Sovereignty of God in the Symbols and Patterns of the Torah Pt 4

Sovereignty of God in the Symbols/Patterns of the Torah Pt 4

Exodus 3:1  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.

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.”

13 Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.”[a] And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” 

1. Background and Context of Moses’ Life: Moses as a Type of Christ

Moses serves as a primary typological figure prefiguring Jesus Christ, with key correspondences throughout his life:

• Threatened Deliverer Motif — Pharaoh’s decree to kill Hebrew baby boys (Exodus 1:22) mirrors Herod’s massacre of the innocents in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:13-18), from which Jesus is protected, just as Moses is spared.
• Adoption into Royalty — Moses’ adoption into Pharaoh’s household as a prince (Exodus 2:10) corresponds to Jesus as the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 28:18).
• Period of Silence — The long silence about Moses’ early life (from childhood to adulthood) parallels the relative silence in the Gospels about Jesus’ youth.
• Descent from Glory — Moses’ transition from Egyptian royalty to a fugitive and shepherd in Midian (Exodus 2:15–3:1) typifies Jesus’ incarnation, descending from divine glory to humanity (John 1:1-14; Philippians 2:6-8).
• Well Encounter — Moses defending and drawing water for women at a well (Exodus 2:15-19) foreshadows Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at a well, offering living water (John 4).
• Mediator and Deliverer — As a mediator, prophet, and deliverer from the house of Levi (Exodus 2:1), Moses points to Jesus as the ultimate prophet, priest, and savior (Hebrews 1:2; 7:26-27; 8:6-13).

Additional parallels include:

• The Israelites enslaved in Egypt for 400 years, with Jesus arriving after Israel’s 400 years of silence from heaven (prophetic intertestamental period).
• Irony in Moses’ life: He shepherds literal sheep for 40 years in preparation, then shepherds Israel (“dumb sheep”) for the next 40 years in the wilderness—training for leadership through humble service.

2. The Angel of the Lord: A Key Figure in the Burning Bush and Beyond

The angel of the Lord appears as a manifestation of God in human form, often functioning as a theophany (visible appearance of God). This entity speaks in the first person as YHWH and reveals YHWH’s name to Moses.

• In the burning bush scene (Exodus 3:2), the angel of the Lord appears first in the flame of fire from the bush, after which the voice of God speaks from it—making the scene layered rather than a simple “fire = God” event.
• Exodus 23:20-22: God sends an angel to guard and lead Israel, with instructions to obey his voice, as “my name is in him” (v. 21). This angel has authority to forgive (or not pardon) transgressions—a divine prerogative—and bears YHWH’s name, identifying him closely with the Lord Himself.
• This anticipates Deuteronomy’s theology of God’s name dwelling in the Temple (earthly presence of the transcendent God).
• The angel appeared to the patriarchs (e.g., Genesis) and notably to Jacob, wrestling with him all night to give him the name Israel (Genesis 32:24-30; Hosea 12:3-4). This was tangible and physical—not merely a vision or dream—showing God’s immanence (concrete influence on earth) alongside transcendence (in heaven).
• An Angel of the Lord appears in the fire before Manoah and foretells the birth of Samson.
• This binitarian idea in ancient Judaism (high God in heaven + His Name/Word/Presence on earth via the angel) anticipates the Christian doctrine of the Trinity.
• Overall, the angel of the Lord serves as the vehicle for theophanies, embodying God’s presence on earth.

3. Key Details of the Burning Bush Encounter (Exodus 3)

God speaks in ordinary, unexpected places—Moses is simply tending sheep after 40 years of routine wilderness life (a “desert” of everyday existence), far into the desolate west side seeking grass.

• Hidden Meaning: God often speaks where we’ve stopped expecting Him; sacred moments invade the mundane, exhaustion, confusion, or routine—not just dramatic or church settings.
• The Thorn Bush Symbolism — The bush is a thorny, lowly plant (Hebrew indicates thorns), tying to Genesis 3’s curse (thorns/thistles as manifestation of sin/suffering after the Fall). God appears in the midst of the thorn bush, entering the effects of sin/suffering humbly, not aloof from it. This shows solidarity with afflicted Israel (slavery, infanticide).
• Bush Burns but Not Consumed — Fire needs no fuel (self-sustaining = God’s aseity: self-existent, independent). God’s presence preserves without destroying the broken/fallen (thorn bush = cursed/ugly). Parallels include: Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego in the furnace (fourth man = divine presence); Isaiah’s “walk through fire, not burned”; Elijah’s chariot of fire; 1 Corinthians 3 (works tested by fire—refined in Christ, burned if not).
• Application — When God dwells in you, judgment fire doesn’t consume you; trials often refine and prepare rather than ruin.

Most know the headline but miss quieter details:

• The bush is ordinary—not a special “holy plant”—fitting God’s pattern of working through humble, everyday things.
• Moses’ initial action: He “turns aside to look” at the unusual sight (Exodus 3:3). God waits and only calls after seeing this curiosity, attentiveness, and willingness to approach the unknown (“When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called…” — Exodus 3:4).
• Principle — Divine encounters start with human response (discernment, paying attention); many miss God’s voice by walking past on autopilot. Transformation begins when we stop cruise control and choose to turn aside.

God calls “Moses, Moses” (repetition = affection/honor in Hebrew). Moses hides his face in fear.

• Removing Sandals — “Do not come near; take off your sandals—the place is holy ground” (Exodus 3:5). Sandals signify respect/humility (like entering a home); ancient Hebrew context includes relinquishing ownership/rights in transactions/covenants (e.g., Ruth/Boaz). Removing them = submission, vulnerability, laying down barriers/protection/old identity. Moses (once a prince) stands barefoot, stripped for a new calling. Holiness demands reverence; God shapes posture (humility/surrender) before purpose.

4. The Burning Bush: Revelation of God’s Nature Through Fire

Fire symbolizes holiness, power, judgment—yet here reveals mercy/preservation (burns without consuming). God is powerful enough to consume but chooses to preserve; His presence is controlled, purposeful.

• Theophanies of Fire — Biblical pattern: Covenant with Abraham (Gen 15), burning bush (Exod 3), pillar of fire (Exod 13), Sinai (Exod 19), sacrifices (Lev 9), judgment (Lev 10), Carmel (1 Kings 18), fiery furnace (Dan 3), Ezekiel’s vision (Ezek 1), Pentecost tongues of fire (Acts 2).
• Why Fire? — Reflects God’s nature: holiness (pure/perfect), purification (refines faith/character). Our God is a “consuming fire.”
• Sproul’s Insight — The Bible repeats “holy, holy, holy” (trisagion: Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8)—strongest Hebrew emphasis—never “love, love, love,” “mercy, mercy, mercy,” or “wrath, wrath, wrath.” Holiness is the central attribute defining all others (holy love, holy justice, holy mercy). Pentecost’s tongues of fire show this divine presence now indwells believers.

The bush (ordinary/fragile) becomes a vessel; God dwells in weakness without destroying it, choosing ordinary people for extraordinary purposes. Reassurance: Hardships ahead, but God sustains/refines/transforms without erasing identity.

The fire-theophany is a private calling moment for Moses—not a public miracle to free Israel.

5. Moses’ Response: Fear, Insecurity, and Resistance

Moses hides in fear, feeling unworthy. The calling surfaces insecurities (failures, exile, obscurity). He objects repeatedly: Who am I? What’s Your name? What if they don’t believe? I’m not eloquent.

• Hesitation stems from self-awareness, not rebellion. God doesn’t deny weaknesses but redirects: “I will be with you” (recurring promise: Joshua, apostles, etc.). Success depends on God’s presence/power, not Moses’ confidence.
• Timeless Truth — God calls the unqualified/teachable; calling is about trust/dependence, not personal greatness. Obedience > certainty; God’s power shines through human weakness.

6. God’s Compassion and Self-Revelation

God declares: “I have seen… heard… know their sufferings” (“know” = yada, intimate/experiential). “I have come down” to deliver—not indifferent. Promised land “flowing with milk and honey” (milk = nurturing care; honey = everlasting sweetness).

• Assurance: “I will be with you.” Sign: Moses will return to this mountain (Sinai, later on fire/quaking)—trust the fire won’t consume, as seen in the bush prototype.

7. God’s Name: “I AM WHO I AM” (Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh)

Moses asks, “What is Your name?” God replies: self-existent, uncreated, indestructible, continuous Being (Exodus 3:14).

• Contrast ancient views: realm of “becoming” (change/flux/temporary) vs. unchanging “being.”
• Prefigures philosophers (Parmenides: unchanging being real; Heraclitus: only flux; Plato: Forms vs. shadows).
• NT fulfillment: Christ = ultimate Being/reality (Colossians 2:17; Hebrews 8-10 shadows point to Him). Being enters becoming: Jesus becomes man, enters suffering/death, defeats it, enables eternal growth into His image.
• Burning Bush Foreshadow — Self-sustaining fire in thorn bush → Christ crowned with thorns (parallel to Genesis 22 ram/burnt offering).
• Promise of Presence — “I AM” = present, steady, unchanging, here now. God sends Moses with His presence into fears/unknowns.

8. Overall Message and Personal Application

The burning bush reveals God’s humility (enters suffering/thorns), aseity (self-sustaining), preservation (doesn’t consume broken), compassion (“I see, hear, know, come down”).

• Points to Christ: Ultimate Being enters becoming, wears thorns, faces wrath (death), resurrects → redeems us. Solves philosophical longings: meaning in suffering, reality beyond illusion, transcendence + intimacy. God cares enough about our changing world to enter it.

Today:

• God meets us in ordinary places/deserts.
• His presence transforms without destroying.
• He calls the insecure/imperfect/unqualified.
• He goes with us into feared places.
• The fire that does not consume is God’s sustaining mercy—refining, not ruining.

Encouragement: If you feel unnoticed, exhausted, unqualified, or unsure—remember Moses. God doesn’t wait for “ready”; He meets you where you are, speaks through overlooked moments, and lights a sustaining fire in you. You stand on holy ground—even in a desert—because God is there.

What we learn of the Sovereignty of God:

1. God Is Self-Existent and Independent (Aseity)

• The bush burns without fuel or consumption → fire is self-sustaining, needing no external source.
• This illustrates God’s aseity: He exists by His own power, depends on nothing/anyone, and sustains Himself eternally.
• Culminates in God’s name: “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14) → “I exist eternally and unchangingly; I am the source of all being.” He is not defined by creation, time, or circumstances—He simply is.
• Sovereignty implication: God is not contingent on human effort, history, or the world; everything else depends on Him.

2. God Sovereignly Orchestrates History and Redemption

• God reveals He has seen, heard, known (experientially) Israel’s affliction and come down to deliver them (Exodus 3:7-8)
• Sovereignty implication: God rules over empires (Egypt/Pharaoh), time (400 years of slavery as part of the plan), and opposition; nothing thwarts His redemptive purposes.

3. God Sovereignly Calls and Equips the Unqualified

• Moses is an 80-year-old fugitive shepherd, feeling unworthy (“Who am I?” Exodus 3:11).
• Sovereignty implication: Calling flows from God’s initiative and power; human weakness highlights divine strength. God involves people in His plan without needing their perfection.

4. God’s Presence Preserves and Transforms Without Destruction

• Fire (symbol of judgment/holiness) burns the bush but does not consume it → God’s sovereign presence dwells in the broken/fallen (thorn bush = curse of sin) yet protects and sustains.
• Foreshadows: God’s people in fiery trials (e.g., furnace in Daniel, refinement in 1 Corinthians 3) are not destroyed when God is with them.
• Sovereignty implication: God controls judgment and mercy; His holiness does not annihilate what He touches—He refines, preserves, and glorifies.

Conclusion: Broader Theological Tie-In

• The encounter foreshadows Christ (Angel of the Lord as divine appearance; thorn bush → crown of thorns; Being entering “becoming”).
• God’s sovereignty resolves philosophical tensions (unchanging Being vs. changing world) by entering history to redeem it.
• Ultimate lesson: God’s sovereignty means nothing is accidental—affliction, calling, deliverance—all serve His glory and purposes.