Exodus 3

CHAPTER 3THEME: The call of Moses; the commissioning of MosesMoses’ forty years in Midian have come to an end. All of his schooling in Egypt was not enough to prepare him for his great work of delivering Israel from bondage. God equipped him for this task by forty years of preparation in the desert area of Midian.

Exodus 3:1

THE CALL OF MOSESMoses turned aside to see why the bush was burning but was not consumed. One of the greatest proofs of the accuracy of Scripture is the existence of the nation Israel. Years ago an emperor of Germany asked his chaplain the question, “What is the greatest proof that the Bible is the Word of God? That proof is somewhere in my kingdom.” Without hesitation the chaplain said, “The Jew, sir. He is the proof.” He is the burning bush that ought to cause the unbeliever to turn aside and take a look today. It is amazing that he has existed down through the centuries.

From the days of Moses to the present hour he has been in existence. Other nations have come and gone, and he has attended the funeral of all of them. He is still around. Israel has been in the fire of persecution from the bondage in Egypt through the centuries to the present hour. But like the burning bush Israel has not been consumed. By the way, when is the last time you saw a Midianite? Have you seen the flag of Midian? Do you know anything about the government of Midian? You do not and I do not because Midian is gone. It has disappeared. The angel of the Lord who appeared to Moses is none other than the pre-incarnate Christ. Some people would debate this conclusion, but this is my conviction after years of studying the Word of God.

Exodus 3:3

God had to correct Moses’ manners. Although Moses had been brought up in the court of Pharaoh, he didn’t know enough to take off his shoes in the presence of a holy God. And I’m afraid many folk today get familiar with God. God is teaching him a great lesson about the holiness of God. We need to learn this lesson too.

Exodus 3:6

Moses did not look upon God. If he had, he would have looked upon the revelation of God, the Lord Jesus Christ veiled in human form. It can still be said, “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him” (Joh_1:18). The only way you can know God is through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Exodus 3:7

When God redeems, He not only redeems from something, He always redeems unto something. We have been saved from sin unto holiness and heaven. Paul explains this concept in Eph_2:5-6: “Even when we were dead in sins, [God] hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” God has raised us up and given us a position in Christ. If you are saved today, you are completely saved. You will be just as saved a million years from now as you are today because you are in Christ. You have been brought out of Adam and put in Christ.

You have been brought out of death and put into life. You have been brought out of darkness and put into light. You have been brought out of hell, if you please, and put into heaven. That is redemption: it is out of and into. God said, “I am going to take the children of Israel out of bondage and into a good land.” That is the salvation of God. That is redemption.

Exodus 3:9

Do you notice what has happened to Moses? Forty years before this moment, he was ready to deliver Israel. He was cocky and almost arrogant. He slew an Egyptian and delivered one of his brethren from persecution because he thought his act would be understood. He thought he could deliver Israel by himself. He found that he could not, and God took him to the back side of the desert for special training that would fit him for the job. He learned how really weak he was. He learned he could not deliver Israel by himself. Now Moses is saying to God, “Who am I? I cannot do what you are asking me to do.” My friends, now God can use him. This is God’s way of training all of His men. God had to take the boy David who could slay a giant and put him out into the caves and dens of the earth where he was hunted like a partridge. He found out how weak he was. Then God could make him a king. Elijah the prophet was brave enough to walk right into the court of Ahab and Jezebel and tell them that “…there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word” (1Ki_17:1). Elijah was not as brave as he seemed. God put him out in the desert where He trains His men. Elijah drank from a brook. There was a drought that caused the brook to dry up. He watched the brook grow smaller and smaller and said, “My life is no more than a dried up brook.” He was right. Then Elijah spent some more time eating out of an empty flour barrel. He found out he was nothing and God was everything. When Elijah realized this, God used him to face the prophets of Baal and bring down fire from heaven. Paul puts it this way, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong” (2Co_12:10). This certainly is a paradox. It is, however, what God was teaching Moses. When Moses learned that he could not deliver Israel, but that God could do it through him, God was ready to use him. One of the reasons many of us are not used of God today is we are too strong. Have you ever stopped to think about that? God cannot use us when we are too strong. It is out of weakness that we are made strong. The apostle Paul said, “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty” (1Co_1:27). Moses and Paul recognized that God could move through them when they were weak. It is amazing what God can do through a weak vessel.

Exodus 3:12

This question Moses asked is a natural one. I am sure all of us would have asked the same question. Moses was afraid that the children of Israel would not accept him. He did not know how to explain God to them. He did not know how he was ever going to get the Israelites to this mountain of God. These were the problems Moses faced. Notice how God answered him.

Exodus 3:14

There is undoubtedly more included in the name “I AM” than has ever been brought out, but there are several things of primary importance that should be considered. The name “I AM” is a tetragram, or a word of four letters. We translate it JEHOVAH. It has also been translated as YAHWEH. How do you pronounce it? It became a sacred name, a holy name, to the children of Israel to such an extent they actually forgot how to pronounce it. To avoid profaning His name, they did not use it. Which name, then, is correct? Is it Jehovah or Yahweh? No one knows. But “I AM” is God’s name. In Genesis God is Creator. He is Elohim, the mighty God, the self-existing One; I AM WHO I AM. This is the God who is sending Moses to deliver the children of Israel. Psa_135:13 says, “Thy name, O LORD, endureth for ever; and thy memorial, O LORD, throughout all generations.” The name “LORD” in this verse can be translated “I AM WHO I AM.” It is important to see that this name speaks of the fact that GOD IS.

Exodus 3:15

THE COMMISSIONING OF MOSESThe time had come for the fulfillment of Joseph’s promise as stated in Gen_50:25: “…God will surely visit….” God had appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This same God was sending Moses to the children of Israel, and the procedure he was to employ is given in the next few verses.

Exodus 3:16

God has given Moses the agenda and course to follow. He is to tell the elders of Israel about God’s plan of deliverance. Then he and the elders are to go to Pharaoh and ask to be allowed to journey three days into the wilderness to sacrifice to their God as a nation. The intention was to break gently Israel’s plan to Pharaoh rather than bluntly stating, “We are leaving and going back to the land of Canaan for good.” God tells Moses that Pharaoh will refuse to let Israel go. Pharaoh’s refusal in this matter will open up God’s campaign against the gods of Egypt. After that campaign, even though God will show His mighty wonders, Pharaoh will still steadfastly refuse to let Israel go. God will then bring plagues that will cause Pharaoh to change his mind and send Israel on its way from Egypt. God has a plan to deliver Israel, and deliver them He will.

Exodus 3:21

The word borrow in this passage does not mean to steal but to collect back wages. The Israelites had been slaves without pay. God tells them to collect their back wages for several hundred years’ work. They would leave Egypt recompensed for years of toil. God was caring for His people.