Exodus

3.1-22

Thoughts on Exodus chapter three:
Moses, hearing from God at the Burning bush (the fire), is reminiscent of the flaming sword guarding the entrance to the Garden of Eden (also possibly where Cain and Abel - others would have brought their sacrifices before the location was lost to mankind).
How many times before this (v4ff) do we have an interactive conversation between God and man?
In chapter three, Moses does not yet challenge God about his lack of qualification other than to say, "Who am I that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?" God declares His name "Yahweh," saying, "This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name from generation to generation." (v15). God told Moses to go and gather the elders, signifying that the elders were already known and established among the Israelites. (v16). God twice declares to Moses, "the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite" (vv8,17) as the peoples He will displace on behalf of His chosen people to bring them to the land flowing with milk and honey. The Girgashites, not named, were the seventh of the nation, sons of Canaan that possessed the land, living in the Galilee region. They are listed in Genesis 15:18-21 “On that day Yahweh cut a covenant with Abram saying, ‘To your seed I give this land, From the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates: the Kenite, and the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Rephaim, and the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Girgashite and the Jebusite.’” According to Jewish Midrash tradition, the Girgashites left Canaan when they heard that Israel was coming, and went to Africa, which might explain why they are not always listed among the rest of the tribes of Canaan.
God told Moses from the beginning that Pharoah would not give him permission to bring the Israelites out of Egypt "except by a strong hand." (v19). God determined to accomplish the demonstration of His own majesty - "So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My wondrous deeds which I shall do in the midst of it; and after that he will let you go." (v20)
The "women" were the means by which the Israelites were to plunder Egypt (v22).
Before God spoke to Moses here in this way, the Bible tells us of when He had spoken directly to Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. After this, He continued to speak directly to His prophets - Samuel, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Amos, and John the Baptist. To others, He spoke and delivered revelation divinely by His Spirit, sometimes through visions and dreams - such as Daniel, Micah, and Nahum.

CHAPTER 3

God Calls Moses at the Burning Bush

1 Now Moses was pasturing the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
2 And the angel of Yahweh appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of the bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed.
3 So Moses said, “I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight. Why is the bush not burned up?”
4 And Yahweh saw that he turned aside to look, so God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”
5 Then He said, “Do not come near here. Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”
6 He said also, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
7 And Yahweh said, “I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and I have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sufferings.
8 “So I have come down to deliver them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite.
9 “So now, behold, the cry of the sons of Israel has come to Me; and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them.
10 “So now, come and I will send you to Pharaoh, and so you shall bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.”
11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?”
12 And He said, “Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God at this mountain.”
13 Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am about to come to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ And they will say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?”
14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
15 And God furthermore said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘Yahweh, 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 My memorial-name from generation to generation.
16 “Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “I indeed care about you and what has been done to you in Egypt.
17 “So I said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, to a land flowing with milk and honey.”’
18 “And they will listen to your voice; and you with the elders of Israel will come to the king of Egypt, and you all will say to him, ‘Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. So now, please, let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to Yahweh our God.’
19 “But I know that the king of Egypt will not give you permission to go, except by a strong hand.
20 “So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My wondrous deeds which I shall do in the midst of it; and after that he will let you go.
21 “And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be that when you go, you will not go empty.
22 “But every woman shall ask of her neighbor and of the woman who lives in her house, for articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; and you will put them on your sons and daughters. Thus you will plunder the Egyptians.”