Aug 21
22
New Testament Reading: 1 Timothy 6:11-16
“But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.” (1 Timothy 6:11–16, ESV)
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Old Testament Reading: Exodus 3:1-9
“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.” (Exodus 3:1–9, ESV)
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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
Introduction
As we progress through our study of the book of Exodus, not only will we learn about what happened in those days when God redeemed Israel from Egyptian bondage, and not only will we learn from the successes and failures of Moses and the Hebrews, we will also learn about God, his nature, his attributes, and his ways.
Who is God? What is he like? And how does he relate to man? These are very big questions. And truth be told, we would not be able to say anything at all about these questions — at least not with any certainty — apart from God’s revelation. No, apart from revelation — that is to say, apart from God choosing to disclose or show himself to us — we would be left to merely speculate about God.
Now, we know that God has revealed himself in two ways. He has revealed himself generally in the world that he has made. Here we are saying that some things about the Creator may be known by observing his creation. This is what the scriptures teach. Psalm 19 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork”. Paul makes a similar point in Romans 1:20, saying, “For [God’s] invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they [the wicked] are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:20–21, ESV). This kind of revelation is called general or natural revelation. And it is very important for us to confess that God does reveal himself to mankind in this way. Some things may be known about God through the observation of the natural world. In particular, we know that he exists and that he is glorious.
At the same time, we must also confess that God has revealed himself much more clearly in other ways. God does not only speak in a general way to all humanity through the things he has made, he has also spoken in a special and specific way through his prophets. He appeared to them. He worked miracles in their presence and through them. He spoke to them in a variety of ways. And as he did, his people learned, not only about what God was doing in the world, and what he would do in the future, they also learned about who he is.
This kind of revelation is called special revelation, for through it God reveals himself in a specific way to a specific people. All of humanity has access to God’s general revelation, but we know that God has revealed himself in an especially clear way through the prophets of old and to his chosen people. This special revelation grew in clarity with the passing of time as the words delivered to one prophet would build upon the words delivered to a previous prophet. So Abraham was given more regarding God’s plan of redemption than Adam was. Moses was given more than Abraham. And Jerimiah was given more than Moses. God’s special revelation of himself and of his plans and purposes grew in clarity with the passing of time, all of this culminating and concluding with the arrival of the Christ himself, and with his Apostles.
Hebrews 1:1 summarizes all of this, saying, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world” (Hebrews 1:1–2, ESV). Christ was not just another prophet in a long line of prophets. He was the prophet of God, for he was the eternal Word of God, the second person of the Triune God, come in the flesh. You will remember that that is how John begins his gospel, saying, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1-3, 14, ESV).
So then, when we speak of special revelation, we are to think of God revealing himself to man, not through the world he has made, but by his word. This word revelation comes in different forms. Sometimes God would appear to the prophets of old in some form and speak to them. Sometimes they would hear his voice, but not see him. In other instances, God would come to them in dreams and visions. And at other times God would inspire the prophets to speak his word to his people. Quite often the word of the Lord would be accompanied by miracles so that the prophet, and those to whom they ministered, would know for certain that it was God who was speaking to them. Nowhere is this more clearly seen than in the ministry of Jesus Christ. He performed miracles, and these miracles validated that he was from God and spoke the word of God. This is why the miracles of Jesus were called “signs”, for they pointed to the fact that it was God who was behind them.
So why have I begun this sermon on Exodus 3 by talking about special revelation? It is because in the days of Moses there was not only a great act of deliverance accomplished, there was also a great outpouring of special revelation. God spoke with an unusually loud voice in those days as he delivered Israel from Egyptian bondage and led them towards the promised land. He revealed himself, his plans, and his purposes to his people with greater clarity than in generations past, and he displayed his power and glory to the nations in a way not seen before or after until the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Christ from the grave.
In Exodus, we find a record of God’s redemptive acts accompanied by a rich deposit of special revelation. Act of redemption… and revelation. These two things do fit nicely together, don’t they? God reveals himself through words, but you will notice that often his words have been accompanied by action. This is a gracious gift. God knows that we would naturally doubt words only, so he has clothed his words with action. Examples of this can be found throughout the pages of Holy Scripture and throughout the history of redemption. But nowhere is more true than during the ministry of Christ, and at the time of the Exodus. These two eras were characterized by a great outpouring of special revelation accompanied by God’s redemptive activity. You’ve heard it said that talk is cheap. Well, God has not only spoken, he has also taken action. And in this way, he has condescended to our weakness. He has backed up his word with action so that we might know for certain that it was he who was speaking.
So then, as we continue in Exodus, we must not only ask, what did God do? but also, what did he say? What did he reveal concerning himself, his plans, and his purposes? And I would like to suggest to you that the passage we are considering today is most foundational. Here we learn the A-B-C’s, if you will, concerning God’s nature and character. Yes, God revealed himself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but hundreds of years had passed since God had spoken to his people. This word that God delivered to Moses is to be considered most important, therefore. You’ve heard it said that first impressions are everything. Well, here God is introducing himself anew and afresh to Moses, and through him, to Israel. We have better pay careful attention to what he says.
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God Revealed Himself To Moses As Self Existent
Let us now turn our attention to our text for today, and as we do, we will see that God revealed himself to Moses, and through him, to Israel and to us. First of all, notice that God revealed himself as the one who is self-existent.
In verse 1 we read, “Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian… “ Remember that Jethro is another name for the man who in the previous passage was called Reuel. We know that Moses is now 80 years old, but he has not progressed much in this foreign land, for he is still watching after his father-in-law’s flock. It is not hard to read between the lines and to see that Moses was humbled during these 40 years in Median. I continue, “…and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.” Why did Moses go so far with the flock? Probably to find green pastures. And what is the significance of this mountain Horeb? Well, this same mountain is also called Sinai. The name Horeb may be another name for the same mountain, or it may have been the name of a range of mountains, of which Sinai was one. This mountain will become very significant in the Exodus story, for here God will give his law and enter into covenant with Israel after they are redeemed from Egypt.
Verse 2: And the angel of the LORD appeared to [Moses] 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.’”
Notice three things about this verse:
One, it was the LORD who disclosed himself to Moses; it was not Moses who discovered the LORD. This may seem like a small observation, but in fact, it is very significant. If we are to know God truly, God must make himself known to us. This was true for Adam in the garden. This is true for humanity after the fall. And this is true for each and every sinner who comes to God through faith in the Messiah. We come to him because he calls us. We are able to know him, not because we discover him, but because he graciously discloses himself to us. It was the LORD who appeared to Moses, and this after 80 years of sojourning.
Two, God is here called “the angel of the LORD”. That it was in fact God who appeared to Moses, and not an angel, is made clear in verse 4. Why then is God here called “the angel of the LORD”. I think it is this: the title, “angel of the LORD”, communicates that this was in fact an appearance of God. But what Moses saw was not God as he really is, but a manifestation of the LORD. Here God appeared in the form of fire. But God is not fire. When God is called “the angel of the LORD” it is made clear that God is indeed revealing himself to man, but in some creaturely form.
Three, the form that God took is significant. He “appeared… in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush…. the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.” Why this form? That is the question. And the answer must be that the form itself communicates some truth about God to Moses and to us. “The bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.” What is the significance of that?
Well, the context seems to point in this direction: God is self-existent. He is the fire that needs no fuel to burn. This interpretation corresponds well with the name that God will reveal to Moses in the next passage. God is the “I am”. He is the one who was, and is, and ever will be. He does not stand in need of anything or anyone for his existence or his sustenance.
Yes, it is true that humans are made in the image of God. We are like him in some ways, so much so that we are able to commune with him. But we are not God. And here is one of the most fundamental distinctions between us and him: he is self-existent, and we are not. Our existence is dependent upon so many things outside of ourselves, the greatest of them being God himself. If the fire of life is to continue burning within us, we need fuel. God must sustain us body and soul. But God is the fire that burns without fuel. The LORD “appeared… in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush…. the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.”
It is not difficult to see why God would reveal himself to Moses in this way given the mission he was about to call him to. Moses would need to trust the LORD as went to face Pharoah and he would lead Israel in wilderness places those 40 years. One thing he would need to know for certain is that this God who called him is not lacking in strength.
Think with me for a moment about power and strength. When we say that someone is not strong enough, we mean that they have reached the limits of their resources in some way. They have run out of muscle, energy, money, willpower, or some other thing. But God does not need resources to act. God is. When we say that God is powerful, we do not mean that he is really, really strong. No, we mean that his power is without boundaries at all. And his power is without boundaries because he stands in need of no one and nothing outside himself. God is. He is life and power without limit. He gives life and power to all, but no one gives life and power to him. He is the flame that needs no fuel to burn.
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God Revealed Himself To Moses As Holy
Not only did God reveal himself to Moses as self-existent, he also revealed himself as holy.
Look at verse 4. “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.”
God’s call to Moses was gracious. To repeat someone’s name twice, as God did with Moses, was considered a friendly greeting in that culture. And I think you would agree with me that for God to reveal himself to Moses and to call out to him was a gracious thing in and of itself. But as Moses drew near to God, God warned him concerning his holiness. God is holy. This means that he is different from us. He is set apart from us and highly exalted above us. This also means that he is perfectly pure and without blemish. But we are sinful.
So God warned Moses, saying, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” Moses was to come near, but not too near. This pretty much sets the tone for Israel’s approach to God under the Old Covenant — they would be invited to draw near, but not too near. They would be warned to keep back from the mountain of God, and when the tabernacle and temple would finally be constructed, a veil would keep the people out of the most holy place. Under Moses the people would be invited to draw near to God, but not too near. Christ would accomplish something greater. He himself would enter into the heavenly sanctuary, and in him, we have full access to the Father.
Moses was told to take the sandal off his feet. This was a sign of respect. For the place on which he was standing was holy ground. There was nothing special about that place, but God’s presence made it special. God met with Moses in that place, and not long after this, God would reveal himself to Israel there to give them his law and to enter into covenant with them.
What would they need to know about their God? If they were to approach him right? One thing they would certainly need to know is that he is holy, and they are not. If they were to approach him at all, God would need to provide atonement for their sins.
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God Revealed Himself To Moses As Merciful And Kind
Thirdly, God revealed himself to Moses as merciful and kind. This is seen in the words, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Here the Lord reminds Moses of the kindness that he had shown to Abraham to reveal himself to him, to call him out of that pagan land, and to give him his precious and very great promises. Notice that God said, “I am the God of your father”, referring to Moses’ own father. Here we have a reminder of God’s covenant faithfulness. Though the Hebrews had suffered greatly as slaves those many years, God had not abandoned them. He preserved his people so that he might accomplish his purposes through them. God is merciful and kind.
And this is also seen in the words, “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” (Exodus 3:1–9, ESV).
God knew of the sufferings of the Hebrews. He was not unaware. And now he was ready to act to fulfill the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, concerning their possession of Canaan as a great multitude and nation. God is merciful and kind.
I’m afraid that many modern Christians will look at the suffering of the Hebrews and will tend to say, God was not merciful or kind to them. He was cruel. In fact, many modern Christians have a very hard time reconciling the goodness of God with the suffering that they see in the world. This is a very difficult question, I will admit it. And I am not sure that specific answers can be given to the question, what about evil and suffering? There is much that remains a mystery. But one problem I see, many Christians do tend to have a sense of entitlement. They begin with the presupposition that God owes us a degree of health, wealth, and prosperity. Does he? Is this what we deserve from him — health, wealth, and prosperity? I’m not saying that this will make all of our questions concerning the sovereignty of God and suffering go away, but I will help a lot. It will help if we start at the right place. We are not entitled to receive anything good from God, only his judgment. Every good thing that we enjoy in this life is a gift from him.
God revealed himself to Moses as merciful and kind. He saw the suffering of the Hebrews, and he knew. He was about to act to bring them relief and to fulfill the gracious promises he made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. How is this not astonishing to us that God would think of man, much less sinful man, at all? And yet he has looked down upon us in our pitiful state with compassion in his eyes, as it were.
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Conclusion
First impressions are important, aren’t they? And I do believe that we are to view this encounter between God and Moses in that light. Moses and Israel would learn a lot more about their God in the years to come, but this is where God began. He wished to show forth his self-existence, to place emphasis upon his holiness, and to stress his mercy and kindness. Moses, and all of Israel after him, would need to know these things about their God if they were to trust, worship, and serve him faithfully as he led them out of Egypt and towards the promised land. And so I ask you, do you know these things?
Do you know that God is self-existent? He stands in need of no one and nothing. Never does he lack power and strength, therefore.
Do you know that he is holy? To approach him, you must be made clean. And when you do approach, you must come with reverence.
Do you know that merciful and kind? He has invited you to come, friends, and he has made a way. We must come through faith in Christ the Lord, for he atoned for all our sins.
