#24 3:2-10 Preparation of the Human Deliverer Part D

Expanding our outline further:

1. The second part of this preparation was Divine Preparation Exodus 3:2-4:17

a. This portion begins with God revealing Himself to Moses in the burning

bush 3:2-10

b. It continues with God answering all of Moses’ objections to God’s

commission to him 3:11-4:17

This portion begins with God revealing Himself to Moses in the burning bush 3:2-10.

As we move into our next portion of God’s preparation of Moses for his redemptive lifework, we come to this staggering scene of Moses meeting God at the burning bush. We must resist the temptation to just relish the scene, but quickly forget the dynamic impact it would have on any of us. We have already seen that God had been carefully preparing Moses for his redemptive life work through natural means: human relationships, marriage, and shepherding. Clearly, in this passage the entire process of preparation is taken to a far higher plane.

2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.

4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.

5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy 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.

7 And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;

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

9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.

10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.

God, by meeting with Moses in such a scene as this, definitely instills in Moses very high views of God. Notice how God began this special revelation of Himself to Moses.

2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.

6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy 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 phrase “the angel of the LORD” does not refer to a created being (an actual angel as we have come to think of the word). Instead, it refers to a special self-revelation of God to a human being. This is not always the case, as the same phrase sometimes does refer to a created angel of God. But in this instance, it is clear that it refers directly to God Himself, in light of verse six where God speaks to Moses from the bush saying, “I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Seeing such a sight as a bush burning without being consumed certainly attracted Moses’ attention. From this point forward Moses would have great difficulty “putting God in a box,” as the saying goes among us today. His view of God was enormously elevated.

This is the first and most foundational aspect of the Divine preparation of any servant of God for redemptive service. We must have high views of God. If we allow ourselves to function on the basis of our own perspective of what God is like, our redemptive labor will be anemic at best. Whatever our thoughts of God, as messengers we must continually convey to His people, that He is infinitely higher than our highest thoughts of Him. Surely Moses would no longer be looking around furtively (or over his shoulder) in his years of service, having had his view altered from horizontal to vertical through this encounter. This being the most foundational aspect of God’s Divine Preparation of Moses for redemptive service, it should receive the most emphasis in this passage.