Sermon Outline

Summer Heat         

July 27, 2025  

It’s getting a little hot up here on the Mountain…” (Moses and the burning bush)

Exodus 3:1–22 & Exodus 4:1-9

INTRO: Imagine for a moment: You are walking up the side of a mountain. You hear sheep behind you, bleating. They are tired… you are tired, but you continue on and they follow you.

      Up ahead, you see s strange sight… You get closer to investigate. It’s something you’ve never seen before! That’s when you hear “The Voice!”

      Obviously, we’re looking at Exodus chapter 3 today. We find Moses, and he walks up on a bush that’s on fire, but isn’t being consumned… Not something you see every day. 

      Usually, this is our opportunity to “beat Moses up” because he didn’t want to do the job that God gave him.

      But we aren’t going to dwell on that today. Instead, we’ll just look at how God called to him and how Moses responded in the beginning.

Exodus 3:1–22 

     1   Now 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. 

     2   The 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. 

     3   So Moses said, “I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up.” 

     4   When 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.” 

     5   Then He said, “Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 

     6   He 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. 

     7   The 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. 

     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.”

     11   But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?”

     12   And He said, “Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.” 

     13   Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” 

     14   God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” 

     15   God, furthermore, said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘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.’ This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations. 

     16   “Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “I am indeed concerned about you and what has been done to you in Egypt. 

     17   “So I said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, to a land flowing with milk and honey.” ’ 

     18   “They will pay heed to what you say; and you with the elders of Israel will come to the king of Egypt and you will say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. So now, please, let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.’ 

     19   “But I know that the king of Egypt will not permit you to go, except under compulsion. 

     20   “So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My miracles which I shall do in the midst of it; and after that he will let you go. 

     21   “I will grant this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be that when you go, you will not go empty-handed. 

     22   “But every woman shall ask of her neighbor and the woman who lives in her house, articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; and you will put them on your sons and daughters. Thus you will plunder the Egyptians.”

1. Moses sees something AMAZING!
2. Fire in the desert gets your attention!
3. This fire is REALLY special!
4. It isn’t spreading.
5. It isn’t consuming the bush that appears to be on fire.
6. This is because the fire is the Angel of the Lord!
7. This isn’t your ordinary, everyday, run of the mill fire!
8. Moses notices this amazing fire!

So Moses said, “I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up.”

1. I’m sure this sounded a bit more urgent when Moses said it!
2. Either that, or his 80 years of life and his job herding sheep has worn him down to the point that nothing is exciting anymore!
3. Moses meets The Angel of the Lord.”
4. My OPINION is that The Angel of the Lord is a Preincarnation of Jesus. Jesus in His human body, going to the past.
5. If you want some more info, look at the sermon notes…

Rabbit trail Alert!!!

Who Is the Angel of the Lord?

(The importance of this character to the Biblical story)

By Carissa Quinn          August 9, 2019

The Hebrew Bible, or Old Testament, contains some figures and features difficult for our modern minds to understand. Flip through the pages of the Hebrew Scriptures and you’ll come across a figure who seems to carry a contradiction: the Angel of the Lord. So who is this character, and why is understanding him so important?

The Messenger of Yahweh

Let’s start by looking at the phrase “angel of the Lord” in Hebrew. The Hebrew word translated as “angel” is malak, which means “messenger.” This particular messenger is not just an angel, but the “angel of the Lord.” The messenger of Yahweh—or in Hebrew, malak Yahweh—is the only messenger who bears the name of Yahweh. In Exodus 23:20-21, Yahweh tells Moses that this angel will lead them, saying, “my name is in him.”

Yahweh, or like Yahweh?

As you explore this character further, you’ll encounter a big problem: Sometimes the angel of the Lord speaks as if he is a messenger from Yahweh, and other times he speaks as if he is Yahweh.

How is this possible? When you encounter problems like this in the Bible, you may think the Bible is contradictory or convoluted—especially in the Hebrew Scriptures.

But you have another option. You can ask the question: Is there something more the author wants to communicate by presenting this figure or feature in this strange way? In other words, is the “contradiction” intentional? Taking this approach will open your eyes to the literary art of Scripture and may even help you see some of Jesus’ central claims in a new light.

The Story of Hagar

The story of Hagar illustrates the complex way that the angel of the Lord is portrayed in Scripture. In Genesis 16, we encounter a slave woman who has become pregnant by her master, abused by her master’s wife, and has now fled to the desert to meet her likely death. The narrative tells us, “the angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness” (Genesis 16:7). This figure speaks to Hagar.

But then something strange happens.

Genesis 16:10 The angel of the Lord also said to her, “I will greatly multiply your descendants so that they will be too many to count.”

Yahweh is the one who typically issues this kind of blessing (e.g., Genesis 22; Genesis 26; Genesis 28). Who does this angel think he is? Keep going, and the angel of the Lord speaks about Yahweh as a separate person, saying, “Yahweh has heard your affliction” (Genesis 16:11).

At best, we think this angel is speaking on behalf of Yahweh—that is, until the narrator tells us it was Yahweh who spoke to her! And Hagar calls this angel “God.”

Genesis 16:13 Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God who sees me”; for she said, “Have I even seen Him here and lived after He saw me?”

This story illustrates the complex way the authors portray this figure as both Yahweh and distinct from Yahweh. But how do we know whether this is just a lack of precision or a discrepancy in the text? In order to answer this, we need to ask: Do the authors of Scripture consistently refer to the angel of the Lord as both Yahweh and distinct from Yahweh?

Is There a Pattern?

Continue reading the narrative of the Hebrew Scriptures, and you’ll notice several places where the authors portray this angel in the same complex way as in the story of Hagar. For example, in the story of Moses and the burning bush, the angel of the Lord appears to Moses from the midst of a bush, but then God calls to him from the bush (Exodus 3:1-6). The same pattern emerges in the stories of Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 22), Balaam (Numbers 22), Gideon (Judges 6), Elijah (1 Kings 19), and David (1 Chronicles 21), to name a few.

Because this pattern occurs throughout Scripture, we can conclude that the authors are carefully and intentionally depicting this figure as a complex being. Part of the way these authors want to engage the reader is by creating gaps that require participation and investigation. This is the way all good stories work! The authors of Scripture are skilled literary artists, and this complex portrait of the angel of the Lord is just one example of their artistry.

What Does All This Mean?

The consistent way that the authors refer to the angel of the Lord as both Yahweh and distinct from Yahweh not only helps us understand this mysterious figure, but it also makes a profound claim about the identity of Yahweh, namely, that Yahweh himself is a complex being.

Understanding the complex portrayal of the Angel of the Lord prepares us to grasp the overarching story of Scripture in some significant ways:

1. This figure helps us make sense of Jesus’ claims.

It seems strange that Jesus would claim he was “one with the Father” and yet distinct as “the Son” (e.g., John 10:30). Yet these claims that sound confusing to modern readers fit in the same category as the portrait of the angel of the Lord.

2. This figure creates shelf space for understanding the Trinity.

This ancient and creative way of portraying Yahweh as a complex unity helps readers understand that Yahweh is a diverse yet unified community of love. This is foundational for understanding that perfect community of love—Father, Son, and Spirit—that we have come to call the Trinity.

3. This figure helps us know God’s character more.

Yahweh interacts on a personal level with humans while also maintaining his identity as God above all, yet entirely other. This God takes on an embodied form to relate with humanity, ultimately taking on human flesh to restore humanity to right relationship as partners with him. This complex portrait of the angel of the Lord uniquely communicates truths about the character and identity of Yahweh—that he is a complex unity, one who is both unified and diverse, near, and above all. What we see in the angel of the Lord is brought to a culmination in the person of Jesus, who draws near to humanity in order to draw us near to God.

1. God / The Angel of the Lord, speaks to Moses from out of the burning bush.
2. God speaks Moses’ name.
3. Moses responds “Here I am.”
4. God tells Moses not to get any closer.
5. God tells Moses to take of his shoes because he is “standing on Holy ground.”
6. Was it already Holy ground?
7. Moses describes where he is at as “the mountain of God.”
8. Perhaps it becomes Holy because of this encounter!
9. This spot has been made Holy by God showing His presence there!
10. I can’t help but wonder if this was the same spot that God later met with Moses to give him the 10 commandments??
11. God then reveals to Moses exactly Who it is that is speaking to him.
12. “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”
13. “I am”
14. Moses is VERY frightened.
15. With good reason.
16. God reveals to Moses His plan.
17. I have heard Israel’s cry for help.
18. I will deliver them from Egypt.
19. I will strike Egypt.
20. God will weaken Egypt so much that they won’t be a concern to any of their neighbors for several hundred years!
21. I will allow you to plunder Egypt.
22. Think of it as “back wages.”

Exodus 3:21–22 “I will grant this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be that when you go, you will not go empty-handed. “But every woman shall ask of her neighbor and the woman who lives in her house, articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; and you will put them on your sons and daughters. Thus you will plunder the Egyptians.”

1. God gives Moses a job!

Exodus 3:10 “Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.”

1. God is clear and to the point.
2. I will send YOU!
3. You will bring My people out of Egypt!
4. God isn’t asking… He is TELLING!
5. Moses will speak to Pharoah.
6. It isn’t going to work, but Pharoah will be given a chance.
7. Moses will talk to the Elders of the people.
8. God promises that the Elders will listen.

1. Moses has questions!
2. “Who am I to go?”
3. I’m nobody. What he says is true.
4. He’s an 80 year old man, wandering around on a mountain, looking after someone else’s sheep!
5. He used to be somebody.
6. He used to be part of Pharoah’s household.
7. But he left that all behind when he tried to start a rebellion!
8. God says “I will go with you!”
9. God KNOWS this will work.

Exodus 3:12 And He said, “Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.”

1. God does not say “If.” He says “when” and “shall.”
2. This is all a foregone conclusion!
3. You WILL do this!
4. Moses then asks “Who do I tell them sent me?
5. There’s LOTS of discussion on this one….
6. Had Israel forgotten God?
7. This is possible..
8. They have been in Egypt for about 400 years.
9. Lots of time for Egypt to “rub off” on them.
10. There are multiple names, used for God, depending on the circumstance.
11. Or maybe, Moses is stalling, looking for a way out of God’s plan.
12. God responds to Moses’ question!

Exodus 3:14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”

1. God gives Moses a strange (to us) answer.
2. “I AM WHO I AM.”

From: gotquestions.org  

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’” (Exodus 3:14).

The phrase translated “I am who I am” in Hebrew is ehyeh asher ehyeh. The word ehyeh is the first person common singular of the verb to be. It would be used in any number of normal situations: “I am watching the sheep,” “I am walking on the road,” or “I am his father.” However, when used as a stand-alone description, I AM is the ultimate statement of self-sufficiency, self-existence, and immediate presence. God’s existence is not contingent upon anyone else. His plans are not contingent upon any circumstances. He promises that He will be what He will be; that is, He will be the eternally constant God. He stands, ever-present and unchangeable, completely sufficient in Himself to do what He wills to do and to accomplish what He wills to accomplish.

When God identified Himself as I AM WHO I AM, He stated that, no matter when or where, He is there. It is similar to the New Testament expression in Revelation 1:8, “‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.’” This is true of Him for all time, but it would have been especially appropriate for a message in Moses’ day to a people in slavery and who could see no way out. I AM was promising to free them, and they could count on Him!

1. Moses asks God, “What if they don’t believe me?”
2. Let’s face it, he has a point.
3. Last time the people of Israel saw Moses, he was running for his life!
4. He had killed an Egyptian taskmaster, and thought the Israelites would be happy he did it… Maybe they’d even feel like following him in an uprising against the Egyptians.
5. No such luck there.
6. Now he’s 80 years old and every year shows.
7. “Who’s going to listen to me?
8. God will provide the proof!

Exodus 4:1–9 Then Moses said, “What if they will not believe me or listen to what I say? For they may say, ‘The LORD has not appeared to you.’ ” 

     2   The LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” And he said, “A staff.” 

     3   Then He said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. 

     4   But the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand and grasp it by its tail”—so he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand— 

     5   “that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” 

     6   The LORD furthermore said to him, “Now put your hand into your bosom.” So he put his hand into his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. 

     7   Then He said, “Put your hand into your bosom again.” So he put his hand into his bosom again, and when he took it out of his bosom, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. 

     8   “If they will not believe you or heed the witness of the first sign, they may believe the witness of the last sign.

     9   “But if they will not believe even these two signs or heed what you say, then you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground; and the water which you take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.”

1. First, we have the rod / snake / rod.
2. Imagine, you’ve been carrying this walking stick around for years. God tells you to throw it on the ground. You do what you’ve been told. When it hits the ground, it’s a big old snake… and you run! God tells you to grab it by the tail… not something you were planning on doing. But you do it anyway and WOW! It’s a stick again!
3. I’ll bet Moses was careful not to EVER drop that stick again!
4. God gives you another miracle to use to prove that you are really speaking for Him….
5. “Put your hand in your coat!”
6. You do, and when you pull it out, your hand is white with leprosy! Argh!
7. God says to put it back again, and when you take it out, much to your relief, your hand is fully healed! WHEW!
8. God also tells him of one other thing he can do if the people are REALLY reluctant to listen..
9. Take some water from the Nile river. Pour it out on the ground. It will turn to blood!
10. Scripture doesn’t tell us if Moses had to use either of these signs to be convincing, but we know God had him “Throw down the stick” when he talked to Pharoah! The Nile was also turned to blood! ICK!

Conclusion: Moses goes on to argue with God some more…. “I’m not eloquent!” God has already anticipated this excuse and Aaron, Moses’ brother, is on his way to be there with Moses.

Moses tells God to “please find anyone else.” God finally has had enough and ends the discussion!

What can I take home with me today?

• It pays to pay attention!
• God put the burning bush right in Moses’ path.
• Moses could have said “Nope! Not going to even go look!”
• “I might have to put out a brush fire!”
• “I’m too old for this nonsense.
• God may put a “burning bush” right in your path! Don’t ignore it!

• Don’t spend all your time worrying about things that may not matter so much in the grand scheme of things.
• WHO The Angel of the Lord actually is may be interesting, but we shouldn’t let small controversies pull us away from the “main themes” of the Bible!
• Things like the Creation,
• the Virgin Birth, the fulfilled prophecy.
• Jesus, the Messiah Who lived a sinless life, died a sacrificial death, and rose again to give us the hope of eternal life.
•  God’s eternal power and Sovereignty.

• God works in the lives of His people.
• Sometimes He does the miraculous…
• Other times, not so much.
• But He is always working!

• God sends reinforcements when we really need them!
• Moses had Aaron.
• God will provide for your needs too!

• God didn’t get mad at Moses for asking questions.
• “Blind faith” isn’t expected!
• God isn’t afraid of our questions.

• Moses, I’m sure, thought his days of service were almost done.
• The truth was that they were really just getting started.
• Have you ever thought that there was a reason that God waited till Moses was 80 years old?
• He spent 40 years learning “the ways and knowledge of the Egyptians.”
• This would include how to lead.
• He spent 40 years with a bunch of stinky sheep.
• There’s the “humility” training.
• There’s the “care about everybody” training.
• There’s the “pay attention” training.
• Now he’s finally ready for God to use him in a mighty way.
• Moses is a “proxy” leader for God, not the leader himself!
• How will God use you?
• “I’m too old.”
• “I don’t know enough.”
• “I just don’t wanna!”