Year in the Bible Daily Reading:
Exodus 1-3; Galatians 5 Listen to Today's Reading
Exodus 3:1-12
Moses and the Burning Bush
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. 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. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.” When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.” “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. 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. 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. And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” 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 3:1-12 (NIV)
There are many Bible stories that I remember learning as a child, and the story of Moses was a central one in my youth. In my head Moses is Charlton Heston and Pharaoh is Yul Brynner. As I remember from the movie, The Ten Commandments, the burning bush wasn’t all that impressive from the special effects. The thought of God talking directly to Moses, though, left a lasting impression.
Like most kids, I wondered why God doesn’t talk to us directly anymore. I don’t remember what my parents said if I asked them, but thinking about it now, the reminders in this story that our God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, is a God that hears our prayers and comes to us. The burning bush story foreshadows all the ways God will be with the Israelites not only in Egypt, but also as they wander through the wilderness.
Another thing that hits me about the Exodus story is that, time and again, the Israelites show that they don’t deserve God’s love and help. He saves them, and then they worship a golden calf. He gives them mana to sustain them, and they don’t trust he will continue to do so and hoard it. Thankfully, God chooses again and again to give them and us another chance.
The closing part of this passage resonates as God said, “I will be with you.” He says that to us forever through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus. He will forever forgive our shortcomings, and He will walk with us through life to get us to the mountain.
Questions for Reflection:
- What Bible stories do you remember most from your youth?
- How do you hear God’s voice?
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for speaking to us. Help us to remember that it will not always be through a burning bush, but through our friends, family, and others. Thank you for sticking with us, especially when we don’t deserve it. Amen.
Login To Leave Comment