VISION OF LIFE’S ASSIGNMENT (3)

“And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in FLAME of FIRE from the midst of a bush” – Exodus 3:2

Moses caught his fiery VISION of LIFE’S ASSIGNMENT by the Burning Bush: “And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a FLAME of FIRE from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with FIRE, but the bush was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and SEE this great sight, why the bush does not burn.” So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to LOOK, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” (Exo.3: 2-4). Through this remarkable event, God revealed Himself to Moses and called him (Mk.12:26). The burning bush is a Theophany, the appearance of God in a form that’s visible to man.

This is the first time the Bible uses the word “holy” with reference to God, revealing His Holiness in a way it had never been revealed before (v.5). Moses was so awed by this experience that later when he wrote his famous victory hymn, he made sure to mention this divine attribute of God’s Holiness: “Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” (Exo.15:11). Let’s ponder of few explanations on why God manifested to Moses as FIRE out of the burning bush:

First, FIRE is an image of God’s Holiness; it depicts the purifying and refining quality of His Holiness. God even commanded Moses to remove his sandals “for the place where you are standing is holy ground” (v.5b). He was accentuating to Moses, the gap between the divine and the human. Holiness involves separation. God’s holiness means that He is set apart from everything He has made. Holiness is the distinction between the Creator and the creature, the infinite distance between God’s deity and our humanity.

Second, God revealed Himself by an image of His fearful Glory (v.6). The purpose was to manifest His unique Majesty and to stand as a visible reminder to Moses and his people during the dark times ahead. God eventually displayed His Holiness and Glory to the entire nation of Israel. As they soon learned, His Glory is like a consuming fire, a pillar of fire that radiates unapproachable light (Exo.24:17; 1Tim.6:16).

Third, the burning bush symbolized God’s intent not to consume or destroy His people, but to be their Saviour, deliver them from enslavement, and to lead them out of bondage in Egypt and into the Promised Land (vv.7-8). This was the first time God had ever called Israel “My people”!

Moses carried a Vision for National Deliverance: “Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt” (v.10). Moses needed such a supernatural, fiery encounter to behold and embrace the Vision of Life’s Assignment.