Exodus 3
The Story of the Burning Bush
God calls Moses from a bush that burns and is not consumed, sending him to deliver Israel.
Setting and Context
Exodus 3 opens Moses' calling after years in Midian. The holy ground, the unconsumed bush, and the divine name form the foundation of Israel's deliverance story.
The Story
Moses keeps the flock of Jethro and comes to Horeb, the mountain of God. An angel of the Lord appears in a flame of fire out of a bush. Moses turns aside to see why the bush is not consumed.
God calls Moses by name and tells him to put off his shoes, for the place is holy ground. The Lord says He has seen the affliction of His people in Egypt and has come down to deliver them. Moses is sent to Pharaoh.
Moses asks what he shall say if Israel asks God's name. God answers, I AM THAT I AM, and tells Moses to say that the God of their fathers has sent him. The reluctant shepherd is commissioned with God's presence as his strength.
Meaning and Importance
Moses turns aside to see a bush on fire that is not burned. God speaks from the bush, reveals Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and sends Moses to Pharaoh. Moses asks for God's name and hears, I AM THAT I AM.
The burning bush shows that God initiates deliverance. Holiness, compassion, and calling meet in one encounter. Moses' inadequacy is answered not by self-confidence, but by the presence of the I AM.
Biblical Art Connected to This Story
Key KJV Verses
Exodus 3:2
“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.”
Read Exodus 3Exodus 3:5
“And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.”
Read Exodus 3Exodus 3:10
“Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.”
Read Exodus 3Exodus 3:14
“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.”
Read Exodus 3What This Story Teaches
- God sees affliction and acts to deliver.
- Holy ground calls for reverence before mission.
- God's name and presence sustain the one He sends.
Questions about Burning Bush
Where is the burning bush in the Bible?
The burning bush account is found in Exodus 3.
What does I AM THAT I AM mean in Exodus 3?
God reveals Himself to Moses with a name that stresses His living, self-existing presence with His people.
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