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Exodus 3 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
God shows His character to Moses by both coming down to him and promising to be present with him. We read the details in verses 8 and 12.
“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.
Exodus 3:8 NASB
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.”
Exodus 3:12 NASB
The plan that God had for His creation was to first come down. It’s an act of grace that He would even show Himself to us. For us as believers today, we know that God showed the ultimate act of humility by sending His Son Christ down to atone for our sin. This single act is what separates Christianity from any other religion or worldview. Man doesn’t work his way to God, but rather, God comes and pursues man.
Coming down was a huge deal for Moses, but it wasn’t the end. To only come down would really only benefit Moses (and Israel) in the short term. God promised to remain with them as a sign. He knows we are weak and led easily astray by our flesh, so he made a covenant to pursue His people. Today, as believers, we know that this mean the Holy Spirit has taken up residence in our body. He has sealed us as belonging to Christ. Coming down was gracious, but choosing to be with us forever is indescribable.
At the end of verse 12, we see clearly what our response should be. It’s the response God had planned all the way back during Moses’ time and it’s the same response He desires today. It’s worship. The only logical conclusion to a God who comes down and promises to remain with us is to praise Him with our lives. This is the same command that Jesus asks of us – to sacrifice.
Have we ever really thought about how appalling grace is? God didn’t have to come down or remain with us, but He did. Jesus went to the cross willingly. The Holy Spirit was sent, not because we earned Him, but because God loves us. These are truths that lead us to a place of incredible humility – the worship of our Creator. Take time today to think about this. Take time today to worship.