Read Exodus 3
Moses and 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 far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”
4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”
And Moses said, “Here I am.”
5 “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” 6 Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.
7 The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”
11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
12 And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”
13 Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”
14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”
15 God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the 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,
the name you shall call me
from generation to generation.
16 “Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—appeared to me and said: I have watched over you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt. 17 And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey.’
18 “The elders of Israel will listen to you. Then you and the elders are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God.’ 19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him. 20 So I will stretch out my hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wondersthat I will perform among them. After that, he will let you go.
21 “And I will make the Egyptians favorably disposed toward this people, so that when you leave you will not go empty-handed. 22 Every woman is to ask her neighbor and any woman living in her house for articles of silver and gold and for clothing, which you will put on your sons and daughters. And so you will plunder the Egyptians.”
Go Deeper
This is one of the most pivotal passages in all of Scripture. As Moses was tending his flock one day, God appeared to him as a burning bush with very clear instructions for what He wanted him to do. Think about that sentence. It was just a normal day when God appeared and audibly told Moses where to go and what to do.
So often, we get stuck trying to determine God’s will and we just wish God would appear to us and tell us exactly where we should go next. We all want our own “burning bush” moment, as we try to discern what God is calling us to do. Sometimes, God makes it explicitly clear for us (albeit maybe not through burning bushes). Other times, it takes a whole lot of prayer, discernment, and wise counsel (and even then we may feel unsure about proceeding).
The task God gave Moses was no small one–and Moses was fully aware of that. In verse 11, Moses, in an incredibly relatable moment, makes his first of many excuses why he’s not the guy to accomplish this task. But God reminds Moses that He will be with him. He’s not being sent out to figure it out on his own. In the same way that God was with Moses, the Holy Spirit is with believers in Jesus (Matthew 28:20).
In the rest of the chapter, we see God lay a theological foundation, both for Moses and for us. We see God’s love for the Israelites and His commitment to them. Then, in verse 14, God says to Moses: “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
God is responding to Moses’ asking, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” by making it clear that it’s not about who Moses is, but who God is. God is, always has been, and always will be. Moses was inadequate for the task at hand. Any mortal man would be. But I AM was sending him. I AM was with him. And I AM was going to deliver His people again.
Questions
What do you learn about God in this passage? What about Moses?
God gives Moses very specific instructions. Why do you believe that is?
Sometimes God calls us to things in different ways. Have you ever had your own “burning bush” moment where it was explicitly clear what God was calling you to do?
Did You Know?
This was not just the first recorded instance of God appearing to Moses, but to anyone in over 400 years. Later, God would use another 400-year period of silence before first raising up John the Baptist, and then ultimately Jesus, to lead His people out of bondage and misery once again.
7 thoughts on “Exodus 3”
I love how the BRP has taught us that all scripture points to Jesus. Based on V14 where God calls himself “I am,” I am reminded of Jesus saying something similar in John 8:58:
““Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!””
The leaders new exactly what he meant, that he was saying he was God and they wanted to stone him.
The more I see these connections the more in awe I am of the “I AM!”
I AM
WOW to here those words!! To know in your knower that God is I AM. We have that same great I AM, now, the Holy Spirit. Just as He was there with Moses, He is with us for eternity. He only visited Moses for a season. We get Holy Spirit forever. We are sealed through Christ.
Eph 1:13 AMPIn Him, you also, when you heard the word of truth, the good news of your salvation, and [as a result] believed in Him, were stamped with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit [the One promised by Christ] as owned and protected [by God].
The key is do we heed Him? Do we listen? Do we act when He is asking/telling? Coming down was gracious, but choosing to be with us forever is indescribable. We are to praise Him with our lives and to sacrifice our lives to Him by doing His will. God did not do what He did because He needed to, He did it because He wanted to, WOW!!!! Jesus went to the cross willingly. The Holy Spirit was sent, not because we earned Him, but because God loves us, more WOW!!! This is the truths that should lead us to a place of incredible humility, that we get to worship of our Creator, WOW!!!! Take time today to think about this. Take time today to worship.
Psalm 34 I will bless the Lord at all times;his praise shall continually be in my mouth.2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together! 4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. 5 Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. 6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. 8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! 9 Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,for those who fear him have no lack! 10 The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. 11 Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12 What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good? 13 Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. 14 Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. 15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. 16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. 17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. 18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves rthe crushed in spirit. 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. 20 He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken. 21 Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. 22 The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yOzf0VrDNGU
This is Shane and Shane’s Psalm 34
God I am seeking You to exalt You. You delivered me From every fear. God I magnify, I exalt Your name forever!!! God I glorify You!!! God You answer me, I just have to listen to hear. God thank You for the minutes of this day. God help my eyes to see the lost, to speak Your love, to touch the untouchable. God thank You for Your Holy Spirit indwelling within me for all eternity. Thank You for me glorifing You today in Jesus name amen
WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
22 “And so you will plunder the Egyptians”
It must have seemed absurd to hear from God, “Not only am I going to set you free from slavery, but your captors will actually pay you to leave.” Wow!
We see the kindness and compassion of God as he has seen the plight of his people and creates a way to rescue them. He issues a very clear call to Moses, just a seemingly ordinary man minding his business tending sheep for his father-in-law, to join and lead his redemption plan. A holy ground moment will forever be etched in the mind of Moses, as well as a myriad of reasons why he is not up for the task. Moses experiences what all of us will feel from time to time, a conflicted mind and a crisis of belief that God is faithful to his word. Today, choose to step into every space God invites you into. Look for him in the mundane moments and join his mission to save the world through the hope of Christ.
“Moses” by Ken Medema is the most powerful arrangement of this story I’ve ever heard. Brent and I had the privilege of singing it in our church choir many years ago, and to this day it still moves me to tears.
I invite you to ask yourself these same questions:
“What do you hold in your hand today?
To what or to whom are you bound?
Are you willing to give it to God right now?
Give it up. Let it go. Throw it down.”
https://youtu.be/76OQSvzBA0I?si=Yx-DF5IoiG-ByfaO
Old Moses, ‘way back there in the wilderness,
saw some smoke, came to the bush, and the bush was burnin’.
God said, “Take off your shoes, Moses, you’re on holy ground.
Moses, I’ve chosen you to be my man,
Moses, ‘way down in Egypt’s land.
Moses, I’ve chosen you to work for me,
Moses, I’ve chosen you to set my people free!”
“Not me, Lord! Don’t you know I can’t talk so good; I stutter all the time.
Do you know my brother, Aaron?
He can sing like an angel, talk like a preacher.
Not me, Lord! I can’t talk so good.
And another thing:
How will they know that I’ve been here with you?
How will they know what you’ve sent me to do?
Don’t you know that in Egypt, they want little Moses’ head?
Don’t you know that in Egypt, they want little Moses dead?
Don’t you know they’ll never hear a single word I’ll say!
Maybe you’d get your dirty work done another way!
Not me, Lord!”
“What’s that in your hand, Moses?”
“It’s just a rod.”
“Throw it down, Moses.”
“Do you mean, like, on the ground?”
“Yes, I said, throw it down, Moses.”
“Lord, don’t take my rod away from me,
Don’t you know it’s my only security?
Don’t you know when you live here all alone,
A man’s gotta have something he can call his own;
Not me, Lord!”
“Throw it down, Moses.”
“But, Lord, I …”
“Throw it down, Moses.”
“But …”
“Throw it down, Moses.”
Moses throw the rod on the ground
And the rod became a hissing snake!
Well, Moses started runnin’.
Well, maybe you’d run.
Well, maybe I’d run.
He was a-runnin’ from a hot rod!
Runnin’ from a hissing snake!
Runnin’ scared of what God’s gonna do!
Runnin’ scared He’ll get a hold of you!
And the Lord said,
“Stop, pick it up, Moses, by the tail!”
“Lord, you have not lived here very long!
Lord, you’ve got the whole thing wrong!
Don’t you know that you never pick up a hissing snake by his …”
“Pick it up, Moses!”
“Oh, God, it’s a rod again, it’s a rod again, it’s a rod again!”
“Do you know what it means, Moses?
Do you know what I’m trying to say, Moses?”
The rod of Moses became the rod of God!
“With the rod of God, strike the rock and the water will come;
With the rod of God, part the waters of the sea;
With the rod of God, you can strike old Pharaoh dead;
With the rod of God, you can set the people free.”
What do you hold in your hand today?
To what or to whom are you bound?
Are you willing to give it to God right now?
Give it up, let it go.
Throw it down.
God is God Almighty, the Great I Am, the Creator of the universe. Why am I surprised when God chooses to use people who are broken or weak. I too, like Moses in spite of my weakness want to do His will, then fear consumes me. I surrender daily all of me for all of you, Lord that as You lead me, I will trust You and remain in obedience to Your will. In Jesus name, Amen!
Yes. And it’s hard to have faith through it. Moses questions god back and I do the same.
Who am I god?
But he all calls us to do certian things for his glory