The Beginning:
Moses, living in Midian after fleeing Egypt, shepherds the flock of his father-in-law Jethro. He leads the flock to Horeb, where he sees a bush that burns without being consumed. As Moses turns aside to look, God calls to him from the bush.
The Middle:
God tells Moses not to come near and to remove his sandals, declaring the ground holy because of God’s presence. The LORD identifies Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and Moses hides his face in fear. God announces that He has seen Israel’s suffering in Egypt and will deliver them, sending Moses to Pharaoh to bring the Israelites out. Moses objects that he is unworthy and fears the people will not believe him; God promises His presence and gives signs (the staff becoming a serpent, a diseased-and-healed hand, and water turned to blood). When Moses asks God’s name, God reveals Himself as “I AM WHO I AM,” and instructs Moses to speak of YHWH, the God of their fathers, who will redeem His people.
The End:
Moses raises further concerns about his speech, and God assures him that He gives speech and will help him speak. God appoints Aaron to speak with and for Moses, making Aaron Moses’ spokesman. Moses is commissioned to return to Egypt with God’s message and authority to begin Israel’s deliverance.
This event reveals God as holy, personal, and faithful to His covenant promises to the patriarchs. God’s self-disclosure as “I AM” emphasizes His living, active presence and reliability, not a distant or merely local deity. The story also shows that deliverance is God’s initiative: He hears oppression, acts in mercy, and chooses a hesitant servant, promising His presence rather than relying on human strength. Moses’ call becomes the launching point for redemption in the Exodus, where God makes His name known through saving acts.
Removing sandals in a sacred space reflects an ancient Near Eastern posture of reverence and recognition of holiness. The setting at Horeb/Sinai fits a wilderness environment where pastoralist life was common, and the narrative’s emphasis falls less on the bush itself than on God’s manifested presence and commissioning of Moses.
"I AM WHO I AM." — Exodus 3:14
Answer the questions below. When you choose an option, you will see the result and an explanation.
1. What did Moses notice about the bush at Horeb?
2. Whom did God appoint to speak with and for Moses as his spokesman?