Chapter 2-3
Moses fled from Egypt to Midian to protect his own life. While resting at the well where everyone got their water, Moses helped seven sisters by defending them against the shepherds. He was later invited to their father’s home and ended up marrying Zipporah, one of the seven sisters.
Scripture then says, (3:1) “While tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, Moses drove the flock into the wilderness where he came to Horeb the mountain of God”. What Scripture doesn’t say is why Moses drove the flock into the wilderness. That was a very unusual thing to choose to do. We can’t read minds and Scripture does not tell us but guesses are: He drove his flock to ungrazed land where plant life was plenty?
Or, perhaps he thought like Winston Churchill who was quoted as saying, “Every prophet has to go into the wilderness. He must have a strong impression of a complex society and all that it has to give, and then he must serve periods of isolation and meditation. This is the process by which psychic dynamite is made.”
Even scientists have an opinion about this type of isolation. They say, “Being alone and being lonely are two different things. Being alone is something we do to fuel our soul and energize our life, while being lonely is living a life that disconnects us from others. One fosters personal growth, and the other keeps us stuck.”
What we do know is Horeb refers to the region of Mount Sinai where God later reveals the Ten Commandments. Some, in fact, think it is another name for Mt Sinai. While at the Mountain of God, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a burning bush. This was no mere angel. This was an actual dialogue between Moses and God.
Here was this bush completely on fire, but it was never consumed by the fire. Only God can accomplish this feat. Moses continued looking at the bush and wondering why it did not burn up. It’s noteworthy that we all see miracles every day in our lives and rather than give the credit to God, we take them for granted. Just the act of a baby being born is a true miracle and yet how many people discard the baby to get rid of an inconvenience. We fail to respect God’s miracles given directly to us.
Moses, on the other hand, closely observed his miracle. Actually, the Hebrew word in the narrative that is translated into English as bush is seneh, which refers in particular to brambles or a thorn bush. And the question then becomes ‘how long do you look at burning brambles?’ When Moses turned aside God called out to him out of the bush. (3:6) “I am, the God of your father, the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”
God told Moses to not come closer but to remove his sandals from his feet because he was standing on holy ground. This spot was only holy because God was there. It was not holy before God appeared and we could not find that holy ground today. It seems there is about 200 square miles around that area that was declared a World Heritage site, which houses a monastery and could also contain that very area of the burning bush. But your guess is as good as anyone else’s.
The question is, what did Moses do? Why, he hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God! But God continued, “I have marked well the plight of my people in Egypt and have heeded their outcry because of their taskmasters. And yes, I am mindful of their suffering.” I’ll have come down to rescue them from the Egyptians! God is coming to rescue His chosen people. But they are not the only ones God rescues. We can all be thankful that God is the God of all people, not just the God of Moses, ancestors and descendants. He is our God as well. And He knows each of us by name and deed. He is not just the great Author of all of creation, He is a personal God to each person who believes.
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