Exodus 3 Study Notes
General
What does God tell Moses about how Pharaoh will respond (Exodus 3:19-20)?
Answer: Pharaoh will refuse until God forces him by striking Egypt with wonders, and then he will let them go
God does not hide the difficulty from Moses. He knows ahead of time that Egypt's king will refuse to release Israel unless forced by overwhelming power (3:19). So God will reach out His hand and strike Egypt with all the amazing deeds He will do there, and after that Pharaoh will send them away (3:20). God knows the future and governs it. He repeats this promise later (Exodus 6:1), and it comes true when Pharaoh finally summons Moses and Aaron in the night and orders Israel to leave (Exodus 12:31). Israel later confessed that the LORD brought them out by His great power, with signs and wonders (Deuteronomy 26:8).
- Exodus 3:19-20 (BSB)“But I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go unless a mighty hand compels him. So I will stretch out My hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders I will perform among them. And after that, he will release you.”God foretells that Pharaoh will refuse unless compelled, and that He will strike Egypt with wonders until Pharaoh lets Israel go.
- Exodus 6:1 (BSB)“But the LORD said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh, for because of My mighty hand he will let the people go; because of My strong hand he will drive them out of his land.””God repeats that because of His mighty hand Pharaoh will let the people go.
- Exodus 12:31 (BSB)“Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron by night and said, “Get up, leave my people, both you and the Israelites! Go, worship the LORD as you have requested.”Pharaoh finally summons Moses and Aaron by night and tells Israel to leave.
- Deuteronomy 26:8 (BSB)“Then the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror, signs, and wonders.”Israel confesses that the LORD brought them out with a mighty hand and signs and wonders.
Theological
What does God foretell in Exodus 3:19-20 about Pharaoh's response and its outcome?
Answer: Pharaoh will refuse unless compelled by overwhelming power, and God's wonders will bring about Israel's release
God forewarns Moses that Egypt's king will not permit Israel to go except under the compulsion of a mighty hand (3:19), and He declares that He will stretch out His hand and strike Egypt with all His wonders, after which Pharaoh will release them (3:20). The outcome is announced before the conflict begins, displaying God's foreknowledge and sovereign control of history. The promise is renewed in Exodus 6:1 and fulfilled when Pharaoh calls for Moses and Aaron in the night and orders Israel out (Exodus 12:31), which Israel later confesses as deliverance by God's powerful hand, with signs and wonders (Deuteronomy 26:8).
- Exodus 3:19-20 (BSB)“But I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go unless a mighty hand compels him. So I will stretch out My hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders I will perform among them. And after that, he will release you.”God foretells that Pharaoh will refuse unless compelled, and that He will strike Egypt with wonders until Pharaoh lets Israel go.
- Exodus 6:1 (BSB)“But the LORD said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh, for because of My mighty hand he will let the people go; because of My strong hand he will drive them out of his land.””God repeats that because of His mighty hand Pharaoh will let the people go.
- Exodus 12:31 (BSB)“Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron by night and said, “Get up, leave my people, both you and the Israelites! Go, worship the LORD as you have requested.”Pharaoh finally summons Moses and Aaron by night and tells Israel to leave.
- Deuteronomy 26:8 (BSB)“Then the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror, signs, and wonders.”Israel confesses that the LORD brought them out with a mighty hand and signs and wonders.
General
According to Exodus 3:16-18, what were Moses and the elders to ask of Egypt's king?
Answer: To let Israel travel three days out into the desert to offer sacrifices to the LORD
God tells Moses to gather Israel's leaders and tell them that the LORD, their ancestors' God, has appeared to him, has taken notice of them, and has promised to bring them out of their misery into the good land (3:16-17). God assures Moses that the elders will listen. Then Moses and the elders are to go to Egypt's king and ask permission to travel three days out into the desert to offer sacrifices to the LORD their God (3:18). Both steps follow: the elders are gathered, and the people believe and worship (Exodus 4:29-31), and Moses and Aaron bring the request to Pharaoh (Exodus 5:1-3).
- Exodus 3:16-18 (BSB)“Go, 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. And 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.’ The 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.’”God tells Moses to gather Israel's elders with His message and then ask Pharaoh for a three-day journey to sacrifice.
- Exodus 4:29-31 (BSB)“Then Moses and Aaron went and assembled all the elders of the Israelites, and Aaron relayed everything the LORD had said to Moses. And Moses performed the signs before the people, and they believed. And when they heard that the LORD had attended to the Israelites and had seen their affliction, they bowed down and worshiped.”When Moses and Aaron gather the elders and deliver God's message, the people believe and worship.
- Exodus 5:1-3 (BSB)“After that, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’” But Pharaoh replied, “Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and I will not let Israel go.” “The God of the Hebrews has met with us,” they answered. “Please let us go on a three-day journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to the LORD our God, or He may strike us with plagues or with the sword.””Moses and Aaron make the request to Pharaoh, who refuses to acknowledge the LORD.
Theological
What sequence of actions does God lay out for Moses in Exodus 3:16-18?
Answer: Gather the elders with God's message, then approach Pharaoh together to request three days' travel to sacrifice
Moses is first to assemble Israel's elders and announce that the LORD, their ancestors' God, has appeared to him and has attended to His people, promising to lead them from affliction to the land of promise (3:16-17). God foretells that they will heed him. Then Moses and the elders are to approach Pharaoh with a request to travel three days into the desert and offer sacrifice there (3:18). The narrative confirms both steps: the elders are gathered, and the people believe and worship (Exodus 4:29-31), and the request is presented, meeting Pharaoh's defiant refusal to acknowledge the LORD (Exodus 5:1-3).
- Exodus 3:16-18 (BSB)“Go, 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. And 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.’ The 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.’”God tells Moses to gather Israel's elders with His message and then ask Pharaoh for a three-day journey to sacrifice.
- Exodus 4:29-31 (BSB)“Then Moses and Aaron went and assembled all the elders of the Israelites, and Aaron relayed everything the LORD had said to Moses. And Moses performed the signs before the people, and they believed. And when they heard that the LORD had attended to the Israelites and had seen their affliction, they bowed down and worshiped.”When Moses and Aaron gather the elders and deliver God's message, the people believe and worship.
- Exodus 5:1-3 (BSB)“After that, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’” But Pharaoh replied, “Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and I will not let Israel go.” “The God of the Hebrews has met with us,” they answered. “Please let us go on a three-day journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to the LORD our God, or He may strike us with plagues or with the sword.””Moses and Aaron make the request to Pharaoh, who refuses to acknowledge the LORD.
General
How did Jesus later use God's words from the bush in Exodus 3:6?
Answer: To prove that the dead will rise, since God is God of those who are alive
God introduces Himself as the God of Moses' father and of the three patriarchs, and Moses hides his face, afraid to gaze on God (3:6). His fear fits what God later tells him, that no human may look on God's face and survive (Exodus 33:20), and Stephen says Moses trembled (Acts 7:32). Centuries later Jesus answered people who denied the resurrection by pointing to this very verse. God did not say He used to be the patriarchs' God but that He is their God, and He is God of those who live, not of corpses (Matthew 22:31-32). The patriarchs belong to God still, and they will rise.
- Exodus 3:6 (BSB)“Then 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.”God identifies Himself as the God of Moses' father and of the patriarchs, and Moses hides his face in fear.
- Matthew 22:31-32 (BSB)“But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what God said to you: ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.””Jesus uses this self-identification to prove the resurrection: God is the God of the living.
- Exodus 33:20 (BSB)“But He added, “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.””God later tells Moses that no one can see His face and live, explaining Moses' fear here.
- Acts 7:32 (BSB)“‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.”Stephen notes that Moses trembled and did not dare to look.
Theological
What does Jesus deduce from God's self-identification at the bush (Exodus 3:6)?
Answer: The reality of the resurrection, since God is God of those who live, not of corpses
At the bush God identifies Himself as the God of Moses' father and of the three patriarchs, and Moses hides his face in fear (3:6), a reaction grounded in the truth that no human may look upon God's face and survive (Exodus 33:20); Stephen adds that Moses trembled (Acts 7:32). Jesus draws from this covenant formula a proof of the resurrection against the Sadducees: God speaks of Himself in the present tense as the patriarchs' God, and He is God of those who live, not of corpses (Matthew 22:31-32). The covenant relationship itself implies life beyond death, for God does not cease to be the God of those He has bound to Himself.
- Exodus 3:6 (BSB)“Then 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.”God identifies Himself as the God of Moses' father and of the patriarchs, and Moses hides his face in fear.
- Matthew 22:31-32 (BSB)“But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what God said to you: ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.””Jesus uses this self-identification to prove the resurrection: God is the God of the living.
- Exodus 33:20 (BSB)“But He added, “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.””God later tells Moses that no one can see His face and live, explaining Moses' fear here.
- Acts 7:32 (BSB)“‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.”Stephen notes that Moses trembled and did not dare to look.
General
According to Exodus 3:7-8, what does God say He has done in response to Israel's suffering?
Answer: He has seen their misery, heard their cry, known their pain, and descended to free them
God tells Moses that He has clearly seen His people's misery in Egypt, heard their cries because of their slave masters, and knows their pain (3:7). Then He announces that He has descended to free them from Egypt's power and bring them into a good and broad land (3:8). God is not distant or unaware. Isaiah later says that God shared in every affliction of His people and that in love He redeemed them (Isaiah 63:9). Stephen repeats God's words to Moses (Acts 7:34), and the psalmist says the LORD hears the cries of His people and rescues them (Psalm 34:17).
- Exodus 3:7-8 (BSB)“The 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. I 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.”The LORD declares that He has seen, heard, and known Israel's suffering and has come down to rescue them and bring them to a good land.
- Acts 7:34 (BSB)“I have indeed seen the oppression of My people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’”Stephen quotes God's announcement that He has seen the oppression and come down to deliver.
- Isaiah 63:9 (BSB)“In all their distress, He too was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them. In His love and compassion He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.”In all Israel's distress God was afflicted, and in love He redeemed them.
- Psalm 34:17 (BSB)“The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears; He delivers them from all their troubles.”The LORD hears the cry of the righteous and delivers them.
Theological
What does God's speech in Exodus 3:7-8 reveal about His relationship to Israel's affliction?
Answer: He sees, hears, and knows their suffering and has descended to set them free
The LORD's speech piles up verbs of divine attention: He has witnessed His people's affliction, heard their cry because of their taskmasters, and knows their sufferings (3:7). The language of descending to set them free and bring them to a good land (3:8) is anthropomorphic, but it expresses a real, decisive intervention in history. God calls them My people, already His by covenant before the exodus. Isaiah reflects that in all their affliction He was afflicted and in love redeemed them (Isaiah 63:9); Stephen repeats the announcement (Acts 7:34); and the psalmist generalizes the pattern (Psalm 34:17).
- Exodus 3:7-8 (BSB)“The 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. I 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.”The LORD declares that He has seen, heard, and known Israel's suffering and has come down to rescue them and bring them to a good land.
- Acts 7:34 (BSB)“I have indeed seen the oppression of My people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’”Stephen quotes God's announcement that He has seen the oppression and come down to deliver.
- Isaiah 63:9 (BSB)“In all their distress, He too was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them. In His love and compassion He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.”In all Israel's distress God was afflicted, and in love He redeemed them.
- Psalm 34:17 (BSB)“The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears; He delivers them from all their troubles.”The LORD hears the cry of the righteous and delivers them.
General
What task does God give Moses in Exodus 3:9-10?
Answer: To confront Pharaoh and lead Israel to freedom
God repeats that Israel's cry has reached Him and that He has seen the cruel oppression (3:9). Then comes the commission: God is sending Moses to Pharaoh to lead God's people to freedom (3:10). The deliverance is God's work, but He chooses to carry it out through a human messenger. Stephen points out that the same Moses whom Israel had rejected forty years earlier is now the one God sends to lead and redeem them (Acts 7:35), and Hebrews commends Moses as a faithful servant in God's household (Hebrews 3:5-6).
- Exodus 3:9-10 (BSB)“And now the cry of the Israelites has reached Me, and I have seen how severely the Egyptians are oppressing them. Therefore, go! I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring My people the Israelites out of Egypt.””God tells Moses that Israel's cry has reached Him and commissions him to go to Pharaoh and bring Israel out.
- Acts 7:35 (BSB)“This Moses, whom they had rejected with the words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’ is the one whom God sent to be their ruler and redeemer through the angel who appeared to him in the bush.”Stephen stresses that the Moses Israel once rejected is the one God sent as ruler and redeemer.
- Hebrews 3:5-6 (BSB)“Now Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, testifying to what would be spoken later. But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are His house, if we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope of which we boast.”Moses is commended as faithful in God's house as a servant, while Christ is faithful as the Son over it.
Theological
What commission does God give Moses in Exodus 3:9-10?
Answer: To confront Pharaoh and lead God's people to freedom
Having restated that Israel's cry has reached Him and that He has seen the oppression (3:9), God issues the commission: He is sending Moses to Pharaoh to lead His people out (3:10). God, who has descended to rescue (3:8), accomplishes that deliverance through a sent mediator. Stephen underlines the irony that the one once rejected is now sent by God as ruler and redeemer (Acts 7:35), and Hebrews commends Moses' faithfulness as a household servant (Hebrews 3:5-6), even as it presents Christ as the Son who rules that household.
- Exodus 3:9-10 (BSB)“And now the cry of the Israelites has reached Me, and I have seen how severely the Egyptians are oppressing them. Therefore, go! I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring My people the Israelites out of Egypt.””God tells Moses that Israel's cry has reached Him and commissions him to go to Pharaoh and bring Israel out.
- Acts 7:35 (BSB)“This Moses, whom they had rejected with the words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’ is the one whom God sent to be their ruler and redeemer through the angel who appeared to him in the bush.”Stephen stresses that the Moses Israel once rejected is the one God sent as ruler and redeemer.
- Hebrews 3:5-6 (BSB)“Now Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, testifying to what would be spoken later. But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are His house, if we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope of which we boast.”Moses is commended as faithful in God's house as a servant, while Christ is faithful as the Son over it.
General
What did God tell Moses to do when he approached the bush (Exodus 3:4-5)?
Answer: Stay back and take off his sandals, because the ground was holy
When the LORD sees Moses turn aside, God calls him by name twice from the bush, and Moses answers that he is ready (3:4). God warns him to come no nearer and to remove his sandals, because the place where he stands is holy (3:5). The ground is holy, meaning set apart as God's, only because God is present there. Joshua later receives the same command before the heavenly commander who meets him near Jericho (Joshua 5:15). God is approachable, but never casually. Believers today are still called to worship Him with deep reverence, since He is a fire that consumes (Hebrews 12:28-29), and like Isaiah, sinners in God's presence feel how unworthy they are (Isaiah 6:5).
- Exodus 3:4-5 (BSB)“When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called out to him from within the bush, “Moses, Moses!” “Here I am,” he answered. “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.””God calls Moses by name from the bush, and Moses answers; God tells him not to approach and to remove his sandals.
- Joshua 5:15 (BSB)“The Commander of the LORD’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.”Joshua receives the same command to remove his sandals before the heavenly commander.
- Hebrews 12:28-29 (BSB)“Therefore, since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us be filled with gratitude, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe. “For our God is a consuming fire.””Believers are still called to worship God with reverence and awe, for He is a fire that consumes.
- Isaiah 6:5 (BSB)“Then I said: “Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts.””Isaiah's cry of ruin before the holy King shows the same awe of sinful people before God's holiness.
Theological
What command does God give Moses in Exodus 3:4-5, and on what ground?
Answer: To come no closer and remove his sandals, because the place is holy ground
God calls Moses by name from the midst of the bush, and Moses responds in readiness (3:4). The first instruction is a boundary: Moses must not draw near, and he must remove his sandals, since the place on which he stands is holy ground (3:5). The holiness is derivative; the ground is holy because the holy God is present. The same command recurs for Joshua before the heavenly commander near Jericho (Joshua 5:15). The scene establishes the pattern of approach to God found throughout Scripture: gracious nearness governed by reverence, since He is a fire that consumes (Hebrews 12:28-29), before whom sinners are undone (Isaiah 6:5).
- Exodus 3:4-5 (BSB)“When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called out to him from within the bush, “Moses, Moses!” “Here I am,” he answered. “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.””God calls Moses by name from the bush, and Moses answers; God tells him not to approach and to remove his sandals.
- Joshua 5:15 (BSB)“The Commander of the LORD’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.”Joshua receives the same command to remove his sandals before the heavenly commander.
- Hebrews 12:28-29 (BSB)“Therefore, since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us be filled with gratitude, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe. “For our God is a consuming fire.””Believers are still called to worship God with reverence and awe, for He is a fire that consumes.
- Isaiah 6:5 (BSB)“Then I said: “Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts.””Isaiah's cry of ruin before the holy King shows the same awe of sinful people before God's holiness.
General
What name does God give Moses when Moses asks what to tell the Israelites (Exodus 3:13-14)?
Answer: I AM WHO I AM
Moses expects the Israelites to ask the name of the God who sent him (3:13). God answers with the name I AM WHO I AM and tells Moses to tell Israel that I AM is the one sending him (3:14). This name teaches that God simply is. He depends on nothing and no one for His existence, He has no beginning or end (Psalm 90:2), and He does not change (Malachi 3:6). Because He never changes, His promises to the patriarchs still stand. Revelation describes Him as the One who is, who always was, and who will come (Revelation 1:8). Jesus later spoke of Himself in this same way, claiming to exist before Abraham, and His hearers tried to stone Him because they understood it as a claim to be God (John 8:58-59).
- Exodus 3:13-14 (BSB)“Then 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?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’””Moses asks what name to give if the people ask who sent him, and God answers with the name I AM.
- John 8:58-59 (BSB)““Truly, truly, I tell you,” Jesus declared, “before Abraham was born, I am!” At this, they picked up stones to throw at Him. But Jesus was hidden and went out of the temple area.”Jesus claims to exist before Abraham using the language of I am, and His hearers' attempt to stone Him shows they took it as a claim to deity.
- Psalm 90:2 (BSB)“Before the mountains were born or You brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God.”God is God from everlasting to everlasting, without beginning or end.
- Malachi 3:6 (BSB)““Because I, the LORD, do not change, you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed.”The LORD does not change, which is why His covenant people are not destroyed.
- Revelation 1:8 (BSB)““I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and was and is to come—the Almighty.”The Lord God is the One who is, who was, and who is to come.
Theological
What does the divine name revealed in Exodus 3:14 disclose about God?
Answer: His self-existence, eternity, and unchanging faithfulness
Anticipating Israel's question about the name of the God of their fathers (3:13), Moses receives the answer I AM WHO I AM, with the shortened form I AM as the name of the Sender (3:14). The name expresses God's aseity, His self-existence without dependence on anything outside Himself, together with His eternity (Psalm 90:2) and immutability (Malachi 3:6). Because He is unchanging, His covenant commitments to the patriarchs remain secure. Revelation 1:8 echoes the name in describing the Lord God as eternally present, past, and coming. Jesus appropriates the same absolute I am in claiming pre-existence before Abraham, an unmistakable claim to deity, as His hearers' attempt to stone Him shows (John 8:58-59).
- Exodus 3:13-14 (BSB)“Then 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?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’””Moses asks what name to give if the people ask who sent him, and God answers with the name I AM.
- John 8:58-59 (BSB)““Truly, truly, I tell you,” Jesus declared, “before Abraham was born, I am!” At this, they picked up stones to throw at Him. But Jesus was hidden and went out of the temple area.”Jesus claims to exist before Abraham using the language of I am, and His hearers' attempt to stone Him shows they took it as a claim to deity.
- Psalm 90:2 (BSB)“Before the mountains were born or You brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God.”God is God from everlasting to everlasting, without beginning or end.
- Malachi 3:6 (BSB)““Because I, the LORD, do not change, you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed.”The LORD does not change, which is why His covenant people are not destroyed.
- Revelation 1:8 (BSB)““I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and was and is to come—the Almighty.”The Lord God is the One who is, who was, and who is to come.
General
What does God promise about the way Israel will leave Egypt (Exodus 3:21-22)?
Answer: They will not leave empty-handed, because the Egyptians will give them silver, gold, and clothing
God promises to make the Egyptians favorable toward Israel, so that when the Israelites leave they will not go out with nothing (3:21). Each woman will ask her Egyptian neighbor for garments and for jewelry made from gold and silver, and the Israelites will dress their children in them, carrying away Egypt's wealth like spoil from a victory (3:22). This fulfills what God told Abram long before, that his descendants would come out of their slavery with great possessions (Genesis 15:14). It happened exactly as promised (Exodus 12:35-36), and the psalmist remembers that Israel left Egypt carrying silver and gold (Psalm 105:37).
- Exodus 3:21-22 (BSB)“And I will grant this people such favor in the sight of the Egyptians that when you leave, you will not go away empty-handed. Every 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.””God promises to give Israel favor with the Egyptians so that they leave with silver, gold, and clothing.
- Genesis 15:14 (BSB)“But I will judge the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will depart with many possessions.”God had promised Abram that his descendants would come out of their bondage with great possessions.
- Exodus 12:35-36 (BSB)“Furthermore, the Israelites acted on Moses’ word and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold, and for clothing. And the LORD gave the people such favor in the sight of the Egyptians that they granted their request. In this way they plundered the Egyptians.”The Israelites ask and receive silver, gold, and clothing from the Egyptians, fulfilling this promise.
- Psalm 105:37 (BSB)“He brought Israel out with silver and gold, and none among His tribes stumbled.”The psalm recalls that God brought Israel out with silver and gold.
Theological
What promise does God make in Exodus 3:21-22 about the circumstances of Israel's departure?
Answer: He will grant them favor with the Egyptians so that they leave with silver, gold, and clothing, plundering Egypt
God promises to give His people favor in the Egyptians' eyes, so that they will not go out empty (3:21). The Israelite women are to request silver, gold, and clothing from their neighbors, and Israel will thus plunder Egypt (3:22), the language of a victor taking spoil, though here it is freely given. The promise fulfills God's word to Abram that his descendants would come out with great possessions (Genesis 15:14), and it is carried out precisely (Exodus 12:35-36), as Psalm 105:37 celebrates. Even the oppressor's goodwill is under God's sovereign disposal.
- Exodus 3:21-22 (BSB)“And I will grant this people such favor in the sight of the Egyptians that when you leave, you will not go away empty-handed. Every 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.””God promises to give Israel favor with the Egyptians so that they leave with silver, gold, and clothing.
- Genesis 15:14 (BSB)“But I will judge the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will depart with many possessions.”God had promised Abram that his descendants would come out of their bondage with great possessions.
- Exodus 12:35-36 (BSB)“Furthermore, the Israelites acted on Moses’ word and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold, and for clothing. And the LORD gave the people such favor in the sight of the Egyptians that they granted their request. In this way they plundered the Egyptians.”The Israelites ask and receive silver, gold, and clothing from the Egyptians, fulfilling this promise.
- Psalm 105:37 (BSB)“He brought Israel out with silver and gold, and none among His tribes stumbled.”The psalm recalls that God brought Israel out with silver and gold.
General
How does God describe the land He will bring Israel into (Exodus 3:8)?
Answer: A good, wide land rich in milk and honey, already home to the Canaanites and other peoples
God promises to bring His people into a good and wide land, rich in milk and honey, a picture of rich pasture and plenty (3:8). It is also a land already inhabited by six named peoples, beginning with the Canaanites and Hittites. This is the same land God promised to Abram's descendants long before, when He listed the peoples then living there (Genesis 15:18-21). Later, the spies sent into Canaan confirm that the land truly is as rich in milk and honey as promised (Numbers 13:27), and Moses describes its abundance in detail (Deuteronomy 8:7-9).
- Exodus 3:8 (BSB)“I 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.”God promises to bring Israel into a good, broad land flowing with milk and honey, home of six named peoples.
- Genesis 15:18-21 (BSB)“On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land—from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates— the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.””God had covenanted this land, then occupied by the listed peoples, to Abram's descendants.
- Numbers 13:27 (BSB)“And they gave this account to Moses: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and indeed, it is flowing with milk and honey. Here is some of its fruit!”The spies later confirm that the land really does flow with milk and honey.
- Deuteronomy 8:7-9 (BSB)“For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks and fountains and springs that flow through the valleys and hills; a land of wheat, barley, vines, fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of olive oil and honey; a land where you will eat food without scarcity, where you will lack nothing; a land whose rocks are iron and whose hills are ready to be mined for copper.”Moses later describes the abundance of the good land God is giving.
Theological
What features of the promised land does God describe in Exodus 3:8?
Answer: Its goodness, breadth, and abundance, and its present occupation by the Canaanites and other named peoples
God describes the land as good and broad, rich in milk and honey, which is the language of pastoral and agricultural abundance, and He names six peoples who presently inhabit it, beginning with the Canaanites and Hittites and ending with the Jebusites (3:8). The list links the exodus to the covenant God made with Abram, when He promised that land and named its peoples (Genesis 15:18-21). The spies' report later verifies the description (Numbers 13:27), and Deuteronomy 8:7-9 elaborates the land's richness. Redemption from Egypt is aimed at inheritance, the fulfillment of promise.
- Exodus 3:8 (BSB)“I 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.”God promises to bring Israel into a good, broad land flowing with milk and honey, home of six named peoples.
- Genesis 15:18-21 (BSB)“On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land—from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates— the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.””God had covenanted this land, then occupied by the listed peoples, to Abram's descendants.
- Numbers 13:27 (BSB)“And they gave this account to Moses: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and indeed, it is flowing with milk and honey. Here is some of its fruit!”The spies later confirm that the land really does flow with milk and honey.
- Deuteronomy 8:7-9 (BSB)“For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks and fountains and springs that flow through the valleys and hills; a land of wheat, barley, vines, fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of olive oil and honey; a land where you will eat food without scarcity, where you will lack nothing; a land whose rocks are iron and whose hills are ready to be mined for copper.”Moses later describes the abundance of the good land God is giving.
General
What was Moses doing when he arrived at Horeb, which the text calls God's mountain (Exodus 3:1)?
Answer: Tending sheep that belonged to Jethro, his wife's father
Moses is doing ordinary work: he is caring for sheep that belong to Jethro, his wife's father and Midian's priest, and leads the animals to the far edge of the wilderness until he reaches Horeb (3:1). The text calls it God's mountain, a name that looks ahead to what will happen there, since Stephen places the bush near Mount Sinai, where Israel will later meet God (Acts 7:30). Elijah later travels to this same mountain (1 Kings 19:8). God meets Moses in the middle of everyday shepherding, and the man who leads sheep will soon shepherd God's people through the wilderness (Psalm 77:20).
- Exodus 3:1 (BSB)“Meanwhile, 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.”Moses, tending Jethro's flock, leads it to the far side of the wilderness and arrives at Horeb.
- 1 Kings 19:8 (BSB)“So he got up and ate and drank. And strengthened by that food, he walked forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.”Elijah later journeys to the same Horeb, also called God's mountain.
- Acts 7:30 (BSB)“After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai.”Stephen locates the bush near Mount Sinai, the mountain where Israel will later meet God.
- Psalm 77:20 (BSB)“You led Your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.”The shepherd of Jethro's flock becomes the one by whose hand God leads His people like a flock.
Theological
In what setting does God's call come to Moses according to Exodus 3:1?
Answer: While Moses tends Jethro's flock at Horeb, God's mountain
The call comes in the midst of ordinary vocation: Moses is tending the sheep of Jethro, the Midianite priest, and leads it beyond the wilderness to Horeb (3:1). The designation of Horeb as God's mountain anticipates its role as the site of the covenant; Stephen places the theophany near Sinai (Acts 7:30), and the mountain reappears as the goal of Elijah's flight (1 Kings 19:8). The shepherd imagery is apt, for Scripture later says that God guided His people as a shepherd guides sheep, through Moses and Aaron (Psalm 77:20).
- Exodus 3:1 (BSB)“Meanwhile, 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.”Moses, tending Jethro's flock, leads it to the far side of the wilderness and arrives at Horeb.
- 1 Kings 19:8 (BSB)“So he got up and ate and drank. And strengthened by that food, he walked forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.”Elijah later journeys to the same Horeb, also called God's mountain.
- Acts 7:30 (BSB)“After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai.”Stephen locates the bush near Mount Sinai, the mountain where Israel will later meet God.
- Psalm 77:20 (BSB)“You led Your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.”The shepherd of Jethro's flock becomes the one by whose hand God leads His people like a flock.
General
What was so remarkable about the bush that caught Moses' attention (Exodus 3:2-3)?
Answer: It was on fire but was not burning up
The angel of the LORD appears to Moses in flames coming from inside a bush. Moses sees that the bush is blazing, yet it is not being destroyed, and he decides to go closer to see why (3:2-3). In the next verse the one speaking from the bush is called the LORD and God, and Stephen likewise moves from the angel to the Lord's own voice (Acts 7:30-32). Moses himself later speaks of God as the One who lived in the burning bush (Deuteronomy 33:16). Who exactly this angel is has long been discussed. Many Reformed teachers see a pre-incarnate appearance of the Son of God, meaning Christ appearing before He was born as a man, pointing to passages where this angel speaks and is recognized as God, as when Hagar names the LORD who spoke to her (Genesis 16:13). Others understand him as a created angel speaking with God's full authority. Either way, God Himself is present and speaking.
- Exodus 3:2-3 (BSB)“There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from within a bush. Moses saw the bush ablaze with fire, but it was not consumed. So Moses thought, “I must go over and see this marvelous sight. Why is the bush not burning up?””The angel of the LORD appears in a flame from a bush that burns without being consumed, and Moses turns aside to look.
- Acts 7:30-32 (BSB)“After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight. As he approached to look more closely, the voice of the Lord came to him: ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.”Stephen recounts the angel in the burning bush and then says the voice of the Lord spoke from it.
- Deuteronomy 33:16 (BSB)“with the choice gifts of the land and everything in it, and with the favor of Him who dwelt in the burning bush. May these rest on the head of Joseph and crown the brow of the prince of his brothers.”Moses later speaks of God as the One who dwelt in the burning bush.
- Genesis 16:13 (BSB)“So Hagar gave this name to the LORD who had spoken to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “Here I have seen the One who sees me!””The angel of the LORD who met Hagar is likewise identified with the LORD who spoke to her.
Theological
What does Moses see in Exodus 3:2-3 that draws him to turn aside?
Answer: A bush ablaze yet not burnt up, from which the LORD's angel appears
The angel of the LORD appears in flames from the midst of a bush; the bush burns yet is not consumed, and Moses turns aside to see this great sight (3:2-3). The narrative then identifies the speaker from the bush as the LORD and God (3:4), a transition Stephen follows when he moves from the angel to the Lord's own voice (Acts 7:30-32), and Moses later invokes on Joseph the goodwill of the One who lived in the bush (Deuteronomy 33:16). The identity of this angel is debated. Many in the Reformed tradition regard him as a pre-incarnate appearance of the Son, given texts where the angel speaks as God and is acknowledged as God (Genesis 16:13); others hold that he is a created messenger bearing God's name and authority. The text's own emphasis is plain: the holy God is present in the fire, and the bush is not destroyed.
- Exodus 3:2-3 (BSB)“There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from within a bush. Moses saw the bush ablaze with fire, but it was not consumed. So Moses thought, “I must go over and see this marvelous sight. Why is the bush not burning up?””The angel of the LORD appears in a flame from a bush that burns without being consumed, and Moses turns aside to look.
- Acts 7:30-32 (BSB)“After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight. As he approached to look more closely, the voice of the Lord came to him: ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.”Stephen recounts the angel in the burning bush and then says the voice of the Lord spoke from it.
- Deuteronomy 33:16 (BSB)“with the choice gifts of the land and everything in it, and with the favor of Him who dwelt in the burning bush. May these rest on the head of Joseph and crown the brow of the prince of his brothers.”Moses later speaks of God as the One who dwelt in the burning bush.
- Genesis 16:13 (BSB)“So Hagar gave this name to the LORD who had spoken to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “Here I have seen the One who sees me!””The angel of the LORD who met Hagar is likewise identified with the LORD who spoke to her.
General
What does God say in Exodus 3:15 about His name, the LORD?
Answer: That it is His name forever, His memorial for all generations
God tells Moses to say that the LORD, who is the God of their ancestors and of the three patriarchs, has sent him, and He declares that this is His name forever, the name by which every generation will remember Him (3:15). In English Bibles, LORD in capital letters stands for God's personal Hebrew name, which is closely related to the I AM of the previous verse. The psalmist celebrates that the LORD's name endures forever (Psalm 135:13), and Hosea says the LORD is the name by which He is renowned (Hosea 12:5). Later God tells Moses that the patriarchs had not known Him by this name (Exodus 6:2-3), and He promises that Israel will know Him as the LORD their God when He frees them from Egyptian slavery (Exodus 6:7).
- Exodus 3:15 (BSB)“God 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.”God tells Moses to announce the LORD, the God of the patriarchs, as the sender, and declares this His name forever.
- Psalm 135:13 (BSB)“Your name, O LORD, endures forever, Your renown, O LORD, through all generations.”The psalmist praises the LORD's name as enduring forever and through all generations.
- Hosea 12:5 (BSB)“the LORD God of Hosts, the LORD is His name of renown.”The prophet declares that God is renowned by the name the LORD, echoing the enduring name of Exodus 3:15.
- Exodus 6:2-3 (BSB)“God also told Moses, “I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by My name the LORD I did not make Myself known to them.”God later tells Moses that He did not make Himself known to the patriarchs by His name the LORD.
- Exodus 6:6-7 (BSB)“Therefore tell the Israelites: ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians and deliver you from their bondage. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as My own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.”God promises that when He brings Israel out of Egyptian bondage, they will know that He is the LORD their God.
Theological
What status does God assign to His covenant name in Exodus 3:15?
Answer: It is His eternal name and memorial to all generations
God instructs Moses to identify the Sender as the LORD, the patriarchs' God; He declares that this is His name forever and His memorial throughout all generations (3:15). The covenant name, rendered LORD in small capitals, is closely linked to the I AM of 3:14 and binds God's self-existence to His covenant relationship with the patriarchs. Psalm 135:13 and Hosea 12:5 celebrate it as His enduring, renowned name. In Exodus 6:2-3 God says He did not make Himself known to the patriarchs by this name, and in 6:7 He promises that through the redemption from Egypt Israel will know Him as the LORD their God, a new depth of experiential knowledge of the name.
- Exodus 3:15 (BSB)“God 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.”God tells Moses to announce the LORD, the God of the patriarchs, as the sender, and declares this His name forever.
- Psalm 135:13 (BSB)“Your name, O LORD, endures forever, Your renown, O LORD, through all generations.”The psalmist praises the LORD's name as enduring forever and through all generations.
- Hosea 12:5 (BSB)“the LORD God of Hosts, the LORD is His name of renown.”The prophet declares that God is renowned by the name the LORD, echoing the enduring name of Exodus 3:15.
- Exodus 6:2-3 (BSB)“God also told Moses, “I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by My name the LORD I did not make Myself known to them.”God later tells Moses that He did not make Himself known to the patriarchs by His name the LORD.
- Exodus 6:6-7 (BSB)“Therefore tell the Israelites: ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians and deliver you from their bondage. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as My own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.”God promises that when He brings Israel out of Egyptian bondage, they will know that He is the LORD their God.
General
True or False: The sign God gave Moses in Exodus 3:12 was something Moses would see before he set out for Egypt.
Answer: False
This is false. God's sign would come after the mission, not before it: once Moses had led Israel out, they would all worship God at this very mountain (3:12). Moses had to go trusting God's word first, and the sign would confirm afterward that God had sent him. The sign came true when Israel reached the Sinai desert and camped facing the mountain (Exodus 19:1-2), and Moses led them out to meet God at the mountain's base (Exodus 19:17). Stephen places the burning bush near Mount Sinai (Acts 7:30).
- Exodus 3:12 (BSB)““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.””God promises His presence and gives as a sign that Israel will worship Him on this mountain after the exodus.
- Exodus 19:1-2 (BSB)“In the third month, on the same day of the month that the Israelites had left the land of Egypt, they came to the Wilderness of Sinai. After they had set out from Rephidim, they entered the Wilderness of Sinai, and Israel camped there in front of the mountain.”In the third month after leaving Egypt, Israel camps in front of the mountain in the Wilderness of Sinai.
- Exodus 19:17 (BSB)“Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.”Moses brings the people to meet with God at the foot of the mountain, fulfilling the sign.
- Acts 7:30 (BSB)“After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai.”Stephen places the burning bush near Mount Sinai, linking the call to the later meeting place.
Theological
True or False: The confirming sign promised in Exodus 3:12 was to be fulfilled only after Israel had left Egypt.
Answer: True
This is true. The sign is retrospective: when Moses has led Israel out, the whole people will serve God in worship at this mountain (3:12). Moses must therefore obey on the strength of God's word, and the sign will confirm his commission after the fact. Its fulfillment comes when Israel, having come out of Egypt, encamps before the mountain in the Sinai desert (Exodus 19:1-2) and Moses leads the people out to meet God at its foot (Exodus 19:17). Stephen locates the bush near Sinai (Acts 7:30), tying the place of calling to the place of covenant.
- Exodus 3:12 (BSB)““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.””God promises His presence and gives as a sign that Israel will worship Him on this mountain after the exodus.
- Exodus 19:1-2 (BSB)“In the third month, on the same day of the month that the Israelites had left the land of Egypt, they came to the Wilderness of Sinai. After they had set out from Rephidim, they entered the Wilderness of Sinai, and Israel camped there in front of the mountain.”In the third month after leaving Egypt, Israel camps in front of the mountain in the Wilderness of Sinai.
- Exodus 19:17 (BSB)“Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.”Moses brings the people to meet with God at the foot of the mountain, fulfilling the sign.
- Acts 7:30 (BSB)“After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai.”Stephen places the burning bush near Mount Sinai, linking the call to the later meeting place.
General
How does God answer when Moses asks who he is to go before Pharaoh (Exodus 3:11-12)?
Answer: By promising that He Himself will go with Moses
Moses feels completely unfit and asks who he is to go before Pharaoh and bring Israel out (3:11). God does not answer by building up Moses' confidence in himself. He answers with a promise of His own presence: He will certainly be with him (3:12). The question is not who Moses is but who goes with him. God answers other reluctant servants the same way, such as Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:6-8) and Gideon (Judges 6:15-16). Paul says the same about his own ministry: his ability comes from God, not from himself (2 Corinthians 3:5).
- Exodus 3:11-12 (BSB)“But Moses asked God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” “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.””Moses protests his unworthiness, and God answers with the promise of His presence and a sign.
- Jeremiah 1:6-8 (BSB)““Ah, Lord GOD,” I said, “I surely do not know how to speak, for I am only a child!” But the LORD told me: “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ For to everyone I send you, you must go, and all that I command you, you must speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD.”Jeremiah's objection is likewise answered by God's promise to be with him.
- Judges 6:15-16 (BSB)““Please, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I save Israel? Indeed, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.” “Surely I will be with you,” the LORD replied, “and you will strike down all the Midianites as one man.””Gideon's protest of weakness receives the same answer: God will be with him.
- 2 Corinthians 3:5 (BSB)“Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God.”Paul confesses that his sufficiency comes from God, not from himself.
Theological
What is the substance of God's reply to Moses' objection in Exodus 3:11-12?
Answer: The promise of His own presence with Moses
Moses' first objection concerns his own insufficiency (3:11). God's reply shifts the question entirely from the identity of the messenger to the presence of the Sender: He Himself will certainly go with him (3:12). This pattern of divine commissioning recurs throughout Scripture: Jeremiah's protest of youth (Jeremiah 1:6-8) and Gideon's protest of weakness (Judges 6:15-16) are met not with appeals to their abilities but with the assurance of God's presence. Paul applies the same principle to gospel ministry, confessing that his sufficiency is from God (2 Corinthians 3:5).
- Exodus 3:11-12 (BSB)“But Moses asked God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” “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.””Moses protests his unworthiness, and God answers with the promise of His presence and a sign.
- Jeremiah 1:6-8 (BSB)““Ah, Lord GOD,” I said, “I surely do not know how to speak, for I am only a child!” But the LORD told me: “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ For to everyone I send you, you must go, and all that I command you, you must speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD.”Jeremiah's objection is likewise answered by God's promise to be with him.
- Judges 6:15-16 (BSB)““Please, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I save Israel? Indeed, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.” “Surely I will be with you,” the LORD replied, “and you will strike down all the Midianites as one man.””Gideon's protest of weakness receives the same answer: God will be with him.
- 2 Corinthians 3:5 (BSB)“Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God.”Paul confesses that his sufficiency comes from God, not from himself.