The Angel of the LORD: The Call from the Burning Bush

 

"The Call from the Burning Bush"

Text: Exodus 3:1–12

Sometimes God calls us when we least expect it. Moses wasn’t in a temple or on a mountain looking for God. He was shepherding sheep in the wilderness of Midian—just another ordinary day. But in this passage, God steps into Moses’ quiet life in an extraordinary way.

Let us consider:

1. Why God chose to intervene on behalf of His people.

2. Who the “Angel of the LORD” might be.

3. And how the humility of Moses gives us a model for our own response to God’s call.

God's Compassionate Response (Exodus 3:7–9)

God begins by explaining why He is stepping into the story of Israel’s oppression. He tells Moses:

“I have surely seen the affliction of my people... and have heard their cry... I know their sorrows.” (Ex. 3:7, KJV)

Notice these three verbs: seen, heard, and know. God is not distant or indifferent. He sees the injustice. He hears the groans. He knows the pain of His people intimately.

Then He says:

“I am come down to deliver them... and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land.” (Ex. 3:8)

This is the heart of God: not only to free but to lift up—to redeem and restore. This echoes the same compassion we see in Jesus when He weeps over Jerusalem, when He heals the sick, when He welcomes the weary. God steps in when suffering endures too long.

So why did He intervene? Because of His covenant, His compassion, and His character. The cries of Israel had reached the ears of a faithful God.

The Angel of the LORD: A Mysterious Presence (Exodus 3:2)

We read:

“And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush.”

Who is this "Angel of the LORD"? This figure appears throughout the Old Testament and often speaks as God Himself, not merely for God. In this passage, the angel appears, but then it is God who speaks from the bush. There’s no handoff. The presence is continuous.

Many scholars and theologians believe this “Angel of the LORD” may be a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ—the eternal Son before He took on flesh. He is God’s Word made visible, God's messenger who is God. This would not be surprising, for Jesus says in John 8:58:

“Before Abraham was, I am.”

He was already present and active, revealing God to His people long before Bethlehem. If this is Jesus, we see that He was already the Deliverer, already involved in the rescue plan from the very beginning.

Moses’ Humility and Reluctance (Exodus 3:11–12)

Moses responds in verse 11 with a simple, honest question:

“Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh?”

This is the voice of humility, even inadequacy. Moses had been a prince in Egypt, but now he’s a shepherd. He had tried to rescue his people once and failed. He no longer believed in himself.

But God doesn’t answer by building up Moses’ confidence. He simply says:

“Certainly I will be with thee.” (Ex. 3:12)

That’s the key. It’s not about who Moses is—it’s about who is with Moses. God’s presence is the guarantee of success.

And isn’t this still true? When God calls us, we often feel unworthy, unprepared, or overwhelmed. But He doesn’t need our strength. He needs our surrender. Humility, as Moses displays here, is the very thing God can use.

So today, remember this:

• God hears the cries of His people. He sees, hears, and knows.

• The One who called Moses may have been Christ Himself, already working salvation.

• And though Moses felt small, it was God's presence that made the mission possible.

In the end, God's message to Moses is His message to us:
“I will be with you.”

Let us answer God's call—not because we are confident in ourselves—but because we are confident in Him.

Amen.

More: EXODUS - Sabbath School Lesson 2 - The Burning Bush