v1        Moses led the flock; but God led Moses to the “mountain of God”. Moses was to meet with God on His terms. This incident follows 40 years after Moses’ attempt of deliverance. Moses was later to lead the flock of God.

v2        God’s initiative to appear to Moses, and to speak with him.

v3        Moses was attracted by the unusual sight.

v4        The Lord God spoke to Moses.

v5            Moses’ first lesson, that God is holy; and we must treat Him with proper respect and reverence (compare 19.10-13). The ground was described as holy ground, because God was there. 

            Isaiah had a similar experience (Is 6.1-3), after a king had died; he saw the Lord, holy and exalted, and holy. Simon Peter realised something of Christ’s holiness (Luke 5.8).

            It is only as we appreciate His holiness, can we begin to understand His grace and mercy.

v6        God identifies Himself; the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, the faithful God who remembered His promises (2.24). He is the God of the living, not the dead (Matt 22.32). We see, too, that He is the eternal God (v14-16). God revealed Himself, before giving any commands to Moses. Moses needed to see who God was before receiving instructions. Moses was afraid; this was an experience he had not had before.

v7-8     The Lord’s compassion for His people;

            “I have seen the misery of my people”

            “I have heard them crying out”

            “I am concerned about their suffering”

            “So I have come down to rescue them”

            Here is the God of faithfulness, or initiative, of compassion, of action.  Later, His character is further revealed, as deliverer (ch12), as guide (ch13), as protector (ch14), and as provider (ch14). God was always all these things, but He gradually revealed Himself to His people.

            For the first time, Canaan is referred to as “a land flowing with milk and honey”, and phrase repeated often, which indicates the fruitfulness of the land which God had for His people.

v9        The Lord saw how the Egyptians were mistreating the children of Israel.

v10      What the Lord saw led Him to action; “so now”. Almighty God entrusted His glorious plan to a man, Moses. Through him God’s promises would be fulfilled. However, the deliverance from Egypt was explained as unconditional promises; whatever Moses did, the people would have been delivered.

v11      Moses was initially reluctant.

v12      The Lord’s response; His presence, which is always enough, and His sign, that the people would return to “this mountain”, Horeb (or Sinai, 17.6; 33.6).

v13      The problem of authority. Moses needed to go in someone’s Name. The Lord Jesus was asked a similar question; see Matt 21.23-27.

v14      The answer was the Name of the Lord, “I Am”. He is the eternal God, outside of time. It is significant that the Lord Jesus used “I Am…” several times (see John’s gospel). The Lord Jesus made the clear claim repeatedly that He was, and is, the same as God.

v15      Moses was also instructed to refer to the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, something which would be more familiar to the children of Israel. The ancient promises had to be fulfilled, and Moses was called to be God’s servant to fulfil the promises.

v16-17            Moses was sent first to the Elders of the children of Israel. He was to speak in the name of God, and to tell them that they were to be delivered from Egypt into the promised land.

v18      Once the Elders were convinced, they were to go with Moses to Pharaoh. When addressing Pharaoh, a different title for God is used. He is the Lord God of the Hebrews, identifying Him with the distinct people, rather than the God of the precious promises. Some things are kept from unbelievers, see 2 Sam 1.20; other things are strictly for believers alone; 1 Cor 12.3.

v19-20            The Lord explained that Pharaoh would not let the children of Israel go at first. Only after mighty destruction was wrought in Egypt and upon its people would he let them go. But God’s promises would still be fulfilled.

v21-22            The children of Israel would not leave empty handed. Normally, fleeing slaves would have no belongings, but this time, they would “plunder” the Egyptians.

1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10    11    12    13    14    15    16    17    18    19    20    21    22    23    24    25    26    27    28    29    30    31    32    33    34    35    36    37    38    39    40