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Part 9
Burning Bush
The story of the burning bush in the KJV Bible is found in the book of Exodus, chapter 3.
Moses, who was living in Midian at the time, was tending to his father-in-law Jethro's flock near Horeb, the mountain of God. As he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness, he came to a mountain called Sinai.
While Moses was there, he noticed a remarkable sight—a bush that appeared to be on fire, but was not being consumed by the flames. Intrigued by this phenomenon, Moses decided to investigate further.
As he approached the burning bush, God spoke to Moses from within it and called out his name, "Moses, Moses!" Moses responded, "Here am I."
God then instructed Moses to remove his sandals because he was standing on holy ground. He identified himself as the God of Moses' forefathers—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Overwhelmed by the presence of God, Moses hid his face, afraid to look directly at him.
God continued to speak to Moses, expressing his concern for the suffering of the Israelite people who were enslaved in Egypt. He informed Moses of his plan to rescue the Israelites from bondage and take them to the land promised to their ancestors—a land flowing with milk and honey.
God revealed that he had chosen Moses to be the one to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses, feeling inadequate and uncertain of his ability to fulfill such a task, asked God what he should say if the Israelites questioned the authority of the One who sent him.
God assured Moses that he would be with him and promised to provide signs to authenticate his mission. He disclosed his divine name as "I AM WHO I AM" (Yahweh or Jehovah), signifying his eternal and self-existent nature.
God instructed Moses to gather the elders of Israel and inform them that the God of their ancestors had appeared to him, revealing his plan to deliver them from their oppression. Moses was also to ask Pharaoh to let the Israelites go into the wilderness to worship God.
Moses was concerned that the Israelites might not believe him or listen to his message, so God granted him several miraculous signs to perform in order to validate his calling. These signs included turning his staff into a serpent and then back into a staff, making his hand leprous and then healing it, and turning water from the Nile into blood.
Despite his reservations and initial doubts, Moses eventually accepted God's commission and agreed to be the deliverer of the Israelites. He became the central figure in the Exodus story, leading the people out of Egypt and toward the Promised Land.
The burning bush encounter serves as a pivotal moment in Moses' life as it marks the beginning of his divine calling and sets the stage for the Exodus narrative, which showcases God's power, faithfulness, and deliverance of the Israelites from slavery.
