The Burning Bush

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. And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” 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.” Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 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. 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, 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. 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. Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” (Exodus 3: 2 to 10)

We don't know much about Median and why Moses escaped to that place. Yet we do know that Median was where Mount Sinai, or Mount Horeb is. Also, Moses's father in law Jethro was a Median priest. His descendants' Rechabites were very obedient as described in the Bible Below.

Then I set before the Rechabites pitchers full of wine, and cups, and I said to them, “Drink wine.” But they answered, “We will drink no wine, for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, ‘You shall not drink wine, neither you nor your sons forever. You shall not build a house; you shall not sow seed; you shall not plant or have a vineyard; but you shall live in tents all your days, that you may live many days in the land where you sojourn.’ We have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he commanded us, to drink no wine all our days, ourselves, our wives, our sons, or our daughters, and not to build houses to dwell in. We have no vineyard or field or seed, but we have lived in tents and have obeyed and done all that Jonadab our father commanded us. (Jeremiah 35: 5 to 10)

Because of their obedience, God asked Jeremiah to compare them to the disobedient Israelites. Maybe Moses also was accustomed to Midian's obedient tradition by living with them. So, God chose Median to reveal His calling to Moses. Then why a bush that was burning but not consumed? That might symbolize God's messages to Moses. The bush in the desert symbolized Israelites in Egypt where they didn't belong. The un-consuming fire symbolized the affliction and oppression from the Egyptians which couldn't destroy Israelites as God promised to deliver them back to the land flowing with milk and honey. Also God promised to be with Moses as described below.

But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” 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.” (Exodus 3: 11 12)

Indeed, God could accomplish everything Himself. Yet, He wanted Moses to work with Him so that Israelites could serve Him on the mountain later. To deliver Israelites from Egypt was just a start. God wanted to live with them. It's true then and it's true nowadays. Christ saved us with himself as the sacrifice so that we could live with God to serve Him. To do so, God would not hide Himself just like how he delivered the Israelites. It's a blessing for everyone who is saved by grace. Emmanuel.

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