Exiting Egypt Chapter 3 P4

Exiting Egypt Chapter 3 P4

A Burning Bush Brings Redemption

Exodus 3:1-10

By Dennis Lee

D. God Desires To Dwell With His People

This is probably one of the central themes found throughout the Bible. The Apostle John makes sure we know this singular fact when he wrote,

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (Jn. 1:14 NKJV)

The word “dwelt” here means to pitch a tent. God has always wanted to pitch His tent in the midst of His people. That’s who He was in the Old Testament as found in Genesis and Exodus, and concluding in the New Testament, the new covenant He made through the death of His Son, Jesus Christ, and it will be the same until the end of time itself, and the end times as the Scripture say,

Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God (Rev. 21:3 NKJV)

God pitches His tent in our midst. But there is a condition; God demands something in return, which we looked at prior, and that is to be holy, as He Himself is holy.

One last thing before I move on, and that is the burning bush. There are all sorts of symbolism here. I kind of like what F.B. Myers took the symbolism, relating it to the words, “persecuted by not forsaken, struck down but not destroyed” (2 Cor. 4:9). He said,

“Undoubtedly it is a great truth that we may be enwrapped in the flame of acute suffering, and the fire will only consume the canker worms and caterpillars that preyed upon the verdure of our spiritual life, without scorching the tiniest twig, or consuming the most fragile blossom. The burning fiery furnace will not singe a hair on your heard, though it will free you from your fettering bonds.”

Now, fire is associated with God’s presence. Throughout Scripture, fire is the emblem of deity. When God entered His covenant with Abraham, the lamp of fire denoted God’s presence. The pledge that God would be with the Israelites throughout their wilderness wandering in the pillar of fire to light the night. And so this burning bush is symbolic of God’s presence, which is also seen in the wording, “Angel of the Lord.” Throughout the Scriptures the Angel of the Lord was identical and interchangeable with God.

But probably the most telling proof that it was none other than God who was talking from that burning bush.

I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob (Ex. 3:6a NKJV)

And finally, the words spoken by the Lord to Moses reveals that God is Personal

He calls Moses by name. He knows our name, He knows everything about us, God is personally involved in our lives. This is seen vividly in what the Lord says to Israel through the prophet Isaiah.

But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine (Isa. 43:1 NKJV)

And then the Lord promises that because He knew them and formed them that when they passed through the waters, or walk through the fire, they would not be drowned or burned. Why, because His promise is that He would be there.

Now, Moses response was, “Here I am,” which in the Hebrew literally means, “Behold me.” This phrase was used often to God to indicate not just their attentiveness, but also their readiness to obey.

Now, let’s look at God’s promise for Israel’s redemption

Read Ex. 3:7-10

Here is a picture of a redeeming God and a redemption that is complete. God would not forget the promise that He made to Abraham, and then confirmed with Isaac and Jacob. God always hears the cries of His people and remembers His covenant, His promises.

A big part of worship is a rehearsal of this very fact.

Many times He delivered them; but they rebelled in their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity. Nevertheless He regarded their affliction, when He heard their cry; and for their sake He remembered His covenant, and relented according to the multitude of His mercies (Psm. 106: 43-45 NKJV)

It won’t be much longer in the Exodus story when God commands the sacrifice of the lamb without spot or blemish, whose blood when sprinkled on the doorposts of their houses will cause the angel of death to pass over and not claim the life of the first born. The blood of the lamb was a sign then of who they were and their faithfulness to God and to His word.

It was the blood of the covenant, the sign that God would deliver the children of Israel. Nowonder the symbolism is so great especially when we consider Jesus, whom John the Baptist called the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (Jn. 1:29).

This is a picture of a redeeming God whose redemption is complete. Look again at verse 8

So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey (Ex. 3:8a NKJV)

Something about this verse reveals the completeness of God’s redemption. Not only does God redeem from something, Egyptian bondage, but He always redeems to something, the land flowing with milk and honey, the Promised Land.

Now, the two people God used in this redemption were Moses and Joshua. Moses delivered them out of their bondage; Joshua led them into the Promised Land. Joshua completed what Moses began.

But in Jesus, our redemption is complete. We don’t need another. We don’t need to do anything more than what was already done on the cross, neither do we need to wait for someone else to come to complete what Jesus already did.

And it isn’t insignificant that Jesus is the Greek name for the Hebrew name, Joshua, which means, God saves. Jesus does it all. He redeems us from our bondage to sin and death, and delivers us into God’s Promise Land of salvation, God’s Kingdom, both now on earth, and later in heaven. The salvation provided by Jesus is complete.

This is what Paul was getting at when he wrote,

Even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:5-6 NKJV)

And so the connection has been established once again. The picture of God’s redemption in Exodus from out of Egyptian bondage and into the Promised Land is now complete in Jesus Christ. We’ve been brought out of darkness and into the light, and out of death into life.

To illustrate this redemption, let me read for you a letter written to a pastor.

“In my forty-four-month battle with alcohol, I tried everything the medical profession thought would help. Nothing did: psychiatrists, psychologists, treatment centers, antidepressant medicines, all types of tranquilizers. But nothing did it. Then, in desperation, I sought God. God delivered me.

I mean, how wonderful is that, God delivered. But he didn’t stop there. Listen

“I promised Him, since He would not let me die, ‘God, You must have a purpose for me. If You’ll let me live a respectable life and free me from this bondage, every day You permit me to live, I’ll serve you and I’ll never rob You again.

Every day God stays at least ten paces ahead of me. I’m blessed every day in more ways than I can deserve, and nowhere can a happier man be found.”

That’s the complete salvation that God offers – out of bondage into the worship and service of the Living God. Jesus does for us what Moses and Joshua did for Israel. He delivers us out of bondage into the Promise Land.