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Moses and the Burning Bush — Moses, God
Old Testament · Exodus 3:1-15

Moses and the Burning Bush

Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro in the wilderness when he led the sheep near Horeb, the mountain of God. There, something caught his eye: a bush blazing with fire, yet the flames never consumed it. Curious, Moses turned aside to look closer.

When the Lord saw Moses coming to look, he called out from within the bush, "Moses, Moses!" "Here I am," Moses answered. God told him to take off his sandals, for the ground he stood on was holy. Then God identified himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob -- and Moses hid his face, afraid to look at God.

God told Moses he had seen the suffering of his people in Egypt and had come down to rescue them, to lead them to a good and spacious land. He was sending Moses to Pharaoh to bring the Israelites out of slavery.

Moses asked what he should say if the people wanted to know God's name. God replied, "I AM WHO I AM... say to the Israelites, I AM has sent me to you." This was the name by which God would be remembered for all generations -- a promise that he was, and would always be, present with his people.

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  1. 3:1Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.
  2. 3:2And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
  3. 3:3And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
  4. 3:4And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.
  5. 3:5And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
  6. 3:6Moreover 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 upon God.
  7. 3:7And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;
  8. 3:8And 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 land and a large, 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. 3:9Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.
  10. 3:10Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.
  11. 3:11And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?
  12. 3:12And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.
  13. 3:13And Moses said unto 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 to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?
  14. 3:14And God said unto 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.
  15. 3:15And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD 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.
Read the full chapter in the Bible (Exodus 3) →

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