Exodus Chapter 3
The backside of the dessert was the side on the west that was very fertile. Shepherds had to go on long journeys to feed their flocks because they had to find more grass since sheep pull up grass by the roots. This is why shepherds and those that raise cattle didn't always get along. Cattle grazes differently and the grass can grow back faster. This parallels so much of Jacob in a way. Back then people didn't just stay with a family and freeload. They worked and helped out while they were there. This was normal. In fact it would have probably been abnormal to lay around and not work.
Some believe that these appearances of the angel of the Lord in the Old Testament was the Son of God, who we now know as Jesus. There are plenty of scriptures to back that up. 1 Corinthians chapter 10 tells of the rock that followed them through the wilderness and that rock was Christ.
Fire without burning. In the book of Acts it tells of another fire that came and didn't burn anyone. Cloven tongues of fire sat on each one on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was given. God's consuming fire is usually sent with judgment. A fire that is powerful yet it doesn't burn seems be present when God calls someone into service. Here is when God calls Moses to deliver His people from Egypt. The fire on Pentecost was for all who believe but it too is a calling for us to share the gospel to the entire world. Power was given to them to preach the gospel, and as they were to preach the gospel they also would confirm the word they preached by healing in the name of Jesus and other miracles to show that they were telling the truth. God used miracles to show Moses how he was going to deliver the children of Israel. There are false signs and wonders and there shall be many in the last days but there are also still the real. The false will be like a sideshow and brings no glory to God but brings glory to the man performing the miracles. The real will show the power of God and cause people to fear God, repent of sin, turn to God and receive from God to then go forth and spread the truth to others. The real never centers on the miracle itself but on the Lord. We must try hard never to rob God of His glory.
God didn't run after Moses to speak to him but waited until his curiosity was aroused and was looking at the bush.
Moses was not to take this miracle lightly and think it was just a sideshow for him to be entertained with like a circus. There was a reason for this demonstration. This was the holy presence of God, not the place of entertainment. Removing shoes was a sign of respect sort of like our custom of men removing their hats when they enter a place of worship. It's a custom of sorts not to be turned into a commandment unless God speaks as He did here. My speculation is the God asked Moses to remove his shoes to show him that this was not to be taken lightly but every word God speaks is to be obeyed and followed. Since removing shoes was a custom in that day, it did show Moses that the place he was entering was indeed the presence of God. This is awesome to think about. There are certain cultures today that have homes so clean that people that enter show respect by removing their shoes. It sets the mood.
This should be our natural reaction to the presence of God. If God's presence are in our midst it is not a ho hum, business as usual type of response we would have.
God cares.
God has the power to destroy and kill similar to the case of Sodom and Gomorrah. When it comes to preaching, delivering and working His power for salvation, He uses vessels. Moses was chosen to be that vessel. He could have sent an angel but He used Moses just as He uses us in these last days to preach the gospel.
This would be my reaction. "Who am I?" Usually though the weak and those that have no confidence in themselves are the ones God chooses. We are more likely to see our great need for God and know we have to depend upon Him when we lack self-confidence. We never should think within ourselves that we can do anything in our own strength and by own talents. We can't.
They were going to come back to this place to worship God when they were delivered out of Egypt.
Moses wanted to know who was speaking to Him and what was His name.
This name means that God is self existing, forever. He is who He is. Jehovah.
The same God who spoke to Abraham and called him from Ur of the Chaldees, the same God who spoke to Isaac and then to Jacob who became Israel, is the same God who will deliver the children of Israel out of Egypt.
God did not bring them out of Egypt until the iniquity or sin of the Canaanites had gotten to the point where they had no hope of changing. He could not allow Israel to destroy and take over the land of innocent people. The bible doesn't tell all that these people did but history does tell us that idolatry was practiced among them but to the point of sacrificing innocent children. Much idol worship also involved temple prostitution, and abnormal sexual perversions associated with their worship. Many such things were probably in the world before the flood of Noah. God waits and gives people the change to repent but after a period of time, He has to bring judgment or the evil would spread over the entire world. When we see nations doing the same thing, we can expect judgment if no repentance comes first.
Usually when God calls anyone to go and do a certain task, all things are not going to come to pass without obstacles. Some hindrances should give us a change to pray and make sure we are not going in our own strength and are out of His will, but some hindrances are just the enemy of our souls trying to stop the work of God. You can believe that Satan wanted Israel to remain in bondage so that the plan of salvation and the coming of Christ could not be fulfilled.
If Pharaoh would have let Israel go the first time, look at all the trouble they would have avoided. They brought judgment upon themselves for not heeding the warning of Moses. God is always justified when He brings judgment. Disobedience to His word is our own fault.
Israel didn't have to take one thing from anyone. The Egyptians got to the place where they had such fear of God that they gave their goods to Israel as they left. However we must remember that all Israel had when they went down into Egypt was later taken away and they served for years in bondage without any pay. All they took with them out of Egypt, they were entitled to.
They were going to use these things later to build the tabernacle to worship God in the wilderness. We shall see though that they used some of these things to make a golden calf instead. Borrow in that day didn't mean in the sense that we use the word today. It didn't mean that they just borrowed the stuff with the thought to pay them back. The Egyptians gave them those things when they left. True riches are having the presence of God among us. He has much better things for us than the riches of this life. The true riches are spiritual. Israel was going out of Egypt and into a land where they could freely have God's presence among them. We can have His presence too by repent of sin (our Egypt) and turning to Jesus Christ. Like Israel was promised the land of milk and honey, we who believe in Jesus Christ are promised eternal life and will enter the kingdom of Heaven. The whole story of Israel typifies the need for salvation and a deliverer that comes to save us from sin (Egypt's bondage) and bring us into the land of Promise which is eternal life through Jesus Christ whom Moses promised that was to come. God's words to Moses concerning Jesus Christ.
Much false doctrines have arisen by misinterpreting this to mean someone besides Jesus. This prophet was to come and He did come the first time. He is no one else but Jesus. DC
|
||
|
HOME |
SITE MAP |
BIBLE STUDY INDEX
©2025 oldpathlighthouse.com |
||