All right, let's be turning to Exodus chapter 2. Exodus chapter 2. Last week I had preached two messages from this chapter, Moses as a child and then Moses as a man. And I had a very nice conversation with Brother Sly after that first message about Moses and slaying the Egyptian. And he was asking, isn't that really a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ? who defeats our enemies and frees us. It's a picture of Christ. And he's right. It is definitely a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And I had been making the case in showing us the walk of faith and how that Moses, I had said, knew that it was wrong for him to do that, to murder a man, and liken that to the works of the flesh. But we know that Moses did that in faith. And it is a picture of Christ who defeats our enemies and delivers his child, who sets them free.

And so I went back and I was studying that a little bit more, looking at it more. And to the point that I was making about how the Lord grows us in the flesh, I'm sorry, how he grows us in faith and how he grows us in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we do see what Moses did there, how the Lord had to teach Moses, right? How the Lord did have to teach Moses. Moses was ready to run and he hadn't even learned yet how to walk, right? He did that in faith, supposing his brethren, would have understood that the Lord had raised him up to deliver them. Moses was ready to do that. When he came, he took his place with the brethren who were being persecuted by their enemies, by the Egyptians, and he was ready to run and do that, but God would teach him first to walk. He was ready to go, but Moses was to learn to wait upon the Lord still. And the way the Lord did that was by sending him into the wilderness.

Also, like Christ, he was rejected. And if you read Stephen in Acts chapter 7, he speaks of Moses being cast out by his family into the river, that they cast him out. It's a picture of that rejection, of when he was rejected by the Israelites. So Moses was rejected by the Israelites then, just as our Lord would be rejected. And it's a picture of how the Lord, in conforming us to Christ, causes us to suffer, to suffer through that like our Lord and to be stripped and withered in the flesh that we might serve him in the spirit. And so that's a picture there. of how the Lord conforms us to Christ, who though he were a son, the scriptures say, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.

And so it's a good, there's a lot of pictures there of Christ. Christ didn't need to learn that. He's the son. I mean, he knows that is what I mean, and yet it pleased the Father to cause him to suffer. in serving his father. And so it is, brethren, that we too are caused to suffer through various infirmities, through various afflictions, through various strippings that bring us low in ourselves, that we would find that all our strength is Christ and our God and not the strength of this flesh. So it was a good conversation, and I appreciate going back and just looking at that, and I hope that helps edify what was being said last week.

Now in today's message, we're going to look at the end of this chapter, where we see something of the eternal covenant of grace that our Lord has given to us and placed us under. At the end of that chapter, chapter 223, it came to pass in process of time that the king of Egypt died. and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. And so first it says that this king of Egypt died. Now we know this king was the king who was persecuting them. He was the one who started this persecution to limit the number of Israelites, lest Egypt should be overwhelmed by their numbers. And so the way he first did that was he tried to weigh them down with burdens to slow them down, and yet they only increased. And so then he put out a decree that they were to cast out their male children into the river, to kill their children to slow them down. And he eventually died.

And yet, the burden upon the people of Israel wasn't changed. Though he changed, though there was a turning over there in the earth, their burden continued. And so, if any was hoping that, well, maybe when he goes, things will be different for us. Well, that hope died with that man. Because it was clear that they were still being persecuted and burdened by the Egyptians there. And that's something that the Lord does, that's something that He shows us, is that even though situations in this world change, that doesn't change the need of our heart when the Lord's in it. And it's for our good that he shows us that, lest we would put our heart on something of this world, thinking that if only that could change, things would get better for me. But no, they don't.

And when the Lord's gonna have the heart of his child, he's not gonna let it be lightened with earthly changes and earthly turnovers. And so it's because the Lord desires truth in the ember parts. And so he's going to allow his children to be chastened, to be burdened, to go through that fiery trial, to go through the deep waters, because in that we're going to be driven to the Lord, turned to the Lord. We're going to sigh and groan with words that cannot be uttered, being helped by the Spirit to cry out, Abba, Father. who hears his children and blesses them. And so the burdens that we have, the trials that we're given, various persecutions and chastenings of our Lord was laid upon them, right, to sweetly force them to the throne of God. right, to cry unto him for grace and mercy with sighs and groanings which cannot be uttered.

And it says there, the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. And so they're given, right, to drive us to the throne of grace, to drive us to Christ, to drive us from being content in this world. There's a need for every one of us to be stripped of the love of this world because it creeps up and the cares of this world, like weeds, rise up and choke out that love of Christ. And so, because he loves us, he gives us trials. Because he loves us, he allows us to suffer. He gives us various sufferings for our good in measure, in measure, to bring us to the Lord Jesus Christ. And so, in these things, with Christ as our object, we come boldly, and notice what it says in Hebrews 4.16, we come boldly unto the throne of grace. grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. And I like that. Having also studied the first message, it really helped me to see how we're coming to that throne of grace, meaning we're unworthy in ourselves, but all our worthiness is found in Christ, that we may come unto the throne of God for Christ's sake. And so that's what he's doing there. And so when we're burdened, when you're burdened and cry, take that burden of your heart to your God, to the throne of our God, because it's given to show you that all you need is found in Christ. Everything you need is met for you in the Lord Jesus Christ.

When Elihu was speaking to Job in Job 35, 9 and 10, he noted this, and it's good for us to see this. He says that by reason of the multitude of oppressions, They make the oppressed to cry. They cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty, not the almighty, but the mighty of the earth who are oppressing them. But none, Elihu saith, where is God my maker who giveth songs in the night?

What he's showing us is that every one of us, everyone in the earth has trials. Everyone is oppressed. Everyone goes through difficult times. But the trials which God sanctifies to his children bring us to God. They're given to drive us to God because otherwise we would find contentment in this world. And so it's always he sanctifies it, meaning that if he's in it, if he's seeking to do you good. If he would do you good, he's gonna give the trial that brings you to Christ, which is a good place to be. It's not a place that we would elect to be in our flesh, but we do find his help and his blessings are in the Lord our Savior.

And so what I've found to be true of myself, because I've been thinking about chastening a lot, and for myself, What I find in me, just testifying to you, that all my chastening is always given, and it always roots out some sin in me. It always roots out, it always finds something in me that I am brought to see to just cry out and lay it before the Lord, to just confess my sin unto him. There's other purposes in it too, but it always roots out something in me, something I'm holding back, something I'm keeping back for myself.

It's always given to turn me away from my way of error in some way that I'm thinking about something, in some way that something I'm doing or whatever, it roots out some sin in me to humble me, right? To bring me, to humble me before God, because there's always something there. The Lord doesn't deal with us in all of our sins, but there's always something there in us that he touches upon that roots something out in me. And it's because our Lord is leading us to repentance of the way that we would go. The way that we think, well, this looks like a nice way. I'll go this way. And the Lord will turn us off of that way and bring us into the way of Christ, reconciling us even with his providence and with his chastening and to humble us in such a manner so that we even are led to take sides with God against ourselves and to confess like our Savior, yet Lord, not my will, but thy will be done.

And there's many times where I don't go into the prayer that way, but by his grace, I'm made to see, Lord, I trust you. Even Job said, though he slay me, yet will I trust him. And that's his grace that gives a man, that heart to trust the Lord in it, even though it's difficult and stripping in some manner or way. And so the Lord is turning us from our way.

You think of these Israelites there, they've probably forgotten a lot of things. And this is just where they are, but the Lord begins to stir them up. to groan and to sigh and to cry, and that cry comes up to the Lord, and he has respect unto it, meaning he hears it and he takes note of them because for us, brethren, it's always to bring us to see that Christ is all and in all, because the flesh doesn't believe that. The flesh doesn't understand that, but the new man does. And he's making us to see, Lord, you're all. And if we're holding on to something, he has a way of stripping that out of our hand graciously. and to know to a greater and greater degree always that Christ really is all. He's everything.

Now, this blessing of God to lead us to Christ arises, what we're gonna see here, it arises entirely out of this free, sovereign covenant of grace. This is God's covenant of grace which he's established with us. So look at verses 24 and 25. of which we read here, it says, And 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 had respect unto them.

Understand this covenant is the source and the cause of all mercy and all grace that is shown to God's people. It's because of this covenant of grace here that we are blessed of God. We're not blessed of God because of what we've done to get God's attention or to merit God's favor. It is given, and it's all given, in this covenant of grace. As Paul says in Ephesians 1, 3, that God hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. This covenant of grace speaks to Christ and what he has done for us in establishing us in His covenant of grace by His blood. And so that's where all the blessings come from. It's from Christ. It's in this covenant of grace here.

Regarding Israel, which, again, Stephen calls it the church in the wilderness. They are a picture, what's written of them in picture, type, and shadow. is for our learning, for our instruction, Paul said. It was done for us today who are going through trials and afflictions and burdens. It's to comfort our hearts. and to put our eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ, so that throughout the scriptures, we see references to this covenant. It's not just once repeated to Abraham in Genesis 15. It's repeated several times in Genesis, and it's repeated here now in Exodus chapter 2. But it's repeated again. I'll give you another example in 2 Kings 13, 23. This is during the days of King Jehoahaz when they were being oppressed by King Hazael of Syria. It says, and the Lord, it's almost the same language, and the Lord was gracious unto them. and had compassion on them, and he had respect unto them because of his covenant with Abraham, right? With Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, right? Not because they were doing something, but because of the covenant, the covenant. And would not destroy them, neither cast he them from his presence as yet.

And so this covenant is repeated. It's repeated because this is the reason why God blesses you. for this covenant sake, for this covenant of grace. And it's given to remind us who are being troubled, who are being chastened, who are being afflicted, who are going through difficulties and strippings, who are made to see my own failures, my own weaknesses, my own reasons why I shouldn't be blessed or heard of God. We see these things. We see our insufficiency, but the covenant, is repeated to us, just as it's repeated to us every time in the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ, it's the covenant. We are reminded of his grace, that God is faithful to his covenant. He's faithful to us in that covenant because he's faithful. He's faithful, and he won't turn from his promise. He won't turn away from it to be gracious to us, and he'll, in fact, even when we don't deserve it, he'll turn us to His grace. He'll turn us to Christ so that we see why God is gracious and merciful to us.

And so he remembers this covenant that he made with his people, even though there are times where he will withdraw himself, there are times where he will hide his face from us. There are times when heaven will be like an iron curtain, and like our prayers are going nowhere. There are times when he will do that, but he never forgets his covenant. He always remembers.

And I want to show you a passage in Isaiah 54. Let's turn there, Isaiah 54, because we're going to read verses four through 10. And this traces that out for us. that the Lord remembers that it's not because of me, but it's because of Christ that he remembers.

And so he says, verse four, fear not, for thou shalt not be ashamed, neither be thou confounded. And we know that you that trust Christ for all your righteousness, you're not gonna be ashamed on that day of grace, on that day of judgment. You're not gonna be confounded or confused. The Lord's never gonna say, you trusted Christ too much. That'll never be said to you that trust Christ. It'll never be said to you.

And so it is even in this day. Trust him, believe him through the trial, trust him, wait upon him, hope in his grace, for thou shalt not be put to shame, for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood anymore. For thy maker is thine husband, The Lord of hosts is his name, and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of the whole earth, shall he be called.

For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken, and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God. For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer.

For this is as the waters of Noah unto me. For as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee nor rebuke thee. For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee. Neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.

And so you and I may forget, and there are times where it astounds us when it does come to our memory, I've forgotten. And now I remember, right? And we go to the Lord. You and I may forget, but he will never forget his people. Though we believe not, Paul said, yet he abideth faithful. He cannot deny himself because he is the faithful husband of his people.

Now, Back in verse 23, Exodus 2, 23 again, it said, the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. What our Lord is teaching us is that He hears your cries, you that believe Him, you that are troubled and hurting and crying unto Him the way a mother hears the cry of her child. Your child could be in a room full of children, and you'll know that cry. You'll know that's my child, and you'll hear that cry.

Or even as a father's heart is moved to tenderness for his weepy toddler. We're moved to tenderness when they're weeping and troubled. Well, so the scriptures say that, like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. And then, like that, verse 24 of our text says, and God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham and with Isaac and with Jacob.

And so he honors his covenant. He spoke his covenant because he keeps his word. He's not ashamed to say it because it's his covenant that he has made with us. And he intends to work, to deal with us in that covenant, in that covenant of grace. And he'll honor it and keep it forever.

This same covenant, again, is repeated again in Psalm 89, concerning David. Psalm 89, verses three and four, where the Lord says, I have made a covenant with my chosen. I have sworn unto David, my servant, thy seed will I establish forever and build up thy throne to all generations.

By Christ, that seed of David. that the seed of promise should come. Our Lord says, I'll not turn from that, right? Though Israel is what Israel is, I will not turn from it. I will bring forth my seed and he shall be established forever and his seed in him. I'm not gonna turn from that covenant, right? Because for the promise is given unto you and to your children and to them that are far off. And even as many as the Lord our God shall call, he's bringing this covenant forward.

When we look at this earth and we look at the wickedness of men, we look at the wickedness of our own heart, what a comfort it is to know that God shall honor his covenant to his people. That he triumphs and overrules all things in the hearts of his people.

And so this covenant is that same covenant proclaimed and believed by the prophets, by the apostles, and shall be fulfilled by God's free, sovereign, full grace. It's all of him. He's not changing from it. He's not going to turn from it. We're called in that covenant. We're saved in that covenant. We're established in that covenant.

And for Christ's sake, for Christ's sake, who suffered and died for us and rose again, who triumphed gloriously over all our enemies to save his people in truth and in righteousness, in perfect righteousness, that we might stand before God forever." Forever, brethren.

Now, it's upon this covenant, I say all that, the Lord says it to us. Because that is the hope. That covenant is where all our hope rests. It's given for you to rest in that covenant, for you to hope. Lord, I don't see it, but I trust you. I trust you, Lord. I don't know how you're going to do it, but I trust you. I know that you're able because you speak it, and you're God, and you're able to do and bring to pass all that you say.

It's going to make us to know. The comfort for us, too, is that this covenant didn't begin with Abraham. That's where it's really clearly outlined. It begins to be outlined there in Abraham and then in Exodus and throughout the scriptures, but it is an eternal covenant ordered in all things and sure. It didn't come later after we fell. It's an eternal covenant of God.

In 2 Samuel 23, verse 5, this is David praying, David giving us this word of instruction. He says, although my house be not so with God, yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure, for this is all my salvation. This covenant, all my salvation and all my desire, although he make it not to grow." And I know that that last phrase there can be a little confusing. What does David exactly mean, although he maketh it not to grow? David's acknowledging and recognizing, though my house is a mess. Though you look at my house, there's fighting. I've got my sons murdering my sons and doing horrible things to their siblings. Though the kingdom's always at war, there's no peace because of my sin. Though it doesn't look so on the outside, yet I know God has spoken it and God shall bring it to pass.

It's not gonna change. God isn't moved by the works of men. God honors His covenant for His word's sake because it's Christ, and it honors Christ, and it glorifies Christ, and it exalts the Lord Jesus Christ, who has given for us a covenant. He is our Savior, and that's what the Lord is constantly showing us. Even the weaknesses that he makes us to see in ourselves, it's to show us, it's not you, it's Christ. Look to him, Christ is all. I've given him for your salvation.

You know, David displeased the Lord with his sin against Uriah and Bathsheba, and yet the Lord did not turn away from him, but the Lord favored him, and blessed him, and kept him, and restored him, and gave him a sweet and tender heart for the Lord. The Lord did that.

In Jeremiah, the prophet, he said, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous branch, and a king shall reign and prosper and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. And so here we see the eternal covenant looking out ahead. Speaking of eternity future, which is to come, God says, I'm going to do this. I'm gonna bring it to pass.

Well, he also speaks by that same prophet of eternity past when the Lord said, I have loved thee with an everlasting love. For all eternity, God has a people that he chose in the Lord Jesus Christ. Or as Paul said, according as he has chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world. It's an eternal covenant, brethren.

And our God, knowing all our failures, Abraham's falls are detailed here in the scriptures, as are Isaac's, as are Jacob's, listed in abundance. We see the falls of God's people. We see it in Israel as they're led through the wilderness. We see it during the times of the kings and the judges and the kings and the prophets. We see it in the New Testament church. The faults of the people are not hidden. It's not because we ourselves are perfect in ourselves. Our perfection, our righteousness is the Lord Jesus Christ. And so it's in him, brethren. It's all in him.

Even knowing our failures, it's an everlasting love. Romans 9. 13 through 16 says, as it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated, meaning God has a covenant of grace wherein Jacob stands, but Esau does not. He doesn't stand in that covenant. What shall we say then, is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid, for he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion upon whom I will have compassion. So then, it's not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.

And so it's not, this covenant is not founded upon works, it's not open to the free will of man, right, for him to decide whether or not God doesn't fail. All whom he chose in Christ from before the foundation of the earth shall be found, shall be stood, shall be there in this covenant by God's sovereign, free, electing choice in Christ, and he doesn't fail. That's why Jacob, though he was, you know, from the outside looked like a worse man than Esau, and yet Jacob, was made righteous by God, and Jacob's heart was turned to God, and Jacob worshiped God, and Jacob was brought to see his sin and confess his sin to God, because God had done it for him. The Lord had done all things for him, establishing him in that covenant of God's grace by the blood of Christ.

Speaking of our Lord Jesus Christ in Isaiah 49.8, Thus saith the Lord, in an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee, and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages. And so Praise be to God, he sent the Son, he accomplished that redemption, and these words spoken to Christ of preservation are spoken to us. He promises, I preserve thee, I keep thee, I'm leading thee, I'm providing for you all things that you need to turn you from death and to turn you from unrighteousness to righteousness in my Son to know that Christ is all and in all for my people. That's how we're gonna come, and he's gonna make sure that he does that.

And he reveals it to us week after week after week in the preaching of the gospel, which is a repetition of that covenant of grace. It's a reminder of this covenant of grace that it's in Christ Jesus.

Blessed are they that keep judgment. I'm gonna give you an example. Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times. Brethren, we are them that doeth righteousness at all times. How so? How is that true? It's in and by the Lord Jesus Christ in whom we believe. It's He's our righteousness. You that hope in Christ, who look to Him for all salvation, He is our righteousness, and that's how we do with righteousness at all times. It's through the faith which God hath given unto us.

Even though, like David said, just looking at this body of flesh, it's ruined, it's fallen, it's sinful, it's weak, it fails, it stumbles all the time, and yet, And yet, though we see our failures, yet we see Christ. But we see Jesus, made a little lower than the angels, so that we through faith have the very righteousness of God. have been laid hold of by the very righteousness of God and given that hand of faith to lay hold of the righteousness of God by His grace and power to believe Him and to come to God in that very righteousness, not ourselves, but His. That's how we do with righteousness at all times and are well-pleasing in God's sight.

You know, a man can do what is written in the scriptures. without fault. Paul said he did it. Before the law, I was blameless, blameless before that law. But if he does not have Christ, he's dead in his sins. If he dies in that unbelief, he dies in his sins and will suffer the judgment of God.

But a man who though he's weak, poor, worthless, fallen, unable to do what he knows he should do, if he have Christ, if he has Christ, that man shall have peace and righteousness and life and salvation forevermore for Christ's sake. And so Christ shall be with him in all that he does, doing righteousness at all times.

Why? Because by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities. He bears their sins and bears them away. And so the Lord's showing us you either trust Christ for all your righteousness or you trust your own works for your salvation. It's one or the other. Men try to combine the two. Men try to put the two together and say, well, I do believe Christ, but I know that if I don't do this, I cannot be saved. And they look away from Christ for that righteousness, for that work. All right, no, we're looking to Christ for all things. If Christ says, the man that doeth those things shall perish, then he's the one that has put that away, and he's the one that keeps our hearts. He's the one that keeps us ever looking to him because we're justified by him.

All right, if it be by grace, then it's no more works. For grace is, you know, it's not grace and works, it's grace, otherwise grace would not be grace. And if it be by works, then it's not of grace, otherwise work is no more work. So it's by His grace and mercy.

So the Lord is telling us these things that you would rejoice. You that mourn for your sin. who look to Christ and hope in his righteousness that God has made this covenant with us of grace. All right, not an if, if you do this, then I'll do that, but all yay and amen in the Lord Jesus Christ. It's either all of him or it's all of us.

And so understand that our Lord has triumphed gloriously over all our sins. so that they have no more condemnation against you, nothing more to say against you, they are silenced against us. And he, your faithful husband and friend, bears fruit in you unto God our Father. He's the one that bears that fruit of faith and hope and walking before your God in that faith and hope.

In that work of faith, Paul called it, as I read before the message here, in that labor of love and that patience of hope in the Lord Jesus Christ, knowing your election. That's how God reveals them that are his. That faith, hope, and love. And that's where it's in Christ we do bear forth, bring forth fruits of righteousness, that care, that love, that patience, that tenderness, that gentleness that sinners need and we want to show as the Lord has shown it to us. He bears that fruit. He says, this people have I formed for myself. They show forth my praise. We show forth his praise. And so Christ is boasting of the work that he does in his people.

Though we're weak in ourselves, he's boasting of what he does, and he'll show that it's not of the strength of your hand. He'll bring us down a low path if necessary to show us it's not by your strength, but by me." It's not by your sword, but by me. It's not by your hand, but by me. He'll do it to prove it to us that his grace is sufficient, that we need him, and I'll turn this heart from dead and wicked, earthly, carnal ways to rejoice in him.

That in the ages to come, he might show the exceeding riches of his grace. in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. So understand, this covenant cannot fail. It cannot come short because it is an eternal covenant established in the blood and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, regardless of what strains we put upon it. Regardless of what stresses we put upon it, God is able and does deliver us gloriously in Christ.

He always remembers this covenant that he made with us. He always remembers this covenant that he made with us because he always remembers Christ. He will never dishonor Christ. He always remembers our Lord and Savior, who is set down at the right hand of the throne of God, who also maketh intercession for us. He remembers his son, he honors his son, and therefore he will never turn away from this covenant to do us good, to turn us back to himself, to save us by his grace. He declares to us all what favor he holds for his son.

As in when he said, this is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased, hear him, hear him. He's all to the believer. And so we shall ever be looking to him by his grace and power, because that's exactly what he's created us to do in the Lord Jesus Christ. And he accomplishes that in us, a faith that looks to the Lord Jesus Christ and not ourselves, not our works, not even our sins, but looks to Christ always to find our all in him because that's his gift. That's his mercy. That's what he's accomplished in sending his son and sending his spirit to accomplish this salvation in our hearts by his grace. Amen.