Who Does God Say He Is?

Lately I have been feeling less and less useful as I’m going through a long season of losing my voice. It started with just my singing voice, but now, two years later, it is also my talking, reading, and presenting voice – accompanied by a cough and spurts of choking. I have seen doctors. I have prayed for healing. I have rested, wrestled, and cried. And do you hear what this paragraph is all about? I! Me! What I have done! And today I am feeling challenged.

Let’s open our Bibles to Exodus 3:1-12

Moses and the Burning Bush

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 wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. ² 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. ³ So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”

⁴ 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.”

⁵ “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” ⁶ Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

⁷ The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 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—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. ⁹ And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. ¹⁰ So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”

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

¹² And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”

It’s a beautiful story, and so well known. Moses and the burning bush is an account that every Sunday school child has heard numerous times, and I’m sure many of you have heard it more than you can count. So, may we all be refreshed with God’s Word and character today.

Hebrews 4:12 states:  ^“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

God showed himself to Moses in a burning bush thousands of years ago and He continues to reveal Himself to us today.  The Lord, through His Word and Spirit, divulges Himself to us, although I shouldn’t say divulge.  It is no secret who God is.  It’s public knowledge.  But He does make Himself truly known to those who have chosen to believe in Him and live according to His Word, others may be confused or blinded to who God is. As we go back through today’s story, let us look together at Who God IS.

In verse 1 we see that Moses is tending the sheep of his father-in-law Jethro when he comes to Mount Horeb.  It is also known as the Mountain of God, or Mount Sinai.  Now, this verse doesn’t really show us who God is, but if we look back at what happened on that mountain, we can catch a glimpse of our awesome God.  First of all, the burning bush is here at the mountain.  Later on, after the Israelites are freed from the Egyptians, they come to this same mount to rest.  Moses climbs the mount and receives the Ten Commandments of the Lord. The law is important to the Lord.

o    Psalm 19:7-9 — The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

o    Psalm 145:17 — The Lord is righteous in all His ways, gracious in all His works.

At this same place, Mount Horeb, Moses struck the rock and water poured forth for the Israelites to drink. The Lord is our provider! He gives us our daily bread (and water!)

On this same mountain, the people heard the Lord speak! Yes, He is alive.  He’s not some painted statue of gold, silver, bronze or wood.  And he is certainly no golden calf. He speaks to His people and reveals His glory. Moses’ face was shining after the glory of the Lord passed by him up on that mountain. Elijah also heard the Lord on Mount Horeb, as he went there to flee Jezebel’s wrath. It wasn’t through a windstorm, earthquake or fire, but through a quiet, gentle whisper.  It was also here that Elisha was named the next prophet to succeed Elijah. And do you know what I love about all of this?  No one really knows where the Mountain of God is. All we need to know is WHO God is. The God who knows us and goes before us in a pillar of fire and a cloud of smoke.

Verses 2 and 3 show us to a fire that does not burn up. God is light. God doesn’t need a flame, light bulb, or star to shine.  He is light!! Moses may have just glanced a tiny bush alight with the Lord’s presence, but someday, those who trust in the Light and Life of Christ will spend eternity walking in the Light of God.  He is a light that never dies.  Eternal.

Verse 4 mentions that when God saw that Moses had gone to look at the bush He called out to him.  Two more amazing things pop out here.  One, God sees! God is all-knowing and ever-present.  He misses nothing and sees Moses drawing near.  Two, God called out his name.  God also knows your name and my name.  More than that, He knit me together in my mother’s womb. He knows the number of hairs on my head.  He knows my fears and sees my tears.  Wow, what an awesome God we have!

In verse 5, God instructed Moses to remove His sandals because the place where he was standing was holy ground.  That’s because our God is a Holy God. Rev. 4:8 says "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come."  The bush wasn’t burning, because it was filled with the holiness of God, and that means it was separate and unlike all the other bushes in the rest of creation.

Verse 6 was a scary history lesson for Moses. He was afraid to look at God because the Lord confirmed His identity.  He is the God of Moses’s forefathers – Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  He is a covenant keeping God.  A God who does not forget His people. This should have been encouraging to Moses, but it was terrifying because the Jews believed no one could see God and live. And Moses was definitely hearing and seeing something that called Himself GOD!!

In verse 7 we hear the Lord say that he has seen the misery of His people in Egypt and He is concerned about their suffering.  God is Love.  He cares for His people and loves them so much.

Verse 8 foreshadows how deep God’s love is for His people. God came down to earth, from heaven, to rescue the Israelites from the Egyptians. God promises Moses that He will bring His people to a better place.  A land flowing with milk and honey.

In my opinion, verses 9 and 10 speak volumes of encouragement.  After all that we have heard and seen of our powerful God; who is Holy, Perfect, Omnipresent, Loving, Just, Promise Keeping… He desired to use Moses to bring out His people.  Moses, a broken, shy, prince, murderer, shepherd to be his voice to the nations. 

Now, I’m just guessing here, but verse 11 highlights God’s patience.  Moses asks God “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” God listens.  He hears our complaints and excuses, but He doesn’t give up on us.  His ways are better than our ways. And as I often quote, “The Lord Knows”.

Verse 12 again shows us that God is a promise keeper. A God who knows the future. A covenant keeping God who patiently explains to Moses that He will be with Him.  He will never leave him or forsake Him. He will tell Moses what to say, including the fact that He is the Great I AM.  He will guide Pharaoh’s heart. He will allow Aaron to go as a companion. Again, I am blown away by the mercy, love, and plan of our Faithful God. A God who desires to be trusted, worshipped, and obeyed.

That’s why I mentioned earlier that I am feeling challenged.  I have trouble in trying to solve problems myself, of wanting things done in my own good timing.  Lord, I want to be healed now.  God, I feel useless.  What’s my purpose if I can’t teach, or sing, or share with words like a missionary is supposed to “DO”?

Do you ever feel like that? Do you feel inadequate or unworthy? Do you feel shy or scared? Do you tend to focus on your own weaknesses and make up excuses for what you haven’t done, or for something you haven’t said? Is there a reason why you are hiding God’s light under a bushel instead of being a light on the top of a hill? Do you hear God’s voice, but hide your face from His amazing presence?

We are not alone in these frailties and imperfections.  Moses had those same thoughts and actions.  Moses was curious enough to approach the burning bush, but not courageous enough to believe all that the Lord had to say.  He hid his face.  He feared to look at God. He gave excuses. “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

When we look at these 12 verses of Exodus 3, we can see the grace of the Lord at work here.  One, the Lord desired to have a relationship with Moses.  He talked with him and comforted him with His presence. And the Lord revealed Himself to Moses as the God of His forefathers.

Two, God came down from heaven to rescue the Israelites from their captivity to the Egyptians. He heard their suffering and promised to bring them to the Promised Land, a land flowing with Milk and Honey.

And three, God promised to be with Moses. He would go ahead of him with signs and wonders.  He would tell him what to say.  He would give him a spirit of wisdom, knowledge, and courage.

And friends, since our God is an unchanging God, those things are the same for us today.

God desires to have a relationship with you.  Are you willing to take off your shoes and kneel in the presence of God? Will you allow the Lord to guide, comfort, protect, use, shape, and hear you? Our God is not some dead statue, but He is alive and waiting to have a relationship with you and to be worshipped by you!

And God sent down His one and only Son to rescue us from captivity as well.  We are not slaves to the Egyptians, but we are born as sinners and enslaved to the evil things of this world. God sent Jesus to free us from that bondage. He is building for us an even more amazing Promised Land than the land of Canaan.  If we turn from our wicked ways, and put our faith and hope in Jesus, then heaven is a free gift.  A guarantee for all eternity, where there will be no more pain and suffering, or silence, or coughing and choking. Jesus died for you and me and desires for us to be with the four living creatures, gathering around the throne singing “Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God Almighty!”

But until that day of crossing over into the Promised Land, God also promises to be with you right now.  He will never leave you, nor forsake you. When you believe in Jesus, He will fill you with His Holy Spirit and give you peace.  If we allow ourselves to be used by God – He will also put words in our mouths that shine His light in this dark world.  He will give us courage and patience during trying times. He is not asking you to do something amazing for Him, He is asking you to just be with Him. Delight in the presence of God, knowing who He Is.

Here in Uganda, there is a popular Christian anthem song that gets people excited. It’s called I Know Who I Am by Sinach. It states (I wish I could sing it for you…)

We are a chosen generation
We’ve been called forth to show his excellence
All I require for life
God has given me
For I know who I am

I know who God says I am
What he says I am
Where he says am at
I know who I am

I'm walking in power
I’m walking in miracles
I live a life of favor
‘Cos I know who I am

Friends, this song almost focuses too much on me again. But, I know who I am because I believe in the Great I AM. I am a daughter of the King of kings. Today, we have briefly looked at a few of God’s stunning attributes and explored our way through Exodus 3. May we desire the Lord’s presence so much that we too can have burning bush moments in our lives. He finds us where we are even when we don’t know where to find Him, or if we don’t even think to look. We don’t need to live in fear or be filled with insecurities. God is a God of wonders, beyond all galaxies, but He wants a relationship with you and me. God sent His one and only Son to rescue us from the gates of Hell and has promised eternal life to those who believe on Him. So turn to Him today. Trust Him. Delight in Him, and know that even though life on this earth can be hard – He is with you.  And friends, if you believe in my God, who is alive and active in the world today, then I look forward to meeting you at the Mountain of our God.  To Him be the glory, forever and ever, Amen.