Years had passed since Moses, once a prince of Egypt, had fled Pharaoh’s wrath. Now, an eighty-year-old shepherd, he found a quiet life in Midian, tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian. "Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God" (Exodus 3:1).
It was on this sacred mountain, a place of solitude and raw beauty, that an extraordinary sight met his eyes. "There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up" (Exodus 3:2). A bush consumed by fire, yet not consumed by it – a paradox that drew him closer, curiosity overriding his shepherd’s routine. "So Moses thought, 'I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up'" (Exodus 3:3).
As he approached, a voice, deep and resonant, called out from the heart of the flames. "When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, 'Moses! Moses!'" (Exodus 3:4). Startled, yet obedient, Moses responded, "Here I am" (Exodus 3:4).
Then came a command that resonated with the divine presence surrounding him: "'Do not come any closer,' God said. 'Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground'" (Exodus 3:5). Moses, recognizing the sanctity of the moment, quickly obeyed, his heart filled with awe and a growing sense of trepidation.
The voice continued, revealing its profound identity. "'I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob'" (Exodus 3:6). At these words, a deep reverence, mingled with fear, enveloped Moses. "At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God" (Exodus 3:6).
Then, the purpose of this divine encounter began to unfold. "The LORD said, 'I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering'" (Exodus 3:7). A compassionate declaration of God's awareness of Israel's plight, a testament to His enduring covenant.
"So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites" (Exodus 3:8). The promise of deliverance and a promised land, a hope that had sustained generations of enslaved Israelites.
"And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them" (Exodus 3:9). The culmination of their suffering had reached the very ears of God. Then came the startling command, directed at Moses himself: "So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt" (Exodus 3:10).
Moses, a humble shepherd, was stunned. He, a fugitive, a man of eighty years, to confront the mightiest ruler on earth? "But Moses said to God, 'Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?'" (Exodus 3:11). His unworthiness seemed overwhelming.
But God, in His infinite wisdom, offered a powerful reassurance: "And God said, 'I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain'" (Exodus 3:12). God's presence would be his strength, and the worship on Horeb would be the ultimate confirmation of His mission.
Still, Moses had another question, born of practicality and the need for credibility among his people. "Moses said to God, 'Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, "The God of your fathers has sent me to you," and they ask me, "What is his name?" Then what shall I tell them?'" (Exodus 3:13).
God’s response was a revelation, a name that transcended human understanding, embodying His eternal, self-existent nature: "God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM.' This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you'" (Exodus 3:14). And further, "God also said to Moses, 'Say to the Israelites, "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, the name you shall call me from generation to generation'" (Exodus 3:15).
God then laid out the instructions for Moses: "Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—appeared to me and said: I have watched over you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt. And I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey'" (Exodus 3:16-17).
He assured Moses that the elders would listen, and that together, they would approach Pharaoh. "Then you and the elders are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God'" (Exodus 3:18).
But God, knowing Pharaoh's stubborn heart, warned Moses of the resistance he would face. "But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him" (Exodus 3:19). This struggle would not be easy, but God would be active in it. "So I will stretch out my hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that I will perform among them. After that, he will let you go" (Exodus 3:20).
And in a final promise of justice and vindication, God declared, "And I will make the Egyptians favorably disposed toward this people, so that when you leave you will not go empty-handed. Every woman is to ask her neighbor and any woman living in her house for articles of silver and gold and for clothing, which you will put on your sons and daughters. And so you will plunder the Egyptians" (Exodus 3:21-22).
Thus, on the sacred slopes of Horeb, an ordinary shepherd encountered the extraordinary, and from a burning bush, received a divine commission that would forever change the course of history. Moses, despite his hesitations, now carried the weight of a nation’s destiny, empowered by the presence and promises of the "I AM."
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