BurningBush
Exodus 3:1-12 – The Burning Bush
This is what’s called “the theophany form” that was established in the culture of Moses and the Israelites.
Here is how the structure plays out in Exodus 3 and 4:
1. Introductory description in the third person 3:1–4a
2. Deity’s utterance of the name of the (mortal) addressee 3:4b
3. Response of the addressee 3:4c
4. Deity’s self-asseveration 3:5–6
5. His quelling of human fear 3:7
6. Assertion of his gracious presence 3:8
7. The hieros logos addressed to the particular situation 3:9–10
8. Inquiry or protest by the addressee 3:11
9. Continuation of the hieros logos with perhaps some repetition of elements 4, 5, 6, 7, and/or 8:
hieros logos3:12
protest 3:13
hieroi logoi3:14–22
protest 4:1
hieroi logoi4:2–9
protest 4:10
hieros logos4:11–12
protest 4:13
hieroi logoi4:14–17
10. Concluding description in the third person 4:18
(Quote from New American Commentary)
Exodus 3:1-6 – The Burning Bush
3 Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” 4 When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6 And he said, “I am the God of your 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 at God.
V.1 – 3rd person description of Moses coming to this point in time. By this point in time Moses has become clearly a ‘shepherd’, thus a noted separation of the Egyptian way as they consider that occupation to be loathsome. From being a princeling to a household worker for his wife’s father Jethro. He had left Mediante territory (east of the Red Sea) southwest into the Sinai wilderness. It would be weeks away from home to find grassy slopes in order to feed the sheep.
V.2-3 – A supernatural encounter with a bush that continually was inflamed without consumption. (Moses understanding/learning would continue to unfold in chapter 4 and 5.
At first Moses did not have any idea of what he was really seeing…. ? “…Why the bush is not burned”??? A bush of that type we might relate to something like the Bramble Bush (sagebrush of Texas) or the Tumble weed. If caught on fire it would be consumed in seconds as it was so dry and spindly.
In Exodus the term used for the bush was (seneh) – Strongs H5572 – סְנֶהc̨eneh, sen-eh´; from an unused root mean. to prick; a bramble:—bush.
Sage Brush: 
A tumble weed found in U.S. (Texas) 
Here was a single bush on a hill side that seemingly was on fire and no one around it. Also, instead of being consumed, it burned on and on. Indeed it was an unusual phenomenon so Moses would try and get closer to see what it was or understand why it did not burn up.
God used this ‘burning bush’ as He often uses various sorts of circumstances to bring someone closer to himself. For that person to develop curiosity or questions to be seeking solutions. We might visit a friend on their deathbed and the person shows joy with a positive attitude. We’d question as to how they could demonstrate such hope? What do they know that I didn’t know? Another example might be Paul when he was reading from the scroll and questions were caused to occur to him.
One might ask why a bush was used. To assist with that one might recall the terrain Moses was in and what other objects might there be around besides a rocks? In Hebrew the word bush (seneh) is closely linked to its location Sinai (sinay).
Remember that fire was used to symbolize God’s presence as in a pot of fire was used by God to represent himself in his covenant with Abraham in Gen 15:17. There were many different times that ‘fire’ was used to signify God’s presence in Bible history.
V.4 -5 – .” 4 When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”
In that culture bushes or trees where often used as a symbol of people or groups. Therefore it wouldn’t be to far a stretch for Moses to adapt quickly to the idea that the Lord Himself had manifested Himself within the bush.
God’s purpose of attracting Moses to the bush worked as he came closer to it. (Make note that God wanted Moses to approach Him as today He wants us to take the steps to seek Him out.)
God calls to him: “Moses, Moses” – In Semitic culture using this pattern was shows affection and friendship. Moses would then recognize right away that he was being addressed by someone who loved him and was concerned about him.
Moses Reply: “Here I am” – what was the standard way in Hebrew of replying “Yes?” when one is called.
A teaching moment by God in shown in this account. Before Moses go too close God has him learn that “He is Holy” and can not intrude too far on his holiness, proximity to which carries with it danger to the person nor properly prepared (sanctified). (Exod. 19:9-25 showing the series of conditions of sanctification or procedures in order to confer holiness. A distance is required as shown in Exod. 19:23 “put limits around the mountain and set it apart as holy”.
The lessons continues with the instructions: 1) keep a proper distance away from the bush (God) and 2) remove your sandals. Taking off your sandals has a connection with holiness as when entering the presence of a superior person. Seen in the “Yahweh’s place” in the temple.
V. 6 – .” 6 And he said, “I am the God of your 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 at God.
Moses is clearly told that he is speaking with the God of your father, of the great patriarchs. That Moses was in the lineage through which the promise was made.
Moses had fear as his theology was hardly fully formed at this point. Yet he did understand the something of the potential power of God’s holiness.
Exodus 3:7-12
7 Then 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. I know their sufferings, 8 and 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 broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9 And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. 10 Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”
Two great challenges to Moses’ faith appear here implicitly in verse 7.
1st – A challenge shared by all believers: to trust that God has always and continues to be concerned about our suffering since the beginning of time and He allows suffering. The now nation of Israel could question as to why the 400 year wait for His attention to their suffering.
2nd – How could Moses be the one chosen to lead the Israelites after he demonstrated of trying to help and then fleeing the territory. But now 40 years latter God is speaking with him about this role.
V.7 – shows the plight of the Israelites in their forced labor under the slave drivers of the Egyptians.
V.8 – God declares a rescue plan by stating “I have come down to deliver them out…” Also promises to take them to a land flowing with milk and honey. He mentions several groups of people pin-pointing the territories he would be taking them to.
V.9.10 – That it was the Egyptians who needed to be made aware of their oppression to His people.
V.11,12 – Moses’ question, “Who am I?” a pro forma question – A question done as a formality, not an expression of actual lack of self-confidence. He was being mannerly according to the dictates of his culture.
The fulfillment sign would be when there was a successful exodus out of Egypt and arriving at Mount Sinai to worship there with all the people.