Repeated terms: land
(1) 3:1 Now Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to the mountain of God, to Horeb.3:2 The angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from within a bush.
Why did Horeb called the mountain of God? I think it was because the LORD appeared to Moses on that mountain.
(2) 3:5 God said, “Do not approach any closer! Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”
(NET) The word, “holy”, indicates “set apart, distinct, unique.” What made a mountain or other place holy was the fact that God chose that place to reveal himself or to reside among his people. Because God was in this place, the ground was different—it was holy.
(NET) Even though the LORD was drawing near to Moses, Moses could not casually approach him. There still was a barrier between God and human, and God had to remind Moses of this with instructions.
(3) 3:8 I have come down to deliver them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up from that land to a land that is both good and spacious, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the region of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.
[flowing with milk and honey] (NET) These two products will be in abundance in the land, and they therefore exemplify what a desirable land it is. The language is hyperbolic, as if the land were streaming with these products.
Moses was a foreigner in a foreign land. Now, God wanted him to go to where he belonged: in front of Pharaoh.
Where is God? He went down! It was because the Israelites were in a land of suffering and God would "snatching them out of danger" (NET). From (1) and (2) the place where God is holy. Now, the Israelites did not just have the presence of God, the deliverance of God, but also God would bring them to a land flowing with milk and honey.
(4) 3:10 So now go, and I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”
Moses was a foreigner in a foreign land. Now, God wanted him to go to where he belonged: in front of Pharaoh.
Summary: The place where God appears or presence was set apart. It was holy. Therefore, the presence of God made a great impart to that place. What made God come down was to rescue people He cared. His care was also shown in his giving of a desirable land. I am sure everything God said sounded very good to Moses until v.10. He might think, "Where God wanted me to be was in front of Pharaoh? What??"
Reflection: I think a lot of time we are welcome for the presence of God, His deliverance, His care and His blessing. However, we may not like God to put us in a place where we do not feel comfortable. For Moses, the means of God's rescue to His people was for him to go to the most uncomfortable place. Are you ready to go to places that you do not want to go? Do we only welcome the blessings from God, but not anything else?
Audrey
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