Exodus 3

 
God’s Deliverance of Israel
Exodus 3 – 18
 
God’s Deliverance of Israel. The deliverance of Israel from Egypt is one of the most colorful and interesting stories in the Old Testament. It is full of meaning for Israel as a nation, and also full of typical significance for the believer.
 
O U T L I N E
 

 
The Deliverer Called
Exodus 3
 

The Burning Bush (3:1-6)

CHAPTER 3
And Moses tended the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock behind the wilderness, and came to the mountain of God — to Horeb. v.1 Gods time had come after 40
years of quiet service. This is the same place as Sinai where the law was given. In exodus 19, not just a bush burns, but the whole mountain.
 
2
 And the Angel of Jehovah appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a thorn-bush: and he looked, and behold, the thorn-bush burned with fire, and the thorn-bush was not being consumed. 
v.2 The bush represents Israel, the fire is the judgment of God on Egypt; “our God is a consuming fire”. Not matter how hot the fire, it would not hurt Israel if they rested on the word of God. God is able to sustain His people in their weakness. See 2 Cor 4:7-16. In a certain way we see the whole history of Israel, as afflicted by the judgment of Gods, but preserved according to the purpose of God.

As an application – No man knoweth the Son save the Father. The person of the Son is a mystery which we cannot understand. When Moses saw the burning bush he turned aside to see it. The bush is his manhood, the fire is His deity. We cannot fathom how humanity was not consumed by deity in union as they were with the Lord Jesus. Moses is told to “put off thy shoes from off thy feet”. 

 
3 And Moses said, Let me now turn aside and see this great sight, why the thorn-bush is not burnt. And Jehovah saw that he turned aside to see, and God called to him out of the midst of the thorn-bush and said, Moses, Moses! And he said, Here am I. 5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: loose thy sandals from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. vv.3-5 The holiness of God doesn’t put off the man of faith from wanting to see Jehovah’s glory.
  
6 And 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 at God. v.6 God reveals himself as the God of promise. In Luke 20:37-38 we find that God was really revealing Himself as the God of resurrection. He would preserve Israel through the furnace of Egypt. If man is to learn anything about God, it must be through revelation.
 

God’s Intention to Deliver Israel (3:7-12)

7 And Jehovah said, I have seen assuredly the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and their cry have I heard on account 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 and spacious land, 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 And now behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me; and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. vv.7-9 It was God’s sovereign grace. They did not cry to Him. He came down to them. No mention is made of the wilderness journey, because that is not part of His purpose. 

 
10
 And now come, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt. 

11 And Moses said to God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? v.11

Who we are is not important: it is who God is (vv.12-15).

12
 And he said, For I will be with thee; and this shall be the sign to thee that I have sent thee: when thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.
 
v.12 
the proof would not be ahead of time. It would only be had in obedience. Leading Israel to Sinai is a greater feat than water turned to blood. 
 

God’s Dispensational Name of Jehovah Revealed (3:7-15)

13 And Moses said to 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, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? v.13 
They had fallen into idolatry.

14
 And God said to 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. 
 
v.14 In Revelation 1:4,8, and 4:8 He who IS, WAS, and IS TO COME in the Lord Jesus – this is the new testament definition of Jehovah (the I AM that IAM, Exodus 3:14) the unchangeable one, the SAME. 
 
15 And God said moreover to Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel: Jehovah, the 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’ Commission (3:16-22)

God’s Sovereignty. This entire conversation took place before the children of Israel were even aware that God had prepared a deliverer. So it is with the work of God in our souls: it begins with His sovereign purpose before we ever existed!
 
16 Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, Jehovah the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, hath appeared to me, saying, I have indeed visited you, and seen that which is done unto 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. 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, Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews, hath met with us; and now, let us go, we pray thee, three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to Jehovah our God. 19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a powerful 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 eyes of the Egyptians, and it shall come to pass, when ye go out, that ye shall not go out empty; 22 but every woman shall ask of her neighbour, and of her that is the inmate of her house, utensils of silver, and utensils of gold, and clothing; and ye shall put them on your sons and on your daughters, and shall spoil the Egyptians. vv.16-22
We often don’t have the faith that God will do the work, hence objections and fear of rejection. God told Moses ahead of time that they would believe Him (v.18). Things that can encourage us to speak: God is with us, His will ought to be done, the message is paramount, love for souls. Thoughts of self get in the way. Flowing with milk and honey: a pastoral lifestyle, dependent on God, richness of blessing. V.18 it was Gods purpose to have a nations of priests. But it was not deceit. He only asks for three days, a picture of death. But it exposed Pharaohs heart for what it was. Borrow should be translated ask. No deception. The people would fear. The gold and silver would be used for the vessels and plating of the tabernacle.
 
 
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