The Lord has visited His people“ And the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshipped.” (Exodus 4:31, ESV)
Moses and Aaron had “tidings of comfort and joy” for their fellow Israelites:
“During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel – and God knew.”(Exodus 2:23–25, ESV)
“And God knew.” Isn’t this soul-cuttingly comforting? No wonder that, believing these words, the Israelites worshipped.
“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10–11, NASB 95)
Do you have this “great joy” of the people of God? Please don’t give the expected answer automatically. I know we are supposed to say yes, but I ask genuinely. Do you have this joy? Or is it overcast in you because of the hardness of life? If you read on in Exodus, you know that after delivering the news of salvation to the Israelites, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh demanding the release of the people – and Pharaoh responded by making their burden heavier. When the Israelite foremen met Moses and Aaron after this, they said:
“May the LORD look upon you and judge
you, for you have made us odious in
Pharaoh’s sight and in the sight of his
servants, to put a sword in their hand to
kill us.”” (Exodus 5:21, NASB 95)
Moses was crushed (v23), and when the Lord picked him up and sent him back to them to repeat the message of their salvation, they did not believe him “on account of their weakness of spirit and hard slavery.” (Exodus 6:9, LSB)
What a descriptive phrase for discouragement: “weakness of spirit”! Sometimes the soul is too weakened by its burdens to be able to take in the news that could lift that burden. If that is you, my Friend, I pray that the Lord will strengthen you to look to Him this Christmas. For once again the news comes:
“the LORD had visited the people of Israel” — He has come to save His people from their sins, and give them that believe new life in His name; if Christ is your Saviour, God is with you (Matthew 1:21–23).
May He lift your soul.
Calix
December 2025
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