September 22, 2024
Exodus 3
“Called, Commissioned, Qualified”
Service Overview: Moses, now a shepherd, stumbles upon a burning bush that isn’t consumed. From this extraordinary sight, God speaks, revealing His name and commissioning Moses to lead Israel out of slavery.
Memory Verse for the Week:
“He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’” Psalm 46:10 (NIV)
Background Insights:
- In verses 2-4 we find a unique encounter with the “Angel of the Lord.” This was not a fluffy little angel in a golden diaper. He appeared out of the fire. He is also referred to as “the Lord” in verse 4. The messenger spoke as God not simply for God. This is what theologians call a “theophany,” an appearance of the invisible God. Many throughout church history, especially the early church fathers, believed appearances like this were pre-incarnate appearances of Christ. (Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Exodus, Kindle Location 22)
- Mountains, especially Horeb, or Sinai as it is also known in the Old Testament, figure largely in the spiritual history of Moses. Horeb makes its first appearance in the story here as the mountain of conversion or new beginnings, and in chapters 19 to 34 it is the mountain of revelation, the place of Moses’ seven ascents (19:3, 8, 20; 20:21; 24:15; 32:31; 34:4). (J. Alec Motyer, The Message of Exodus, 34)
- The God who came down at Babel (Gen 11:5) and at Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 18:21) is coming down again, in judgment and salvation. His actions will spell judgment on the oppressing Egyptians, of course, but also (though it is not defined as such here) on the nations now living in the land (Exod 3:8). These nations are those about whom God had said to Abraham, centuries earlier, that “the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure” (Gen 15:16). But now, their sin has indeed presumably reached such a pitch that God’s justified judgment on those nations will take the form of the invading Israelites. (Christopher J.H. Wright, The Story of God Bible Commentary: Exodus, 102)
- After juxtaposing Moses’s departure to Midian (2:11–22) and the Lord’s concern for the oppressed Israelites (2:23–25), the Exodus narrative describes in chapter 3 how God commissions Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. The setting for the encounter between God and Moses is significant, for Moses will later lead the Israelites back to this location in the Sinai Peninsula. (T. Desmond Alexander, Exodus, 48)
- The fact of the matter is that Moses needed tons of reassurance. He was chronically uncertain about himself. That episode in Egypt all those years ago (2:11–17) must have really knocked the stuffing out of him. All the old bounce was gone, and the man who was now not the prince of Egypt but the shepherd of Midian needed crowds of reassurance, tender loving care and hand-holding. (J. Alec Motyer, The Message of Exodus, 45)
What does the account of Moses’ call reveal to us about the God of the Exodus?
- That His power and holiness is nothing to take lightly.
(vv. 1-6)
Holiness means separation. Something holy is set apart. In the case of God, holiness means He is set apart from everything He has made. Holiness is not simply His righteousness (although that is part of it), but also His otherness. It is the distinction between the Creator and the creature, the infinite distance between God’s divinity and our humanity. (Philip Graham Ryken, Exodus, 82)
Encountering the awe-inspiring holiness of God is a humbling event. Moses removes his sandals and hides his face as an act of respect in the presence of God. We too should remember the majestic glory of God when we come to worship him, recalling that corporately the church is the new temple where God is present (Eph. 2:21–22). (T. Desmond Alexander, Exodus, 54)
Holiness endangers the sinner because the holiness of the Lord is not a passive attribute but an active force, embracing all that conforms to it (Ps. 24:3–4) and destroying all that offends (1 Sam. 6:19–20). (J. Alec Motyer, The Message of Exodus, 39)
- How God not only sees and hears, but feels, and acts according to his plan.
(vv. 7-9)
The NIV’s “I am concerned about their suffering” seems too weak for the more intense “I know (yada‘) their suffering.” The Hebrew suggests not just that God is cognitively aware of what is being inflicted on his people in Egypt but that he, in some sense, experiences it himself. He knows it from the inside, as it were. (Christopher J.H. Wright, The Story of God Bible Commentary: Exodus, 102)
God hears the groans of people who genuinely cry out to Him. (Merida, 24)
- How God calls and empowers unlikely people to accomplish extraordinary things.
(vv. 10-13)
“[God] needs no one, but when faith is present he works through anyone” (A.W. Tozer, Knowledge of the Holy, 36)
If Moses lives in our memories as the towering leader of Israel in deliverance and pilgrimage, it is well to remember where he started – insecure, uncertain, unprepared, unworthy and un-almost-everything-else! (Motyer, 46)
God can take an insignificant bush, ignite it, and turn it into a miracle, and that’s what He wanted to do with Moses. (Warren Wiersbe, Be Delivered: Exodus, 24)
- How the God who would deliver, is the God who is.
(v. 14)
God is majestic in mysteriousness. We will never have Him totally figured out. God is not a book you read and then put on your shelf. God is not a class you take. God is eternal and unchangeable. He says, “I AM.” He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is not getting better or worse. He is infinitely perfect. (Merida, 26)
The link between the divine name and the Hebrew verb ‘to be’ is the plainest feature of this passage. This is what Durham calls the ‘is-ness’ of the God of Israel. In every place, at every point in time, in every circumstance or need, he ‘is’. Unlike Greek, which uses different verbs to express either existence or active presence, Hebrew has only one verb for both meanings, hāyâ, but unquestionably this verb leans strongly in the direction of ‘active presence’. (Motyer, 55)
Conclusion… What hope and perspective does this bring to our own lives?
A. No matter how we may feel, God is not absent in our suffering.
(Deuteronomy 7:9; Lamentations 3:22-23; Psalm 23:4; 34:18; Isaiah 41:10; Matthew 5:4; John 16:33; Romans 5:3-5; 8:28, 38-39; 2 Corinthians 1:3-4; James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 5:7)
What grace is meant to do is to help good people, not to escape their sufferings, but to bear them with a stout heart, with a fortitude that finds its strength in faith. (Augustine, City of God, c. 410AD)
Suffering strengthens resolve and increases the value of Christ for those who, in response to the presence of the Spirit in their lives, genuinely trust God’s love and power. Rather than destroying faith-induced hope, suffering spurs it on. It is the fire that fortifies faith, stripping away the illusion of the world’s glamour and gold and unmasking our powerlessness to solve our own problems, or provide for our own security (Luke 12:16-21). Suffering therefore teaches us to esteem God’s promises as our only hope. (Scott Hafemann, The God of Promise and the Life of Faith, 151)
B. If God has called you, He will empower you.
(Exodus 4:11-12; Isaiah 40:29-31; 1 Corinthians 1:26-29; 2 Corinthians 12:9; Ephesians 3:20; Philippians 4:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:24; Hebrews 10:23)
The Lord does not call us because of our adequacy, nor is his presence conditional upon us becoming adequate; it is rather promised to those who are inadequate. (J. Alec Motyer, The Message of Exodus, 51)
Because of who God is, He graciously uses imperfect people to accomplish His perfect will. (Merida, 21)
Faith is a response to God’s initiative that trusts that we are empowered to do what God requires. (David Garland, Luke, 684)
Gospel Connection…
In Christ, we who are nothing are called and empowered to become something; children of God and ambassadors of his kingdom.
(Matthew 5:14-16; John 1:12; Romans 8:14-17; 8:29-30; 2 Corinthians 5:20; Galatians 4:6-7; Ephesians 1:4-5; 1 Peter 2:9)
God is looking for reporters, not orators. We do not have to make fine speeches; we just give the news. (Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Exodus, Kindle Location 30)
Spiritual Challenge Questions…
Reflect on these questions in your time with the Lord this week, or discuss with a Christian family member or Life Group.
- How does acknowledging God’s holiness and power impact the way we live our daily lives?
- Can you think of a time when you witnessed or experienced God’s power in a personal way? How did it change your view of Him?
- Have you ever felt like God was distant during a difficult season? How does the truth that God is always aware of our situation challenge or comfort you?
- What are some reasons we often feel unqualified when God calls us to do something? How can we overcome that?
- How can we hold onto the belief that God is present even when we don’t feel His presence during times of suffering?
- In what ways can suffering shape or strengthen our relationship with God? Have you experienced this in your own life?
Quotes to note…
No plan of God’s can be thwarted; when He acts, no one can reverse it; no one can hold back His hand or bring Him to account for His actions. God does as He pleases, only as He pleases, and works out every event to bring about the accomplishment of His will. Such a bare unqualified statement of the sovereignty of God would terrify us if that were all we knew about God. But God is not only sovereign, He is perfect in love and infinite in wisdom. (Jerry Bridges, Trusting God, 45)
God’s name expresses His person; it reflects who He is. The name is God Himself, as He has made Himself known. It reveals His divine nature and His eternal qualities. God is who His name is. Thus all the biblical names and titles for God reveal His true character. Most of them refer to one of His actions or attributes. He is Jehovah-Jireh, the God who provides. He is El-Shaddai, the Mighty God. He is the Holy One, the Everlasting Father. He is the Maker and the Redeemer. He is the Shepherd, the Rock, and the Hiding Place. Whatever the name, God is who His name is because He does what His name says. (Philip Graham Ryken, When You Pray, 68)
In verse 14 God instructs Moses to say, “I AM has sent me to you.” In verse 15 God expands on this by saying, “The LORD . . . has sent me to you.” “LORD” translates the Hebrew word yhwh, which is often pronounced “Yahweh.” Out of reverence for the divine name, Jews later avoided saying yhwh by substituting the Hebrew word ’adonay, which means “lord.” The words ’ehyeh and yhwh are related. If ’ehyeh means “I am,” yhwh is the equivalent “he is.” Consequently, while God himself will say ’ehyeh, “I AM,” other people will say, yhwh, “HE IS.” (T. Desmond Alexander, Exodus, 53)
Here was a flame nourished by its own life, needing no external fuel to feed it, a truly living flame. It was an important element in the Lord’s self-revelation to Moses, for it was what he used in the first instance to capture Moses’ attention. The essence of this revelation is that Yahweh is the living God, a self-maintaining, self-sufficient reality that does not need to draw vitality from outside. (J. Alec Motyer, The Message of Exodus, 42)
He feels all our sorrows, needs, and burdens as his own. This is why it is said that the sufferings of believers are called the sufferings of Christ. (John Flavel, Christ Altogether Lovely, c. 1670)
It is important to note that Egyptians did not think highly at all of shepherds (see Gen 46:34). It is also important to recognize the shepherding pattern being set here. Moses spent 40 years as a shepherd in Midian. David was also a shepherd who was taken from the sheepfolds to become king. God loves to use shepherds! He even refers to Himself as a shepherd (Ps. 23:1; Ezek. 34:13). Ultimately, salvation would come through Jesus, the good shepherd, who laid down His life for His sheep (John 10:11). (Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Exodus, Kindle Location 22)