Moses’ ordinary day of shepherding near the Mountain of God was suddenly interrupted by a fiery bush, an intense blaze that was so unusual that Moses stopped what he was doing to investigate. What was it that made him want to check this out? He had seen blazing fires before, but he could not understand what was before his wondering eyes; this bush wasn’t being destroyed by the raging flames. So, Moses did what most of us would do. He told himself what he was going to do about the blazing bush, “I must turn aside and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up.” Exodus 3:3.
This decision, and this action, led Moses to a life-changing encounter with the Angel of the Lord. Back in the previous verse, we see that “The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of the bush.” Doesn’t this make you curious about what is going on? Let’s take a few minutes and investigate what is happening.
Who or What is the Angel of the Lord?
Let’s begin by examining the biblical understanding of angels in general. There are about 300 references to angels in the Bible, and the basic meaning is that angels are created beings God uses as messengers. The Greek term is angelos, the Hebrew is malach. Both are translated as “messenger.” You see this in several instances in scripture where God sends an angel (messenger) to direct or make a promise to one of his followers. For example, the angel Gabriel was sent to Zacharias to announce the birth of John the Baptist, and later to Mary concerning the birth of Jesus, and to Joseph to tell him to keep his engagement to Mary because she was innocent and was going to give birth to the Christ child. These angels, and many more such messengers in the Old Testament, represented God with special messages to his people.
The angel in the blazing bush is not just “an angel” from God but “The Angel of the Lord.” There is something distinctly different about this messenger from many other angelic appearances in scripture. This same “Angel of the Lord “appeared to Abram in Genesis 12:7 and made a promise about the land his posterity would inherit. We also see the “Angel of the Lord” appear to Hagar in Genesis 17, telling her to live under Sarah’s authority, and that He would make a great nation through Ishmael.
If the angel Moses encounters is not a “regular” angel, then who or what is the “Angel of the Lord?” Exodus 3:4 reads, “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.’
Who is it that speaks to Moses from the blazing bush? It is not a created angel God has sent to Moses; God himself is bringing the message to him. And what a life-altering, redemptive message it will be for Moses and the enslaved Israelites!
Who is the “Angel of the Lord” that appears to Moses? Clearly, it is God himself, not a created angel messenger. Why is this distinction important? Apparently, Moses needed a message from no less than God himself to convince him to go back to Egypt. Moses had been misled before by his personal ambitions to free the Israelites and needed the power and authority of God himself to undertake such an awesome task. So, God himself speaks to Moses directly out of the blazing bush.
Personally, I agree with many who believe the Angel of the Lord was the pre-incarnate Christ. Jesus claimed to exist before Abraham, “Before Abraham was born, I Am.” John 8:58. Even before He came into the world in human form, He already existed and was active in carrying out God’s promises in the Old Testament. He has always been and is with us today in the Spirit who came in tongues of fire at Pentecost.
Think of it! God Almighty, who spoke to Moses out of the blazing bush, lives in you! If you have put your trust in God to save you through His plan (the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus), all the promises of God are your inheritance. Not only does heaven await you, but right now God resides in you to save and keep you, and to empower you to live victoriously through the trials and challenges that confront you in this life.
Just as God knew the tremendous challenge ahead of Moses, He knows your past, present, and future. You are His precious child, and He will be your faithful Helper and Guide as you trust and obey Him.
Let this encourage you to face whatever life throws at you with the knowledge and confidence that God will work in everything in your life to grow you to be more like Jesus and to honor Him in all you say and do. Have a great day!