Exodus 3- The God Who Sees
1Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.
2 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
Moses is no longer living in Pharaoh's palace. He's keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian and leading the sheep near Horeb, the mountain of God.
No spotlight. No platform. No big moment. Just desert. Sheep. Routine.
Then something catches his attention. A bush is burning. But it isn't burning up. The fire is real. The bush is still standing.
Moses stops what he's doing and heads over for a closer look. "I will now turn aside, and see this great sight."
The chapter begins with a simple moment. A shepherd sees something he can't ignore.
And that ordinary day is about to become anything but ordinary.
Sometimes the turning points in life begin when we stop and pay attention.
Big moments with God don't always start in big places. Moses wasn't leading a nation. He was tending sheep. Don't overlook ordinary seasons.
God Calls His Name
4 And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.
5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
When the Lord sees Moses turning aside to look, God calls to him from the bush. "Moses, Moses." Personal. Direct.
Moses answers. "Here am I."
Then God tells him not to come any closer. "Take off your shoes."
Why?
Because God's presence turns ordinary ground into holy ground.
The vibe shifts instantly. Curiosity turns into reverence.
Then comes the introduction that changes everything. "I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob."
This is not a new god. This is the same God who made promises to the patriarchs. The same God who has been guiding the story from the beginning.
Moses immediately hides his face because he is afraid to look upon God.
This isn't a casual conversation anymore. This is a holy encounter.
Before God tells Moses what to do, God shows Moses who He is.
I Have Seen
7 And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;
8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.
For two chapters, Israel has suffered in Egypt.
Now God speaks. And His words are filled with compassion. "I have surely seen the affliction of my people. I have heard their cry. I know their sorrows."
Every phrase matters. God saw. God heard. God knew.
Israel may have felt forgotten, but they were not forgotten. Not for a moment.
Then God declares His plan. He has come down to deliver them from Egypt and bring them into a good land flowing with milk and honey.
The cries that rose from Egypt have reached heaven. And God is about to act.
When God's people suffer, God is not distant. God is closer and sees far more than we realize.
It's easy to feel invisible when you're hurting. Exodus 3 reminds us that God sees what others miss and hears what others never hear.
God wanted Israel to know that wasn't true then. And it isn't true now.
The Assignment Moses Didn't Expect
10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.
Then God drops the bombshell. "Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh."
Up to this moment, Moses has been listening. Now he discovers he's part of the plan.
God is going to deliver Israel. And Moses is the one He intends to send.
Imagine hearing that assignment. Return to Egypt. Face Pharaoh. Lead Israel out.
The mission could not feel bigger.
Moses probably thought rescue sounded great...until he realized he was getting tagged into the mission.
Moses Hits the Panic Button
11 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?
12 And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.
Moses immediately objects. "Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh?"
Moses is focused on himself. Who am I? Am I capable? Am I enough?
God doesn't spend time building Moses' self-confidence.
Instead, God gives a better answer. "Certainly I will be with thee."
The solution is not Moses' strength. The solution is God's presence.
That's where the emphasis stays. God's calling is never based solely on who we are. It's tied to who He is. When God puts something in front of you, don't let "I'm not enough" become your automatic answer. Moses started there too.
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The Great “I AM”
13 And Moses 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?
14 And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you.
15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, the Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
Moses raises another question. When the Israelites living in Goshen asks who sent him, what should he say?
God's answer is one of the most significant statements in all of Scripture. "I AM THAT I AM."
Then God tells Moses, “Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you."
God is not defining Himself by someone else.
God doesn't depend on anyone. He isn't changing with the trends. He isn't figuring things out as He goes.
He simply is. Self-existent. Unchanging. Constant. Eternal. Unshaken.
Then God again connects Himself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The covenant made generations earlier is still in effect.
The passage keeps reinforcing the same truth. The God speaking from the bush is the God who has been guiding the story all along.
Moses feels small. Pharaoh looks huge. But behind Moses stands the great "I AM."
That's the game changer.
God's Promise for Israel
16 Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt:
17 And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.
God tells Moses to gather the elders of Israel.
Tell them God has seen their pain. Israel's suffering has not gone unnoticed. Tell them God remembers his promises and God is preparing to bring them out and bring them into the land He promised. For generations the promise has been waiting.
Now the moment of deliverance is drawing near. Hope is breaking through the darkness
Pharaoh Won't Make It Easy
18 And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The Lord God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.
19 And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand.
20 And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go.
21 And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty.
22 But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians.
God is honest. God tells Moses exactly what lies ahead.
The elders will listen to Moses. Then Moses and the elders are to go before Pharaoh and request permission to journey into the wilderness to worship the Lord.
But Pharaoh will not simply agree. God says the king of Egypt will refuse. The resistance is expected. Nothing catches God by surprise.
Then God reveals what will happen next. He will stretch out His hand and strike Egypt with His wonders.
Eventually Pharaoh will let the people go. And when Israel leaves, they will not leave empty-handed. The Egyptians will give them articles of silver, gold, and clothing.
Pharaoh may think he is in control. But God is already declaring the outcome before the confrontation even begins.
Just because God has a plan doesn't mean the path will be easy. God told Moses ahead of time that Pharaoh would resist. Difficulty doesn't automatically mean you're on the wrong road.
At a burning bush, God revealed Himself to Moses, declared that He had seen Israel's suffering, and called Moses to lead His people out of Egypt while promising to be with him every step of the way.