Where did God tell Moses to go?
BREAKDOWN
God commanded Moses to go to Egypt, specifically to Pharaoh, to lead the enslaved Israelites out of bondage. This divine mandate was given to Moses from within a burning bush on Mount Horeb, also known as Mount Sinai, while he was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro in Midian. The instruction was clear: to confront Pharaoh and demand the release of God's people, stating, "Come now therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh, that you may bring forth my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt" (Exodus 3:10). The ultimate destination and purpose of this exodus was for the Israelites to worship God on that very mountain where Moses received his call, as God declared, "Certainly I will be with you. This will be the token to you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will serve God on this mountain" (Exodus 3:12). This marked the initiation of the pivotal event of the Exodus, shaping the identity of Israel as a nation. The command was not merely a physical journey but a spiritual liberation from oppressive servitude to a covenant relationship with the Almighty.
KEY TERMS
Egypt
The ancient kingdom in northeast Africa where the Israelites were enslaved.
Pharaoh
The title for the monarch of ancient Egypt, who held the Israelites in bondage.
Israelites
The descendants of Jacob, also known as Israel, who became God's chosen people and were enslaved in Egypt.
Mount Horeb
Also known as Mount Sinai, the mountain where God appeared to Moses in the burning bush and later gave the Ten Commandments.
Burning Bush
The miraculous phenomenon through which God spoke to Moses, appearing as a bush aflame but not consumed, on Mount Horeb.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
Exodus 3:1
Now Moses was keeping 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 God's mountain, to Horeb.
Exodus 3:2
The angel of Yahweh appeared to him in a flame of fire from the middle of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
Exodus 3:10
Come now therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh, that you may bring forth my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.
Exodus 3:12
He said, “Certainly I will be with you. This will be the token to you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will serve God on this mountain.”
INTERLINEAR ANALYSIS
Interlinear Hebrew
Exodus 3:10ORIGINAL LANGUAGE ANALYSIS
שָׁלַח
send
DefinitionTo send, dispatch, stretch out
יָצָא
bring forth
DefinitionTo go out, come out, lead out
עַם
people
DefinitionPeople, nation, kin
מִצְרַיִם
Egypt
DefinitionEgypt
חֹרֵב
Mount Horeb
DefinitionA desert, desolation; the mountain where Moses received the law
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
The events surrounding God's command to Moses are typically placed during the Late Bronze Age (roughly 1550-1200 BCE), a period marked by the dominance of the New Kingdom of Egypt. During this era, Egypt was a formidable empire, known for its monumental architecture, advanced administration, and widespread use of forced labor, including foreign captives and subjugated peoples, to achieve its vast construction projects and agricultural output. The Israelites, as described in Exodus, had become enslaved, likely involved in building projects such as the store cities of Pithom and Raamses. Archaeological findings from sites like Tell el-Dab'a (ancient Avaris/Raamses) indicate a significant Semitic population in the eastern Nile Delta, consistent with the biblical narrative of foreign laborers. Mount Horeb, or Sinai, in the barren Sinai Peninsula, would have been a desolate region, ideal for a shepherd like Moses, providing a stark contrast to the fertile Nile Valley. The cultural backdrop includes Egyptian polytheism, with Pharaoh himself considered a divine being, making Moses's challenge a direct affront to the religious and political order.
THEOLOGICAL INSIGHT
The narrative of God's command to Moses at the burning bush is foundational to understanding divine calling, covenant faithfulness, and redemptive purpose. It reveals God as one who sees the affliction of His people and hears their cry (Exodus 3:7), actively intervening in human history. Moses' initial reluctance (Exodus 3:11, 4:1) highlights the human tendency to doubt one's capacity, yet God's assurance of His presence ("Certainly I will be with you") underscores that divine commissioning comes with divine enablement. The call to deliver Israel from Egypt is not merely political but spiritual, aimed at establishing a worshipping community. This event prefigures Christ's redemptive work, liberating humanity from the bondage of sin and death to serve God in true freedom.
COMMENTARY SYNTHESIS
Rashi (Jewish)
Rashi notes that God appeared to Moses in a bush, not a lofty tree, to show His humility and that He shares in the suffering of Israel, who were downtrodden in Egypt. He emphasizes that God's presence is found even in lowly places and with the afflicted.
Matthew Henry (Christian)
Henry highlights that Moses was called from an obscure life as a shepherd to a grand mission, emphasizing that God often chooses the humble and uses unlikely instruments. He sees the burning bush as a symbol of the Church, perpetually afflicted but never consumed, because God is in it.
John Calvin (Christian)
Calvin focuses on the irresistible nature of God's call and the clear manifestation of His power in the burning bush. He points out Moses' fear and apprehension as natural human reactions to the divine, but also the necessity of obedience to God's specific command.
Midrash Tanhuma, Shemot 16 (Jewish)
The Midrash explains that God chose the thorn bush because it is a humble plant and a symbol of Israel's affliction among the nations, demonstrating that God identifies with their low estate and pain, even while they are in exile.
Augustine of Hippo (Christian)
Augustine interprets the burning bush as a prefiguration of the virgin birth of Christ, where divinity dwells within humanity without consuming it, and as a symbol of the Church enduring persecution without being destroyed.