The Burning Bush
How do you respond when you feel entirely unqualified for what you are called to do?
Exodus 3:1-4:31
Read the whole passage before anything else. Everything below exists to help you understand what you just read.
1Now 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.
2The LORD’s angel appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the middle of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
3Moses said, “I will go now, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.”
4When the LORD saw that he came over to see, God called to him out of the middle of the bush, and said, “Moses! Moses!” He said, “Here I am.”
5He said, “Don’t come close. Take off your sandals, for the place you are standing on is holy ground.”
6Moreover he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God.
7The LORD 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.
8I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and large 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.
9Now, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to me. Moreover I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.
10Come now therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh, that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”
11Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”
12He said, “Certainly I will be with you. 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.”
13Moses said to God, “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?”
14God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM,” and he said, “You shall tell the children of Israel this: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
15God said moreover to Moses, “You shall tell the children of Israel this, ‘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 my memorial to all generations.
16Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and tell them, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt.
17I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, to a land flowing with milk and honey.”’
18They will listen to your voice. You shall come, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt, and you shall tell him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD, our God.’
19I know that the king of Egypt won’t give you permission to go, no, not by a mighty hand.
20I will reach out my hand and strike Egypt with all my wonders which I will do among them, and after that he will let you go.
21I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, and it will happen that when you go, you shall not go empty-handed.
22But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, and of her who visits her house, jewels of silver, jewels of gold, and clothing. You shall put them on your sons, and on your daughters. You shall plunder the Egyptians.”
1Moses answered, “But, behold, they will not believe me, nor listen to my voice; for they will say, ‘The LORD has not appeared to you.’”
2The LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.”
3He said, “Throw it on the ground.” He threw it on the ground, and it became a snake; and Moses ran away from it.
4The LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand, and take it by the tail.” He stretched out his hand, and took hold of it, and it became a rod in his hand.
5“This is so that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”
6The LORD said furthermore to him, “Now put your hand inside your cloak.” He put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow.
7He said, “Put your hand inside your cloak again.” He put his hand inside his cloak again, and when he took it out of his cloak, behold, it had turned again as his other flesh.
8“It will happen, if they will not believe you or listen to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.
9It will happen, if they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, that you shall take of the water of the river, and pour it on the dry land. The water which you take out of the river will become blood on the dry land.”
10Moses said to the LORD, “O Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before now, nor since you have spoken to your servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.”
11The LORD said to him, “Who made man’s mouth? Or who makes one mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Isn’t it I, the LORD?
12Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall speak.”
13Moses said, “Oh, Lord, please send someone else.”
14The LORD’s anger burned against Moses, and he said, “What about Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Also, behold, he is coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.
15You shall speak to him, and put the words in his mouth. I will be with your mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what you shall do.
16He will be your spokesman to the people. It will happen that he will be to you a mouth, and you will be to him as God.
17You shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs.”
18Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, “Please let me go and return to my brothers who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive.” Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”
19The LORD said to Moses in Midian, “Go, return into Egypt; for all the men who sought your life are dead.”
20Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. Moses took God’s rod in his hand.
21The LORD said to Moses, “When you go back into Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your hand, but I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go.
22You shall tell Pharaoh, ‘The LORD says, Israel is my son, my firstborn,
23and I have said to you, “Let my son go, that he may serve me;” and you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’”
24On the way at a lodging place, the LORD met Moses and wanted to kill him.
25Then Zipporah took a flint, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet; and she said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me.”
26So he let him alone. Then she said, “You are a bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.
27The LORD said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” He went, and met him on God’s mountain, and kissed him.
28Moses told Aaron all the LORD’s words with which he had sent him, and all the signs with which he had instructed him.
29Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel.
30Aaron spoke all the words which the LORD had spoken to Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.
31The people believed, and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had seen their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.
What just happened?
Imagine Moses, a man pushing eighty, living a quiet life as a shepherd in the desert, far from the powerful Egyptian court he once knew. Forty years earlier, he'd fled Egypt after killing an overseer, a moment that shattered his privileged life and any ambitions he might have had. Now, he's tending sheep in Midian, a region east of the Gulf of Aqaba, a place of semi-nomadic tribes and vast, unforgiving landscapes. This isn't just any desert; he leads his flock to what the text calls 'God’s mountain, to Horeb,' often identified with Mount Sinai. This remote, rugged peak, far from civilization, becomes the stage for an encounter that will change everything.
Suddenly, an ordinary desert bush is on fire, but it doesn't burn up. This isn't magic for entertainment; it's a profound disruption of the natural order. Moses, ever the curious observer, approaches this impossible sight. Then, a voice calls his name from the heart of the flames. It's not a hallucination or a trick of the desert heat; it's a direct, personal address. This voice identifies itself as 'the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,' linking this moment to generations of history and promises made to his ancestors. It's a God who sees the suffering of the enslaved Israelites in Egypt, hears their cries, and knows their pain.
The core of the message is a command: Moses is to go back to Egypt, confront the most powerful man in the world, Pharaoh, and lead the Israelite people out of slavery. This is an unfathomable task for an eighty-year-old shepherd with a criminal past. The rest of the conversation is a back-and-forth between God and Moses, a masterclass in human doubt meeting divine persistence. Moses throws up every objection imaginable: Who am I? What's your name? They won't believe me. I can't speak. Please send someone else. Each time, God offers reassurance, power, or a solution, culminating in sending Moses's brother, Aaron, as a spokesman. The scene ends with Moses, reluctant but obedient, turning his steps back toward Egypt, 'God’s rod' in hand.
Holy Ground
Moses, the shepherd, leads his flock to 'Horeb,' the mountain of God. This isn't a pre-planned pilgrimage; it's part of his daily routine. The miraculous appears in the mundane: a bush burning but not consumed. This is an 'angel of the LORD' appearing in the fire, a messenger acting on God's behalf. This phenomenon grabs Moses's attention, drawing him closer. It's when he actively turns to investigate that God calls to him by name. The command, 'Don’t come close. Take off your sandals, for the place you are standing on is holy ground,' instantly signals that this is no ordinary event. Sandals in the ancient Near East were coverings for dusty, unclean feet. Removing them was a sign of humility, reverence, and acknowledging the sacredness of the space. It’s an act of purification, marking the boundary between the ordinary and the divine.
God then identifies Himself as 'the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' This isn't a new deity or a local god of the mountain. This is the ancestral God of the Israelite people, the one who made promises to their forefathers centuries ago. Moses's reaction—hiding his face, afraid to look—underscores the awe and terror that accompanied direct encounters with the divine in ancient thought. This immediate identification establishes continuity: the God who spoke to the patriarchs is now speaking to Moses, reminding him of a covenantal history that spans generations.
I AM WHO I AM
God reveals His motivation: 'I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry... for I know their sorrows.' This is a God who actively observes, listens, and empathizes with human suffering. He isn't distant or detached. His plan is to 'deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey.' This 'land flowing with milk and honey' is a common ancient Near Eastern metaphor for prosperity and abundance, the land promised to Abraham. He then lays the task squarely on Moses: 'I will send you to Pharaoh, that you may bring my people... out of Egypt.'
Moses's first objection is personal: 'Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh...?' He feels utterly inadequate. God's response is not a pep talk about Moses's abilities but a promise of presence: 'Certainly I will be with you.' The second objection is practical: 'What is his name?' This isn't just about identity; in the ancient world, knowing a god's name was often thought to be essential for invoking their power. God's answer is profound: 'I AM WHO I AM.' The Hebrew, *Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh*, is notoriously difficult to translate precisely. It can mean 'I am who I am,' 'I will be who I will be,' or 'I cause to be what I cause to be.' It speaks to God's self-existence, His eternal nature, His active presence, and His sovereign control over all being. He is not defined by external factors; He simply *is*. This name, later often shortened to YHWH (the LORD), is presented as His eternal name and memorial.
Signs and Excuses
Moses continues to resist, presenting three more objections. First, they won't believe him. God provides three physical signs: his staff turning into a serpent, his hand becoming leprous and then healed, and water from the Nile turning to blood. These are not parlor tricks; they are powerful, undeniable demonstrations of divine authority, directly countering potential disbelief. The staff, an everyday shepherd's tool, becomes a symbol of power. Leprosy, a highly visible and devastating skin disease, shows divine power over illness and purity. Blood from the life-giving Nile previews a judgment against Egypt.
Moses's next objection is his inability to speak well: 'I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.' The Hebrew phrase *kaved peh u'khevad lashon* literally means 'heavy of mouth and heavy of tongue,' suggesting a speech impediment, difficulty articulating, or perhaps a lack of eloquence in the sophisticated Egyptian court. God's sharp retort, 'Who made man’s mouth? Or who makes one mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Isn’t it I, the LORD?' reminds Moses of God's sovereignty over all human faculties, including speech. He promises, 'I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall speak.'
Moses's final plea, 'Oh, Lord, please send someone else,' reveals his deep reluctance. This is where God's 'anger burned against Moses,' not because Moses was afraid or questioned, but because he was actively refusing a direct command. Yet, even in anger, God accommodates, offering Aaron, Moses’s eloquent brother, as a spokesman. This decision ensures the task will be done while also highlighting Moses's human weakness and God's willingness to work through imperfect vessels, even when they resist. Aaron becomes Moses's 'mouth,' and Moses, wielding 'God's rod,' will be 'as God' to Aaron in terms of conveying divine messages.
What are we supposed to see?
This passage shows a God who is both intimately concerned with the suffering of His people and powerfully sovereign over all creation. He is not a distant, hands-off deity but one who 'sees,' 'hears,' and 'knows' the affliction of the enslaved Israelites. His appearance in the burning bush, a natural object imbued with supernatural fire, demonstrates His ability to break into the natural world and operate beyond its limitations. He identifies Himself as the timeless 'I AM,' establishing His eternal existence and absolute authority, yet He kneels down, as it were, to dialogue patiently with a hesitant man.
This God also demonstrates incredible persistence and a willingness to accommodate human weakness without abandoning His ultimate purpose. Moses throws up a barrage of excuses, each met by God with a practical solution, a promise of presence, or a display of power. Even when Moses's resistance turns into outright refusal, provoking God's anger, He still provides Aaron as a partner. This isn't a God who demands flawless obedience from perfect people; it's a God who works with and through imperfect, reluctant humans to achieve His grand designs.
- 1IDENTITY
God is the 'I AM WHO I AM,' self-existent, eternal, and sovereign over all creation, including human abilities and disabilities.
- 2WHAT HE VALUES
God values the liberation of the oppressed and keeps His ancient promises, remembering and acting on behalf of His people.
- 3WHAT HE CONFRONTS
God confronts human fear, inadequacy, and resistance, demanding trust and obedience even when the task seems impossible.
Where this sits in the whole Bible
Exodus 3:6 → Matthew 22:31-32
Jesus, when arguing with the Sadducees about the resurrection, quotes Exodus 3:6, saying God 'is not the God of the dead, but of the living.' This shows that the God who spoke to Moses is still active and His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is still in effect, even for those long dead.
Exodus 3:14 → John 8:58
When Jesus declares 'Before Abraham was born, I AM!', He uses the same divine title God gave to Moses at the burning bush. This statement, understood by his Jewish audience as a claim to deity, directly links Jesus to the eternal, self-existent God of the Exodus.
Exodus 4:10 → Jeremiah 1:6-9
Moses's 'slow of speech' objection is echoed by the prophet Jeremiah, who also claims 'I am only a youth; I do not know how to speak.' In both cases, God empowers the reluctant messenger, promising His presence and words, showing a consistent pattern of calling imperfect people to significant tasks.
Moses's resistance isn't met with anger at his doubt, but only at his refusal to go; God patiently addresses his fears and equips him for the impossible task, demonstrating that His call is based on His power, not human ability.
Don't rush past this
One of the hardest moments in this passage, and indeed in the entire Exodus narrative, is the chilling event in Exodus 4:24-26, often called the 'Bridegroom of Blood' incident. After all the divine promises and provisions, 'the LORD met Moses and wanted to kill him.' The text doesn't explicitly state why, only that Zipporah, Moses's wife, understands the unspoken threat and circumcises their son, throwing the foreskin at Moses's feet, proclaiming, 'Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me.' This abruptly interrupts the grand narrative of liberation and divine empowerment with a violent, unsettling, and partially unexplained divine action.
Scholars generally agree that this incident stems from Moses's failure to circumcise his son, a covenant requirement given to Abraham (Genesis 17:9-14). Moses, who is now called to lead God's people out of Egypt, has neglected a fundamental sign of the covenant in his own household. This moment brutally reminds the reader that even the chosen leader is not exempt from the demands of God's covenant. It's a stark, almost visceral demonstration that obedience to God's commands, even those seemingly private or inconvenient, has profound consequences, underscoring the seriousness of the covenant for the one called to represent it.
Turn it inward
Three questions from this passage. Answer them or just sit with them — nothing here is required to finish the lesson.
God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, you are the God who sees, hears, and knows our suffering. Forgive us for our hesitation, our excuses, and our fear when you call us to challenging tasks. Help us to trust in your presence and your power more than our own abilities or inabilities. Give us courage to step forward, knowing that you will be with us, and equip us for whatever you have appointed. Amen.
This week, identify one significant task or responsibility in your life where you feel unqualified or overwhelmed. Instead of immediately shrinking back, take a moment to reflect on what specific fear or inadequacy is holding you back. Then, ask yourself how God's promise of presence and provision, like He gave to Moses, might apply to your situation, and take a small, practical step forward trusting in that support.
History, language, objections and sources. None of it is needed to understand the passage.
Why would God, who just called Moses to lead His people, try to kill him 'on the way at a lodging place' (Exodus 4:24)? Isn't this capricious and cruel?
This is one of the most enigmatic and unsettling passages in the Torah, and there's no single, universally agreed-upon explanation. However, most interpretations point to Moses's failure to circumcise his son, which was a fundamental covenant sign established with Abraham (Genesis 17). God had just commissioned Moses to lead a people defined by this covenant, yet Moses himself was apparently neglecting it within his own family. The narrative implies that Moses's disobedience, or perhaps a delay in fulfilling the covenant, put him at mortal risk before he even began his mission. While the text doesn't explicitly state the reason, the immediate action of Zipporah performing the circumcision suggests she understood the cause. It serves as a stark reminder that God demands obedience, even from His chosen leaders, and that covenant obligations are not to be taken lightly. It's a shocking moment that underscores the gravity of God's expectations.
If God is so powerful, why does He need Moses? Why doesn't He just miraculously deliver Israel Himself without human involvement?
While God certainly *could* have delivered Israel without Moses, this passage reveals a consistent pattern in God's interaction with humanity: He chooses to work *through* people, even flawed and reluctant ones. This isn't because God is dependent on human ability, but because He often chooses to invite humans into His redemptive work. By commissioning Moses, God not only saves Israel but also develops Moses's character, teaches him dependence, and demonstrates His faithfulness to a human agent. This approach allows for a relationship of partnership and responsibility, rather than mere divine puppetry. It also provides a human face and voice for the divine message, making it accessible to the Israelite people and the Egyptian Pharaoh. God's power is demonstrated through, not diminished by, His use of human instruments.
Moses expresses 'I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue' (Exodus 4:10). Is this an actual speech impediment, or just shyness/insecurity? Does it matter?
The Hebrew phrase *kaved peh u'khevad lashon* (literally 'heavy of mouth and heavy of tongue') is widely interpreted as indicating some form of speech difficulty. Whether it was a stammer, a thick tongue, difficulty articulating, or simply a lack of persuasive eloquence, the text presents it as a genuine barrier for Moses in speaking to Pharaoh and the Israelites. While some might argue it's just insecurity, God's response, 'Who made man’s mouth?... I will be with your mouth,' and His subsequent provision of Aaron as spokesman, suggests it was a real, recognized limitation. It matters because it underscores Moses's inadequacy in his own eyes and the eyes of others, making God's choice of him, and God's equipping of him (even by proxy through Aaron), all the more remarkable. God works not by eliminating our weaknesses but by empowering us through them, or by providing support to compensate for them.
The Significance of 'Horeb'
The designation 'Horeb' for 'God's mountain' is significant. While often equated with Mount Sinai, some scholars, such as Frank Moore Cross, suggest that 'Horeb' in the Deuteronomic tradition (Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings) often refers to the mountain of God as a general, sacred place, while 'Sinai' is used in the Exodus-Numbers tradition to denote the specific geographic location where the covenant was made. Regardless, both terms point to a sacred, elevated space where divine revelation occurs, making it the perfect setting for God's encounter with Moses. The location's remoteness also emphasizes Moses's solitary state and the unlikelihood of such a profound encounter in his routine life.
The concept of 'holy ground' (Exodus 3:5) is foundational in ancient Near Eastern religions. It signifies a consecrated space where the divine manifests. The act of removing sandals is a common gesture of reverence, not just in Israelite tradition but across many ancient cultures, from Egyptian priests to Roman supplicants. It ritualistically separates the worshiper from the defiling common ground and prepares them for an encounter with the pure and sacred. This established a precedent for all future interactions with the tabernacle and temple, where similar rituals of purification and reverence would be required before entering God's immediate presence.