1 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.

2And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

3And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.

4And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.

5And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

6Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

7And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;

8And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

9Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.

10Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.

11And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?

12And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.

13And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?

14And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

15And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.

16Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt:

17And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.

18And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.

19And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand.

20And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go.

21And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty:

22But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians.

1 Nowe Moses kept the flocke of Iethro his father in law, the Priest of Midian: and hee led the flocke to the backeside of the desert, and came to the mountaine of God, euen to Horeb.

2And the Angel of the Lord appeared vnto him, in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush, and he looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

3And Moses saide, I will nowe turne aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.

4And when the Lord sawe that he turned aside to see, God called vnto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he saide, Here am I.

5And he said, Drawe not nigh hither: put off thy shooes from off thy feete, for the place whereon thou standest, is holy ground.

6 Moreouer hee said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Iacob. And Moses hid his face: for he was afraid to looke vpon God.

7 And the Lord said, I haue surely seene the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and haue heard their crie, by reason of their taske-masters: for I know their sorrowes,

8And I am come downe to deliuer them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them vp out of that land, vnto a good land and a large, vnto a lande flowing with milke and hony, vnto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hiuites, and the Iebusites.

9 Now therefore behold, the crie of the children of Israel is come vnto me: and I haue also seene the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppresse them.

10Come now therefore, and I will send thee vnto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.

11 And Moses saide vnto God, Who am I, that I should goe vnto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?

12And he said, Certainely I will be with thee, and this shall be a token vnto thee, that I haue sent thee: When thou hast brought foorth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serue God vpon this mountaine.

13And Moses saide vnto God, Behold, when I come vnto the children of Israel, and shall say vnto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me vnto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say vnto them?

14And God saide vnto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: And he said, Thus shalt thou say vnto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me vnto you.

15And God said moreouer vnto Moses, Thus shalt thou say vnto the children of Israel; The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Iacob hath sent me vnto you: this is my name for euer, and this is my memoriall vnto all generations.

16Goe and gather the Elders of Israel together, and say vnto them, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Iacob appeared vnto me, saying, I haue surely visited you, and seene that which is done to you in Egypt.

17And I haue said, I will bring you vp out of the affliction of Egypt, vnto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hiuites, and the Iebusites, vnto a land flowing with milke and hony.

18And they shall hearken to thy voyce: and thou shalt come, thou and the Elders of Israel vnto the King of Egypt, and you shall say vnto him, The Lord God of the Hebrewes hath met with vs: and now let vs goe, (wee beseech thee) three dayes iourney into the wildernes, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.

19 And I am sure that the King of Egypt will not let you goe, no not by a mightie hand.

20And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will doe in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you goe.

21And I will giue this people fauour in the sight of the Egyptians, and it shall come to passe that when ye goe, ye shall not goe empty:

22But euery woman shal borrow of her neighbour, and of her that soiourneth in her house, iewels of siluer, and iewels of gold, and rayment: and ye shall put them vpon your sonnes and vpon your daughters, and yee shall spoile the Egyptians.

I == Ex 2:16 ; 18:5

II == Deut 33:16 ; Isa 63:9

III == Ps 111:2 ; Acts 7:31

IV == Deut 33:16

V == Ex 19:12 ; Josh 5:15 ; Acts 7:33

VI == 1st Kings 19:13 ; Luke 20:37 ; Acts 7:32

VII == Ex 1:11 ; 2:23-25 ; Ps 106:44

VIII == Gen 50:24 ; Num 13:27 ; Jer 11:5 ; 32:22 ; Ezek 20:6

IX == Ex 1:11 , 13-14 , 22 ; 2:23

X == Ps 105;26 ; Mic 6:4

XI == Ex 6:12 1st Sam 18:18 ; Isa 6:5 , 8 ; Jer 1:6

XII == Gen 31:3 ; Deut 31:23 ; Josh 1:5 ; Rom 8:31

XIV == Ex 6:3 ; John 8:58 ; 2nd Cor 1:20 ; Heb 13:8 ; Rev 1:4

XV == Ps 135:1:3 ; Hos 12:5

XVI == Gen 50:24 ; Ex 2:25 ; 4:29 , 31 ; Luke 1:68

XVII == Gen 15:14 , 16 ; Ex 3:8

XVIII == Ex 4:31 ; 5:1 , 3 ; Num 23:3-4 ,15-16

XIX == Ex 5:2 ; 7:4

XX == Ex 6:6 ; 7:1--13:22 ; Deut 6:22 ; Neh 9:10 ; Ps 105:27; 135:9 ; Jer 32:20 ; Acts 7:36

XXI == Ex 11:3 ; 12:36 ; Ps 106:46 ; Pro 16:7

XXII == Gen 15:14 ; Ex 11:2 ; 12:35-36 ; Job 27:17 ; Prov 13:22 ; Ezek 39:10

1 Meanwhile Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. Leading the flock across the desert, he came to Horeb, the mountain of God.

2 There an angel of the LORD appeared to him in fire flaming out of a bush. As he looked on, he was surprised to see that the bush, though on fire, was not consumed.

3 So Moses decided, "I must go over to look at this remarkable sight, and see why the bush is not burned."

4 When the LORD saw him coming over to look at it more closely, God called out to him from the bush, "Moses! Moses!" He answered, "Here I am."

5 God said, "Come no nearer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.

6 I am the God of your father," he continued, "the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob." Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

7 But the LORD said, "I have witnessed the affliction of my people in Egypt and have heard their cry of complaint against their slave drivers, so I know well what they are suffering.

8 Therefore I have come down to rescue them from the hands of the Egyptians and lead them out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey, the country of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.

9 So indeed the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have truly noted that the Egyptians are oppressing them.

10 Come, now! I will send you to Pharaoh to lead my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt."

11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egypt?"

12 He answered, "I will be with you; and this shall be your proof that it is I who have sent you: when you bring my people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this very mountain."

13 "But," said Moses to God, "when I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' if they ask me, 'What is his name?' what am I to tell them?"

14 God replied, "I am who am." Then he added, "This is what you shall tell the Israelites: I AM sent me to you."

15 God spoke further to Moses, "Thus shall you say to the Israelites: The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. "This is my name forever; this is my title for all generations.

16 "Go and assemble the elders of the Israelites, and tell them: The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, has appeared to me and said: I am concerned about you and about the way you are being treated in Egypt;

17 so I have decided to lead you up out of the misery of Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.

18 "Thus they will heed your message. Then you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him: The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent us word. Permit us, then, to go a three days' journey in the desert, that we may offer sacrifice to the LORD, our God.

19 "Yet I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go unless he is forced.

20 I will stretch out my hand, therefore, and smite Egypt by doing all kinds of wondrous deeds there. After that he will send you away.

21 I will even make the Egyptians so well-disposed toward this people that, when you leave, you will not go empty-handed.

22 Every woman shall ask her neighbor and her house guest for silver and gold articles and for clothing to put on your sons and daughters. Thus you will despoil the Egyptians."

v. 1. Except for the first two chapters, all of Exodus deals with the events of two years, the last year before they left Egypt and the first year of their journey. Moses’ 1st 40 years in 2:1-14, his 2nd 40 in 2:15 to 3:1. In this time Moses learned from sheep herding experience, lessons in dealing with people. Keep the flock and lead the flock.

v 2,3. The Lord had been silent for centuries, now he appears in a dramatic way. Moses was naturally curious why the burning bush was not consumed.

v 4-6. This is the first time God had spoken directly in over 400 years. Moses not only replied to God’s call, but in addition to taking off his shoes, he hid his face. It would be well for us to have a greater respect for God.

v 7-9. Moses is assured that God has been aware of the oppression of His people and is going to come down and deliver them. Compare Mt. 1:23, Emmanuel, the idea of “God with us”.

v 10,11. At 40, Moses thought he was ready to be the deliverer. After 40 years of training and fellowship with the Lord, at 80 he asks to be excused from the summons of God. If we become aware of our deficiencies, we should still answer God’s call. He will not call us to something He does not equip us to do. (Be sure of His call though.)

v 12. God gave special assurance that He would be with him, and a later sign of assurance would be that he would come back to this same mountain, Sinai.

v 13-15. Moses’ question is in effect, another excuse.

The answer implies God’s eternal existence, unchangeableness, and divine personality. For an exercise, look up all the times God says I Am of Himself. See Jn. 14:6, I am the way the truth and the life. The word Jehovah is usually used for this term of past, present and future being.

v 16-18. God lays out the plan of action, go gather Israel’s leaders together, and what to say. Basically, God is aware, He will deliver, and they will go to a good land whose inhabitants are named. Then he and the elders are to go ask permission of the king for all Israel to go three days journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to God.

v 19,20. God promises opposition and resistance that can only be overcome by smiting wonders which God will perform with His mighty hand.

v 21,22. The Israelites were to ask for all kinds of precious things from the Egyptians, and God would make them willing to give. They would strip Egypt for belongings that were really due to Israel for their labor. Even children would help the carrying by wearing jewelry etc. Much of this would later be used in the tabernacle.

Moses Modern terms God’s Reply
1. Who am I? I can’t I will go with thee
2. Who are you? No theological training Personal experience with God
3. They won’t believe me They’ll not take me seriously Miracles - changed life 
4. I’m not eloquent I can’t talk to people I’ll show you
5.Send someone else I don’t want to go Aaron will go with you
Excuses in 3:11; 3:13; 4:1; 4:10; 4:13 Answer in 3:12; 3:14-22; 4:2-9; 4:11,12; 4:14-17