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Exodus 3 Commentary

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Exodus 3:1-6

When Moses was shepherding Jethro’s flock around Mount Horeb, God appears to him in the form of a bush that is burning but is not consumed.

Exodus 3:7-10

God tells Moses that He is aware of the plight of the Israelites and tells Moses that He is sending him to Pharaoh.

Moses is not convinced that he is the right person for the job of delivering the Israelites. In fact, he responds to the LORD with five objections (3:11 – 4:17). The LORD constantly and repeatedly assures Moses that He will equip him for the job and promises His constant presence.

Exodus 3:13-14

In his first objection, Moses asks “Who am I?” His second objection asks God, “Who are you?” Moses wants to be prepared if (and when) confronted by the Israelites concerning where he gets the authority to tell them what to do.

Exodus 3:15-22

Whereas the first answer involves who God is, the second answer contains a description of what He does.

Additional Resources

Book Theme

The book of Exodus is the second book of the Torah (“law”). It continues the story of Genesis concerning the migration of the family of Jacob (the Israelites) to Egypt (Genesis 50). It describes the commissioning of Moses and Aaron as God’s representatives on earth to accomplish God’s deliverance of His people from slavery in Egypt and lead them to the Promised Land (the land of Canaan). It also relates the miraculous deliverance from Egypt beginning with the plagues on Egypt and the crossing of the Red Sea. It then describes the journey to Mount Sinai and the establishment of the Mosaic covenant with the Israelites. The last part of the book involves the specifications and building of the tabernacle – the place where the Lord Himself dwelt amongst His people.

In the book of Exodus, the focus shifts to the deliverance of God’s people.

Chapter Context

The account of the preparation of Moses to be deliverer starts in Exodus 3. It begins with God confronting him at the burning bush. Moses needs to be impressed by the fact that this is a very holy call at a very holy moment in a very holy place. God is aware of the suffering of His people and He is ready to deliver them. He wants Moses to be his representative before Pharaoh and before His people to make this deliverance happen.

Chapter 3 can outlined as follows:

God Calls Moses to be a Deliverer (3:1 – 10)
Moses Responds to God’s Call (3:11 – 22)

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