Hearing God Today: Lessons from the Burning Bush

So often incredibly significant stories in the Bible seem to be reduced to Vacation Bible School puppet shows or bedtime Bible stories for our children. Certainly we need to teach these stories to our children, but as adults, we often think, "Oh, I know that old story." We forget the stories' deeper meaning. In Hearing God Today: Lessons from the Burning Bush, we’ll explore how God still interrupts our routines just as He did for Moses.

Hearing God Today: Lessons from the Burning Bush

The story of Moses and the Burning Bush is exactly that kind of story. Perhaps you have heard it so often you just dismiss it. But what if, today, God is trying to get your attention in a new way? Just like Moses, we go about our daily lives, not realizing that God has something new and wonderful that He is about to do.

Moses’ Journey from Palace to Pasture

Moses, who had begun his life as a babe in the arms of an Egyptian princess, raised as a son of Pharaoh, had now been a shepherd in the land of Midian for forty years. A far cry from the riches he had known, he wandered tending his sheep, while God prepared him for the mighty work that he would be called to. You may feel like God has no plans for you but like Moses, if you pay attention, God may do a work with you that you never imagined.

Encountering God at Mt. Horeb

As he came up to Mt. Horeb, the mountain of God, also known as Mt. Sinai, his eyes were attracted to a bright light and flames issuing from a bush that was unaffected by the fire. This was such an unusual sight that Moses decided to investigate.

The Voice from the Flames

From inside the bush, the voice of God called to him. "Moses! Moses!" and Moses said, "Here I am" (Exodus 3:4). The fire was symbolic of the purity and holiness of God. This symbol of fire is seen repeatedly from Isaiah who says, "The light of Israel shall be a flaming fire" to John the Baptist who proclaims that, "He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire" to the book of Hebrews that reminds us, "Our God is a consuming fire."

Understanding God’s Holiness Through Fire

God is immortal, like the fire that does not die out. His power and strength are inexhaustible and ever-present, unlike us, mere mortal humans. We experience physical death yet spiritually we are alive in Christ. His holy fire transforms us and renews us. We are like the burning bush, the light of Christ shines forth from us and because of His sacrifice we never spiritually die.

Jesus and the God of the Living

When Jesus mentions this story in Luke 20:37, He repeats God's words to Moses when He says that He is, "the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob" (Exodus 3:6). Jesus tells the Sadducees, who didn't believe in the resurrection, that this is proof that God is the God of the living, not the dead, that the dead are resurrected. Each of us as His children hold this fire, this light inside. Although we physically die, spiritually we do not.

Stepping onto Holy Ground

Moses was told to take off his sandals because he was on holy ground. This ground was holy because God was there. To remove his shoes was a sign of respect and humility, of awareness that God Himself was present. Interestingly, this is the first time in the Bible that a specific place is called holy. Later in Leviticus 19:2, God calls all of Israel to holiness. In the New Testament Peter reminds us, "But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct" (1 Peter 1:15).

Our Call to Personal Holiness

God is holy because He is set apart, separate from His creation. God is distinct from all others because of His perfection; unlike God, we can never be holy, except for the holiness of Christ living in us that helps us grow to become more like Him. We are covered in the holiness of Christ.

Just as the burning bush was holy ground, so also was the temple of God because God was present there. In the New Testament we are told that we are the living temple of God because He lives in us. Together, as the body of believers we are God's temple. Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 and in 6:19-20, that both collectively and individually we are God's temple. Because of this, sin and immorality shouldn't defile us because it separates us from God. What habits or sins might defile your temple that God calls home?

Responding to God with Reverence

Moses went so far as to cover his face, when he realized He was in the presence of God. Do we show this kind of respect and awe for God when we pray, worship, and live out our faith? Can we grasp what kind of holiness exists in God? As we grow in grace, we should grow in humility before God and His holy righteousness. The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 9:10).

God Hears the Cries of His People

God tells Moses that He "has seen the misery of my people." This is the first time God calls Israel, "my people." He has heard their cries and He knows their sorrows. Just as even today, He hears our cries, He sees our misery, and He knows our sorrow. God's people are precious to Him. For four hundred years, His people have been in slavery in Egypt. Now God will raise up a deliverer - Moses.

Answering Divine Callings

Moses' response to this was the same response we have many times when God asks us to do something, "Who am I?" Moses at this time was 80 years old. Moses had fled Egypt after murdering an Egyptian overseer. He certainly seemed like an unlikely candidate but God's response is the same that He has for us, "I will be with you." What more can we ask of God than that the creator of the universe will be with us when He asks us to do a hard thing?

The Divine Name: “I AM WHO I AM”

Then Moses asks God His name. God replies, "I AM WHO I AM." He is the God who always was and always will be. This is God who has all authority and is totally trustworthy. Jesus claims this very name (John 8:58). This is so shocking to the Jews that they attempt to stone Him (John 8:59).

God’s Promise of Deliverance

God tells Moses to tell the people that He promises to bring them into a land flowing with milk and honey. He lets Moses know ahead of time how things will go (Exodus 3:18-22). God tells Moses that:

• The elders of Israel will listen to you.

• The king will not let them go unless he is compelled. God promises to do this.

• God will make the Egyptians favorably disposed to the Israelites, to give them silver, gold, and clothing.

This lets Moses know that God has already foreseen problems and they have been taken care of. He wants us and Moses to walk in confidence knowing that He is in control.

So like us when we are called by God to do things we don't feel comfortable with, Moses makes several excuses for why he couldn't possibly be the man for the job.

Signs to Confirm God’s Mission

First, Moses asks God what happens if they don't listen to him? God gives him three signs to show them:

• A staff becomes a snake. (Exodus 4:2-4)

• His hand turned leprous, then is healed. (Exodus 4:6-7)

• Water from the Nile turns to blood. (Exodus 4:9)

God Equips Moses for His Task

Next, Moses' objection is that he is slow of speech and tongue. He isn't a gifted or eloquent speaker. God reassures him that He will help him speak, and teach Him what to say. God doesn't ask us to do things without giving us the tools we need to be able to do them.

Accepting God’s Plan Through Partnership

Finally, Moses tells God to send someone else. Don't we say the same thing? "Anyone but me, God! I can't do this." Angrily, God tells Moses that He will allow Moses's brother, Aaron to speak for him but the words will be given to them both. This partnership with Aaron shows that God often provides people to help us accomplish our tasks. Think of Paul and Barnabas and Paul and Timothy.

Moses as a Foreshadow of Christ

At this, our story ends, but Moses' story really begins. He becomes the greatest prophet and deliverer of His people. This same Moses, the most humble man on earth, would be used by God to save His people from slavery. Moses foreshadows Christ by freeing his people from the bondage of slavery just as Jesus frees us from the bondage of sin.

Your Call: Embracing God’s Presence

What does God have for you to do? Where and how have you encountered the Lord? Have you begged, "Anyone but me, Lord," when God calls you to a difficult task? Remember the words that God spoke to Moses, "I will be with you." Nothing is impossible with God!

People Also Ask:

Who were the Sadducees and what did they believe? The Sadducees were a group within first century Judaism that only accepted the Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, as authoritative and rejected oral traditions within Judaism. They emphasized free will and did not look for miracles in the daily affairs of life. They also did not believe in angels, an afterlife, or the resurrection of the dead. They were often priests and conservatives of high social status. Their focus was primarily temple worship.