Exodus 3 Moses at the Burning Bush

Exodus 3 NKJV Moses at the Burning Bush

1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.

I thought Moses’ father-in-law was Reuel? Two names, one person: Most biblical scholars and commentators agree that Reuel and Jethro refer to the same individual, much like a person having a formal name, a nickname, or a second personal name later in life.

Moses shepherds Jethro’s flock and leads them to the back of the desert near Horeb, the mountain of God. The Angel of the Lord is going to appear to him from a burning bush that is not consumed by the fire.

Moses investigates the bush. God speaks to Moses by name from the bush and tells him to remove his sandals because here is holy ground. He reminds him that He is the God of his fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Fear grips Moses, who hides his face because he cannot look upon God. God’s faithfulness to His people is revealed as He tells Moses that He knows of His people’s oppression by the Egyptians and that He wishes to take them to the land of Canaan, which He has promised to them.

God tells Moses that he is to deliver Israelfrom Egypt’s oppression: He will send him to Pharaoh and liberate the children of Israel from Egypt.
Moses feebly questions whetherhe is qualified and able to do all this.
God assures him that He will be present with him: and that, after leaving Egypt, Moses will serve God on this very mountain of Horeb.

God tells Moses that his name is ‘I AM WHO I AM’and that he must tell anyone who asks him that ‘I AM’ has sent him.

Before Moses starts his task, God foretells what will happen. He is to remind the Israelites of the promise of God to their forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that they will enter the promised land ‘flowing with milk and honey’.
He tells him that Pharaoh will resist his request to go for three days into the wilderness to worship God. Ultimately, God will smite Pharaoh to force him to let the people go, after they have found such favor with the Egyptians (the people) that they will give them possessions and riches. It will be as if they will have plundered the Egyptians. God always knows what He is doing!

EXODUS 3:2-6

2 And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed.

Can we just take a minute and think about what this moment was like? Moses is not thinking about God; he was not looking for God. But this was so unusual he had to stop and look. Do you realize we all have a burning bush moment?

3 Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.”

Nothing more than curiosity. It wasn’t just that Moses saw a bush burning; apparently, it is not uncommon for a plant like this to spontaneously ignite out in that desert. Nevertheless, two things were distinctive about that bush:

The Angel of the LORD appeared… from the midst of the bush.
Though the bush burned, the bush was not consumed.

4 So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”

This was God’s gotcha moment: God didn’t speak to Moses until He had Moses’ attention. Often God’s Word doesn’t touch our heart the way that it might because we don’t give it our attention.
The burning bush was a spectacular phenomenon that captured Moses’ attention, but it changed nothing until Moses received the Word of God that came to him there, and Moses had to respond. (I didn’t)

5 Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.”

God told Moses to do two things to show special honor to this place because of the immediate presence of God.

He told Moses to keep a distance (Do not draw near this place).
He commanded Moses to show reverence for God’s presence (Take your sandals off your feet).

Removing the sandals showed an appropriate humility, because the poorest and most needy have no shoes, and servants usually went barefoot. It also recognized the immediate presence of God. In many cultures, you take off your shoes when you come into someone’s house, and now Moses was in God’s “house,” a place of His immediate presence.
Moses didn’t see anyone in the burning bush; yet God, in the presence of the Angel of the LORD (Exodus 3:2) was there, calling out to Moses from the midst of the burning bush.

6 Moreover He said, “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.

The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob: This God revealed Himself to Moses by declaring His relationship to the patriarchs. This reminded Moses that God is the God of the covenant, and His covenant with Israel was still valid and important. This wasn’t a “new God” meeting Moses, but the same God that dealt with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Keeping in mind we don’t know how much Moses knew about this God of his fathers. Egypt wouldn’t teach him about Yahweh, his parents did their best up to 4 years old. But remember, Moses is living with a man called the priest of Midian, a descendant of Abraham. Jethro was portrayed as a God-fearing and godly man, though he started as a non-Israelite priest of Midian.
Most agree that as a descendant of Abraham (through Keturah), Jethro likely retained a knowledge of the true God, even if it was mixed with other cultural elements beforehand.
In his years in the wilderness of Midian, Moses must have often remembered how he murdered an Egyptian.
And maybe how proud he was to think he could deliver Israel himself. Moses might have remembered a thousand sins, both real and imagined — now, when God appeared, he responded in a way completely different than he might have 40 years before. When Moses was younger, he thought way too highly of himself, these 40 years as a shepard have humbled Moses.

God’s Commission to Moses EXODUS 3:7-12

7 And the Lord said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.

I can see Moses, ya, I’ve been there and I seen that.

8 So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites.

Geographical Identity: God was giving Moses a clear geographical target. He wasn’t speaking about an empty wilderness; He was identifying a specific, inhabited region that the Israelites would re-settle. God will “bring [Israel] up” from Egypt into a new land. The land God intends to bring Israel into was “up” in the sense of being at a generally higher elevation from sea level. But the main implication is that this will be a significant improvement from their state in slavery.

9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.

10 Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”

whoa, wait a minute God

11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”

40 years before, Moses thought he knew who he was: he was a prince of Egypt and a Hebrew, God’s chosen instrument to deliver Israel. After forty years of chasing sheep around the desert, Moses didn’t have the same self-sure confidence that he once had.

12 So He said, “I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

God’s reply is intended to take Moses’ focus off of himself and on where it should be — on God. Therefore, God never answered the question “Who am I?” Instead, He reminded Moses “I will certainly be with you.”

This was a great opportunity for Moses to deal with: “self-esteem” problem, but God ignored the solutions we usually use regarding this “problem.” Moses only had a self-esteem problem when he was too confident in his own ability to deliver Israel.
Who am I: This wasn’t the right question; “Who is God?” was the proper question. God’s identity was more important than who Moses was. When we know the God who is with us, we can step forth confidently to do His will.
I will certainly be with you: After this, Moses had no right to protest further. From here his objections move from a godly lack of self-reliance to an ungodly lack of faith.

EXODUS 3:13

13 Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?”

Rightfully, Moses sensed he needed credentials before the people of Israel. Before, he thought he had the credentials because he was a prince of Egypt. 40 years of tending sheep took away his sense of self-reliance. I believe this was exactly where God wanted Moses to be. We’re no different. As long as I thought I was all that, God was silent in my life. Through circumstances, He brought me to a place where I was humble enough to hear His voice.

When God revealed Himself to man in the days of the patriarchs it was often associated with a newly revealed name or title for God.

Abraham, in the encounter with Melchizedek, called on God Most High(Genesis 14:22).
Abraham later encountered Almighty God(Genesis 17:1).
Abraham came to know the LORD as Everlasting God(Genesis 21:33),
And The-LORD-Will-Provide (Genesis 22:14).
Hagar encountered You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees(Genesis 16:13).
Jacob met El Elohe Israel (Genesis 33:20)and El Bethel (Genesis 35:7).

So if Moses were to come to the elders of Israel as a representative of God, it would be logical for them to wonder, “By what name did He reveal Himself to you?”

EXODUS 3:14-18

14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”

It might seem nonsensical to refer to oneself with the phrase, “I AM WHO I AM.” Yet it reveals something important about God — that He has no equal.

“There is no equivalent for God but God. If you place God on the one side of your symbol of equation (=), there is nothing to put on the other but Himself.” (Meyer)

15 Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’

In this, God’s name is both an announcement and an introduction: It announces God’s presence, and invites any interested to know Him by experience, to taste and see that the LORD is good.
I AM: This is a divine title that Jesus took upon Himself often: clearly identifying Himself with the voice from the burning bush.
Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins: for if you do not believe that I AM [He], you will die in your sins. (John 8:24)
Then Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man:, then you will know that I AM [He], and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.” (John 8:28)
Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”(John 8:58)

16 Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and say to them, ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared to me, saying, “I have surely visited you and seen what is done to you in Egypt;

This was a precious promise to Moses. Forty years before, when it seemed that he had everything going for him, the people of Israel rejected him as a deliverer for the nation. Surely, he must be wondering why they would listen to him now, when it seemed he had nothing going for him.

EXODUS 3:17-19

17 and I have said I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, to a land flowing with milk and honey.” ’

This was totally contrary to what the elders and people of Israel desired. In four hundred years, you set down roots. They probably had no desire to return to the Promised Land; all they wanted was to be made more comfortable in Egypt. I can relate to this, can you? All we want Lord, is to be more comfortable. To have enough to keep the propane full in the winter, we are more concerned about our present comfort than Kingdom business.

18 Then they will heed your voice; and you shall come, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt; and you shall say to him, ‘The Lord God of the Hebrews has met with us; and now, please, let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’

Was this ever God’s intent? 3 days? God presented the smaller request to Pharaoh first so that the request would be as appealing and as easy to accept as possible. He did this so Pharaoh would have no excuse at all for refusing God and hardening his heart.
A hardened heart is a spiritual condition where a person becomes stubborn, unfeeling, and continuously refuses to respond to God or to turn away from what you know or think is right.

19 But I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not even by a mighty hand.

God knew this from the beginning. He knew what it would take to move the heart of Pharaoh, and the plagues and calamities to come were engineered for a specific purpose and they were not haphazardly planned.

EXODUS 3:20-22

20 So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in its midst; and after that he will let you go.

21 And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be, when you go, that you shall not go empty-handed.

22 But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, namely, of her who dwells near her house, articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing; and you shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So, you shall plunder the Egyptians.

God promised to arrange things not only to move Pharaoh’s heart, but also to move the heart of the Egyptian people so that when Israel did depart, they would be showered with silver and gold and clothing. This was not stealing or extortion, it was the appropriate wages for the years of forced labor. What is a Hardened Heart?

Christians tend to think it’s only the ungodly, people like Pharaoh have a hardened heart. Not so.

The heart grows like stone, losing tenderness, compassion, and the desire to obey God.
Spiritual blindness sets in, making a person unable to value the grace of the gospel, unable to forgive or to believe in someone’s forgiveness.
Rooted in Sin: It develops over time through pride, disobedience, and ongoing rejection of God’s voice.
The Sun Analogy: Charles Spurgeon noted, the same sun that melts wax also hardens clay; God’s presence and actions reveal what is already inside a person’s heart.