CONTEXT: Chapter 1 reports that in Egypt, the Israelites "were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them"-and "there arose a new king over Egypt, who didn't know Joseph" (1:7-8). Seeing that the Israelites were growing strong, the king oppressed them and tried to enlist midwives to kill male Hebrew babies (1:15). Jochebed, mother of baby Moses hid him in a basket in the bulrushes, and he was discovered by Pharaoh's daughter, who raised him in the palace where he subsequently lived as a prince of Egypt for 40 years. (2:1-10).
During his first 40 years Moses grew to become sympathetic toward his Israelite kinsmen, who were suffering under greatly their Egyptian taskmasters. When he saw an Egyptian beating some of the Israelites, he killed the Egyptian. Then he fled to Midian to escape punishment (2:11-22). There he married Zipporah, the daughter of Jethro, a priest of Midian who later believes in God, and Zipporah later bore him a son (2:21-22).
And then we read these momentous words: "It happened in the course of those many days, that the king of Egypt died, and the children of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the children of Israel, and God was concerned about them" (Exodus 2:23-25). We will hear echoes of these words in verse 7 below.
EXODUS 3:1-6: MOSES WAS KEEPING THE FLOCK-MINDING HIS BUSINESS
Now Moses was pasturing the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 Then the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not being consumed. 3 So Moses said, "I must turn aside and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burning up!" 4 When the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am." 5 Then He said, "Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." 6 And He said, "I am the God of your father-the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
"Now Moses was keeping the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the back of the wilderness, and came to God's mountain, to Horeb" (v. 1). Although Moses was raised in the palace as a son of Pharaoh's daughter (2:10), he has assumed the anonymity of an ordinary shepherd who works for Jethro, his father-in-law. The words, "to the back of the wilderness," suggest that Moses led the flock beyond the usual grazing grounds.
"and came to God's mountain, to Horeb" (v. 1b). The Hebrew word horeb means "a desolate region" or "ruin." Sinai and Horeb are different names for the same mountain. "Where a distinction appears, the mountain itself is Sinai and the neighboring wilderness area bears the wider designation Horeb" (Harrison & Hoffmeier, 526). It is also called "God's mountain" (Exodus 3:1; 4:27; 24:13) and "the mountain of God" (18:5) or "the Mount of Yahweh" (Numbers 10:33). While its location is uncertain, one possibility is a mountain called Jebel Musa (the mountain of Moses) in the southern part of the Sinai.
"The angel (mal'ak-messenger) of Yahweh appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush" (v. 2a). We should not make assumptions regarding the appearance of this mal'ak-this messenger. The common image of an angel that looks like a man with wings is, at best, a feeble attempt to envision something beyond our experience.
"He looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed" (v. 2b). There is no indication here that Moses notices the mal'ak. Instead, it is the burning bush that draws his attention. A shepherd would be concerned about the possibility of a brush fire spreading and threatening the sheep.
"Moses said, 'I will turn aside now, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt'" (v. 3). The fact that the bush is not consumed by the fire holds Moses' attention. Desert brush usually flashes up like tinder and is quickly consumed.
"When Yahweh saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the midst of the bush, and said, 'Moses! Moses!'" (v. 4a). As noted above, it is Yahweh who calls Moses rather than the mal'ak (unless Yahweh is the mal'ak).
"He said, 'Here I am'" (v. 4b). Moses is doing something more than answering "Present!" At the least, he means that God has his full attention. At the most, he means that he is standing by for his marching orders (see Isaiah 6:8; 53:6; Luke 1:38). In this instance, Moses is most likely announcing that he is both present and listening carefully.
"He said, 'Don't come close. Take your sandals off of your feet, for the place you are standing on is holy ground'" (v. 5). God issues two commands here. The first is for Moses to come no closer. The second is for him to remove his sandals. The rationale is that Moses is standing on holy ground-that this is a holy place and a holy moment. He needs to honor the moment and the one who makes it holy. He needs to show respect-reverence.
"Moreover he said, 'I am the God of your father (singular), the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob" (v. 6a). The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is a common Biblical formula (Ex. 3:15, 16; 4:5; 1 Chron. 29:18; 2 Chron. 30:6; Matt. 22:32; Mark 12:26; Luke 20:37; Acts 3:13; 7:32). However, • Yahweh first identifies himself as the God of Moses' father (singular). This singular word suggests that Yahweh is talking about Amram, Moses' father (see 6:20). This is a very personal approach. Moses would know of the great historical figures, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob-but he would be touched by this mention of his own father.
"Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look at God" (v. 6b). Moses' fear is well-founded (33:20). It is the fear of the inferior in the presence of the superior. It is the fear of the unholy in the presence of the holy. It is the fear of a man who knows that this is a seminal moment-but has no idea what is coming next.
EXODUS 3:7-12: I HAVE SEEN THE AFFLICTION OF MY PEOPLE
7 And the LORD said, "I have certainly seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their outcry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. 9 And now, behold, the cry of the sons of Israel has come to Me; furthermore, I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 And now come, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt." 11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?" 12 And He said, "Assuredly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain."
"Yahweh said, 'I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows'" (v. 7). In this verse, "three of the verbs of 2:24-25 are reiterated, 'I have seen... I have heard... I have known.' ...These are the three actions that God characteristically takes toward Israel, for Israel is the object of God's intense attentiveness".
"I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians" (v. 8a). Yahweh has "come down" to "deliver them up." He has entered the human world to correct the plight of his people.
"and to bring them up out of that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey" (v. 8b). This promise has roots in the covenant that Yahweh made with Abram many years earlier. In that covenant, Yahweh promised that he would give Abram's descendants the land "from the river of Egypt, to the great river, the river Euphrates" (Genesis 15:18).
"to the place of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite"(v. 8c). With this list of peoples, Yahweh shows where he will settle the Israelites-and with whom they will have to contend. The first three of these groups were significant powers, and the others less so (Durham).
"Now, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to me. Moreover I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them" (v. 9). Yahweh has heard their cries of woe and their prayers for deliverance. He has seen the injustices rendered by their Egyptian overlords.
"Come now therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh, that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt" (v. 10). Ever since Yahweh first addressed Moses from the burning bush (v. 4), Moses has been waiting for the other shoe to drop. He surely understands that Yahweh has not just dropped in for a casual visit. Now Yahweh reveals his intent-an intent that must hit Moses like a bombshell. Yahweh intends to deliver his people, and he intends for Moses to serve as his agent. He will require Moses to negotiate with Pharaoh.
"Moses said to God, 'Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?'" (v. 11). "Who am I?" reflects Moses' understanding of his modest resources and the magnitude of the task. Yes, he was raised in the palace, but that was long ago. He killed an Egyptian and fled for his life. He has been living anonymously in a foreign land for many years. He has become a simple shepherd. How can a shepherd negotiate with Pharaoh?
"(Yahweh) said, 'Certainly I will be with you'" (v. 12a). This is the answer to Moses' objection. It doesn't really matter who Moses is, because Yahweh will enable Moses to work by Yahweh's power. Yahweh will be there with Moses, and Yahweh will not let Moses fail.
"This will be the token to you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain" (v. 12b). What is the sign? There are two theories. One is that the sign was the burning bush. The other is that the sign will be when Moses brings the Israelites back to Horeb/Sinai to worship God there. While the original Hebrew text allows each of these possibilities, most scholars favor the second theory, and that is the interpretation behind the NRSV translation.
EXODUS 3:13-15: I AM WHO I AM
13 Then Moses said to God, "Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you.' Now they may say to me, 'What is His name?' What shall I say to them?" 14 And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM"; and He said, "This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: I AM has sent me to you.'" 15 God furthermore said to Moses, "This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.' This is My name forever, and this is the name for all generations to use to call upon Me. 16
"Behold, when I come to the children of Israel, and tell them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you;' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' What should I tell them?" (v. 13). In verse 11, Moses asked, "Who am I?" Now he asks, "Who are you?"
"God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM,' ('eheyeh 'asher yahweh) and he said, 'You shall tell the children of Israel this: "I AM has sent me to you'" (v. 14). It is from this answer that we get Yahweh as God's name. In Hebrew, it is four letters-YHWH.
"God said moreover to Moses, 'You shall tell the children of Israel this, "Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you." This is my name forever, and this is my memorial to all generations'" (v. 15).
EW: Ex. 4:13-17 - Moses' unwillingness, and God's reply.
But he said, "O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send." So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and He said: "Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And look, he is also coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. Now you shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth. And I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach you what you shall do. So he shall be your spokesman to the people. And he himself shall be as a mouth for you, and you shall be to him as God. And you shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs."
Exodus 3:1-15-PULPIT COMMENTARY
THE MISSION OF MOSES. After forty years of monotonous pastoral life, affording abundant opportunity for meditation, and for spiritual communion with God, and when he had attained to the great age of eighty years, and the hot blood of youth had given place to the calm serenity of advanced life, God at last revealed Himself to Moses "called him" (Exodus 3:4), and gave him a definite mission. The present chapter is' intimately connected with the next. Together, they contain an account of that extraordinary and indeed miraculous interchange of thought and speech between Moses and God himself, by which the son of Amram was induced to undertake the difficult and dangerous task of freeing his people, delivering them from their bondage in Egypt, and conducting them through the wilderness to that "land flowing with milk and honey," which had been promised to the seed of Abraham more than six centuries previously (Genesis 15:18). Whatever hopes he had entertained of being his people's deliverer in youth and middle life, they had long been abandoned; and, humanly speaking, nothing was more improbable than that the aged shepherd, grown "slow of speech and of a slow tongue" (Exodus 4:10)-his manners rusticised-his practical faculties rusted by disuse-his physical powers weakened-should come forth from a retirement of forty years' duration to be a leader and king of men. Nothing less than direct supernatural interposition could-one may well believe-have sufficed to overcome the natural vis inertiae of Moses' present character and position. Hence, after an absolute cessation of miracle for more than four hundred years, miracle is once more made use of by the Ruler of the Universe to work out his ends. A dignus vindice nodus has arisen; and the ordinary laws of that Nature which is but one of his instruments are suspended by the Lord of All, who sees what mode of action the occasion requires, and acts accordingly.
Exodus 3:1
Moses kept the flock. The Hebrew expresses that this was his regular occupation. Understand by "flock" either sheep or goats, or the two intermixed. Both anciently and at the present day the Sinaitic pastures support these animals, and not horned cattle. Of Jethro, his father-in-law. The word translated "father-in-law" is of much wider application, being used of almost any relation by marriage. Zipporah uses it of Moses in Exodus 4:25, Exodus 4:26; in Genesis 19:12, Genesis 19:14, it is applied to Lot's "sons-in-law;" in other places it is used of "brothers-in-law." Its application to Jethro does not prove him to be the same person as Reuel, which the difference of name renders improbable. He was no doubt the head of the tribe at this period, having succeeded to that dignity, and to the priesthood, when Reuel died. He may have been either Reuel's son or his nephew. The backside of the desert, i.e. "behind" or "beyond the desert," across the strip of sandy plain which separates the coast of the Elanitic Gulf from the mountains, to the grassy regions beyond. He came to the mountain of God, even Horeb. Rather, "the mountain of God, Horeb-way," or "towards Horeb." By "the mountain of God" Sinai seems to be meant. It may be so named either by anticipation (as "the land of Rameses" in Genesis 47:11), or because there was already a sanctuary there to the true God, whom Reuel and Jethro worshipped (Exodus 18:12).
Exodus 3:2
The angel of the Lord. Literally, "an angel of Jehovah." Taking the whole narrative altogether, we are justified in concluding that the appearance was that of "the Angel of the Covenant" or" the Second Person of the Trinity himself;" but this is not stated nor implied in the present verse. We learn it from what follows. The angel "appeared in a flame of fire out of the midst of the thorn-bush"-not out of "a thorn-bush-which may be explained by there being only one on the spot, which however seems improbable, as it is a common tree; or by Moses having so often spoken of it, that, when he came to write to his countrymen, he naturally called it "the bush," meaning "the bush of which you have all heard." So St. John says of the Baptist (John 3:24) that "he was not yet cast into the prison, meaning, prison into which you all know that he was cast. Seneh, the word translated "bush," is still the name of a thorny shrub, a species of acacia, common in the Sinaitic district.
Exodus 3:3
I will turn aside. Suspecting nothing but a natural phenomenon, which he was anxious to investigate. The action bespeaks him a man of sense and intelligence, not easily scared or imposed upon.
Exodus 3:4
When the Lord saw ... God called. This collocation of words is fatal in the entire Elohistic and Jehovistic theory, for no one can suppose that two different writers wrote the two clauses of the sentence. Nor, if the same term was originally used in both clauses, would any reviser have altered one without altering both. Out of the midst of the bush. A voice, which was the true voice of God, appeared to Moses to proceed out of the midst of the fire which enveloped the thorn-bush. An objective reality is described, not a vision. Moses, Moses. The double call implies urgency. Compare the call of Samuel (1 Samuel 3:10).
Exodus 3:5
Draw not nigh. The awful greatness of the Creator is such that his creatures, until invited to draw near, are bound to stand aloof. Moses, not yet aware that God himself spoke to him, was approaching the bush too close, to examine and see what the "great thing" was. (See Exodus 3:3.) On the general unfitness of man to approach near to holy things, see the comment on Exodus 19:12. Put off thy shoes. Rather, "thy sandals." Shoes were not worn commonly, even by the Egyptians, until a late period, and would certainly not be known in the land of Midian at this time. The practice of putting them off before entering a temple, a palace, or even the private apartments of a house, was, and is, universal in the East-the rationale of it being that the shoes or sandals have dust or dirt attaching to them. The command given to Moses at this time was repeated to Joshua (Joshua 5:15). Holy ground. Literally, "ground of holiness "-ground rendered holy by the presence of God upon it-not "an old sanctuary," as some have thought, for then Moses would not have needed the information.
Exodus 3:6
The God of thy father. "Father" here is used collectively, meaning forefathers generally, a usage well known to Hebraists. (Compare Exodus 15:2, and Exodus 18:4.) The God of Abraham, etc; i.e. the God who revealed himself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and entered into covenant with them (Genesis 15:1-21; Genesis 26:2-5; Genesis 35:1-12). The conclusion which our Blessed Lord drew from this verse (Matthew 22:32) is not directly involved in it, but depends on his minor premiss, "God is not the God of the dead, but of the living." Moses hid his face. A natural instinctive action. So Elijah, on the same site (1 Kings 19:13) and the holy angels before God's throne in heaven (Isaiah 6:2). In the religious system of Rome, the augurs when discharging their office, and all persons when offering a sacrifice, veiled their heads. (See Liv. 1.18; Virg. Aen. 3.405; Juv. 6.390.)
Exodus 3:7
I have surely seen. Literally "Seeing I have seen"-an expression implying continuance. On the force of the anthropomorphic terms "seeing, hearing, knowing," as used of God, see the comment on Exodus 2:24-25. Taskmasters. Not the general superintendents of Exodus 1:11, but subordinate officials, who stood over the labourers and applied the rod to their backs. (See above, Exodus 2:11.)
Exodus 3:8
I am come down. Another anthropomorphism, and one very common in Scripture (Genesis 11:5, Genesis 11:7; Genesis 18:21; Psalms 18:9; Psalms 144:5, etc.), connected of course with the idea that God has a special dwellingplace, which is above the earth. To bring them up. Literally correct. Palestine is at a much higher level than Egypt. (Compare Genesis 12:10; Genesis 13:1; Genesis 37:25; Genesis 39:1; Genesis 42:2; Genesis 46:3, Genesis 46:4; Genesis 50:25.) A good land and a large. The fertility of Palestine, though not equal to that of Egypt, was still very great. Eastward of Jordan, the soil is rich and productive, the country in places wooded with fine trees, and the herbage luxuriant. Vast tracts in the spring produce enormous crops of grain, and throughout the year pasturage of every kind is abundant. "Still the countless flocks and herds may be seen, droves of cattle moving on like troops of soldiers, descending at sunset to drink of the springs-literally, in the language of; the prophet, "rams, and lambs, and goats, and bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan. The western region is less productive, but by careful cultivation in terraces may be made to bear excellent crops of corn, olives, and figs. Palestine proper to a modern European seems small, being about the size of Belgium, less than Holland or Hanover, and not much larger than Wales. It contains about 11,000 square miles. To an Israelite of the age of Moses such a land would appear sufficiently "large;" for it was considerably larger than the entire Delta of Egypt, whereof his nation occupied the smaller half; and it fell but little short of the entire cultivable area of the whole land of Egypt, which was the greatest and most powerful country known to him. It may be added that the land included in the covenant which God made with Abraham (Genesis 15:18-21), and actually possessed by David and Solomon (1 Kings 4:21), was a "good land and a large," according even to modern notions, including (as it did) besides Palestine the whole of Syria, and thus containing an area of from 50,000 to 60,000 square miles. The phrase flowing with milk and honey, first used here, and so common in the later books (Numbers 13:27; Deuteronomy 26:9, Deuteronomy 26:15; Deuteronomy 31:20; Jeremiah 11:5; Jeremiah 32:22; Ezekiel 20:6, etc.) was probably a proverbial expression for "a land of plenty," and not intended literally. See what the spies say, Numbers 13:27
The enumeration of the nations of Palestine here made is incomplete, five only of the ten whose land was promised to Abraham (Genesis 15:19-21) being expressly mentioned. One, however, that of the Hivites, is added. We may suppose that they had succeeded to the Kenizzites or the Kadmonites of Abraham's time. The only important omission is that of the Girgashites, who hold their place in most other enumerations (Genesis 10:16; Genesis 15:21; Deuteronomy 7:1; Joshua 3:10; Joshua 24:11, etc.), but seem to have been the least important of the "seven nations,"and are omitted in Judges 3:5.
Exodus 3:9
This is a repetition, in substance, of Exodus 3:7, on account of the long parenthesis in Exodus 3:8, and serves to introduce Exodus 3:10. The nexus is: "I have seen the oppression-I am come down to deliver them-come now, therefore, I will send thee"
Exodus 3:11
And Moses said ... Who am I, that I should go, etc. A great change had come over Moses. Forty years earlier he had been forward to offer himself as a "deliverer." He "went out" to his brethren and slew one of their oppressors, and "supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them" (Acts 7:25). "But they understood not" (ibid.) They declined to accept him for leader, they reproached him with setting himself up to be "a ruler and a judge" over them. And now, taught by this lesson, and sobered by forty years of inaction, he has become timid and distrustful of himself, and shrinks from putting himself forward. Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh? What weight can I, a foreigner, forty years an exile, with the manners of a rough shepherd, expect to have with the mighty monarch of all Egypt-the son of Rameses the Great, the inheritor of his power and his glories? And again, Who am I, that I should bring forth the children of Israel? What weight can I expect to have with my countrymen, who will have forgotten me-whom, moreover, I could not influence when I was,in my full vigour-who then "refused" my guidance and forced me to quit them? True diffidence speaks in the words used-there is no ring of insincerity in them; Moses was now as distrustful of himself as in former days he had been confident, and when he had become fit to be a deliverer, ceased to think himself fit.
Exodus 3:12
Certainly I will be with thee. Literally, "Since I will be with thee." Moses had excused himself on the ground of unfitness. God replies-"Thou wilt not be unfit, since I will be with thee-I will supply thy deficiencies-I will impart all the qualities thou needest-and this shall be a sign unto thee of my power and faithfulness-this shall assure thee that I am not sending thee upon a fruitless errand-it is determined in my counsels that not only shalt thou succeed, and lead the people out, but after that,-when thou hast so done-thou and they together shall serve me on this mountain." The "sign" was one which appealed to faith only, like that given to Hezekiah by Isaiah (1 Kings 19:1-21:29), but, if accepted, it gave a full assurance-the second step involved the first-the end implied the means-if Moses was of a certainty to bring the Israelites to Sinai, he must first lead them out of Egypt-he must in some way or other triumph over all the difficulties which would beset the undertaking.
Exodus 3:13
What is his name? It is not at all clear why Moses should suppose that the Israelites would ask him this question, nor does it even appear that they did ask it. Perhaps, however, he thought that, as the Egyptians used the word "god," generically, and had a special name for each particular god-as Ammon, Phthah, Ra, Mentu, Her, Osiris, and the like-when he told his people of "the God of their fathers," they would conclude that he, too, had a proper name, and would wish to know it. The Egyptians set much store by the names of their gods, which in every ease had a meaning. Ammen was "the concealed (god)," Phthah, "the revealer," Ra,"the swift," etc. Hitherto Israel's God had had no name that could be called a proper name more than any other. He had been known as "El," "The High;" "Shad-dai," "The Strong;" and "Jehovah," "The Existent;" but these terms had all been felt to be descriptive epithets, and none of them had passed as yet into a proper name. What was done at this time, by the authority of God himself, was to select from among the epithets one to be distinctly a proper name, and at the same time to explain its true meaning as something more than "The Existent"-as really "The Alone Existent"-the source of all existence. Henceforth this name, which had previously been but little used and perhaps less understood, predominated over every other, was cherished by the Jews themselves as a sacred treasure, and recognised by those around them as the proper appellation of the one and only God whom the Israelites worshipped. It is found in this sense on the Moabite stone, in the fragments of Philo-Byblius, and elsewhere.
Exodus 3:14
I AM THAT I AM. No better translation can be given of the Hebrew words. "I will be that I will be (Geddes) is more literal, but less idiomatic, since the Hebrew was the simplest possible form of the verb substantive. "I am because I am" (Boothroyd) is wrong, since the word asher is certainly the relative. The Septuagint, Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν, explains rather than translates, but is otherwise unobjectionable. The Vulgate, sum qui sum, has absolute exactness. The idea expressed by the name is, as already explained, that of real, perfect, unconditioned, independent existence. I AM hath sent me to you. "I am" is an abbreviated form of "I am that I am," and is intended to express the same idea.
Exodus 3:15
The Lord God. In the original Jehovah elohey-"Jehovah, God of your fathers," etc. The name is clearly an equivalent of the "I AM" in the preceding versa The exact mode of its formation from the old root hava, "to be," is still disputed among the best Hebraists. This is my name for ever. Henceforth there will be no change-this will be my most appropriate name so long as the world endures-"The Existent"-"The Alone Existent"-"He that is, and was, and is to come" (Revelation 1:4, Revelation 1:8; Revelation 4:8; Revelation 11:17; Revelation 16:5). My memorial. The name whereby I am to be spoken of.
Exodus 4:11-13: Who hath made man's mouth! God could and would have cured the defect in Moses' speech, whatever it was; could and would have added eloquence to his other gifts, if he had even at this point yielded himself up unreservedly to his guidance and heartily accepted his mission. Nothing is too hard for the Lord. He gives all powers-sight, and hearing, and speech included-to whom he will. He would have been "with Moses' mouth," removing all hesitation or indistinctness, and have "taught him what to say"-supplied the thought and the language by which to express it-if Moses would have let him. But the reply in Exodus 4:13 shut up the Divine bounty, prevented its outpour, and left Moses the ineffective speaker which he was content to be. The words, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom Thou wilt send, are curt and ungracious; much curter in the original than in our version. £ They contain a grudging acquiescence. But for the deprecatory particle with which they commence-the same as in Exodus 4:10, they would be almost rude. And we see the result in the next verse.
Exodus 4:14: The anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses. The expression used is a strong one, but does not perhaps here mean more than that God was displeased. At least, he did not punish the offender in any severer way than by the withholding of a gift that he was ready to bestow, and the partition between two of a position and a dignity which Moses might have had all to himself. Perhaps diffidence and self-distrust, even when out of place, are not altogether abhorrent to One whose creatures are continually offending him by presumption and arrogance. Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know, etc. This translation is wrong. The two clauses form one sentence, and should be rendered, "Do I not know that Aaron the Levite, thy brother, speaks well?" Aaron's designation as "the Levite" is remarkable, and seems to glance at the future consecration of his tribe to God's especial service. Behold, he cometh forth to meet thee. It has been conjectured that Aaron designed to visit Moses in Midian, in order to convey to him the intelligence that the king who had sought his life (Exodus 2:15) was dead. He did not, however, start on the journey till God gave him a special direction (Exodus 4:27).
Exodus 4:15: Thou shalt speak unto him and put words in his mouth. Moses was to tell Aaron what to say-furnish, i.e; the matter of his speeches-and Aaron was to clothe this matter in fitting words. God promised to be with both of their mouths; with Moses', to make him give right directions to Aaron; with Aaron's, to make him utter them persuasively: Moses' position was still the more honourable one, though Aaron's might seem the higher to the people.
Exodus 4:16: He shall be thy spokesman. Literally, "He shall speak for thee." He shall be, even he. It is the verb that is repeated, not the pronoun. Probably the meaning is, "he shall surely be." There is no comparison between Aaron and anyone else. Thou shalt be to him instead of God. Divine inspiration, that is, shall rest on thee; and it shall be his duty to accept thy words as Divine words, and to do all that thou biddest him.
Ex. 3 & 4 Explained
Verses 1-6: "The angel of the Lord" who appeared to Moses is identified as "the God of thy father, the God of Abraham ... Isaac ... Jacob." This is apparently the continuation of the manifestations of "the angel of the Lord" begun in Genesis 16:7. This one is more than just an angelic messenger from God. Frequently He received the respect, worship and honor reserved only for God; yet He was consistently distinguished from God (note the references in Genesis 16:7-11; 21:17; 22:11-18; 24:7, 40; 31:11; 32:24-30; 48:15-16). He carried an identity with God; yet He was also sent from Him! The patriarchs may not have regarded Him as equivalent to a Christophany, but it is sure that He was not the invisible God. And He acted and talked as the Lord.
Exodus 3:1 "Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, [even] to Horeb."
"Moses kept the flock of Jethro": Moses worked as a shepherd while living with his father-in-law, a life and occupation quite different from the privilege and prestige associated with his life in Pharaoh's court.
"Horeb": An alternative name for Mt. Sinai (19:11; Deut. 4:10). Traditionally, this mountain has been identified with Jebel Musa, "the mountain of Moses." "Horeb" is the Hebrew for the non-Semitic place/name, Sinai, located in the southern part of the Sinai Peninsula.
"The mountain of God": This is known as such because of what took place there later in Israel's history. This name for the mountain suggests that the book of Exodus was written by Moses after the events at Sinai. Others suggest that it was already known as a sacred mountain prior to the call of Moses; but it seems best to relate the name to what God did for Israel there.
It appears that Moses, after forty years, was still working for his father-in-law. Jethro and Reuel, as we said in the last lesson, was probably the same person. Jethro means "his excellence", which is a title and Reuel was his name. Here we see Moses leading this flock away from so many of the neighbor's flock, to a place where probably, very few came.
The Mount of God, called Horeb here, was probably Sinai. At least they were in the same range. This flock mentioned here, are probably sheep. We see Moses for the last forty years living a very peaceful life, settling down and having a family and actually changing from a youthful forty to an old man of eighty years. At any rate, he has had plenty of time to think about his life.
Exodus 3:2 "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."
"The angel of the Lord": Literally "messenger of Yahweh" who, in context, turns out to be the Lord Himself talking to Moses (Acts 7:30).
This appearance of the "Angle of the Lord" is the first instance of direct revelation to Moses. After 80 years, Moses was now ready to fulfill the Lord's calling. No other leader in biblical times had such a lengthy training period. Times of preparation are never wasted; God knows that, properly prepared, His servants can do more in 40 years that they could do in 120 unprepared.
This appearance here, in my opinion, was actually the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ. We know that the baptism that Jesus brings is the baptism of fire, and also Jesus is the Lord. This was not a regular fire but the fire of the Spirit, because a regular fire would have burned this bush up. This had to be the fire of the Spirit.
Matthew 3:11 "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and [with] fire:"
This fire I believe is the Spirit of the Lord Jesus.
Exodus 3:3 "And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt."
Moses' attention was drawn to a most unusual sight, that of a burning bush which was not being consumed by the fire within. A supernatural event is the only viable explanation. Natural explanations of certain types of flowers with gaseous pods or oil glands fail, in that, after 40 years of work in the desert, Moses would surely have ignored something normal.
For this shepherd, it would not have been unusual to see a bush catch on fire and burn up. But to see one on fire that did not burn up had caught Moses' attention and he went to investigate this phenomenon.
Exodus 3:4 "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."
This was so different that it aroused his curiosity and demanded further examination. God was in the bush speaking, clearly a miraculous event.
Mount "Horeb" (Sinai) is not only where Moses received his divine commission at the burning bush, but it is also the place where Yahweh would give Israel His gracious gift of the Law.
Here we see the call of Moses to a very great task. God calls to each of us but some of us do not answer, "Here am I". Notice here, that the Spirit of God can appear in any form. God is a Spirit, We see in John 4:24 in Jesus' own words, because it is printed red in the Bible.
John 4:24 "God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth."
You see, God does not have to conform to what we believe. We believe when He does it His way. We see here, the Spirit of God speaking to Moses from the bush.
Verses 5-10: See Acts 7:33-34.
Exodus 3:5 "And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest [is] holy ground."
For these divine moments, the area near the bush was the Lord's house because of the Lord's presence ("holy ground"). The resulting command to "take your shoes off thy feet" reflects this. In Afro-Asian culture, people do not wear shoes inside a home.
This to me is something that we all forget from time to time. In the presence of God is holy ground. I feel that our place of worship is a holy place and should be approached with great respect. The actual room in the church where the preaching takes place I believe, should be treated with great respect. There should be no eating or drinking, or even really loud talking. This one place I believe, should be set aside as a special place to come and talk with God. Our society has gotten far too casual with God. God deserves our respect and worship.
Exodus 3:6 "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."
"I am the God of thy father": God's opening words, although important for Moses to hear, point the reader back to 2:24, showing that the God of Israel has remembered His people and has begun to take action (Matt. 22:32; Mark 12:26; Luke 20:37; Acts 3:13; 7:32).
"Moses hid his face": A fitting reaction of reverent fear in the presence of the Divine was modeled by Moses.
Here again, we see that this was probably the one we know as Jesus because He is the God of the faithful. Abraham was the father of the faithful, as we see in Galatians. Galatians 3:6-7 "Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." "Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham."
Probably Moses had been taught by his Hebrew mother to reverence God. Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.
Verses 7-22: The significance of the name of God given in verse 14, "I AM THAT I AM," constitutes the idea that the "I AM" (in Exodus 3), reveals God as the Being who is absolutely self-existent, and who, in Himself, possesses essential life and permanent existence. To the Hebrew, "to be" doesn't just mean to exist, but to be active, to express oneself in active being. God is the One who acts. The imperfect tense of the verb becomes clear. God's manifestation to Israel is yet future at the time of the burning bush incident. The "I AM" or "I will be" is God's promise that He will redeem the children of Israel.
The people wanted to be reassured that this God would meet them in their time of need, proving His character and promises. The phrase "no, not by a mighty hand" may best be understood as "not by a strong hand [of man] but by a divine agency" as expressed (in 6:1): "Then the Lord said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for ... with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land." Several other translations have "unless a mighty hand compels him" and "except under compulsion."
Exodus 3:7 "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;"
"I have surely seen ... have heard their cry": An emphasis on God's having been aware of the desperate situation of Israel.
The Lord was telling Moses that He was aware of the terrible cruelty these taskmasters had shown the Israelites. God is not unaware of our problems. He not only knows, but cares. If we cry out to Him for help, He is always there to answer. In the case of these Israelites, they were a long time asking but now God had heard them and was about to free them.
Exodus 3:8 "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."
The result of God's hearing them (in verse 7). Here He promised to deliver them from Egyptian oppression. Here, and in the next two verses, the repetitive manner in describing what God saw and would do, served to underscore all the more, His personal involvement in the history of His people whom He had sent into Egypt.
"I am come down to deliver them" were words for Israel, but they also point to the future incarnation of Jesus (John 1:14).
"Unto a good land...large, unto a land ... unto the place": Three descriptions of the land to which Israel was going to be taken emphatically underscored the land promise of the Abrahamic Covenant.
"Flowing with milk and honey": This was a formal and graphic way of describing a fertile and of bounteous provision.
"The Canaanites and the Hittites": A specific identification of the territory to which Israel was going; her Promised Land was currently inhabited by other peoples.
Notice here, that it was God who would deliver them. Moses was the instrument God used, but it was God who delivered. This desert land of Egypt had become a real heartache. By this time, they had cultivated the land around Goshen to the extent that the land was not producing like it first did. God was promising these descendants of Abraham a better life. This Promised Land that God was promising is about 11,000 square miles, and would be large enough to handle this approximately three million people.
However, it is a very small area compared to other countries. It is approximately the size of one of the smaller states here in the U.S. This land, when God was speaking to Moses, was already occupied by ungodly people. This was however, the land that God promised Abraham a few hundred years before. God had given these people who were in the land, a space to repent of their evil ways; and they had not and now the Israelites were to claim their inheritance.
Exodus 3:9 "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."
God notices the afflictions of Israel. Their sorrows; even the secret sorrows of God's people are known to him. Their cry; God hears the cries of his afflicted people. The oppression they endured; the highest and greatest of their oppressors are not above him. God promises speedy deliverance by methods out of the common ways of providence. Those whom God, by his grace, delivers out of a spiritual Egypt, he will bring to a heavenly Canaan.
Exodus 3:10 "Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt."
I will send thee": The divine summons made Moses both leader/deliverer of Israel and ambassador of God before Pharaoh.
God is always in sympathy with the oppressed. He was even more in sympathy with the Israelites, for they were His covenant people. God is always against those who are cruel to others, and that certainly was the case here. These Egyptian taskmasters had been very cruel. Here we see God telling Moses exactly what his (Moses'), call was. He was to go to Pharaoh and represent all the Israelites. Moses was commanded of God to bring them out of Egypt.
Sometimes the things that God calls us to do seems very near impossible to carry out; but we must remember that when God calls us to do a task, He will see to it that it is possible for us to do it.
Exodus 3:11 "And Moses said unto God, Who [am] I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?"
Moses typified human response when God calls someone to what seems beyond them ("Who am I), yet the success of any divine mission is never dependent on human abilities.
The first response is an objection from Moses to the divine summons, an expression of inadequacy for such a serious mission. It sounded reasonable, for after 40 years of absence from Egypt, what could he, a mere shepherd in Midian, do upon return?
Here, we see Moses, humble, believing that he was not capable of doing this job that God had called him to do. Some have called Moses the humblest man who ever lived, except for Jesus. One of the reasons God calls anyone to service for Him, is because He realizes that within themselves they cannot do the job. God doesn't call someone to work for Him, because he can already do whatever He has called him for. God wants to work through us. The only thing we need to do is be willing to be used of God.
God just wants a willing vessel. He will furnish the ability and power (from Him), to accomplish the task. All He wants us to say is "Here am I, send me". A willing, humble heart is what God is looking for. If we are proud of ourselves and self-sufficient, He can't use us. The nearer we are to God, the more we feel capable of doing the things He has called us to. In our weakness, God is strong. Our sufficiency is of God, and not ourselves. I cannot say it enough. We are not capable within ourselves to do anything for God. We must allow the Holy Spirit of God to work in us and through us. The power is God's power, not our own.
Exodus 3:12 "And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this [shall be] a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain."
"Certainly I will be with thee": The divine promise, one given also to the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, should have been sufficient to quell all the chosen agent's fears and sense of inadequacy for the task.
"Ye shall serve God upon this mountain": A second divine promise signified the future success of the mission, suggesting that Israel would not be delivered simply out of bondage and oppression, but rescued to worship (Acts 7:7).
The Lord's words "I will be with thee" were intended to focus Moses on the true Source of his future success.
Here we see God's encouraging reply to Moses. God promised that He would be with Moses. God gave even more encouragement to Moses when He spoke of Moses bringing the children out, as if it had already happened. He even let Moses know that he would live through all of this, in the fact, that Moses would worship on this very mountain. There are no "ifs" at all in any of these statements God made to Moses. This alone should fire Moses up to go. This was God (not man), making this promise and that made it a fact.
Exodus 3:13 "And Moses said unto God, Behold, [when] I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What [is] his name? what shall I say unto them?"
"And Moses said": Was Moses at this point crossing the line from reasonable inquiry to unreasonable doubt? God's patient replies instructing Moses on what He would do and what the results would be. Including Israel's being viewed with favor by the Egyptians (3:21), ought to caution the reader from hastily classifying Moses' attitude as altogether wrong from the very beginning of the interaction between him and the Lord. A response of divine anger comes only (in 4:14), at the very end of Moses' questions and objections (see note on 4:1).
"What is his name": Moses raised a second objection. Israel might ask for God's name in validation of Moses' declaration that he had been sent by the God of their fathers. Significantly, the question was not "Who is this God?" The Hebrews understood the name Yahweh had been known to the patriarchs (which Genesis well indicates). Asking "what", meant they sought for the relevancy of the name to their circumstances. Asking "Who", sought after title, name and identity. Whereas "What?", inquired into the character, quality or essence of a person.
There are three primary names of God: Elohim (God), Jehovah or Yahweh (usually printed as Lord in the KJV), and Adonai (Lord). Each of these names emphasizes a different aspect of the nature of God. The name Elohim occurs 31 times (in Genesis 1), where it emphasizes His strength and creative power. The name Yahweh is most often used to express God's self-existence, particularly in relation to humanity. Adonai means "master" and underscores the authority of God.
When Moses objected to returning to Egypt, one of his excuses was that he did not know God's name. By that he meant that he did not understand enough about God's authority. God solved this problem by revealing Himself as the "I AM", that is, Yahweh. Because God reveals Himself in His names, Christians should understand them to better serve Him.
Here we see Moses, in effect, accepting this awesome job. He was trying to convince himself that they might even believe him, if he only could give them a name that would explain who this God was who had sent him. Why Moses was asking this name is a big question. Perhaps, it was because the Egyptians had many false gods, and they each had a specific name. Up until this time the subject of a specific name for God had not come up.
"El" was one of the names used for God. "Jehovah" was another. Actually, there are 98 or more names for God in the Bible. Each seems to be used according to the working of God at that specific time. Moses wanted to be prepared, and also, wanted to bring them something that they could not deny. In explaining who God was, Moses would probably already know Him as Jehovah, which encompasses so much. He (Jehovah), is self-existent, eternal, separate and independent from His creation, changeless, truthful and faithful to keep His promises
It is interesting that Moses would have to go to the Israelites first. They would have to be willing to be delivered, before he could deal with the Pharaoh to free them. Can you see the symbolism here? We must be willing to give up the world (Egypt), before the Lord Jesus will deliver us. We must repent and turn from this old life of bondage before Jesus can deliver us. The Israelites, just like us the believers, have to want Moses to deliver them.
Pharaoh, in this, was symbolic of Satan. Jesus had to deal with Satan, and defeat him to save us. Moses would have to deal with Pharaoh and defeat him to free the Israelites. Mankind, then or now, cannot be saved without their willingness to be saved. We are a free moral agent. We must "will" to be saved.
Exodus 3:14 "And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you."
"I AM WHO I AM": This name for God points to His self-existence and eternality; it denotes "I am the One who is/will be," which is decidedly the best and most contextually suitable option from a number of theories about its meaning and etymological source. The significance in relation to "God of your fathers" is immediately discernible: He's the same God throughout the ages!
The consonants from the Hebrew word Yhwh, combined with the vowels from the divine name Adonai (Master or Lord), gave rise to the name "Jehovah" in English. Since the name Yahweh was considered so sacred that it should not be pronounced, the Massoretes inserted the vowels from Adonai to remind themselves to pronounce it when reading instead of saying Yahweh. Technically, this combination of consonants is known as the "tetragrammaton."
When God said, "I AM WHO I AM", he declared His eternal, unchanging, uncreated self-existence.
This is probably, the most powerful statement in the Bible. It is a fact that God exists. There is nothing before and nothing after. There is absolute presence. The word "AM" translated is Hayah. This verb means to exist, to breathe, and to be. The key to the name Jehovah/Yahweh is found in this verb. This tells us of the timelessness of God; the eternity of God. In Hebrews, we see that we all must believe this:
Hebrews 11:6 "But without faith it is impossible to please him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
My translation of "I AM" is, the One who eternally exists, in the present tense.
Ex. 4:13-26 - Who me?
Exodus 4:13 "And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand [of him whom] thou wilt send."
Rather, pray send by whom thou wilt. A curt, impatient and scarcely reverent speech by Moses means that he will undertake the task if God insists; but that God would do far better to send another. Hence the "anger of the Lord" against him (Exodus 4:14), leading to Aaron's association with him as joint leader of the people.
Moses' fifth and final statement, notwithstanding the opening supplication, "O my Lord," was a polite way of bluntly saying "Choose someone else, not me!" The anger of God toward this overt expression of reluctance was appropriate, yet the Lord still provided another way for His plan to move forward unhindered. Providentially (verse 27), Aaron would meet his brother Moses, and positively respond to being the spokesman. Moses had gone too far.
Exodus 4:14 "And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, [Is] not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart."
"Aaron" was the brother of Moses and a descendant of Levi. He was commissioned by God to serve as Moses' spokesman to Pharaoh (7:1-2). He held up Moses' hands, with Hur's assistance, as Israel prevailed over the Amalekites (17:8-12) In spite of his sinful lapse in making the golden calf (32:5), he was later consecrated and anointed as high priest (Lev. 8). A position he served throughout the remainder of his life. Later, the budding of his rod was a testimony against those who rebelled against his authority, and the rod was kept in the ark of the covenant. Aaron eventually died at age 123 on Mount Hor, near Petra (Num. 33:38-39; Deut. 10:6).
Here, Moses had made a terrible mistake. Aaron was not as close to God. Aaron was the very same one who would make the golden calf. Even though God was angry with Moses, He was not angry enough to punish him severely. The only punishment was that God withholds the loosing of Moses' tongue to speak because of Moses' lack of faith to receive it.
God foreknew what Moses would do and had Aaron already on his way. We also see here a look into the future when Aaron would be a high priest. A priestly family to take care of the temple and the spiritual needs of the people would be taken care of in the separation of the Levites for that purpose on the way to the Promised Land.
Exodus 4:15 "And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do."
"And will teach you": The plural pronoun "you", means that God had promised to assist both of them in their newly appointed duties.
Here, we see that God would not speak directly to Aaron. God would speak to Moses, and Moses would convey the message to Aaron. God would guard Aaron's mouth to make sure truth came forth.
Exodus 4:16 "And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, [even] he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God."
"And thou shalt be to him instead of God": Aaron would speak to the people for Moses, even as Moses would speak to Aaron for the Lord.
In this section, we learn the biblical meaning of the word prophet: a "spokesman" for the Lord (6:28-7:6).
Here again, we just see the line of command. God spoke to Moses and Moses spoke to Aaron, and Aaron spoke to the king. What a shame that Moses didn't believe God for the ability to speak himself.
