Ep. 24. Exodus 3 | The Burning Bush
EPISODE 24
THE BURNING BUSH: EXODUS 3
The burning bush story is easily one of the most iconic stories of the Scripture. Moses fled Egypt forty years earlier. He is now married and the father of two. One day, while keeping his father-in-law's sheep, he sees a bush that is on fire but is not consumed. Right away, it is important for us to note that Mt. Horeb is probably also Mt. Sinai. After all, God tells Moses that the Israelites will worship him at that very mountain when they leave Egypt. (see verse 12). We catch up with the Israelites later in Exodus at Mt. Sinai, where they see God. Most people consider the two names to refer to the exact location.
We also have a clear mention of "the angel of the LORD." This is not the same as AN angel. The angel of the Lord makes statements that could only come from God and, as we see here, receives worship on this "holy ground." The text even lets us know that it was "God" who called to him out of the bush. In the book of Revelation, when John tries to bow down to the angel (twice), the angel refuses to receive worship from him since he also "is only a creation." Keep an eye out for "the angel of the LORD" in reading the Old Testament.
Exodus 3:6 would be an easy verse to skip over if not for Jesus tying it directly to the burning bush story in Mark and Luke and alluding to it in Matthew. Jesus uses this verse to prove the resurrection of the dead. We see here that God does not say, " I WAS the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob," but rather, "I AM the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." Jesus says in Luke, "Now he [God] is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him." This is not simply a grammatical error by the Hebrew author or our English translators. God is intentionally indicating the resurrection from the dead. Again, we need to see its usage in the New Testament to grasp its weight fully.
In verse nine, God says, "The cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have seen their oppression." I feel it is worth mentioning that Christ lives to make intercession on our behalf forever and that we can approach the throne of grace with confidence. God is still aware of our hurts and pains, and we can cry out to him with boldness. I just wanted you to keep that in mind.
God reveals himself as "I AM WHO I AM" or "I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE." It's how he will be remembered and known for all generations. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Have you noticed how often they are mentioned? It is because God's covenant is with them.
The last three verses of this chapter talk about how the Israelites will plunder the Egyptians. Of course, God had already stated this prophetically to Abraham over 600 years earlier in Genesis 15.
ADDITIONAL READING: Genesis 15:14; John 8:56-58; Mark 12:24-27; Luke 20:37-38; Matthew 22:29-33; 1 Peter 5:7; Romans 8:34; Josh 5:13-15
