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The Burning Bush

¹ Now Moses was keeping the flock of ^(C1)Jethro (Reuel) his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to ^(C2)Horeb (Sinai), the ^(C3)mountain of God.^2 (C1)The ^(F1)Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing flame of fire from the midst of a ^(C2)bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was on fire, yet it was not consumed.³ So Moses said, "^(C1)I must turn away from the flock and see this great sight—why the bush is not burned up."⁴ When the LORD saw that he turned away from the flock to look, ^(C1)God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am."⁵ Then God said, "Do not come near; ^(C1)take your sandals off your feet out of respect, because the place on which you are standing is holy ground."⁶ Then He said, "^(C1)I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." ^(C2)Then Moses hid his face, because he was ^(C3)afraid to look at God.

⁷ The LORD said, "I have in fact ^(C1)seen the affliction (suffering, desolation) of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters (oppressors); for I know their pain and suffering.⁸ "So I have come down ^(C1)to rescue them from the hand (power) of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a ^(C2)land that is good and spacious, to a land ^(F1)flowing with milk and honey a land of plenty—to the place of ^(C3)the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite.⁹ "Now, behold, ^(C1)the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me; and I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them.

The Mission of Moses

¹³ Then Moses said to God, "Behold, when I come to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers (ancestors) has sent me to you,' and they say to me, 'What is His name?' What shall I say to them?"¹⁴ God said to Moses, "^(F1)(C1)I AM WHO I AM"; and He said, "You shall say this to the Israelites, 'I AM has sent me to you.'"¹⁵ Then God also said to Moses, "This is what you shall say to the Israelites, '^(C1)The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob (Israel), has sent me to you.' This is My ^(F1)Name forever, and this is My ^(C2)memorial name to all generations.¹⁶ "Go, ^(C1)gather the elders (tribal leaders) of Israel together, and say to them, '^(C2)The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared to me, saying, "^(C3)I am indeed concerned about you and what has been done to you in Egypt.¹⁷ "So I said ^(C1)I will bring you up out of the suffering and oppression of Egypt to the land of ^(C2)the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, to a land ^(F1)(C3)flowing with milk and honey."'¹⁸ "^(C1)The elders of the tribes will listen and pay attention to what you say; and ^(C2)you, with the elders of Israel, shall go to the king of Egypt and you shall say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; so now, please, we ask and plead with you, let us go on a ^(C3)three days' journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.'¹⁹ "But I know that the king of Egypt ^(C1)will not let you go ^(C2)unless he is forced by a strong hand.²⁰ "So I will reach out ^(C1)My hand and strike Egypt with all My ^(C2)wonders which I shall do in the midst of it; and ^(C3)after that he will let you go.²¹ "And I will grant this people ^(C1)favor and respect in the sight of the Egyptians; therefore, it shall be that when you go, you will not go empty-handed.²² "But every woman ^(C1)shall insistently ask her neighbor and any woman who ^(F1)lives in her house, for articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; and you shall put them on your sons and daughters. In this way you are to ^(C2)plunder the Egyptians leaving bondage with great possessions that are rightfully yours." ^(VR1)