Chapter 31. Exodus 3-4. The Burning Bush.
FOR forty years, Moses had kept his father-in-law’s sheep in the wilderness. He had been much alone with God during that time, and he had learned more of God’s holiness and greatness, and of his own unworthiness than he could have learned during all his life at Pharaoh’s court. It was, as it were, a school where God sent Moses to prepare him for the great work He had for him to do.
Now the time had come when he must be sent to do that work; so one day, while Moses was keeping the sheep in the back side of the desert, he came to Mount Horeb. There, he saw a bush, burning with fire. But the bush was not consumed; it did not wither away; the branches and leaves did not blacken not crumble to pieces: Moses wondered, and said: “I will turn aside and go and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.” As he turned to go, he heard a voice from the bush, saying: “Moses, Moses!” He answered, “Here am I.” The voice said again, “Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground ... .I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” When Moses heard that, he hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God. The Lord said: I have surely seen My people’s affliction; I have heard their cry, and I have come down to deliver them, and to bring them out of the hands of the Egyptians unto a good land, a land flowing with milk and honey. The cry of the children of Israel is come up unto Me, and I have seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. Come, now, and I will send thee to Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring the children of Israel out of Egypt.
But Moses was very much afraid, and said, “Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh?” Moses acted differently from forty years before, when he had killed the Egyptian, thinking his brethren would understand that he would deliver them. Then, unsent, he wanted to go and do the work, but now, when God sends him, he is afraid!
The Lord says in the 15th chapter of John, “Without Me ye can do nothing.” And Paul says to the Philippians, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthened me.” (4:13.) So while in ourselves there is no strength to do God’s will, nor to please Him, yet If we ask Him, He gives us the power to do His will. Let us then go to Him for everything and COUNT on Him alone for strength.
The Lord very patiently answered Moses: “Certainly, I will be with thee.” This assurance should have been enough, but still Moses feared, and said unto God: “Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them: The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me: What is His name, what shall I say unto them?” God said: “Thus shalt thou say. . . . I AM, hath sent me unto you.” A strange name was it not? God meant He was the self-existing One—He would be everything to them. They needed a deliverer; He said: “I am your Deliverer.” They had no strength, they were oppressed, God said: “I am your strength, I am your comforter.” To us, He says: “I am the good Shepherd,” “I am the bread of life,” “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Whatever our need, He says: “I am the One, the only One, who can meet your need.”
The Lord continued: Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them; The Lord God of your fathers, has surely visited you and will bring you into the land of Canaan, and they shall hearken to thy voice, and you shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him: ‘The Lord God, of the Hebrews has met with us. Let us go three days’ journey that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’ But the king of Egypt will not let you go, and I will stretch My hand and smite Egypt and after that, he will let you go. And when you go, you shall not go empty, for every woman shall borrow of her neighbors, jewels of silver and gold, and clothing, and you shall put them on your children.
Even after this, Moses was still unwilling to go and said to the Lord: Perhaps they will not hear me and say: “The Lord has not appeared unto thee.”
Then the Lord said to him: “What is that in thine hand?” He answered: “A rod.” God said: “Cast it on the ground.” Moses obeyed, and it became a serpent, and he fled from it. The Lord said: “Take it by the tail,” and he put forth his hand and caught the serpent and it became a rod again. The Lord said further, “Put now thine hand into thy bosom.” Moses did so, and when he drew it out, it was leprous as snow. Then God said, “Put thine hand into thy bosom again.” He did, and plucked it out again, healed from its leprosy. Now, said the Lord, if they do not believe, show them these signs, and if they do not believe these two signs, take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land; and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.
Should not Moses have been willing to go to Egypt now? Surely he should, but, he was still afraid, and said: “Lord, I cannot speak well, my tongue is slow, I have no words.” God answered: “Who hath made man’s mouth? Or who makes the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth and teach thee what thou shalt say.”
But still Moses wished not to go. Then the Lord was angry, for though God is patient and long suffering, unbelief displeases Him, for it dishonors Him. “He that believeth not God, hath made Him a liar.” 1 John 5:1010He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. (1 John 5:10).
God would have sent Moses alone to Pharaoh. He would have given him the privilege and the honor to be His sole messenger to His people and to Pharaoh, but now Moses would have to divide this honor with another. We are always losers when we do not take God at His word.
God said: “I will send thy brother, Aaron, with thee; he can speak well, and thou shalt tell him what to say, and he shall be thy spokesman to the people.”
Moses went to take leave of his father-in-law, and called his wife, Zipporah, and his two sons, and put them upon an ass, and returned to Egypt. And the Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” Aaron went into the wilderness and met him and kissed him.
Moses had much to tell him about their mission and the wonders and signs. They went together to the elders of Israel, and Aaron told them what God had said to Moses, and did the signs before the people, and they believed that God was going to deliver them, and they bowed their heads and worshipped.
ML 10/17/1909