[And He Walks With Me] Exodus 3
1-3 The re-introduction of adult Moses is intentionally subdued. After the spectacle of his youth in the Pharaoh’s courts, following his first dramatic failure to end the oppression of his people through force, Moses is now presented as a nobody doing nothing noteworthy in the middle of nowhere. Generally, wives joined the husband’s family and became part of her father-in-law’s household, but Moses had no family. His birth family was slaves. His adopted family tried to kill him (see Exodus 2:15) and eventually died (see Exodus 2:23). Thus, he joined his father-in-law’s household as a lowly shepherd with little to no hope of ever inheriting any of it. Jethro, the priest of Midian was someone, and the closest thing Moses had to an identity. Moreover, the phrase far side of the wilderness is more literally rendered “back side of the wilderness.” Wilderness was synonymous with the arid and desolate desert where no one lived, and Moses was even on the wrong side of that. Punctuating this, the exact location of Horeb is unknown and may refer generically to a mountain range, and while the mountain of God may have helped later Israelites more precisely identify where this scene took place, that title meant nothing until after the events of Exodus 19ff. All of this is designed to make clear that the most remarkable thing about this place and moment was the appearance of the angel of the Lord.
It is difficult to visualize what Moses saw when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire within a bush. We simply have no frame of reference in which we may pin such a phenomenon. This is likely why many have tried to explain the scene in natural ways (e.g., it was a flowering bush that caught the sun just right and appeared as if it was on fire). This, however, would hardly warrant more than a moment of admiration. Indeed, Moses had certainly seen desert scrub brush burn, either when lightning struck it or he added it to his own campfire. It is consumed almost instantly. The only way this is captivating enough to compel Moses to go over and look at this remarkable sight is if it is an actual bush actually on fire and not disappearing.
4 The angel of the Lord… within a bush from vs 2 is now identified as God. This seems strange to modern readers who recognize angels as created being distinct from God himself. It is important to remember the progressive nature of revelation. That is, God reveals himself and his will gradually over time. Thus, the earliest biblical writers did not understand nearly as much about his nature or the relationship between him and angels as later biblical writers.
Given the description of this location in vs 1, it is entirely possible Moses had gone some time without seeing another person, let alone hearing his own name. Imagine his surprise, and the thoughts going through his head, when he heard his name calling him from the bush. If the burning bush was a remarkable sight before, it was now something entirely different.
God called Moses by name. Even on the back side of the wilderness, God knew this fugitive who had done everything in his power to disappear.
For the record, when God calls you by name, the proper response is, “Here I am.”
5 Do not come closer is not to say that we should not draw near to him (e.g., James 4:8). Rather, it is a pointed reminder that God deserves our reverence and awe. We must not pretend to fully understand him, much less contain or control him.
The voice from the bush commanded Moses to remove the sandals from [his] feet because the place where you are standing is holy ground, but what made this place holy? It certainly was not Moses. Neither was there anything inherently holy about Horeb of the far side of the wilderness. It was not yet known as the mountain of God (1). Rather, God’s presence alone made this place holy because God himself is holy, and everything he does, everywhere he goes, and every person he touches necessarily becomes holy because of him. Anyone who claims to follow Christ and have within them the Spirit of God should be in the process of becoming holy.
6 If the burning bush was not evidence enough of this, God’s transcendence is revealed in the way he identified himself: I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Using the present tense verb to describe his relationship with men who are long dead is a clear indicator of God’s eternal nature. No doubt, Moses learned of these men and the power of their God from his birth mother as she nursed him in the Pharaoh’s household. Now, that God from generations past stepped into the present, and Moses had to know he was far greater than anything Moses could hope to comprehend or control.
7-10 Often, people who are in positions of suffering feel as though God has abandoned them or is indifferent to their situation. In these verses, however, God offered sufferers three key notes of hope. First, he declared, I have observed the misery. God is not ignorant of their situation. Rather, he has heard them crying out because of their oppressors and [knows] about their sufferings. He may not answer immediately, but neither does he ignore their plight. Second, he will, sooner or later, come down to rescue them. That is, he will not remain on the sidelines forever but will act on their behalf and in their interest. This promise must be balanced with an eternal perspective. That is, his salvation sometimes comes to us only in eternity. Such was the case for Samson, Stephen, and even Jesus himself. Yet, we can rest assured that it will come. Finally, he also [sees] the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. In Moses’ time, the Egyptians were the world’s undisputed, preeminent superpower. It was easy, therefore, to think they could act with absolute impunity. Indeed, most bullies think the same way and assume they can get away with anything they like. This declaration, however, serves as an ominous warning that God recognizes the injustices perpetrated by the bullies of the world and implies that he will eventually exact justice, even if it also does not come until eternity.
Given the progression of God’s statement, it is tempting to expect he will supernaturally deliver Israel by his own hand. Indeed, he could do that. However, just when Moses expected this announcement, God commanded Moses to go and announced, I am sending you. More often than not, God chooses to effect his redemptive plan through humans. Indeed, this will become a theme throughout the Bible. Moses was commanded here to go. God promised to be with Joshua wherever you go. Isaiah was commanded to Go! In Isaiah 6:9. And Jesus commissioned his disciples and us to Go… and make disciples.
11-12 Like many called by God, Moses did not see himself worthy or capable of such the role God would have him play. He was, after all, a fugitive in Egypt and a mere shepherd in Midian. Often, we are too blinded by who we are and what is, our present reality, to readily embrace what God wants us to become and do in the future. God’s response makes clear that Moses was right. In and of himself, Moses was neither worthy nor capable of fulfilling God’s calling. However, declared these things entirely irrelevant because I will certainly be with you. Even though God may choose to use humans to effect his redemptive plan, this does not mean it is a human work. Whoever they may be, and whatever capabilities they may have, they are his workmanship. Moreover, as they pursue God’s will, they will inevitably come to the end of themselves and need God to intervene. Indeed, this is the only way for God to take credit and receive glory.
God provided Moses with a sign to confirm that I am the one who sent you, but that sign was certainly not what Moses hoped for. No doubt, he wanted something immediately tangible to serve as confirmation of what God was saying before Moses committed to anything. Instead, God offered only a retrospective sign. That is, Moses would have his sign only after he obeyed on faith.
13 In ANE cultures, a person’s name was often thought to represent that person’s character or essential nature. Thus, the name of a god often sounded similar to the actions or characteristics with which it was associated.[17] It was also commonly believed that speaking the secret real name of a god enabled a person to control that god and wield its power for him/herself.[18] Finally, from a purely practical standpoint, Egyptians around the time of the exodus worshiped somewhere between 1,400 and 2,000 distinct deities. The Israelites would need to know which one of these Moses represented.
14-15 God was known by a few different names in Genesis (e.g., God Who Provides, God Who Sees), but here, at last, we are given his proper name: I AM WHO I AM. Alternatively, this could be rendered “I will be what I will be.”[19] This may seem evasive, but the Hebrew word for “I am,” hāyâ (אֶהְיֶה – H1961) sound similar to “Yahweh.” Because ancient Hebrew writings generally excluded vowels, it is impossible to say for certain how this name was originally pronounced. In fact, Jewish tradition generally did not pronounce the name Yahweh at all, opting instead to use Adonai (i.e., Lord). The name appears to be derived from the Hebrew verb meaning “to be,” but it may carry a causative sense (i.e., “to cause to be.”) Some scholars also believe it is shortened from Yahweh Sebaoth (i.e., “the Lord of Hosts” or “the Lord Almighty”). If this is all true, then a literal translation of God’s name would be, “He Who Causes the Hosts [of Heaven] to Be.”[20]
16-18 For the third time in this chapter, God identifies himself as something akin to the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Typically, such repetition indicates emphasis, and in this case, it would seem appropriate to communicate that this God was not a stranger but was the God of their storied ancestors, who did they things they grew up hearing about. This would encourage them to trust him more readily. It also announced that it was finally time for God to bring to fruition the things he had promised to those ancestors.
Given the sharing of God’s name and the assurances that he intended to finally fulfill his promises, God predicted the Israelites will listen to what you say. Then, the elders of Israel could go with Moses in unity to the king of Egypt to make the demand for freedom together. God expected Moses to build ownership of the vision among at least the leaders of the people. This would be crucial later.
19-22 Even a united appeal by the leaders of Israel would not compel Pharaoh to release them. All the strength they could muster still seemed insufficient, perhaps even insignificant, before the ancient world’s preeminent superpower. Indeed, the collective strength of God’s people is generally not enough to accomplish the tasks to which he has called them, and this is exactly the point. God’s will is never about human strength because his goal is never to glorify humans. Rather, it is to glorify himself. Therefore, do not be surprised when, at the end of the day, you need God to act in power. Moreover, do not be surprised that, when God moves in power, he will do above and beyond even what he promised. Indeed, he here promised that Israel would not just go free. Rather, even the women would ask… for silver and gold jewelry, and clothing, and receive it!
[17] Wells 2016, Exodus 3:14
[18] Wells 2016, Exodus 3:14
[19] Society of Biblical Literature 2023, 462
[20] Wells 2016, Exodus 3:14