3 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.
Moses has been tending sheep for 40 years. You’ll remember that Moses ended up in Midian after fleeing Egypt. He fled Egypt because he killed an Egyptian for beating a fellow Hebrew and didn’t get away with the crime. You’ll also notice that he is tending the flock of Jethro (Reuel), his father-in-law. This 40 years of shepherding is a humbling position God wants to put him in, and at this point he doesn’t even have his own flock. But God is setting the stage for a great flock he will lead. This mountain, where he tends the sheep, is Horeb, later called Mt. Sinai.
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.”
Moses sees a strange sight- a bush that is on fire, but not burning up. He realizes it is something strange indeed, and must take a closer look. He understands that this is not normal. Because of the extreme desert heat of the region, bushes would sometimes spontaneously burst into flames, yet this one burns without disintegrating. “The angel of the Lord” could refer to Jesus, as many believe.
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.
God doesn’t speak to Moses until he has Moses’ attention. This is an important note, because our relationship with God is one of us drawing near to God first (James 4:8). God is always there, always present, yet he waits for us to make the step toward Him before he reveals more to us. We often must receive the word first in order to hear God. God calls him by name, showing how God knows us personally. Using Moses’ voice twice implies urgency.
Next, God tells him to stop. Removing of the sandals shows the reverence for the holy place of God and the humility that Moses must show toward it. God then reveals himself in the heritage of Moses’ forefathers. He is the same God who met with Abraham, Issac and Jacob.
Moses hides his face. This is out of reverence to God (no one will ever see God) but also because he is a sinful creature in the eyes of the creator. Remember, the reason Moses is in Midian, receiving this deliverance is because he ran from a murder he committed.
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.”
It might be misunderstood that God decides, at this moment, to rescue his people. But God has promised this land to the Israelites for 400 years. One might ask why God waited so long. God’s timings not our own. We see this throughout scripture. Much of our life is about God building a patient endurance into us and trusting his timing. This is no different.
God’s delivery system this time is Moses. 2 Corinthians 6:1 says it well: we are worker with Him. This tells us that God wants us to invest in his work and carry it out, through His power.
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.”
First, Moses doesn’t see why he alone would be selected. His humility is there, certainly, but there is also some self-deprecation going on. Moses is focusing on himself. But his question rings true: why would you use me? It’s a question many of us would ask of God. What makes me so special, why am I selected for this? God’s reply isn’t that Moses is some sort of Superman. His answer is simply this: I will be with you (Joshua 1:9). God wants to use us for his work, to partner with us, to have us invest in His strength.
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.’”
Moses wants to understand who is sending him. He knew that the Egyptians would demand on what authority he comes to them. This is perfectly logical, so God gives him the credentials: I AM. There is no equivalent. He is independent. He relies on nothing. He is eternal. He is unchanging. This is also the title Jesus would take Himself (John 8:24).
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.’
Moses is the one who will gather the Israelites together and bring them out of a 400+ year bondage, as predicted in Genesis 15:13. He is to gather the officials and help them to understand this mission. The promise is that the elders will heed his voice.
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 wonders that 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.”
God knows the future, and knows that God hardens the Pharaoh’s heart. This is necessary for the salvation of Israel and the lessons that need to be taught to Egypt. God will show His wonders to Egypt, meaning Egypt will go through its own understanding of God’s power through he plagues that will be delivered. God will also provide for the Israelites, who will not go into the desert empty-haded: he will provide gold and silver for them so they can survive. This is God’s provision in action; so they can build the tabernacle.