Perhaps you can keep them open there at Exodus chapter 3.
We spent some time, maybe a couple of years ago now,
in the first 15 chapters of the book of Exodus.
We're going to return to Exodus, picking the story up in chapter 16.
But just to give ourselves a reminder of some of the key events
and some of the key themes,
we're going to look at some of these early chapters,
and especially, as Bob said, this hugely significant chapter,
Exodus chapter 3, where we meet Moses,
and he receives his call from God.
The story of Moses is one that captures the imagination.
It's one that has featured prominently through the years in film and TV.
So for some generations, they'll have been raised on Charlton Heston,
the Ten Commandments.
Perhaps you watch Christian Bale in a more recent one.
There's the DreamWorks, Prince of Egypt.
Even Netflix has got a new series on the life of Moses.
And it's really understandable when you think about how grand and epic his story is
and how God works through him bringing deliverance.
It makes for a great and gripping story.
It's also interesting to think about the life of Moses
in light of the modern interest in origin stories.
So now there's that great interest,
not just in who are our heroes as they're fully grown and established in their roles.
We want to know what is their background.
What is it that made them tick and makes them the people that they are.
Moses has one of those stories.
Sometimes God's people, they appear on the scene
and we don't know anything about their background.
We get just one or two brief details, perhaps.
But we have some chapters devoted to the early years of Moses.
So we learn about Moses' birth.
And we discover him arriving in history at this point of great tension
where the people of Israel, God's people, are under real threat.
There is a king, Pharaoh, who wants to destroy the people of God
by throwing the firstborn or the male children into the River Nile.
And so we meet Moses, God's chosen deliverer,
himself having to be rescued from an evil king.
And of course we fast forward in our minds to the life of Jesus
and we see a parallel.
Jesus too was threatened by an evil king, King Herod.
Jesus also was the rescuer who was himself rescued.
Also in chapter 2, we meet a moment of decision in Moses' life.
Raised in the palace, educated in the way of the Egyptians,
at one point in his adult life,
he chooses to leave the palace behind
in order to identify with God's enslaved people.
And again, that reminds us of Jesus
leaving the glory of heaven to become one of us,
to identify with us in order to save us.
And then we come to this chapter that we've just heard,
chapter 3, where Moses is called by God
to be his chosen mediator and deliverer.
Just as we understand that Jesus is God's chosen,
great mediator, deliverer for his people.
So as I said, our story is,
our series is largely going to focus on chapter 16 onwards.
But I want us to think about the call of Moses
because we see in this chapter themes
that will run through the whole book of Exodus.
So we discover as God calls Moses,
he comes to be personally present.
He announces his promise to save his people
and to reveal his purpose for the Exodus,
which involves freeing his people from slavery,
inviting them into relationships
so that they might worship.
So we'll think about those things together.
We'll see how this story connects with us today
and how this story connects with the story of God's Son,
the Lord Jesus.
But let's go to verse 1 to set the scene
and to think about God's presence here
in the call of Moses.
So the day starts like any other day.
Moses was tending the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law.
He led the flock to the far side of the wilderness,
came to Horeb.
Moses has had to flee.
He's on the run from Egypt.
He's got married.
He's now a shepherd,
which will prove excellent training for future service,
leading, guiding, protecting.
He comes to Mount Horeb,
which becomes significant in the story
because it is also known as Mount Sinai,
the place of meeting with God.
The day begins like any other day.
But then, verse 2,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him
in flames of fire from within a bush.
God is present.
How do we know God is present?
There are numerous signs along the way.
This burning bush and these flames
stand as a signpost for us.
As we read through the book of Exodus,
we discover that fire
is a sign of God's presence.
We have the pillar of fire
that guides them through the wilderness.
We have, when they arrive at Mount Sinai,
a mountain with fire and with smoke on the top.
And then, as the tabernacle is built
as a place to worship,
chapter 40,
as God's glory cloud comes down,
there is fire.
So there's the flames of fire
and there's the bush.
And Moses saw that though the bush was on fire,
it did not burn up.
Telling us some important things about God.
God who is eternal.
God who is self-sustaining.
God who is unchanging.
It is this God
who comes to be present,
who comes to speak
to Moses.
We know more about God
as we go on in our text.
In verse 4 and verse 5,
God called to him from the bush,
Moses, Moses,
and Moses said,
Here I am.
Do not come any closer,
for the place where you are standing
is holy ground.
So here's another theme
in the book of Exodus.
The people are being introduced
introduced to the reality
of a God who is holy.
A God who is separate from sin.
A God who is utterly pure.
A God who both makes
and declares
people and places
to be holy.
So there is nothing
particularly special
about the kind of scrubby
desert land of Mount Horeb.
But because the holy God
is there,
it becomes
a holy place.
And again,
as we understand
in the book of Exodus,
the fire
in itself
also speaks
of holiness.
And indeed,
Moses,
as he writes
the book of Deuteronomy,
draws attention
to that.
A couple of verses.
Deuteronomy chapter 4,
verse 24.
Moses is warning
the people here
about the danger
of idolatry.
They need to have
loyalty to God
alone.
And he says there,
for the Lord,
your God,
is a consuming fire.
A jealous God.
So that stands
as a warning
for God's people.
But let's hear him now
in Deuteronomy 9,
verse 3,
present it as a promise.
Be assured today
that the Lord,
your God,
is the one who goes
across ahead of you
like a devouring fire.
He will destroy them.
He will subdue them
before you.
So he warns the people,
you must stay loyal
in your worship to me
because I am holy
in a consuming fire.
But he gives this promise,
I will save you.
I will rescue
and deliver you
as your holy God.
And it's this God
who says to his people
then and now,
be holy
because I am holy.
And of course,
this creates
that sense
of tension.
How can
sinful people
draw near
to the perfectly
holy God?
As Moses
comes to understand
that he is dealing
with God,
we find him
at the end of verse 6
hiding his face
because he was afraid
to look at God.
And again,
the book of Exodus
is so helpful.
How is it possible
for sinners
to be in relationship
with God?
Well,
the book of Exodus
will introduce,
by God's grace,
the sacrificial system.
And so we are being
reminded that God
graciously provides
a way to make
atonement,
a way to make
reconciliation.
And we're being
pointed,
ultimately,
to the provision
of the Lord Jesus.
God who draws near.
God who draws so near
as to become
one of us.
Becoming one of us
to give his life
as a sacrifice
so that we,
by faith,
might draw near
to our God.
We also discover
that this holy God
is a personal God.
We already heard
the truth
that God speaks.
speaking to Moses
by name.
We don't worship
a force,
we worship
a person.
Verse 6,
then God said,
I am the God
of your father,
the God of Abraham,
the God of Isaac,
and the God
of Jacob.
The one who is
speaking is the God
who is revealed
in the book of Genesis.
This is the creator God.
This is the God
who has made
covenant promises
to Abraham
and to Abraham's family.
This is a God
unlike
the false gods
of Egypt.
This is the true
and living God.
And that takes us
to
verse 14,
where this personal God,
the God who is holy,
also reveals
his personal
name
to Moses.
In verse 13,
Moses asked the question,
suppose I go
to the Israelites
and say,
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.
So here's a key verse
in this chapter.
Who is speaking?
It's the eternal,
unchanging
Lord God.
The God
of the covenant promise.
And what does he say
to Moses?
He says,
I will be with you
and for you,
Moses.
I will be with
and for
my people
in steadfast love.
Moses is full
of personal doubts
and fears.
God,
I don't feel
eloquent.
I don't feel
capable.
God sends
someone else.
And the answer
to Moses'
doubts and fears,
I am
who I am.
And that
invitation
to know
the God
who is
the God
of steadfast love,
that's the answer
to our doubts
and fears
also.
He draws near
to speak,
to reveal
himself
to us.
So the
holy and
personal God
draws near
to call
Moses.
And of course,
this is a
unique event.
But at the
same time,
there is a
pattern set
and true
for every
believer.
That we
too,
if we
know Jesus
as Savior,
we too
have a
personal
encounter
with the
true and
living God.
We too
are invited
to know
this
holy God
who is
awesome.
This
loving God
who graciously
calls us
into covenant
relationship.
To jump
ahead in the
book of
Acts,
Derek will be
preaching on Acts
2 next week,
but to jump
ahead to Acts
2,
how is the
Spirit sent?
If you
remember,
the Spirit
comes as
flames of
fire,
the sign
the holy
God has
come to
dwell.
with and
in his
people.
This is
God's
design.
Helps to
anticipate
the coming
of Jesus.
God
come
down.
The holy
God
who himself
puts on
sandals
so that he
might walk
among us.
The son of
God who
promises to
be with
us always.
When Jesus
was speaking
to his
opponents in
John chapter
8,
he said
that he
was the
I am.
It's one
of the
themes of
John's
gospel,
those seven
great I
am sayings.
Before Abraham
was,
I am,
Jesus said,
saying to
his listeners
loud and
clear,
he is the
God that
met with
Moses.
God wants
people to
know him.
That's
clear that
God wanted
to know
and to
call
Moses.
That God
wants to
know us
and reveal
himself to
us is
clear in
that Jesus
became
flesh and
made his
dwelling among
us.
That as the
author of the
Hebrews would
say,
in the
past God
spoke through
the prophets
but now
he's spoken
through his
son.
And it's
wonderful to
think about.
It's wonderful to
think about the
truth that every
time we gather
together for
worship or
every time we
come to God
in prayer,
we're invited
to an encounter
with the
living God.
Of course,
it doesn't
always seem
dramatic.
We spoke
about that a
little bit
this morning.
We can't
control how
God works
and how the
spirit moves.
But again,
we know that
when we are
consciously aware
that he has
drawn near to
bless us,
to speak to
us, there's a
power, there's a
beauty, there's a
grace there.
The gracious
God loves to
meet with, to
strengthen, to
speak with his
people.
So that's
God's presence.
Let's think
secondly about
God's promise
that we have
here.
So where have
we got in the
story so far?
We have Moses,
the shepherd,
with his staff
in his hand,
with his shoes
off, with his
face down,
bowing before
God.
The eternal,
living, unchanging
God is speaking
truth to
Moses.
Moses is living
in exile.
Moses is
separate from
God's people,
yet we discover
wonderfully his
identity is
fixed by God.
His purpose is
given to him
by God.
When he hears in
verse 10,
so now go,
I am sending
you to Pharaoh
to bring my
people, the
Israelites,
out of
Egypt.
Moses had
tried to be
a deliverer in
his own strength
and it had
failed miserably,
but he now
hears God say,
I have come
down to
rescue them.
And this is
the great promise,
the great promise
at the heart of
the book of
Exodus, that
God will be a
savior and
deliverer for
his people.
Key verses
here, verses
7 to 10.
Listen to God
speak, the
Lord said,
I have
indeed seen
the misery of
my people in
Egypt, I
have heard
them crying
out and I
am concerned
about their
suffering.
What a
wonderful truth
about God.
He sees,
he hears,
he cares
about misery
and oppression
and injustice.
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.
He's going
to transform
everything about
their experience,
taking them
from misery
to the land
of milk and
honey,
from slavery
to the
spacious and
good land
and of
promise.
One of the
things that
we see in
the early
chapters of
the book of
Exodus is a
conflict between
God represented
by Moses
and Pharaoh
and the
false gods
of Egypt
and here we
have in
anticipation
the reality
that God
is the
true king
and the
true king
will act
and act
decisively.
If you go
towards the
end of the
chapter,
verse 19,
I know
that the
king of
Egypt will
not let
you go
unless a
mighty hand
compels
him,
so I
will stretch
out my
hand and
strike the
Egyptians
with all the
wonders that
I will perform
among them.
After that
he will
let you
go.
And we
are led to
see that
Pharaoh,
the most
powerful king
on the
earth,
is no
match for
the true
and the
living God.
His mighty
hand of
judgment and
salvation
will reveal
the glory of
God to the
Israelites and
to the
Egyptians.
And he
will break
down Pharaoh's
resistance and
the end result
will be freedom
for the people
of God.
Exodus
presents us
with a
spiritual battle
and we
understand that
the battle
belongs to
the Lord.
And again
we see
anticipation
towards the
end of the
chapter.
The end
result is
that God
as he
reveals his
glory,
he's even
going to
turn the
hearts of
the Egyptians
to be
favorable to
their former
slaves so
that as
they leave,
they will
leave with
the spoils
of war.
there is
no contest,
no one
opposes
God's
will.
He has
said he
will save
and so he
is going
to save.
Verse 15,
it says,
God also
said to
Moses,
say to
the Israelites,
the Lord,
the God of
your fathers,
the God of
Abraham,
the God of
Isaac and
the God of
Jacob has
sent me to
you.
And in
that,
there is a
promise,
a promise
already given,
a promise
already given
to Abraham.
God was
not thrown
off course
in his
plan of
redemption
when his
people went
into slavery.
In Genesis
15 and
verse 6,
we find
God
telling
Moses,
it's not
verse 6,
is it?
It's verse
13,
the Lord
said to
Abraham,
know for
certain
that for
400 years
your
descendants
will be
strangers
in a
country
not their
own
and that
they will
be
enslaved
and ill
treated
there.
That's
the story
of Exodus
to date.
But here's
the promise
made 400
years before,
but I
will punish
the nation
they serve
as slaves
and afterwards
they will
come out
with great
possessions.
And now
what is God
doing for
Moses?
He's
restating
that promise,
saying now
the time
has come.
God's
promise of
rescue
is here.
And so
Moses is
called
and he's
given this
job to
be God's
mediator,
to be the
deliverer,
but there is
never any
doubt in
the whole
book of
Exodus about
who is in
charge and
who deserves
the glory.
It's not
Moses,
it's the
Lord God.
I have
seen,
I have
heard,
I have
come down.
The story
of Exodus
is the
story of
salvation
in the
Old Testament.
As the
New Testament
writers look
back on the
Old Testament,
they see
such powerful
pointers
to the
person and
work of
the Lord
Jesus.
Jesus who
before his
birth is
revealed as
Emmanuel,
God with
us.
God the
Savior present
with his
people.
The child
who is given
the name
Jesus,
which means
God saves.
Saving from
a greater
slavery than
political
slavery,
saving his
people from
slavery to
sin,
becoming the
lamb of
God who
takes away
the sin
of the
world.
As Jesus
would say
again in
John 8,
everyone who
sins is a
slave to
sin.
But if the
son sets you
free,
you are free
indeed.
And Jesus
is the
Lord,
the Lord of
the covenant
promise.
And how did
Jesus, our
Lord,
establish
covenant
relationship
with his
people by
his broken
body and
his shed
blood on
the cross.
Satisfying
God's
justice,
demonstrating
God's love,
bringing us
into
fellowship.
Jesus is
the greater
Moses, the
perfect
mediator,
fully God,
fully man,
a greater
Savior with
a greater
rescue.
you.
And so
the call
of God
to us
becomes a
call to
faith in
Jesus as
Lord and
Savior.
To believe
that when
Jesus died on
the cross,
he died for
me.
That I have
sinned and
broken God's
law, and
Jesus in love,
he died to
forgive me.
That though I
deserve death,
Jesus died to
give me
eternal
life.
The call
to faith,
to believe he
is the one
that we must
follow and
trust.
He is the
one who
leads us
from slavery
to freedom
and all the
way to the
promised land
of glory in
the presence
of God.
That's the
promise at
the heart of
this chapter
and the heart
of the book
of Exodus.
One last
thing to
see, and
it's God's
purpose.
I don't
know how
many of us
have seen
the movie
Shawshank
Redemption.
It's an old
movie now,
but there's a
character in
that movie
called Brooks.
So the movie
takes place in
a prison,
and Brooks
has been the
prison librarian
for decades.
Eventually,
as an old man
in his 70s,
he is released.
And he
writes a letter
back to his
friends in
prison.
It's a really
poignant moment
in the movie.
As he writes,
and we see on
screen how he
can't believe how
much the world
has changed,
and he struggles
to cope in a
world that has
changed.
He can't find a
place to fit in,
he can't find a
job, he has no
connections prison
had been, his
home and his
family, and he
writes of his
despair.
And we
discover eventually
he commits
suicide.
Brooks needed
more than
freedom, he
also needed a
purpose for
life in
freedom.
The story of
Exodus, and
this chapter helps
us to see this,
that salvation
is freedom,
but it's both
freedom from
slavery, and
it's freedom for
relationship with
God.
There is a
purpose to the
freedom that God
brings, and the
purpose ultimately
is worship, that
we would know and
enjoy and glorify
God.
We notice this in
two places in
this chapter.
chapter.
First of all, in
verse 12, as
God again looks to
assure Moses, he
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.
So when you are
set free, you will
meet with God, and
you will worship.
Verse 18, here is
the message the
elders of Israel are
to bring to
Pharaoh.
You and the
elders are to go to
the king of Egypt
and say to him,
the Lord, the God
of the Hebrews, has
met with us.
Let us take a
three-day journey
into the wilderness
to offer
sacrifices to
the Lord our
God.
Their message, we
have met God.
He has spoken
with us, and he
is calling us out
from this place,
calling us to
meet with him,
calling us to
worship him.
And so the
story of Exodus is
always something much
bigger than just a
political freedom
story that we see
portrayed in the
movies.
This is a deeper
freedom.
This is true
freedom.
Set free to know
God, the creator.
Set free to live
under his good and
loving rule.
Set free that they
might glorify and
enjoy God.
Set free to become
the people of God.
They will be my
people, and I will
be their God.
The goal, the
purpose, is that
they would become a
people who worship
their Savior God.
A wee preview that
Zach will remind us
of that on
Wednesday at 6.30 as
we think about what
happens when we
worship.
But the holy
personal God
calls us to
worship him.
It's a great
theme of this book.
Great theme for our
lives.
This is why Jesus
has come.
He is the one who
saves by
sacrifice.
The cross is the
victory of God
over all the dark
forces, securing
our spiritual
freedom.
He is the one who
both leads us in the
worship of God and
is the Lord we are
called to worship.
worship is the
great purpose of
our freedom.
It is the goal of
our discipleship and
our mission.
As followers of
Jesus, we want to
grow to know and
to worship our
God.
Why do we go on
mission?
We go on mission
not just to get
decisions for
Jesus, but to
create worshipers.
As John Piper
put it so
helpfully,
mission exists
because worship
doesn't.
We won't always
be doing the
great commission,
but we will for
all eternity be
worshiping our
God and
Savior.
So that's
Moses and the
call of God,
and it's a
chapter that
reveals, I
think, wonderful
truths for us
about the one
true and living
God, that he
is eternal, he
is unchanging, he
is personal, he
is holy, and he
draws near to
call people to
himself.
And this God has
sent his son
Jesus into the
world to be our
great Savior and
mediator to
represent us
before God.
God.
And we
discover just as
Moses, just as
Israel would be
called out and
then called in to
meet God and to
worship, so God
and his son Jesus
calls us out of
slavery and
darkness, calls us
to worship him as
king, confessing
Jesus Christ is
Lord.
Let's pray
together.
Father God, we
thank you for the
book of Exodus, we
thank you for the
story of your
dealing with Moses
and with your
people, Israel, and
we thank you for
the way it helps us
to understand that
you are a God
personally committed
to saving your
people, that you
are the holy God
who in grace
establishes a way
where sinful
people like us can
draw near,
by way of
sacrifice, by
way of your
son the Lord.