The God Who Draws Near (Exodus 3-4)
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Just before this interaction between Moses and the Lord, we read that as Israel cried out to God from their bondage, God heard the cry of Israel’s groaning in the land of Egypt, remembered the covenant that He had made with Israel’s fathers, saw the sons of Israel in their distress, and took notice of them (2:23-24). However, not only does God hear, remember, see, and notice from a distance, but He also then comes to the aid of His people and draws near to them.
In these two chapters, we see six ways that God encounters Moses:
1. God Comes Down (3:2-3:8)
The Angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in the burning bush. Who is the Angel of the Lord? While He is a messenger of the Lord, He does not speak for God, but rather as God. Moses was in the presence of God.
2. God Calls Moses (3:4-6)
God calls out to Moses, telling him to remove his sandals. The holiness of God, represented in the fire of the burning bush, demands reverence. The authority of God demands submission and servanthood. Moses answered the call saying, “Here I am,” similar to Samuel in the middle of the night or Isaiah after the vision of the throne room.
3. God Commissions Moses (3:10)
In God’s commission to Moses we see an amazing paradox: God uses sinners to carry out His saving purposes and plans; He uses the uncommon faithfulness of common people. However, out of fear and unbelief, Moses is delayed in his obedience to the commission he is given.
4. God Counters Moses’ Questions and Objections (3:10-4:17)
Upon hearing the commission that the Lord was giving him, Moses asks, “Who am I?” This is not altogether unreasonable, considering the fact that one man was to go up against the superpower of the day. While Moses is aware of his own inadequacy, the Lord does not try to convince Moses that he is the right man for the job, but instead assures Him, “I will be with you.” What matters is not Moses’ ability; what matters is the God that is with Him.
The name “I AM” should be enough to give Moses all the confidence he needs for his doubts to be overcome. This name refers to the self-existence, self-dependence, and self-sufficiency of God. He is the only uncaused cause and the only cause of all created things. He has always existed apart from anything outside of Himself and all creatures derive their existence from Him. This is who our God is!
While Moses makes several excuses with regard to why he is the wrong man for the job, he eventually moves from thinking, “I can’t. Therefore I won’t,” to, “I can’t, but He can. Therefore I will.”
5. God Clears Up a Misconception (4:24-26)
Because Moses had failed to circumcise his son, the Lord’s anger burned against him and He sought to put Moses to death. What we can understand from this account is that we must be diligent in all our dealings, not getting distracted from our primary responsibilities before the Lord. In our pursuit of accomplishing great things, we are not to neglect everyday obedience based on the clear commandments in Scripture.
6. God’s Concern is Revealed Regarding His People (4:27-31)
Finally, we see the Lord’s kind concern for His people by meeting with them repeatedly to demonstrate that He is with them. First He meets with Moses, then with Aaron, then with both Aaron and Moses, and later with all of the elders of Israel. Whatever He was calling and commissioning Moses and Israel to do, no matter the task, He was assuring them that He will go with them.
– What are the parallels between God’s commission of Moses and the Great Commission given to the Church? What is our confidence with regard to the commission we have been given as Christians to proclaim the gospel and make disciples?
– What parallels do we see between the life and ministry of Moses, and the even greater life and ministry of Jesus? In what ways is Moses a ‘type’ of the Christ that was to come?
– In the account with Zipporah, we see that Moses was to be faithful in all things, not just the big and glorious things, but also the small requirements for obedience. Are you making sure that you are keeping first things first? Are you being faithful in what the Lord has given you to do right now, no matter how big or small it might seem to you?