Exodus 3

NOW Moses kept the flock of Jethro Either the same with Reuel, or his son, who upon his fathers death, succeeded into his office. See Exod. 2. 18. his father in law, the Priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the back-side of the desert To its innermost parts which were behind Iethro's habitation and the former pastures, whither he went for fresh pastures., and came to the mountain of God So called, either as an high or eminent mountain: or, from the vision of God here following: See Act. 7. 30. or by anticipation, from Gods glorious appearance there and giving the law from thence. Exod. 18. 5. and 19. 3. See also 1 King. 19. 8., even to Horeb Called also Sinai, Exod. 19. 1. Act. 7. 30. Or Horeb was the name of the whole tract or row of mountains, and Sinai the name of that particular mountain where this vision hapned and the law was delivered: Or Horeb and Sinai were two several tops of the same mountain..

And the Angel of the LORD Not a created Angel, but the Angel of the covenant, Christ Jesus, who then and ever was God, and was to be man and to be sent into the world in our Flesh as a messenger from God. And these temporary apparitions of his were presages or fore-runners of his more solemn mission and coming, and therefore he is fitly called an Angel. That this Angel was no creature plainly appears by the whole context, and specially by his saying, I am the Lord, &c. The Angels never speak that language in Scripture, but, I am sent from God, and I am thy fellow-servant, &c. And it is a vain pretence to say that the Angel as Gods Ambassadour speaks in Gods name and person. For what Ambassadour of any King in the world did ever speak thus, I am the King, &c.? Ministers are Gods Ambassadours, but if any of them should say, I am the Lord, they would be guilty of blasphemy, and so would any created Angel be too, for the same reason. appeared unto him in a flame of fire Whereby was fitly represented Gods Majesty and purity and power. but of the midst of a bush, and he looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed Which doubtless represented the condition of the Church and people of Israel, who were now in the fire of affliction, yet so as that God was present with them, and that they should not be consumed in it, whereof this vision was a pledge..

And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.

And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses He doubles the name, partly to show kindness and familiarity, and principally to make Moses more attentive to the business before him.; and he said, Here am I.

And he said, Draw not nigh hither Keep thy distance; whereby he checks his curiosity and forwardness, and works him to the greater reverence and humility. Compare Exod. 19. 12, 21. Ios. 5. 15., put off thy shoes from off thy feet This he requires as an act and token, 1. of his reverence to the divine Majesty then and there eminently present. 2. of his humiliation for his sins whereby he was unfit and unworthy to appear before God: for this was a posture of humiliation, 2 Sam. 15. 30. Isa. 20. 2, 4. Ezek. 24. 17, 23. 3. of purification, from the filth of his feet or ways or conversation, that he might be more fit to approach to God. See Ioh. 13. 10. Heb. 10. 22. 4. of his submission and readiness to ob... Gods will, for which reason slaves used to be barefooted, for the place whereon thou standest, is holy ground With a relative holiness at this time, because of my special presence in it..

Moreover, he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob The God ingaged to them by covenant or promise, which I am now come to perform.. And Moses hid his face: for he was afraid to look upon God As other excellent servants of God have been through the sense of their own meanness and sinfulness, and of Gods Majesty and holiness. See Gen. 16. 13. and 17. 3. 1 King. 19. 13. Isa. 6. 2, 5. &c..

And the LORD said, I have surely seen Heb. In seeing I have seen, (i. e) I have seen and observed it diligently, accurately, and certainly for so much the doubling of the verb signifies. the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry, by reason of their task-masters: for I know their sorrows,

And I am come down This word notes Gods manifestation of himself and his favour, and giving help from heaven. See Gen. 18. 21. to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land, unto a good land and a large So it was not only comparatively to Goshen, where they now dwelt, and to the number of the Israelites at that time, but absolutely, if you take the land of promise according to its true and first and antient bounds of it, as you have them described, Gen. 15. 18. Deut. 1. 7. and 11. 24. and not according to those narrow limits to which they were afterwards confined for their unbelief, floth, cowardize and impiety., unto a land flowing with milk and honey (i. e) Abounding with the choicest fruits both for necessity and for delight. The excellency, and singular fruitfulness of this land, howsoever denied or disputed by some ill minded persons is sufficiently evident, 1. from express testimony not only of Moses, Deut. 8. 7, 8, 9. but also of the spies who were sent to view it, and, though prejudic'd against it, yet acknowledged it, Numb. 13. 27. and of the holy Prophets that lived long in it, as David, Psal. 106. 24. Ioel chap. 2. 3. and Ezekiel, who calls it the glory of all lands, Ezek. 20. 15. Which if it had not been true, it is ridiculous to think that they durst have said and writ so, when the people with whom they contested, and thousands of other persons there and then living, were able to confute them. After them Iosephus, and St. Hierom, and others since who lived long in that land, have highly commended it. And whereas Strabo speaks of the barrenness of the so... l about Ierusalem, that is true, but by himself it is limited to the compass of 60 furlongs from Ierusalem. And if at this day the land be now grown barren in a great measure, it is not strange considering both the great neglect and sloth of the people as to the improvement of it, and the great wickedness of its inhabitants, for which God has threatned to turn a fruitful land into barren..., Psal. 107. 34., unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites These people are divers... y numbred, there are ten sorts reckoned, Gen. 15. 19, 20, 21. and seven, Deut. 7. 1. and here but six, because some of them were either destroyed or driven out of their land by others; or d... d by choice and design remove to some other place, as many in those times did, though it be not mentioned in Scripture: or by cohabitation and marriages with some of the other people did make a coalition and were incorporated with them and so their name was swallowed up in the other; or because the names of some of these people, as particularly the C... ites, and the Amorites, were used sometimes more strictly, and sometimes more largely, so as to comprehend under them the other people, as the Girgashites, &c. whence it comes to pass that all the rest go under the names of the Ca... ites, Gen. 13. 7. and of the Amorites in some places of Scripture, as has been showed..

Now therefore behold the cry Either in prayer; or rather forced by their oppressions, as the next clause explains it. of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.

Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.

And Moses said unto God, Who am I What a mean, inconsiderable person am I, how unworthy and unfit for that employment. He was more forward in the work 40 years ago, by reason of the servours of his youth, his inexperience in affairs, the advantage of his power and interest in the Court, by which he thought he could and should procure their deliverance. But now age had made him cool and considerate, the remembrance of his brethrens rejection of him, when he was a great man at Court, took away all probability of prevailing with them to follow him, much more of prevailing with Pharaoh to let them go. Thus Moses falls into that distemper to which most men are prone, of measuring God by himself, and by the probabilities or improbabilities of second causes., that I should go unto Pharaoh; and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?

And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee Either 1. this vision, or 2. the fulfilling of this promise that I will be with thee by signs and wonders and a strong hand; or rather 3. this which here follows, that he and Israel should serve God there. Signs indeed are commonly given from things past or present, but sometimes from things to come, as here and 1 Sam. 2. 34. Isa. 7. 13. 14. and 9. 6. &c. Quest. How could Moses be confirmed in his present calling and work by a thing yet to come? A... s. Such signs if they were single and the only evidences of a mans calling might leave some ground for suspicion; but when they are accompanied with other signs, as it is here and in the other places produced, they are of great use for the corroboration of a mans faith. Moses was otherwise assured of the presence and power and faithfulness of that God who spake to him and was to expect more assurances that God would be with him to help him in and carry him through his work. And as an evidence that this work of bringing Israel out of Egypt should be compleated, he gives him a promise that he should serve God in that place: which promise coming from God, he knew to be as infallibly certain, as if it were already come to pass, and therefore this was an apt mean to strengthen his faith in his present undertaking., that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.

And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers has sent me unto you, and they shall say to me, What is his Name Since I must go to them in thy name, and thou hast variety of names and glorious titles, and some of them are ascribed to Idols, not only by the Egyptians, but by too many of th... own people; what name shall I use, whereby both thou maist be distinguished from false Gods, and thy people may be encouraged to expect deliverance from thee?? what shall I say unto them?

And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM A most comprehensive and significant name and most proper for the present occasion. It notes 1. the reality of his being: whereas Idols ar... nothings, 1 Cor. 8. 4. all their di... inity is only in the fancies and opinions of men. 2. the necessariness, eternity, and unchangeableness of his being: whereas all other beings once were not, and, if he please, they shall be no more, and all their being was derived from him, and wholly depends upon him; and he only is by and from himself. 3. the constancy and certainty of his nature and will and word: The sense is, I am the same that ever I was, the same who made the promises to Abraham, &c. and am now come to perform them, who as I can do what I please, so I will do what I have said. Heb. I... hall b... what I shall be. He useth the future tense, either, 1. because that tense in the use of the Hebrew tongue comprehends all times, past, present, and to come, to signify that all times are alike to God, and all are present to him and therefore what is here I shall be is rendred I am by Christ, Io.... 8. 58. See Psal. 90. 4. 2 Pet. 3. 8. or 2. to intimate, though darkly, according to that state and age of the Church, the mystery of Christs incarnation, I shall be what I shall, i. e. God-man, and I who now come in an invisible, though glorious manner to deliver you from this temporal bondage, shall in d... e time come visibly and by incarnation to save you and all my people from a far worse slavery and misery, from your sins, and from wrath to come. Of this name of God see Rev. 1. 4, 8. and 16. 5.: And he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM Heb., a word of the same root and signification with I am See Exod. 6. 3. This he addes because God was best known to the by that name, and to show that though he had given himself a new name, yet he was the same God. has sent me unto you.

And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac; and the God of Jacob, has sent me unto you: this is my Name for ever, and this is my memorial By which I will be remembred, owned, and served by my people, and distinguished from all others. See Psal.. 12. and 105. 13. unto all generations.

Go and gather the Elders Either by age, or rather by Office and authority. For though they were all s... ayes to the Egyptians, yet among themselves they retained some order and government, and, ha... doubtless some whom they owned as their Teachers and rulers, as heads of Tribes and... milies, &c. of Israel together, and say unto them, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt.

And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt, unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and hony.

And they shall hearken to thy voice, and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel unto the King of Egypt, and you shall say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews has met with us Has appeared to us, expressing his displeasure for our neglect of him, and his will that we should do what follows.; and now let us go, (we beseech thee) three days journey To Sinai, which, going the nearest way, was no further from Egypt: for here God had declared he would be served, ver. 12. Quest. Was not this deceitfully and unius... ly spoken, when they intended to go quite away from him? A.... No: for, 1. Pharaoh had no just right and title to them to keep them in bondage, seeing they came thither only to sojourn for a time, and by Ioseph had abundantly paid for their habitation there, and therefore they might have demanded a total dismission. 2. Moses does not say any thing which is false, but only conceals a part of the truth, and he was not obliged to discover the whole truth to so cruel a T... rant and so imp... cable an... nemy. 3. Moses cannot be blamed, both he was none of and herein he the direction and command of his that him. And God surely was not obliged to acquaint with all his mind, but only so far as... e pleased. And... t him for vi... e and just reasons... o propose that his denial o... so a request, make his Tyranny more manifest, and Gods vengeance upon him more just and remarkable. into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God Which they could not do freely and safely in Egypt, Exod. 8. 2....

And I am sure I know it infallibly before hand. that the King of Egypt will not let you go, no not by a mighty hand Though he see and feel the miraculous and dreadful works of a strong, yea almighty hand, yet he will not consent to your going: Which the History makes good. Nor did he let them go till he could hold them no longer, till the fear of his own Life and the clamours of his people forced him to give way to it. And yet, after that he repents of his permission, and laboured to bring them back again. Others but or except by a strong hand, i. e. except by my almighty power he be forced to it. Both Translations come to the same sense..

And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof; and after that he will let you go.

And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians So that they shall readily grant what the Israelites desire. See Exod. 12. 36., and it shall come to pass, that when ye go, ye shall not go empty:

But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of Gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters, and ye shall spoil the Egyptians Whether this was just or no, see on Exod. 12. 3.....