Words in italic type have been added for clarity. They are not found in the original Hebrew or Aramaic.

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Exodus 3

The original pronunciation of the name YHWH (Yᵊhōvâ) … was Yahweh.

Moses at the Burning Bush

Exodus 3:¹ Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God (‘ĕlōhîm).

Exodus 3:² And the Angel of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed.

• Under great tribulation and “Burning with fire” the Hebrews are suffering in Egypt; however, God will see to it that they are not consumed. Since the Fig Tree is symbolic of the Jewish nation, the burning bush may have been a fig tree sapling, early in its stages.

Exodus 3:³ Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.”

Exodus 3:⁴ So when the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) saw that he turned aside to look, God (‘ĕlōhîm) called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!”

And he said, “Here I am.”

Exodus 3:⁵ Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.”

Note:

• The word “Holy” means separated and sanctified.
• In scripture, the sandal is symbolic of authority.
• Moses had no authority in God’s presence.
• Personal Application: Removing one’s shoes before entering another’s house is to recognize and respect their authority.
• Even today, in countries like Iraq, they use a sandal to slap the face to shame the person.
• When Sadam Hussein’s statue was pulled down the people slapped the statue in the face with their sandals.

In scripture, to be slapped in the face with a sandal is great shame.

Exodus 3:⁶ Moreover He said, “I am the God (‘ĕlōhîm) of your father—the God (‘ĕlōhîm) of Abraham, the God (‘ĕlōhîm) of Isaac, and the God (‘ĕlōhîm) of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God (‘ĕlōhîm).

Exodus 3:⁷ And the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.

• Not only did God know of their sorrows, but He had foretold Abraham that this was their future when the covenant was made in Abraham’s dream of a furnace. God also foretold when they would leave Egypt, and now, in the fullness of time (when God knew He would make it happen) God is now making His plans come to fruition.

Exodus 3:⁸ So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites.

• Note: This is the Promised Land, the land God promised to Abraham and his descendants. Today, that land is called Israel, although the Gentile nations have it whittled down to less land than God promised. In our future, that error will be corrected and the Israelis will have every inch of land God promised.
• The Jebusites lived in the area that will become known as Jerusalem and where the temple would be built. David bought the land from the Jebusite Araunah’s as a Threshing Floor. Tribulation is another word for Threshing.

Exodus 3:⁹ Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.

Exodus 3:¹⁰ Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”

Exodus 3:¹¹ But Moses said to God (‘ĕlōhîm), “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”

• Egypt is symbolic of the world and its worldliness. The scriptural word for Egypt is miṣrayim which sounds a lot like “misery” to me.

Exodus 3:¹² So He said, “I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God (‘ĕlōhîm) on this mountain.”

• Horeb, the mountain of God, where the Ten Commandments were given to Moses by God. Horeb is also known as the Mountain of Yhvh (Yᵊhōvâ) .

Exodus 3:¹³ Then Moses said to God (‘ĕlōhîm), “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God (‘ĕlōhîm) of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?”

Exodus 3:¹⁴ And God (‘ĕlōhîm) said to Moses, “I AM (I have existed) WHO (I exist) I AM (I will continue to exist)” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM (I always was and I will always be) has sent me to you.’ ”

@ Prophecy Alert: John 4:26; 8:58 (The Great “I AM”) (Old Testament prophecy fulfilled by Jesus)

• I AM is the Hebrew word hāyâ spelled (H1961) הָיָה

• יְהֹוָה Yᵊhōvâ – From הָיָה (H1961) I AM is the root of Yᵊhōvâ.

• Yᵊhōvâ right to left, is spelled with the following Hebrew letters: yodh, he, waw, and he.
  In Hebrew, each letter has a meaning: (the ancient pictograph is included)
  
  • yodh means “Hand”

• he means “Behold!”

• waw means “Nail”

• The spelling of Yᵊhōvâ by their letter names are “Behold my nail! Behold my hand!”
• Note: two Yods in a row designate the titular name of God Adonai meaning master or lord (The plural for “Adon”). Because God has always existed He is the Lord of lords.
  • Note: YHWH, yᵊhōvâ, Yahweh, and Jehova are all the same name of God with different pronunciations. The divine name was regarded as too sacred to be uttered; replaced by the Hebrew word Adonai (“My Lord”) from which ‘ăḏōnāy is derived.

Exodus 3:¹⁵ Moreover God (‘ĕlōhîm) said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The Lord God (Yᵊhōvâ ‘ĕlōhîm) of your fathers, the God (‘ĕlōhîm) of Abraham, the God (‘ĕlōhîm) of Isaac, and the God (‘ĕlōhîm) of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations (Behold my Nail, Behold my hand!).’

Exodus 3:¹⁶ Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and say to them, ‘The Lord God (Yᵊhōvâ ‘ĕlōhîm) of your fathers, the God (‘ĕlōhîm) of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared to me, saying, “I have surely visited you and seen what is done to you in Egypt;

Exodus 3:¹⁷ and I have said I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, to a land flowing with milk and honey.” ’

Exodus 3:¹⁸ Then they will heed your voice; and you shall come, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt; and you shall say to him, ‘The Lord God (Yᵊhōvâ ‘ĕlōhîm) of the Hebrews has met with us; and now, please, let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’

• It was a three journey for Abraham to take Isaac to Mt. Moriah.
• It was a three day journey for Jonah to walk Ninevah.
• It takes three days to inspect a sacrifice for a spot or blemish.
• Laban put three days’ journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks.
• Moses sets out from Param to the Promised Land three days journey and invites his father in law to join him.
• Moses departed from before Hahiroth and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness, went three days’ journey in the Wilderness of Etham, and camped at Marah.
• Jesus took a round-trip three day journey through Sheol.

Exodus 3:¹⁹ But I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not even by a mighty hand.

Exodus 3:²⁰ So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in its midst; and after that he will let you go.

Exodus 3:²¹ And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be, when you go, that you shall not go empty-handed.

Exodus 3:²² But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, namely, of her who dwells near her house, articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing; and you shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians.”

• Note: Egypt was left without a pharaoh, without a son to take the throne, without nobles or priests, without an army, without their crops since they had been wiped out, without their animals which died in the plagues, and without their finances, because God saw to it that Egypt was indeed plundered in every way possible.

• The country was left with a frightened queen, Hatshepsut who had to put on a beard in order to act as a pharaoh over her country. Egypt was protected from being conquered by other countries because of her boils and plagues.

• Therefore; Egypt is left with only her sand.