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Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
(It's the same mountain as Mount Sinai, where the Law later was given.)
There the angel of the Lord (pre-incarnated
Jesus Christ) appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that although the bush was burning, it wasn't burning up, so he decided to go over and look. God then called to him from within the bush not to come nearer, and to take off his sandals, for the place where he stood was holy ground. (Exo 3:1–5,
Acts 7:30–33). It was an act of respect and humility in that culture to take off your shoes.
Bible Q&A with Pastor Paul │ October 2023.
Then the voice said that he is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, see Our Resurrection from Death. Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. The Lord said that he had seen the misery of his people in Egypt. He had heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and he was concerned about their suffering. He had come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them out of that land into a good and spacious land, the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites (that's the land of Canaan). He wanted to send Moses to Pharaoh to bring his people the Israelites out of Egypt (Acts 7:34). He was to be with Moses. When Moses had brought the people out of Egypt, they were to worship God on this mountain. (Exo 3:6–12). God often uses people to fulfill his will (2 Cor 6:1a).
Moses asked God his name. God answered: "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'", see Jesus – I AM.
Moses should also tell the Israelites that it's the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, who had sent him to them. That is his name forever, the name they should call him from generation to generation. Moses would assemble the elders of Israel and tell them that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had promised to bring them out of their misery in Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, Hittites,
Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites (that's the land of Canaan). The elders of Israel would listen to him. Then he and the elders would go to the king of Egypt and request to take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord their God. But the king of Egypt wouldn't let them go unless a mighty hand compelled him. So he would stretch out his hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that he would do among them. After that he would let them go. And he would make the Egyptians favorably disposed to them, so when they leave Egypt they won't go empty-handed. Every woman would ask for articles of silver and gold and for clothes to put on their sons and daughters. And so they would plunder the Egyptians.
(Exo 3:13–22).
God gave Moses the following signs to do among the people so that they would believe that the Lord had appeared to him (Exo 4:1–9):
- When Moses threw his staff on the ground, it became a snake. When he reached out and took hold of the snake by the tail, it turned back into a staff.
- When Moses put his hand inside his cloak and then took it out, the skin was leprous, it had become white as snow. When Moses put it back in his cloak and then took it out, it was restored, like the rest of his flesh.
- When Moses took some water from the Nile and poured it on dry ground,
it became blood on the dry ground.
(Exo 4:10–17).
Then Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro and told him that he must return to his own people in Egypt to see if any of them were still alive. Jethro told him to go. The Lord had told Moses in Midian that he should go back to Egypt, because all who wanted to kill him were dead. So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey, and went back to Egypt. The Lord told Moses to perform before Pharaoh all the wonders he had given him the power to do. God also told Moses that he would harden Pharaoh's heart so that he wouldn't let the people go.
He told Moses that he would tell Pharaoh the following as a word from the Lord:
"Israel is my firstborn son, and I say to you: Let my son go that he may serve me. If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son." (Exo 4:18–23).
At a lodging place on the way, the Lord met Moses and was about to kill him, probably because he hadn't circumcised his son. But Zipporah took a flint knife,
cut off her son’s foreskin, so the Lord let him alone. (Exo 4:24–26). This shows the importance of obedience, especially when used by God, see time 30:40–33:20 in DAVID GUZIK SERMON ON EXODUS 4 I AM Your Calling.
When the Lord appeared to Moses in flames of fire from within a bush, Moses was
tending the flock of his father-in-law, perhaps he had no flock of his own.
He didn't circumcise his son, even though it was part of the Abrahamic covenant.
He wanted God to send someone else. He probably had low self-esteem at this time at the age of 80. It seems that Moses was a man who took the day as it came, and it was hard to see in him at that time how much he would be used by God. But God had a plan for him. God can use whoever he wants. (Acts 7:35–38).
For the next part, see Moses; Part 5: Back in Egypt.
For all parts, see Moses; Part 1: Introduction.
