Exodus 3 - Moses at the Burning Bush

http://discoversinai.net/english/mount-sinai-hiking-trail/6318

https://michaelruark.blog/2013/02/22/mount-sinai-in-arabia-jebel-el-lawz/ 

Summary https://marksbiblejourney.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-book-of-exodus-chapter-1-israel.html
"Moses becomes a shepherd for his father-in-law Reuel, also known as Jethro.  One day, Moses takes the flock he is shepherding to Horeb, or Mount Sinai.  The Angel of the Lord appears to him in the form of a burning bush.  The bush does not burn up, so Moses investigates.  God speaks to Moses through the burning bush.  God tells Moses that He knows about the Hebrews' suffering in the land of Egypt.  God tells Moses to go to Pharaoh, so that he can lead God's people, the Israelites, out of Egypt and into Canaan.  Canaan will one day be the land of Israel.  God informs Moses that the Pharaoh of Egypt will not agree to let the Israelites leave Egypt.  God promises to strike Egypt with all kinds of plagues/miracles until the Pharaoh lets the Israelites go.  The Egyptians will want the Israelites to leave after God is through with them, and the Israelites will leave with Egyptian plunder."

Some key verses from the Amplified Bible (AMP) version..

• "The Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing flame of fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was on fire, yet it was not consumed. So Moses said, “I must turn away [from the flock] and see this great sight—why the bush is not burned up.” When the Lord saw that he turned away [from the flock] to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then God said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet [out of respect], because the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” Then He said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Then Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God." v.2-6

• "Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, and then bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” 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?” And God said, “Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve and worship God at this mountain.” v.10-12

• God said to Moses, “I Am Who I Am”; and He said, “You shall say this to the Israelites, ‘I Am has sent me to you.’” Then God also said to Moses, “This is what you shall say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob (Israel), has sent me to you.’ This is My Name forever, and this is My memorial [name] to all generations." v.14-15

My personal observations and reflections...

God remembers the suffering of the Israelites in Egypt, and He has a plan on how to rescue and drive them out of the land and hands of the oppressive Pharaoh and Egyptians. The once royal prince/heir of Egypt, Moses-- was prepared by God for a great calling. He was born from a priestly tribe, Levi, and God led him to have a priest father in-law too, Reuel/Jethro (of Midian). He was a Hebrew, and God will make him a blessing to all the Hebrew, Israelites, chosen people of God.

• BURNING BUSH.🔥 Another 40 years have passed, and Moses was 80 y/o at this point. While doing his duties as a shepherd, keeping the flocks, in the west side of the wilderness and to Horeb (Sinai), the mountain of God-- something unusual, unbelievable and wonderful happened. A bush was on fire, but it was not being consumed. It just kept burning. That was the Angel of the Lord appearing to Moses in a blazing flame of fire. Moses looked, but it was such a great sight and he wanted to check why it was not burning up. He turned away from the flock, and God called Moses from the midst of the bush, wow!😱 I would have been stunned and speechless, but Moses immediately said "Here I am." God warned Moses to not come near, and take his sandals off, as the place he was currently standing on was holy ground. God reaffirmed who He was to Moses, He was the God of his ancestors (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob). God is a God of eternity and all the generations! Even after many many years (like 500 plus) since He called Abraham and made a covenant to bring him to a promised land, and bless the world with the promised 'Son'-- God was faithful and true. And He will forever be.

Understandably, Moses was afraid to look at God and he hid his face. Being an unholy human being, we cannot look at God and not die in the process, we simply can't look at the face of God. I can't wait for the moment that we can, when we are in heaven-- still I am grateful that even if we can't right now, we know that His presence and His face are always upon us (because of what Jesus has done for us:)

"God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?" Numbers 23:19

"I lift up my eyes to the hills.
    From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved;
    he who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, he who keeps Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep." Psalm 121:1-4

http://www.pettengillmissionaries.org/missiology-through-scripture-exodus-37-10/

* Bible Footnotes: Exodus 3:2 “Angel of the Lord” has been capitalized here to reflect the likelihood that it is God appearing in a visible form (see vv 4, 6; also note Gen 16:7).

* Study Guide Commentary from David Guzik:  

"i. “Though the bush burned with fire, it did not crackle or diminish, no leaf curled and no branch charred. It burned, but was not consumed.” (Meyer)

ii. The bush burning but not being consumed was a magnetic sight to Moses – it drew him in for a closer examination. Some think the burning bush to be a symbol of Israel, or the people of God more generally – afflicted but not destroyed, because God is in the midst of them.

iii. Yet we can also say that the burning bush was a picture of the cross. The Hebrew word used to describe this bush is comes from the word “to stick or to prick,” this meaning a thorn-bush or bramble. We can think of the cross – where Jesus, crowned with thorns, endured the fires of judgment and yet was not consumed by them – and be reminded of the cross when we consider the burning bush.

v. Clarke on the Angel of the Lord: “Not a created angel certainly, for he is called Jehovah, Exodus 3:4 and has the most expressive attributes of the Godhead applied to him…Yet he is an angel, malach, a messenger, in whom was the name of God….And who is this but Jesus, the Leader, Redeemer, and Saviour of all mankind? 

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.

i. 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.

i. Undoubtedly, this is another occasion where Jesus appeared before His incarnation in the Old Testament as the Angel of the Lord, as He did many times (Genesis 16:7-13, Judges 2:1-5, Judges 6:11-24, Judges 13:3-22).
ii. We say this is God, in the Person of Jesus Christ, because of God the Father, it is said No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him (John 1:18), and that no man has ever seen God in the Person of the Father (1 Timothy 6:16).

c. Moses, Moses! God’s first words to Moses called him by name. This shows that even though Moses was now an obscure, forgotten shepherd on the backside of the desert, God knew who he was, and Moses was important to God.
i. The double call (Moses, Moses!) implied importance and urgency, as when God called Abraham, Abraham! (Genesis 22:11), Samuel, Samuel! (1 Samuel 3:10), Simon, Simon (Luke 22:31), Martha, Martha (Luke 10:41), and Saul, Saul (Acts 9:4).”

• GOD CARES. The Lord said, “I have in fact seen the affliction", "I know their pain and suffering, "So I have come down to rescue them from the hand (power) of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a land [that is] good and spacious, to a land flowing with milk and honey [a land of plenty]." That was really an awesome and unconditional love of God. In reality, mankind was sinful, we are all sinful (Romans 3:23, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God)-- yet God was rich in mercy, patience and love. We have not done anything to God to merit or deserve His lovingkindness and goodness-- but God is who He is, He is love, He is holy and He is always true.

"When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,

what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them? 

You have made them d a little lower than the angels e
and crowned them f with glory and honor." Psalm 8:3-5

* Bible Footnotes: Exodus 3:8 "This phrase referred to the abundant fertility of the land of Canaan. Milk (typically that of goats and sheep) was associated with abundance; “honey” referred mainly to syrups made from dates or grapes and was the epitome of sweetness. Bees’ honey was very rare and was considered the choicest of foods."

• MOSES COMMISSIONED BY GOD. After expressing His compassion, love and concern-- God declared His step-by-step plan to Moses. The whole Chapter is all about God talking to Moses, it's a rather long conversation wherein Moses was even able to ask follow up questions to God. In a nutshell, God just told 'everything' that will happen to Moses.

- "I will send you to Pharaoh"
- “You shall say this to the Israelites, ‘I Am has sent me to you.’”
- "Go, gather the elders (tribal leaders) of Israel together,"
- "The elders [of the tribes] will listen and pay attention to what you say; and you, with the elders of Israel, shall go to the king of Egypt and you shall say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; so now, please, [we ask and plead with you,] let us go on a three days’ journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’"
- "But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless [he is forced] by a strong hand. So I will reach out My hand and strike Egypt with all My wonders which I shall do in the midst of it; and after that he will let you go."
- "I will grant this people favor and respect in the sight of the Egyptians; therefore, it shall be that when you go, you will not go empty-handed."

Notice the statements that God made, it is "He" ("I") who will do everything, Moses just have to trust and obey God. I believe that that is the same even in our lives today, God will fulfill His good, perfect and pleasing will in our lives-- we just need to believe, trust and hope in His power, and in the power of His love. And we cannot do that without faith.

* Study Guide Commentary from David Guzik:  
"i. God could do it all by Himself, but it is most often God’s plan to work with and through people, as we are workers together with Him (2 Corinthians 6:1).

b. I will certainly be with you: 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.” "

• WHO AM I? Realizing that he's basically a nobody eversince fleeing from Egypt, I could understand Moses reaction to God upon choosing him.. As an 80 y/o family man, living simply as a shepherd, Moses seemed contented in his life. But God had other plans. Eventhough Pharaoh was a powerful man, God was the most powerful of all. God assured Moses that He will be with him. God even promised a sign to Moses, after He successfully bring the people out of Egypt, Moses and the people shall serve and worship God on the same mountain (Mt. Sinai).

"But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong." 1 Corinthians 1:27

*"Modern missionaries, like Moses, are reluctant servants who don’t necessarily possess the greatest skills, but possess the needed willingness. Like Moses, missionaries doubt their abilities and whether they are properly gifted to accomplish God’s will. Like Moses, modern missionaries are simply obedient vessels who go into foreign lands to be used by God to bring redemption to his elect people. God could save the lost more effectively by calling the trees and rocks to go forth and share the gospel. In his infinite wisdom, God continues to call doubting and unpredictable sinners to other cultures to bring his good news." http://www.pettengillmissionaries.org/missiology-through-scripture-exodus-37-10/

• "I AM WHO I AM". "Related to the name of God, YHWH, rendered Lord, which is derived from the verb HAYAH, to be." (Bible Footnotes, Exodus 3:14)

"Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” John 8:58

* Study Guide Commentary from David Guzik:  
b. And God said to Moses, “I Am Who I Am.” It might seem nonsensical to refer to one’s self with the phrase, “I Am Who I Am.” Yet it reveals something important about God – that He has no equal. 
iv. Yahweh was not a new name, nor an unknown name – it appears more than 160 times in the book of Genesis. Moses’ mother’s name was Jochabed meaning Yahweh is my glory. Moses and Israel knew the name Yahweh. God did not give Moses a previously unknown name of God, but the name they had known before. God called them back to the faith of the patriarchs, not to something “new.

d. I Am: This is a divine title that Jesus took upon Himself often, clearly identifying Himself with the voice from the burning bush.
i. 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)
ii. 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)
iii. Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I Am.” (John 8:58)
iv. Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I Am (John 13:19)
v. Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?” They answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I Am [He].” And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. Now when He said to them, “I am [He],” they drew back and fell to the ground. (John 18:4-6) ” 

• GOD WILL SHOW FAVOR AND PROVIDE. Bible Footnotes said "This indicates that the Egyptians had occupied the Israelites’ homes and confiscated their possessions as part of Pharaoh’s policy of enslavement. Later, after suffering all the plagues, the Egyptians would be more than willing to give the Israelites whatever they asked, in order to be rid of them." (Exodus 3:22)

I think that the articles of gold and silver that they will receive from the Egyptians will be the thing that they will use to make an idol or golden calf while Moses was with God receiving the 10 Commandments.. Moses didn't know yet that this journey will be hard and will take 40 years (because of Israel's disobedience), but BY FAITH, Moses obeyed and trusted God.

* Study Guide Commentary from David Guzik:  
"b. I will give this people favor…you shall not go empty-handed: 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."




Read the Bible:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+3&version=AMP#en-AMP-1594

Reference and credits to https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Exd/Exd-3.cfm ©2013 David Guzik