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| 1 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. |
Now Moses – Now 80 years of age. R5418:3
Perhaps not accidental that Moses' career was divided into two equal periods-40 years of Egyptian training followed by 40 years absence; typical of Israel's double of 1845 years. R2909:6, R1651:6
Kept the flock – His wandering as a shepherd in the wilderness for 40 years made him thoroughly familiar with the terrain; a great advantage to him later as leader of Israel through this wilderness. R5418:6
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| 2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. |
The angel of the LORD – This honored messenger was undoubtedly our Lord Jesus in his pre-human estate. E43
Appeared – There is no reason to suppose that Moses saw the Lord. This is one of the evidences that a spirit being can be present, yet invisible. R155:2*
In a flame of fire – Very little is known of the nature of a spirit body, but the appearing as fire, etc., seems to be their own peculiar glory as they actually are. HG28:4
In an impressive manner to give Moses courage and confidence in his mission. PD32/43
Our Lord might have so appeared to his disciples after his resurrection, but the evidence thus given would have been far from being as convincing as the method he did adopt. B124
Midst of a bush – Supposedly a thorn-bush which sometimes grows to quite a height, known as shittim wood-- the kind of wood used in the construction of the Tabernacle. R3989:5
Behold, the bush – Illustrating the experience of Christ and all of his members. R3989:6
A demonstration of divine power-to establish the faith of his servant. R2910:4, R1652:1
Burned with fire – Representing the fiery trials to which the Lord's people are subject. R3989:6
Bush was not consumed – Spiritual Israel must behold the Lord as the great light, that his justice is as a consuming fire; but that, through Christ, he grants us to see the light without being consumed thereby. R2910:5
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| 3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. |
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| 4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. |
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| 5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. |
Put off thy shoes – Even Moses, the "meekest man in all the earth," needed from the Lord as his first instruction a lesson in humility. R3990:1
Is holy ground – "God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him." (Psa 89:7) R2002:2
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| 6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy 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 upon God. |
I am the God of – This surely meant that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were to be resurrected. PD32/43; R5611:4
God reminded him of the special covenant which he had made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob for an everlasting covenant, thus assuring Moses that God had not forgotten the good things which he had promised. R5261:5
Hid his face – Moses covered his face in reverence. R5261:5
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| 7 And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; |
Seen the affliction – Just as he has seen the affliction of his people in all ages under the reign of sin. R3990:2
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| 8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. |
I am come down – Showing the relationship between the Lord's coming now and the gathering of the Church. R155:3*
To deliver them – The Lord assures us, too, that he is both able and willing to grant deliverance at the appropriate time. R3990:2
The deliverance did not take place immediately, nor did the deliverance of the Church take place immediately after the second advent of Christ. R155:3*
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| 9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.
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| 10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt. |
Pharaoh – Type of Satan. R5273:2, R5419:5; F458
Out of Egypt – Satan's dominion of sin and death. R5643:1, R5273:1; F458
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| 11 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? |
Who am I – All the people of God who would be useful and used in his service must learn this lesson: "Without me ye can do nothing." (John 15:5) R2910:2
Moses was so distrustful of himself that even when called of the Lord he apologized, pleading his unfitness. He did not realize that he only then became fit. R5261:2
His 40 years in Midian had taught Moses meekness and distrust of his ability. He felt the magnitude of the undertaking and of his own insufficiency. R5418:6, R1652:1, R2910:2
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| 12 And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain. |
I will be with thee – The Lord assured Moses that he himself would be responsible. R5419:1, R5262:1
Encouragement for every true servant of the Lord who humbly relies upon his promises while striving to walk in the ways of his appointment. R1652:1
If God be for us, and if God be with us, who can prevail against us? (Rom. 8:31) R2910:1
Like Moses, we must learn that it is not our work but God's work; not our power or ability but the divine power working in and through us. R2909:6
Brought forth the – Moses was a great leader, as well as the meekest of men. SM379:1
Upon this mountain – That very mountain, "the mount of God," to worship him there. R5262:1
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| 13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? |
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| 14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. |
I AM THAT I AM – These words signify the same as the name Jehovah-the self-existent one, the one who always exists. From the same root as "Jehovah." R3990:6, R5262:1, R1052:5*, R5217:3
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| 15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations. |
Thus shalt thou say – Moses represented the entire priestly class and the tribe of Levi in his various functions as Mediator between God and the nation. R4390:1
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| 16 Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt: |
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| 17 And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey. |
Bring you up out of – Representing the call of God's children to come out from the world and to engage in his worship. T25
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| 18 And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God. |
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| 19 And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand. |
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| 20 And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go. |
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| 21 And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty: |
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| 22 But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians. |
Shall borrow – Shaal, asked, requested, begged. R1657:6, R2911:5, R3996:3
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