Exodus 3:1–12 (ESV)
Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Do not come near, take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” And he said, “I am the God of your 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 at God. Then the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you, when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”
Moses is out in the wilderness tending sheep. It has been decades since he fled Egypt. He probably thought that part of his life was over. Then one day, he sees something that stops him in his tracks. A bush is on fire, but it is not burning up. He goes closer to look, and that is when God speaks.
“Moses, Moses.”
The same man who once acted out of pride is now being called out of humility. The one who ran away is being called back.
God tells him to take off his sandals, because he is standing on holy ground. The fire that does not consume is a picture of God’s holiness, pure and burning, yet full of grace. And God identifies Himself, not as some new deity, but as the same covenant God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The God who made promises is now fulfilling them.
Then God tells Moses why He has come. “I have seen the affliction of my people. I have heard their cry. I know their sufferings. I have come down to deliver them.” Those are some of the most comforting words in the Bible. God does not stay far off. He comes down.
And then comes the surprising part. God says, “Come, I will send you.” Moses, the man who failed, is the one God chooses to use. No wonder Moses asks, “Who am I?” He knows his weakness, and that is exactly what God can work with.
God’s answer is everything: “I will be with you.” That is what makes all the difference. Deliverance will not depend on Moses’ strength, but on God’s presence.
That is the heart of God’s call. He does not choose people because they are strong, capable, or impressive. He calls those who know they cannot do it alone. He promises His presence, and that is enough.
This story points us straight to Christ. He is the One who truly came down to deliver His people, not from Pharaoh, but from sin and death. And just like God sent Moses, Jesus sends us to bear witness to His salvation, not in our strength, but in His. “I will be with you” is still His promise to us.
Prayer
Father, thank You that You see, You hear, and You come down to save. Thank You that You use weak people to do Your work. Forgive us for the times we have said, “Who am I?” and forgotten that You are with us. Give us courage to obey when You call, and faith to trust that Your presence is enough. We praise You for Jesus, who came down to deliver us and who is with us always. In His name we pray, Amen.