I AM AT THE BURNING BUSH

“God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” 15 Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The Lord 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” (Exo 3:14,15).

In Hebrew, the root meaning of the name Jehovah means “To be”. It relates to the word “To live or Life”. The literal meaning of the name is “I am the one who is” or, simply said, “I AM.” In other words, Jehovah is the Eternal absolutely self-existent God. He has the power of being Himself and depends on nothing and no one for His existence. What makes God different from people, from the stars and from any other creature is that God—and God alone exists by His own power. He is uncreated. He exists in and of Himself. This is a quality that no creature shares. People, stars or cars are not self-existent. If God is self-existent, eternal, and pure, then He is therefore, a higher order of being. It is for that reason that God calls Himself “I AM”. Jehovah God is eternal and unchangeable. All other names of God derive from His works except the name Jehovah. This name describes His person. In other words, God was, God is, God will always be. God is all-present or omnipresent; seeing, knowing, and actually being with us. It signifies God’s eternal, self-existent nature and His covenantal faithfulness. The Jews, out of their reverence for God’s command “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain” (Ex 20:7), held that the word YHWY was sacred. They decreed it should only be spoken by the high priest during the Day of Atonement. For other occasions, the name Adonai was substituted for YHWY.

At the burning bush, Moses is commissioned as God’s representative, emphasizing the divine authority behind his mission. This legitimizes his leadership and the message he brings to the Israelites. God’s name, Jehovah is declared eternal, signifying His unchanging nature and perpetual covenant with His people. God’s identity and promises are unchangeable. By identifying Himself as the God of specific individuals, God emphasizes His personal relationship with His people. This invites believers to seek a personal and intimate relationship with God. Just as God sent Moses to deliver Israel, He sends Jesus to deliver humanity from sin. We are called to trust in God’s plan for salvation and deliverance that reveal the Love of God! God’s name is a Memorial. It is to be remembered from generation to generation. We are to be faithful in teaching the next generation who God is, how to pray and how to worship Him. God’s name carries His fame, His reputation. It also bears His very being. You cannot separate the LORD from His name. In His Name you are taught His character, what sets Him apart from everyone else, what makes Him to be God unlike any god, what makes Him holy—distinct, different, unique, separate from all others, what He does for you and for all.

The name Elohim shows God the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. It is a general name. It shows the works of God. But the name Jehovah is the name of personal revelation to a people. He revealed Himself to Isreal first, thru the written Word, the commandments He gave to them thru Moses. The first time the name Jehovah appeared in the Old Testament was in Genesis 2:4. It connects to the name Elohim. Before then, it was only Elohim, the God of creation. Now, as God prepares to enter into a relationship with man, His introduces His name Jehovah. Elohim loves all Creation because they are the work of His hands. But Jehovah loves men individually, those who obey His Word. Jehovah warns that if His people disobey His Word, He will punish them. In Genesis 3, Satan did not mention the name Jehovah, only Elohim. When Eve answers Satan, she too only uses the name Elohim. Once man sinned, he cannot pronounce the name Jehovah, who is holy and punishes disobedience. After Adam and Eve sinned, it was Jehovah who sent them out of the Garden (Gen 3:23). The name Jehovah is always connected to Righteousness and holiness. “For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness; His countenance beholds the upright” (Ps 11:7). Isaiah heard the seraphim around the throne saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts (Jehovah Sabaoth). The whole earth is full of His glory!” (Isa 6:3). Because Jehovah is righteous and holy, He punishes sin. It is Jehovah who destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 19:24). When we read that God is angry with the rebellious people, it is usually Jehovah. “And the LORD (Jehovah) said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book” (Exo 32:33).

Jehovah is the God of revelation. He appears to His people when they need Him. He communicates with His people and guides them. Jehovah is the faithful, loving, covenant keeping God. His Love towards His people is “everlasting”; eternal and transcends time. It is covenantal and based on the promises God made to Abraham: “And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you” (Gen 17:7). God’s Love continues even when Isreal was unfaithful. It points to God’s mercy and Grace found in Christ alone. But Jehovah is also seen as the God who loves His people and grieves for them when they backslide. “The LORD (Jehovah) has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore, with lovingkindness I have drawn you” (Jer 31:3). We are told that “In all their affliction He (Jehovah) was afflicted” (Isa 63:9). But when they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit “He turned Himself against them as an enemy, And He fought against them” (Isa 63:10). As Jehovah, His holiness must punish, but His love must redeem. Jehovah desires fellowship with man. Jehovah teaches man to come to Him with an animal sacrifice the way Abel did. In Leviticus 16, describing the Day of Atonement, it is only the name Jehovah that appears, and that, 12 times. The name Jehovah stands for hope for sinful man who is called to pray and offer sacrifices. This everlasting Love of Jehovah is the same as the Love Christ has for the Church. “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her” (Eph 5:25). Selah!

JEHOVAH MEETS MOSES AT THE BURNING BUSH (Exodus 3 and 4)

This is the story of the encounter between Jehovah Elohim and Moses, in the desert of Midian, at the burning bush. As a baby, Moses was saved from the Nile by Pharoah’s daughter and grew up in Egypt. Culturally, he was an Egyptian. But his DNA was Jewish. He wanted to help his people, but his people rejected him. He killed an Egyptian who was attacking a Jew. People discovered the crime. He ran away from Pharoah and for 40 years, he stayed in the desert, living as a simple shepherd. He is now 80 years old. One day, he saw a bush in the fire. That was a common site in the hot desert. What attracted him was that the bush was not consumed. That was a miracle. The bush that was on fire was a common bush. There was nothing supernatural about the bush itself. The bush was on fire but not consumed. It means that the bush itself was not burning. The fire was in the bush, but it was independent of the bush. It was not using the bush for its fuel. That is why the bush was not consumed. The fire was burning by its own power. This was a Theophany. In Greek, “Theo” means God. “Phany” means manifesting. Our God is Spirit. He is invisible to the human eye. Sometimes, God makes Himself visible thru some manifestation. That is called Theophany. Fire burning in the bush is not a natural phenomenon. This was a completely supernatural reality.

Moses was seeing in this fire a manifestation of the Shekinah glory of God. The glory of God flows from His inner being. It is so powerful that it overwhelms anyone who encounters it. At special points in time, God manifests His glory to man generally as Fire. Moses went closer to see the miracle and suddenly, from the fire, God spoke to Him. God introduces Himself by His personal eternal name, Jehovah, the I AM WHO I AM. Jehovah appoints and sends Moses to Egypt to command Pharoah to let the Hebrews go to the desert to worship Him. Moses argues with God. Like us, he has a deep inferiority complex. His past was bad. He killed an Egyptian and ran away from Egypt. He is a criminal and a fugitive. He squandered his opportunities to be a leader of God’s people. His future was uncertain. He was an old man of 80. He was slow to speak, maybe a stammerer. Living in Midian for 40 years, he has forgotten both the Egyptian and the Jewish languages. How can he lead God’s people to freedom? Between a past of squandered opportunities and an uncertain future, between regrets and fears, Moses stands before Jehovah God. This is his present reality. What will he do now? Moses eventually agrees to obey God’s commands. Lesson: Faith in God and obedience to God’s Word in the present removes all the regrets of the past and the fears of the future! Trust God that even your past mistakes are covered by Him and He will work all things for your good and for His purpose. Have faith that God can still use you to do great things. In your present, right now, ask God how you can work for Him!

These are some excuses Moses gave to God why he cannot obey Him: Who am I? I don’t know God’s name… The people will not believe that I met with You, God… I can’t speak well… Another person is better than me (Exodus 3:11,13; 4:1,10,13). Most people make excuses, but not all. When called by God, Isaiah said: “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me” (Isa 6:8). Samuel said: “Now the LORD came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant hears” (1Sam 3:10). May we all say to God: Yes, Sir! Yes, Lord!

What really surprises Moses is that he is God’s answer to lead His people out of bondage. He is the solution to their suffering. God tells Moses that this assignment will not be easy. Pharoah will resist Moses. Even without that information, Moses is not confident in God’s plan because he is not confident in himself. The conversation between Jehovah God and Moses is like a Father talking to his son. The son has doubts, but the father reassures him that he is capable. In this situation, God reaffirms Moses that He will be with him during this journey. Lesson: God is omnipresent. God sees us when we go to sleep and when we wake up. Even if we are in the desert of life, in old age or in need, He finds us where we are even when we don’t know where to find Him. God initiates this encounter. God choses to appear to Moses in an extraordinary way. God is sovereign in the way He manifests to each of us. God’s plan for Moses did not start in front of that burning bush. God had it in mind before the foundation of the world. God has a purpose for each of His children. God calls you to do something for Him. This becomes the vision of your life. Even if you have doubts like Moses, because God is with you, success is sure! Jehovah God is concerned about our suffering. He will make a way for us to be free. He will send a human leader. We must submit and trust the leader. 

JEHOVAH IS THE GOD OF ENCOUNTER, REVELATION AND HOLY CALLING BY FIRE

In the Bible, there are two types of calling: 1-Jesus is calling us to Himself; 2-Jesus is calling us to a specific work assignment. When the apostle Paul proclaims that we are “called according to His purpose”(Rom 8:28, KJ) he is explaining how Jesus saves us and adopts us into His family. But when God says to Jeremiah: “Before you were born … I appointed you as a prophet to the nations,” (Jer 1:5) the calling is to a specific work assignment. God had a job for Jeremiah. God also had work for Moses. His instructions were very specific: “I am sending you to Pharaoh,” God says, “to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt” (Ex 3:10). That work assignment was to occupy Moses for the rest of his career and life, a span of more than 40 years.

Jesus calls each of His children to work for God. The call is always personal. He calls us to use the gifts He gave to us. Each one of us are internally prepared in advance for God’s work. The call will bring the greatest satisfaction known to man and has eternal significance. By obeying God’s call, we make history. God rewards faithfulness and obedience to His call. Many Christians think that success in business or getting richer is God’s plan for them. But that is not it. To live a life of purpose you must hear, know and obey God’s call for your life. Doing God’s will bring job satisfaction like no other job. “For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us]” (Eph 2:10).

How does God call us to work for Him?

*He calls you by name and tells you what your work assignment is. This is how God called Moses and Saul (Exo 3:1-10; Acts 9:4-6).

*God places a desire in your heart to work for Him. This is how God called Isaiah and Nehemiah (Isa 6, Neh 1).

*God pre-arranges your path in life: John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way for Jesus (Mk 1:1-7).

*God opens a door of opportunity to work for Him. You enter. Elisha burnt all bridges and followed Elijah, to serve him (1Kg 19:19-21).

The fire in the bush was the Glory of God revealed to Moses. When God met with Saul on the road to Damascus, “suddenly a light shone around him from heaven” (Ac 9:3). Later, when Paul talked to King Agrippa, he said: “at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me” (Ac 26:13). This blinding light was seen not only by Saul, but also by the men in his entourage. God calls their names two times: Moses, Moses, and Saul, Saul. Just this encounter with the glory of God changes these two men forever.

When Jesus was born, the Shekinah glory also appeared. It was not in the manger; it was not around Joseph and Mary. It was on the hill around Bethlehem. What Moses and Saul saw, the shepherds saw. “Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Ac 2:8-11). It was not so much what was in that bush, but WHO was in that bush. It was not only the glory of God the Father, but the glory of God the Son, in His eternal power and beauty. The glory of God’s Son manifested on the Mount of Transfiguration.

Moses’ strength to work came from God’s presence with him. We must trust that God supplies what we lack. Humanly speaking, Moses could not do what God said: to free a whole nation from slavery and lead God’s people to worship God. Moses had doubts. But he also had faith. He continued to maintain his relationship with God trusting God to help him despite his doubts. Moses doubted God’s Word because he looked at the circumstances and he looked at himself. We must look unto God alone. We must train our spirit to gaze on Jesus alone. Also, when we read about these Bible heroes, we should be encouraged to work for God. What God has done in the life of one, He will do it for us. Moses had obstacles. But he defeated them all because God never left his side. This is God’s Word: “I WILL NEVER [under any circumstances] DESERT YOU [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], NOR WILL I FORSAKE or LET YOU DOWN or RELAX MY HOLD ON YOU [assuredly not]!” (Heb 13:5; AMP). Jesus said: “I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually—regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age” (Matt 28:20; AMP).

SOME LESSONS TAKEN FROM BURNING BUSH

*God can call anyone to His service, no matter the human limitations. You are never too young (Jeremiah) or too old (Moses) to serve God!

*God can locate you in any place, even in the desert or like Jonah, in the belly of the fish! Moses was doing his routine work, taking care of the sheep. Be faithful in your work!

*God must get your attention first before He talks to you! Moses went closer to see why the burning bush is not consumed.

*Remove your shoes. They have worldly dust. You can pollute the holy ground. Separate yourself from the world!

*God’s call requires Faith, sacrifice, obedience, faithfulness, fear or God and total submission! You must be holy, separated from the world!

*Knowing God’s name gives you confidence, courage and authority!

*The burning Bush signifies God’s presence. It is eternal. It also signifies God’s people who are persecuted yet not forsaken. Like Daniel’s friends in the furnace.

*Jehovah sent Moses to redeem Isreal. Jehovah is a Redeemer. Redemption is always from something (Egypt) to something (Promised Land).

*No matter what you have done in the past, God is able to cleanse you from sin and to give you another chance to serve Him!

*God is a God of miracles! God can use ordinary people to do extraordinary works!

*God will compensate you for your losses. After 400 years of slavery, God’s children left Egypt taking silver and gold. They used these to build the tabernacle in the wilderness that costs millions of dollars.

*Jesus is Jehovah God. He said: “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM” (Jn8:58). It is the pre-existence of Jesus as God!

God has work for each of us. God gives us the wisdom and strength to do His work. He gives us the strategy too. Each one of us is unique in the way we work for God. Our job is not some random choice that makes no difference. The call’s primary objective is not to put food on the table and provide a comfortable retirement. Work is not a punishment or a curse. Our individual work calling is part of God’s larger agenda in history. To be called to work for God it means we know what we are doing and what Jesus wants us to do. We work for God happily, zealously and faithfully. This is a warning: along the way, many Christians fall in love with God’s work and start worshipping the ministry. Repent of that sin! We work for God, but we worship God alone! Worship the Lord!