Exodus 3

Now Moses was keeping the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the back of the wilderness, and came to God’s mountain, to Horeb.

The LORD’s angel appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the middle of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

Moses said, “I will go now, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.”

When the LORD saw that he came over to see, God called to him out of the middle of the bush, and said, “Moses! Moses!” He said, “Here I am.”

He said, “Don’t come close. Take off your sandals, for the place you are standing on is holy ground.”

Moreover he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God.

The LORD said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.

I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey; to the place of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite.

Now, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to me. Moreover I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.

Come now therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh, that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”

Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”

He said, “Certainly I will be with you. This will be the token to you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

Moses said to God, “Behold, when I come to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what should I tell them?”

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM,” and he said, “You shall tell the children of Israel this: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

God said moreover to Moses, “You shall tell the children of Israel this, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and this is my memorial to all generations.

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

I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, to a land flowing with milk and honey.”’

They will listen to your voice. You shall come, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt, and you shall tell him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD, our God.’

I know that the king of Egypt won’t give you permission to go, no, not by a mighty hand.

I will reach out my hand and strike Egypt with all my wonders which I will do among them, and after that he will let you go.

I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, and it will happen that when you go, you shall not go empty-handed.

But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, and of her who visits her house, jewels of silver, jewels of gold, and clothing. You shall put them on your sons, and on your daughters. You shall plunder the Egyptians.”

Chapter overviewAI-generated

Overview.
This chapter recounts the pivotal encounter between God and Moses at the burning bush, where God reveals Himself as the covenant-keeping Yahweh, commissions Moses to lead Israel out of Egypt, and discloses His personal name. Set at Horeb, the mountain of God, the narrative shifts from Israel’s suffering under oppression to the divine initiative of redemption, grounding this calling in God’s presence, promises, and self-revelation.

Flow.

Moses encounters the supernatural sight of a bush burning but not consumed, prompting God’s call from within it.
God identifies Himself as the God of the patriarchs and declares His awareness of Israel’s affliction, announcing His intent to deliver them.
The commission of Moses unfolds amid his hesitation, with God promising His presence and giving the sign of future worship on this mountain.
When Moses asks for God’s name, the divine response—“I AM WHO I AM”—affirms God’s eternal, self-existent nature, followed by instructions to prepare Israel and outline the plan for exodus and plunder.

Connections.
Following chapter 2, which traces Moses’ early life and flight to Midian, this chapter marks the beginning of God’s direct intervention in history to fulfill His promises to the patriarchs. The silence of God in the earlier chapters breaks with a theophany and a calling, setting in motion the redemption foreshadowed in Joseph’s final words. The revelation at the bush not only answers the question of divine presence amid suffering but also prepares for chapter 4, where Moses’ continued reluctance leads to further divine accommodation, including signs and the appointment of Aaron—steps that maintain the unfolding drama of redemption grounded in God’s faithfulness.

What it teaches.
God reveals Himself as the holy, covenant-keeping I AM (Ex. 3:14), present with His people in their affliction and sovereign over their deliverance. He is eternal, self-sufficient, and faithful to His promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (WCF 7.1; HC LD 9). The sanctity of God is evident in His command for Moses to remove his sandals (Ex. 3:5), reflecting that divine presence makes any ground holy. The commission of Moses illustrates that God calls and equips human agents for His redemptive work, assuring them of His presence (Ex. 3:12; cf. WCF 18.1). The revelation of His name, “I AM,” signifies not only God’s existence but His active, unchanging commitment to be who He has always been for His people across generations (WCF 2.1).

Apply.
God calls ordinary people to His works not because of their ability but through His presence, using their questions and fears as openings for deeper revelation.

AI-generated. Not a substitute for Scripture, your pastor, or the confessions.