Bible ReadingExodus 3:1-15 “Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 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.’ 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.’ 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?’ God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And he said, ‘Say this to the people of Israel: “I AM has sent me to you.”’ God also said to Moses, ‘Say this to the people of Israel: “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 thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.’”
[45:23] [46:27] [47:38] [50:22] [51:26]Deuteronomy 6:4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”
[39:18]Philippians 2:5-11 “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
[01:11:00]Observation questions- In Exodus 3, what details show that Moses is meeting a holy and personal God, not just seeing a strange event in the desert? [46:27]
- What does God say he has seen, heard, and decided to do for Israel before Moses ever agrees to anything? [47:38]
- What questions or objections does Moses raise when God tells him to go back to Egypt? [50:22]
- What names or titles for God show up in these passages, and what do they reveal about who he is: “the Lord,” “I AM,” “God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,” and “Jesus Christ is Lord”? [51:26]
Interpretation questions- God answers Moses’ “Who am I?” with “I will be with you.” What does that say about where confidence for obedience is supposed to come from? [50:39]
- God’s name “I AM WHO I AM” is simple, but it carries a lot of weight. How does that name speak into a world full of rival loyalties, fears, and false saviors? [51:57]
- Moses clearly recognizes Yahweh at the burning bush, but recognition is not the same as surrender. What is the difference between believing God is real and actually treating him as Lord and Master? [58:01]
- Philippians 2 says Jesus bears the name above every name and humbled himself to the cross. How does Jesus help make sense of God’s rescue in Exodus and God’s desire to come near to his people? [01:02:22]
Application questions- Moses’ first response is basically, “Who am I?” Where does that question show up in life right now—at home, at work, in relationships, or in some act of obedience that feels too big? [50:22]
- God does not ignore suffering. He sees misery, hears cries, and comes down to rescue. Where is it hard right now to believe that God really sees what is happening, and what would it look like to trust his concern instead of despair? [47:38]
- It is possible to know God’s name and still resist God’s lead. In what area is it easiest to acknowledge God while still holding onto control? [58:06]
- Sometimes life can become “okay” in a way that keeps a person from deeper obedience. What might “okay” look like right now, and where might God be calling for trust beyond comfort? [01:05:20]
- Moses had to decide whether Yahweh would also be his Adonai. What practical habits help move faith from general belief to daily surrender? [54:37]
- Jesus came near, gave himself on the cross, and sent the Spirit so God’s people could live close to him. What would building a life on him look like this week in one concrete choice? [01:04:27]
- If Jehovah is worthy of trust, then letting go of control becomes part of faith. What is one situation right now where letting go of control would actually look like obedience, not passivity? [01:05:14]
