulfilling \u2013 His covenant with the patriarchs.The following is an explanation of what we mean by the statement above.The Hebrew word for \u201cremembered\u201d is zakar and it refers to both the act of recalling and acting on what has been remembered. It is a recollection accompanied by actions.Zakar can also mean to grant a request, to be kind, to protect, and to deliver.In this case, Yahweh not only remembered His covenant with the patriarchs, but also swung into action to deliver His people from Egyptian slavery. Yahweh\u2019s action came in form of the ten plagues that left Egypt shaken.Does this imply that God forgets? No, it does not imply that God forgets. This is still anthropomorphism as we discussed earlier in this article.The thrust of the word \u201cremember\u201d here is that God considered and\u00a0 followed through on His promise to deliver His people from slavery.3. \u201cGod looked upon the children of Israel\u201dWhat does it mean that, \u201cGod looked upon the children of Israel\u201d? It means that God took note of the sufferings of the children of Israel with a view of freeing them from the Egyptian bondage.\u00a0The Hebrew word for \u201clook\u201d is r\u0101\u2019\u00e2, which means \u201cto pay attention to\u201d or \u201cto look at favorably.\u201dIt follows then that, God \u201clooked favorably\u201d on the plight of the children of Israel. And the result of God\u2019s \u201cfavorable look\u201d was deliverance from slavery.4. \u201cGod acknowledged them\u201d\u00a0What does it mean that, \u201cGod acknowledged them\u201d? It means God took cognizant of the cruelty inflicted on His people and acted decisively on their behalf.\u00a0The Hebrew word for \u201cacknowledge\u201d or \u201crespect\u201d\u00a0 is y\u0101\u1e0fa,\u02bf which means to recognize in order to intervene.As a result, God recognized His people\u2019s sufferings and chose to intervene and liberate them from Egyptian servitude.The Implications of the Four PhrasesThe four phrases we just discussed all center on the idea that God chose to act forcefully to deliver his people from slavery.The time had come for God to intervene once and for all to free His people from slavery in His own time and in His own way.Exodus 2:23-25 marked the beginning of Yahweh\u2019s display of power and miraculous actions to deliver His people from slavery.\u00a0According to Moses, this manifestation of God\u2019s power in the form of plagues was deliverance \u201cwith a mighty hand.\u201dSo the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm, with great terror and with signs and wonders. (Deuteronomy 26:8 NKJV).It was time for God to fulfill His promise to Abraham of delivering his descendants after 400 years of slavery (Genesis 15:13).\u00a0It had been a long wait for the people of God, but deliverance was finally knocking.In his homily, James Edwin Orr describes God\u2019s timing as follows:The hour of help. It was long delayed. Till tyranny had done its worst. Till the last hope of help from man had disappeared. Improvement may have been looked for at the death of the king. It came at last. When the bondage had served its ends. When the people, in despair of man, were crying to God. When it did come \u2014the man was found ready who was to bring it. God was found faithful to His promise. \u2014 James Edwin Orr\u2019s HomilyIn Exodus chapter three, Moses reiterates that God was acting in response to His people\u2019s affliction and cries.\u00a0Then the Lord said, \u201cI have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. (Exodus 3:7-9 ESV)Only God could deliver the children of Israel \u201cfrom the Egyptians\u2019 hands\u201d and lead them to the promised land.God\u2019s Deliverance Verbs for Your Suffering VerbsThe verbs used to describe Israel\u2019s plea for God\u2019s intervention are \u201cgroan\u201d and \u201ccry out.\u201d\u00a0God\u2019s deliverance verbs for Israel, on the other hand, are four in number: \u201cheard,\u201d \u201cremembered,\u201d \u201clooked,\u201d and \u201cacknowledged.\u201d That\u2019s two verbs for the price of one.The implication is that God has multiple deliverance verbs for each of your suffering verbs.\u00a0In other words, God\u2019s willingness to deliver us from our pain and suffering is overwhelming.\u00a0The apostle Paul describes the readiness of God to deliver His people in these words:Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, (Ephesians 3:20 NKJV)God is willing to deliver us from all forms of slavery \u201cexceedingly abundantly.\u201d He is willing to free us from the shackles of addiction and habit that bind us.Lessons from Exodus 2:23-25What spiritual lessons do we learn from God\u2019s deliverance verbs in Exodus 2:23-25?\u00a0 This Exodus story contains numerous lessons for us in this day and age. Among these lessons are the following:1. It Is Unwise to Show Open FavoritismIt is unwise for those in positions of responsibility or power to prioritize their loved ones and friends over everyone else.Joseph gave his family the most fertile area of Egypt, much to the chagrin of the Egyptians.Such favoritism runs the risk of causing unimaginable suffering to those who were once favored if a new \u201cpharaoh\u201d or leadership emerges with a vengeful spirit.Therefore, in all of our interactions and dealings with other people, we must always act impartially and fairly.2. Oppressive Systems Won\u2019t Last ForeverThe despotic pharaoh ruled for a long time died. He had caused so much pain and death to so many people, but his time came and he died.This shows that the oppressive human systems and rulers have their end too.\u00a0So, if you live in an oppressive country or under oppressive leadership, remember that dictators don\u2019t live forever. Their day of reckoning is also approaching.3. God Honors His TimelinesGod promised Abraham that He would deliver his descendants after four centuries, which He did.The wait was long, but God eventually delivered on His promise and freed them from slavery.The lesson for us is to trust God\u2019s timing. We should not give up or grow weary of waiting for answers to our prayers. The truth is that we have no idea how close God is to responding to them.4. God Hears the Cries of His PeopleThe children of Israel\u2019s cries triggered and set the stage for God to personally intervene and secure the deliverance of them.God\u2019s ears are always open to the cries, groans, and whimpers of His people.God\u2019s hearing is not passive, but active, and it is accompanied by deliverance actions.5. Deliverance Is Always a Divine ActSalvation, like creation, is an act of God. The liberation of Israel from servitude was a divine plan from the beginning to the end.It is God who initiated the release of the children of Israel from the power that held them captive.Similarly, salvation is and always will be a divine initiative. We are saved not because we deserve it, but because of God\u2019s mercy and grace. Salvation is God\u2019s gift to the human race.As a result, bring your suffering verbs to God, and He will intervene with His deliverance verbs.Always remember to:Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. (Psalm 27:14 NIV)The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the Lord. (Lamentations 3:25-26 NKJV)Wait on the Lord. Won\u2019t you?You may have noticed that I don't run ads on this blog. This is because I aim to provide my readers with an ad-free and clutter-free experience. If you find my work inspiring, please consider supporting my ministry through our Ko-fi page or by pressing the button below. Your donations help maintain this website and enable me to create new spiritually enriching articles.kofiwidget2.init('Buy Me Coffee', '#3c6be5', 'G2G0ISJ2K');kofiwidget2.draw();You can read other devotionals here:Be Strong and Do Not Give Up \u2013 Meaning of 2 Chronicles 15:7Turn Us Again, O God\u2013The Message of Psalm 80:3Lord, Make Me a Fortified City, an Iron Pillar, and a Bronze Wall"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"They Cried and Groaned, and God Heard Them","item":"https:\/\/www.thedeepthingsofgod.com\/they-cried-and-groaned-and-god-heard-them-meaning\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]