Exodus 3

V 1: FLOCK Moses acts as a shepherd for Jethro and leads the flock to the back of the desert near Horeb, the mountain of God. V 2–3: FIRE The Angel of the Lord appears to him from a burning bush that is not consumed by the fire. Moses investigates the bush. V 4–6: FEAR God speaks to Moses by name from the bush and tells him to remove his sandals because here is holy ground. He reminds him that He is the God of his fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Fear grips Moses who hides his face because he cannot look upon God. V 7–10: FAITHFULNESS God’s faithfulness to His people is revealed as He tells Moses that He knows of His people’s oppression by the Egyptians and that He wishes to take them to the land of Canaan, which He has promised to them. He tells Moses that, to deliver Israel from Egypt’s oppression, He will send him to Pharaoh and liberate the children of Israel from Egypt. V 11–14: FEEBLE Moses feebly questions whether he is qualified and able to do all this. God assures him that He will be present with him and that, after leaving Egypt, Moses will serve God on that very mountain of Horeb. God tells Moses that his name is ‘I AM WHO I AM’ and that he must tell anyone who asks him that ‘I AM’ has sent him. V 15–22: FORETOLD Before Moses starts his task, God foretells what will happen. He is to remind the Israelites of the promise of God to their forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that they will enter the promised land ‘flowing with milk and honey’. He tells him that Pharaoh will resist his request to go for three days into the wilderness to worship God. Ultimately, God will smite Pharoah to force him to let the people go, after they have found such favour with the Egyptians, that they will give them possessions and riches. It will be as if they will have plundered the Egyptians. God always knows what He is doing!