Fear / Reverence for God, Guide, Holy, Miracles, Obeying God, Speaking, Submitted / Servant

When God Draws Near (Exodus 3:1-10)

Have you ever sensed God calling you—but felt unsure you were ready?

Key Verse:
“Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” —Exodus 3:5 NASB

Background Context:
In Exodus 2, Moses fled Egypt after acting in his own strength and spent years in the wilderness of Midian. What seemed like a setback was actually a season of preparation.

Now in Exodus 3, God meets Moses in an unexpected way—through a bush that burns but is not consumed. This moment marks the beginning of God’s direct call for Moses to lead His people out of Egypt.

(Continued and expanded after scripture.)

Exodus 3:1-10

The Burning Bush

      1Now Moses was pasturing the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2The angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed. 3So Moses said, “I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up.” 4When the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5Then He said, “Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6He said also, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

      7The LORD said, “I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings. 8“So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. 9“Now, behold, the cry of the sons of Israel has come to Me; furthermore, I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them.

The Mission of Moses

      10“Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.”

Reflection on Exodus 3:1–10:
Moses is going about an ordinary day, tending sheep in the wilderness, when he notices something unusual—a bush on fire that is not burning up. When he turns aside to look, God calls to him from the midst of the bush.

This moment reminds us that God often meets us in the middle of ordinary life, but calls us to pay attention. Moses had to turn aside before he heard God speak.

God immediately establishes something essential: His holiness. Moses is told not to come closer and to remove his sandals because he is standing on holy ground. The presence of God transforms even an ordinary place into something sacred.

Before giving Moses any assignment, God reveals who He is. He identifies Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the covenant-keeping God who is faithful to His promises. Moses responds with reverence and fear, hiding his face.

Then God reveals His heart.

“I have surely seen the affliction of My people… I have heard their cry… I know their sufferings.”

This is deeply personal language. God is not distant or unaware. He sees, hears, and knows. The suffering of His people matters to Him.

But God does not stop at awareness—He declares His intention to act.

“I have come down to deliver them.”

This echoes the pattern we see throughout Scripture: God initiates rescue. Just as He would later provide ultimate deliverance through Yeshua, here He begins the process of delivering Israel from slavery in Egypt.

Then comes the unexpected turn:

“Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh.”

The God who sees and delivers chooses to work through a person.

This is where the earlier thread of Moses’ weakness becomes important. The same Moses who fled Egypt, who failed in his own strength, is now being called by God. His past failure did not disqualify him. In fact, God prepared him through it.

God does not call Moses because he is perfect. He calls him because God’s plan is greater than Moses’ weakness.

The pattern is clear: God sees, God comes, and God sends.

And He still works this way today.

Application:

  • Be attentive to moments when God may be drawing your attention.

  • Approach God with reverence, recognizing His holiness.

  • Take comfort that God sees and understands your struggles.

  • Remember that God often works through imperfect people.

  • Be willing to respond when God calls, even if you feel unprepared.

Closing Prayer:
Father, thank You for seeing, hearing, and knowing the struggles of Your people. Help me to recognize when You are calling me and to respond with humility and obedience. Remind me that You can use me despite my weaknesses, and strengthen my faith to trust in Your plans. In Yeshua’s name, Amen.

May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you.

John Golda

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