Scripture
Moses and the Burning Bush
1One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro,[1] the priest of Midian. He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai,[2] the mountain of God. 2There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn’t burn up. 3“This is amazing,” Moses said to himself. “Why isn’t that bush burning up? I must go see it.”
4When the Lord saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses!”
“Here I am!” Moses replied.
5“Do not come any closer,” the Lord warned. “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground. 6I am the God of your father[3]—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” When Moses heard this, he covered his face because he was afraid to look at God.
7Then the Lord told him, “I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. 8So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey—the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live. 9Look! The cry of the people of Israel has reached me, and I have seen how harshly the Egyptians abuse them. 10Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.”
11But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?”
12God answered, “I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.”
13But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?”
14God replied to Moses, “I Am Who I Am.[4] Say this to the people of Israel: I Am has sent me to you.” 15God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh,[5] the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.
This is my eternal name,
my name to remember for all generations.
16“Now go and call together all the elders of Israel. Tell them, ‘Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—has appeared to me. He told me, “I have been watching closely, and I see how the Egyptians are treating you. 17I have promised to rescue you from your oppression in Egypt. I will lead you to a land flowing with milk and honey—the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live.”’
18“The elders of Israel will accept your message. Then you and the elders must go to the king of Egypt and tell him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. So please 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 forces him.[6] 20So I will raise my hand and strike the Egyptians, performing all kinds of miracles among them. Then at last he will let you go. 21And I will cause the Egyptians to look favorably on you. They will give you gifts when you go so you will not leave empty-handed. 22Every Israelite woman will ask for articles of silver and gold and fine clothing from her Egyptian neighbors and from the foreign women in their houses. You will dress your sons and daughters with these, stripping the Egyptians of their wealth.”
Translation notes (6)
- 3:1a Moses’ father-in-law went by two names, Jethro and Reuel.
- 3:1b Hebrew Horeb, another name for Sinai.
- 3:6 Greek version reads your fathers.
- 3:14 Or I Will Be What I Will Be.
- 3:15 Yahweh (also in 3:16) is a transliteration of the proper name YHWH that is sometimes rendered “Jehovah”; in this translation it is usually rendered “the Lord” (note the use of small capitals).
- 3:19 As in Greek and Latin versions; Hebrew reads will not let you go, not by a mighty hand.
Look! The cry of the people of Israel has reached me, and I have seen how harshly the Egyptians abuse them. Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.
Throughout history, God has communicated with His people in many different ways. With Adam and Eve, He walked and talked with them daily. He used a donkey to talk to Balaam. Most commonly, He communicates to His people through Scripture. Among all of the ways God communicates, perhaps the strangest, most interesting way was when He communicated to Moses through a burning bush. During a time when Moses was separated from the Hebrew people and trying to escape because he killed an Egyptian slave, God spoke to Moses and called him to go back and speak against Egypt's brutal treatments of the Israelites. The story is found in Exodus 3.
In chapter 3 of Exodus, as Moses was attending his father-in-law's sheep, Moses saw a bush that was on fire, yet not burning up. Suddenly, the voice of God called out to Moses. God commanded Moses to return to Egypt and command that Pharaoh free the people of Israel from slavery. "The cry of the people of Israel has reached me," God said, "and I have seen how harshly the Egyptians abuse them. Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt" (verses 9-10). Moses protested at first but eventually chose to wisely follow this command from God. He listened to the voice of God, and ultimately led the people out of Israel and freed them from Egypt's captivity.
God still speaks today. You may not hear it in an audible voice or a strange bush that is on fire, but He still speaks to us. The main way that He communicates is through the Bible. We have these scriptures to help guide and to lead us as we navigate this world. That is why, during times like COVID-19, we find strength and solace through looking to the Bible.
Throughout whatever monsoon you are facing, seek God and ask Him for wisdom. Do this through prayer and reading Scripture. As God speaks to you through your time praying and reading your Bible, follow His leading.
Moving Toward Action
When God spoke, after a little bit of protesting, Moses listened. He chose wisdom rather than disobedience to God. In your monsoon, take some time right now to journal a prayer to God. Ask God for wisdom in your situation. Ask Him how to best proceed wisely. Then, in wisdom, obey when He reveals to you the best way that you can respond.
Going Deeper
Read Exodus 3:1-22 (NLT)
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