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Exodus 3

Exodus book home•Chapter 3 of 40•22 verses

Chapter overviewAt a glance + deeper study

REVIEWED OVERVIEW

Exodus 3 Overview

Exodus 3 records Moses’ encounter with God at the burning bush on Horeb. The bush burns without being consumed, the ground is holy, and God identifies himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He declares that he has seen Israel’s affliction and has come down to deliver them. Moses is commissioned to go to Pharaoh, and when he asks what name he should give Israel, God reveals, “I AM THAT I AM,” and identifies himself by the covenant name LORD. The chapter also previews Israel’s request to leave, Pharaoh’s resistance, God’s wonders, and Israel’s departure with Egyptian wealth.

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Before you read Exodus 3

Coming from

Exodus 2 leaves Moses in Midian while God hears Israel’s groaning and remembers his covenant.

In this chapter

God reveals himself, explains his purpose, and calls Moses to become his human messenger to Pharaoh and Israel.

Leads into

Exodus 4 answers Moses’ continued objections with signs, provision of Aaron, and the beginning of the return journey to Egypt.

Key understanding

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Truth 1

The deliverance begins with God’s initiative: he sees, hears, knows, and comes down to deliver.

Truth 2

The God calling Moses is the same God who made covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Truth 3

God’s holiness is emphasized before Moses receives his mission; Moses removes his shoes on holy ground.

Truth 4

The name “I AM THAT I AM” reveals God as self-existent and identifies the speaker with the LORD known to Israel.

Truth 5

God tells Moses in advance that Pharaoh will resist and that divine power will overcome that resistance.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Connection 1

Genesis supplies the patriarchal covenant repeatedly invoked in this chapter.

Connection 2

Matthew 22:31–32 uses God’s self-identification as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in Jesus’ argument concerning resurrection.

Connection 3

John 8 contains Jesus’ striking “I am” language, which should be read against the Old Testament revelation of God’s name.

Connection 4

Acts 7:30–34 recounts the burning-bush call as part of Stephen’s summary of Israel’s history.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Keep this clear 1

The bush is a real sign in the narrative; the chapter itself does not assign every detail of the bush a symbolic meaning.

Keep this clear 2

God’s statement that he has “come down” uses accommodated language of divine action; it does not imply that God was previously absent from heaven or unaware of Egypt.

Keep this clear 3

The divine name should be treated with reverence and according to the text, without building speculative pronunciations or theories beyond what Scripture supplies.

Keep this clear 4

The promise that Israel will leave with Egyptian goods belongs to the Exodus event and should not be turned into a general prosperity formula.

Read Exodus 3 watching for…

The repeated connection to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

God’s holiness at the bush.

Every statement about what God has seen and what he will do.

Moses’ questions and God’s answers.

The movement from revelation of God’s name to the mission against Pharaoh.

Chapter outline4 sections

1-6God appears to Moses in the burning bush 7-12God calls Moses to bring Israel out 13-15God declares his name 16-22Moses is told what to say to Israel and Pharaoh

Now 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.

And 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.

And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.

And 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.

And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

Moreover 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.

And 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;

And 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.

Now 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.

Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.

And 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?

And 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.

And 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?

And 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.

And 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.

Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt:

And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.

And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.

And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand.

And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go.

And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty:

But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians.

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Exodus 3:2

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