The Burning Bush

Exodus 3: 1-5, 10-14 (NIV): Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight--why the bush does not burn up." When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am." "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." ... So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt." ... Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?" God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.' "

I heard a preacher say one time that any old bush would do. God can use anything in his creation for his purposes. Notice, though, that God didn't speak to Moses until he had his attention. God is not going to yell over the noise of our busy lives.

And when we approach God, we must do so with proper reverence and respect. God is holy and we must remember that. So often we think of how much God loves us and that he died for us and that he wants what is absolute best for us, as any loving father does, and all of this is true, but we cannot lose sight of the fact that our God is a holy God. The Bible is clear that ungodly behavior hurts our fellowship with God. We can easily restore that fellowship through repentance, but we must know that our actions effect our closeness to God.

God told Moses not to come any closer until he removed his sandals. If we want to get close to God, we must do so with proper respect.

It is in this passage that we learn what God says his name is. God is set apart by himself. There is no other God. He is the God of the past, the present, the future. He is all in all, the Alpha and the Omega. He is the perfect being, the creator of the universe, the father of all life. God's name is so much more than just a handle, it is his authority, his reputation. He is I AM.

Moses had a huge task ahead of him, but he would do so under the banner of the name of God, by God's power and authority. God has a task for each of us. When we approach it by his name, his power, and his authority, we can accomplish more than we ever dreamed.