Exodus 3:6-14
3:6 a This transcendent God had committed himself to Moses’ ancestors in a faithful promise maintained for hundreds of years. Moses was in awe of the one, holy, and transcendent God of Abraham. Jesus quoted this verse when he was sparring with the Sadducees about the concept of resurrection (Matt 22:32 b; Mark 12:26 c; Luke 20:37 d).3:7 e The continued slavery and distress of Israel touched God’s heart.
3:8 f God would not only rescue them but would take them to their own ... land that he had promised to Abraham (Gen 13:14-18 g).
• flowing with milk and honey: The land was agriculturally rich, with pasturage for cattle and crops with blooms from which bees could make honey.
• Canaanites ... Jebusites: The list of peoples who lived in Canaan indicates the importance of this strip of land between the Mediterranean Sea and the Arabian Desert. As a vital crossroads for trade and communication between Egypt and the rest of the ancient Near East, it was a hotly contested prize. That Israel could end up in sole possession of it seemed an impossibility.
3:10 h God would act compassionately to save his suffering people, but it would be through a human agency. Often God is known among us because of the way his people carry out his will.
Summary for Exod 3:11-4:17: 3:11–4:17 i Moses, in his response to God, presented four reasons why he was not the one to fulfill God’s call. Although each reason supposedly relates to Moses and his ability, God’s answers show that they were really questions about God.
Summary for Exod 3:11-12: 3:11-12 j Moses first protested that he was unworthy of such a great task, but God responded that this was not the issue. Human worthiness is of no significance if God’s presence is with that person.
3:12 k In the Bible, a sign often occurred after a person or a nation had already had to decide whether to act in faith or not (see Isa 7:14 l). A sign cannot create faith where there is none (see Matt 12:39 m; 16:4 n). Rather, it encourages the one who has exercised the faith he or she already has.
Summary for Exod 3:13-22: 3:13-22 o Moses’ second protest was that he had inadequate knowledge. He did not know God’s name. This might mean that God’s personal name had not yet been revealed (see study notes on 6:2-3). It is also possible that Moses meant he did not know the secret, magic formula that a man of power might have been expected to make use of. Interest in such things was common in the ancient Near East. God’s direct response is almost a riddle, but the majority of his answer is a statement of his faithfulness in the past and a demonstration of his knowledge of the future. There is nothing magical about the name Yahweh. Knowledge of secret formulas and magic powers is not the issue; the issue is the character of God and his lordship of history. The reason there is “something about that name” is because of the incomparable character and nature of the one who bears it.
3:14 p I Am Who I Am: This name speaks of a God who is self-sufficient, self-existent, all encompassing, and without limitations, the one being in the universe who is not dependent on something else for his existence.
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