A pointer to the Incarnation. Exodus 3.1-10
Jesus throughout the Scriptures: Exodus (2)
Pray Psalm 68.19-21, 32, 33.
Blessed be the Lord,
Who daily loads us with benefits,
The God of our salvation!
Selah
Our God is the God of salvation;
And to GOD the Lord belong escapes from death.
But God will wound the head of His enemies…
Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth;
Oh, sing praises to the Lord,
Selah
To Him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which were of old!
Indeed, He sends out His voice, a mighty voice.
Sing Psalm 68.19, 20, 32,33.
(O Store Gud: How Great Thou Art)
Blessed be the LORD, our burden daily bearing,
O God, our God, our Savior and our King!
With us salvation and deliv’rance sharing,
He life from death His people daily brings.
Refrain vv. 32, 33
Sing to the LORD, O kingdoms of the earth!
Ancient of Days—praise Him on high!
Behold He speaks; His Word is going forth;
Ancient of Days—praise Him on high!
Read Exodus 3.1-10; meditate on verse 10.
Preparation
1. Why had God come down to the bush?
2. What charge did He give to Moses?
Meditation
God appeared to Moses in the burning bush and charged him with bringing His people, “the children of Israel, out of Egypt” (v. 10). For God so loved His chosen people that He remembered—that is, He faithfully attended to—His covenant and promises (Ex. 2.24, 25) and came down to deliver them through Moses, His servant. Moses is thus a type of Christ by being chosen and sent for the deliverance of God’s people. The message to Israel then and throughout the Old Testament was that God will not leave His people to languish in captivity.
But let us not overlook the wonder of the burning bush and what it foreshadows.
The Angel of the LORD and the LORD Himself are to be equated (cf. Gen. 22.11, 12, 15, 16). The Angel brought the Word of God to Abraham. He is thus the Word of the LORD, or the second Person of the Trinity. The Word only spoke to Abraham. He revealed His glory to Moses as He spoke to him (Ex. 3.2).
The Word of the LORD became incarnate in a bush that was not destroyed, just as Jesus came in a body that overcame death and hell, and in which body we have seen his glory (Jn. 1.14). The Word of God called and sent Moses even as He had been sent by God for the deliverance of His people (Ex. 3.7, 8; cf. Jn. 20.21). Thus, both the burning bush and Moses foreshadow the incarnation and mission of Jesus, reminding us that we are never out of God’s sight, always on His mind, and ever the beneficiaries of His saving love.
God’s deliverance of Israel foreshadowed His deliverance of us from captivity to our sins. He is the God Who loves and delivers. And He is our salvation. This is reason to rejoice, give thanks, and bear witness to our loving and faithful God.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
And like the bush occupied by the Lord Jesus Christ, we also are not consumed, even as we are filled with the same flaming (Acts 2.3) Spirit of the living God.
“Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed,
because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
great is Your faithfulness” (Lam. 3.22, 23).
His compassions and faithfulness are as great toward us as they were to His children of old.
“You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—
that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful” (Jms. 5.11).
“But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious,
longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth” (Ps. 86.15).
“For [God] says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy,
and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion” (Rom. 9.15; Ex. 33.19).
And in Moses, we have yet again, another example of the quintessential obedient child of God:
He calls, “Moses, Moses!” And Moses answers, “Here I am.”
There are many important recurring themes of rescue and deliverance; but there is also this idea of how God’s children are meant to respond to Him. Obediently. Always. In appreciation, yes; but also, because it is what’s expected and required of us.
God always calls His children to do His will.
Merely believing, then believing some more, and efficiently continuing to believe, then holding on for dear life until Jesus’ return, is not the plan. The plan involves working out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2.12) and then doing the good works God has prepared beforehand for us to walk in (Eph. 2.10).
It is perhaps akin to the idea of making a To Do list which we continue to believe is a really good list, holding fast to our list, maybe even tacking it to the fridge for good-keeping, always believing in its efficacy, but never doing one thing on it. Just believing it’s a doggone good list. “Stand fast” (2 Thess. 2.15). Believing.
But there is more to the story than that. God didn’t call Moses to just chat him up. No, He had work for him to do (Ex. 3.10). We are not consumed for a reason.
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father” (Jn. 14.12).
“LORD, I hope for Your salvation, and I do Your commandments.
My soul keeps Your testimonies, and I love them exceedingly.
I keep Your precepts and Your testimonies, for all my ways are before You” (Ps. 119.166-168).
Glory in the unconsumed bush of Jesus’ power for our compassionate salvation.
All through the mercies of God.
“Come now, therefore, and I will send you…” (Ex. 3.10).
Reflection
1. How do you make sure you are abiding in the will of God throughout the day?
2. In what ways do you expect the glory of God to be present in and through you today?
3. How are you preparing for this?
God gave Moses a gracious call, to which he returned a ready answer. Those that would have communion with God, must attend upon him in the ordinances wherein he is pleased to manifest himself and his glory, though it be in a bush. Matthew Henry (1662-17143), Commentary on Exodus 3.1-6
Pray Psalm 68.1-4, 32, 33.
Offer your day and your work to the Lord. Call on Him to give you strength and grace to carry out your calling and be a light to your world.
Sing Psalm 68.1-4, 32, 33.
(O Store Gud: How Great Thou Art)
Let God arise, let all Your foes be scattered!
Let those who hate You flee before Your face!
As smoke dissolves, as wax in flame is shattered,
let all the wicked perish in disgrace!
Refrain vv. 32, 33
Sing to the LORD, O kingdoms of the earth!
Ancient of Days—praise Him on high!
Behold He speaks; His Word is going forth;
Ancient of Days—praise Him on high!
LORD, let Your righteous ones exult in glory,
let us rejoice and praise Your holy Name!
Now let us sing the Savior’s old, old story—
Who life to deserts brings, we now proclaim!
Refrain
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
