Note: Words are shown in their original Hebrew order, which differs from English translations. This reflects the emphasis and structure of Scripture as originally written. Click any word to see its full lexicon entry.
1Meanwhile, Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
6Then He said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
7The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings.
8I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.
12“I will surely be with you,” God said, “and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, all of you will worship God on this mountain.”
13Then Moses asked God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is His name?’ What should I tell them?”
15God also told Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘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 how I am to be remembered in every generation.
16Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—has appeared to me and said: I have surely attended to you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt.
17And I have promised to bring you up out of your affliction in Egypt, into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey.’
18The elders of Israel will listen to what you say, and you must go with them to the king of Egypt and tell him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.’
22Every woman shall ask her neighbor and any woman staying in her house for silver and gold jewelry and clothing, and you will put them on your sons and daughters. So you will plunder the Egyptians.”
Exodus 3 records one of Scripture's most pivotal moments: God's call to Moses at the burning bush. After forty years of obscurity in the Midianite wilderness, Moses encounters the living God in a way that transforms his life and launches him as Israel's deliverer. This chapter reveals God's character—His awareness of His people's suffering, His sovereign power, and His faithfulness to His covenant promises—while also showcasing Moses' reluctance and God's patient reassurance. The revelation of God's name, "I AM THAT I AM," stands as one of the Bible's most profound declarations of divine self-existence and eternal being.
Moses, tending his father-in-law's flocks in the remote Sinai wilderness, encounters an extraordinary sight: a bush ablaze with fire yet not consumed. In verse 2, the angel of the LORD appears in this flame—a manifestation of God Himself. Rather than fleeing in terror, Moses turns aside to investigate. His natural curiosity becomes the occasion for divine encounter. God doesn't interrupt Moses rudely; He waits until Moses approaches willingly. When Moses draws near, God calls his name twice (verse 4)—"Moses, Moses"—a pattern in Scripture indicating solemnity and affection. Moses responds obediently: "Here am I."
But God immediately establishes proper boundaries (verse 5). The ground is holy because God's presence sanctifies it. Moses must remove his shoes—an act of reverence, submission, and humility before the transcendent God. This teaches us that approaching God requires both willingness to draw near and proper reverence for His holiness.
God identifies Himself by Israel's ancestral covenant (verse 6): "I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." This reveals continuity—God has not forgotten His people or His promises. Moses' fear and the covering of his face (verse 6) reflect the appropriate human response to encountering the holy God.
Verses 7–9 express God's tender awareness of Israel's suffering. God has seen their affliction, heard their cry, and knows their sorrows. This is not a distant deity but a God intimately acquainted with His people's pain. He announces His intention to deliver them to "a land flowing with milk and honey" (verse 8)—a promise rooted in the Abrahamic covenant.
Verse 10 presents the commission: "Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh." Moses responds with profound self-doubt (verse 11): "Who am I?" His reluctance is humanly understandable but spiritually unnecessary. God's reassurance in verse 12 is absolute: "Certainly I will be with thee." God's presence, not Moses' ability, is the foundation of the mission.
Moses raises a shrewd objection: When the Israelites ask, "What is his name?" what should he answer? God's response in verse 14 is revolutionary: "I AM THAT I AM." This Hebrew phrase (Ehyeh asher ehyeh) reveals God's absolute self-existence and eternal being. He is not dependent on anything outside Himself. He simply is. Verse 15 provides the proper name to give Israel: The LORD (Yahweh), with its memorial significance for all generations. This name encompasses God's covenant loyalty and active involvement in history.
Moses is instructed to gather Israel's elders and announce liberation (verses 16–17). God even predicts Pharaoh's resistance (verse 19) and His own mighty interventions—the plagues (verse 20). Remarkably, God promises the Egyptians will willingly give Israel silver, gold, and raiment (verses 21–22), reversing the oppression through divine favor.
Application for Today
When we face seemingly impossible assignments—in witness, service, or sacrifice—God's pattern never changes: His presence is our sufficiency. Like Moses, we may doubt our adequacy, but we serve a God who sees suffering, remembers covenant promises, and equips whom He calls. Our task is to respond with humble obedience, knowing that I AM remains eternally faithful to His people.
Study Notes — Exodus 3
5 sectionsExodus 3 records one of Scripture's most pivotal moments: God's call to Moses at the burning bush. After forty years of obscurity in the Midianite wilderness, Moses encounters the living God in a way that transforms his life and launches him as Israel's deliverer. This chapter reveals God's character—His awareness of His people's suffering, His sovereign power, and His faithfulness to His covenant promises—while also showcasing Moses' reluctance and God's patient reassurance. The revelation of God's name, "I AM THAT I AM," stands as one of the Bible's most profound declarations of divine self-existence and eternal being.
Moses, tending his father-in-law's flocks in the remote Sinai wilderness, encounters an extraordinary sight: a bush ablaze with fire yet not consumed. In verse 2, the angel of the LORD appears in this flame—a manifestation of God Himself. Rather than fleeing in terror, Moses turns aside to investigate. His natural curiosity becomes the occasion for divine encounter. God doesn't interrupt Moses rudely; He waits until Moses approaches willingly. When Moses draws near, God calls his name twice (verse 4)—"Moses, Moses"—a pattern in Scripture indicating solemnity and affection. Moses responds obediently: "Here am I."
But God immediately establishes proper boundaries (verse 5). The ground is holy because God's presence sanctifies it. Moses must remove his shoes—an act of reverence, submission, and humility before the transcendent God. This teaches us that approaching God requires both willingness to draw near and proper reverence for His holiness.
God identifies Himself by Israel's ancestral covenant (verse 6): "I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." This reveals continuity—God has not forgotten His people or His promises. Moses' fear and the covering of his face (verse 6) reflect the appropriate human response to encountering the holy God.
Verses 7–9 express God's tender awareness of Israel's suffering. God has seen their affliction, heard their cry, and knows their sorrows. This is not a distant deity but a God intimately acquainted with His people's pain. He announces His intention to deliver them to "a land flowing with milk and honey" (verse 8)—a promise rooted in the Abrahamic covenant.
Verse 10 presents the commission: "Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh." Moses responds with profound self-doubt (verse 11): "Who am I?" His reluctance is humanly understandable but spiritually unnecessary. God's reassurance in verse 12 is absolute: "Certainly I will be with thee." God's presence, not Moses' ability, is the foundation of the mission.
Moses raises a shrewd objection: When the Israelites ask, "What is his name?" what should he answer? God's response in verse 14 is revolutionary: "I AM THAT I AM." This Hebrew phrase (Ehyeh asher ehyeh) reveals God's absolute self-existence and eternal being. He is not dependent on anything outside Himself. He simply is. Verse 15 provides the proper name to give Israel: The LORD (Yahweh), with its memorial significance for all generations. This name encompasses God's covenant loyalty and active involvement in history.
Moses is instructed to gather Israel's elders and announce liberation (verses 16–17). God even predicts Pharaoh's resistance (verse 19) and His own mighty interventions—the plagues (verse 20). Remarkably, God promises the Egyptians will willingly give Israel silver, gold, and raiment (verses 21–22), reversing the oppression through divine favor.
When we face seemingly impossible assignments—in witness, service, or sacrifice—God's pattern never changes: His presence is our sufficiency. Like Moses, we may doubt our adequacy, but we serve a God who sees suffering, remembers covenant promises, and equips whom He calls. Our task is to respond with humble obedience, knowing that I AM remains eternally faithful to His people.