A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Exodus · Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
Verſ. 1. NOw Moſes kept the flock of Jethro, &c. the Priest of M…dian.].
Either this Jethro was the ſame that is before called Reuell chap. 2. 18. or elſe if Jethro were the ſonne of Reuell, he alſo was Prieſt of Midian, as his father had been, the ſonne ſucceeding in his fathers office; and that happely becauſe Reuell was now dead, this being fourtie years after Moſes coming thither, as we ſee Acts 7. 30. And when fourtie years were expired there appeared unto him in the wilderneſſe of Mount Sinai.
And came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.]
Horeb is called here by anticipation, the mountain of God, both becauſe of this following viſion, wherein God appeared to Moſes in ſo miraculous a manner; and alſo eſpecially becauſe there afterwards the Lord came down to Moſes, and delivered him the law, and made a covenant with his people, Exod. 19. for it is ſaid expreſſely, that this apparition was at mount Sinai, Acts 7. 30. And when fourtie years were expired there appeared unto him in the wilderneſſe of mount Sinai an angel of the Lord in a flaming fire in buſh: and there we know the Law was given, Exod. 19. 1. It ſeems therefore that the whole mountanous track or circuit where mount Sinai ſtood was called Horeb; or elſe (as ſome of the Jewiſh Rabbins hold) this mountain was formerly called Horeb, but after this apparition of God in the buſh it was called Sinai, from the Hebrew word, S…neh, which ſignifieth a bramble buſh.
Verſ. 2. And the angel of the Lord appeared unt… him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a buſh, &c.]
It is …vident that it was the Lord God himſelf that now appeared unto Moſes: for verſ. 7. it is ſaid, that the Lord Jehovah ſpake unto him, and verſe the fixth he ſaith, I am the God of thy father, &c. and (which is moſt to be obſerved) verſ. 5. he that appeared to Moſes required that worſhip and honour which is due onelyonly to God, namely, that he ſhould preſent himſelf before him barefooted, as a poore caytiffe, not worthy to ſtand in the preſence of ſo great a Majeſtie. Nor is there any juſt cauſe why we ſhould queſtion this, becauſe it is ſaid here, The angel of the Lord appeared unto him; ſince it is evident that Chriſt the eternall ſonne of God is called the Meſſenger, or, Angel of the Covenant, Mal. 3. 1. Now as concerning the burning buſh, wherein the Lord appeared to Moſes, it was doubtleſſe intended not onelyonly to cauſe Moſes with the more reverence and humilitie to attend to what ſhould be ſaid unto him, but alſo to be a ſigne repreſenting to him the ſtate and condition of his people, concerning whom the Lord now gave him a charge, to wit, that though his Iſrael had been long in the fire of affliction, the enemie ſeeking with all poſſible fury to deſtroy them, yet hitherto they had been miraculouſly preſerved, and ſo ſtill ſhould be; and that becauſe the Lord was amongſt them to preſerve and defend them, and would now reſcue them from the power of their oppreſſours.
Verſ. 3. And Moſes ſaid, I will now turn aſide, and ſee this great ſight, &c.]
It is hard to ſay, which ſome affirme, that Moſes concluded that this was ſome ſecret of nature that the buſh burned and was not conſumed, and ſo out of curioſity did raſhly reſolve to approch nearer that he might ſearch out the cauſe of it. No ſuch thing can be concluded from theſe words; rather his calling it a great ſight may ſeem to imply that he thought it ſome viſion. But indeed the moſt probable opinion is, that he neither concluded the one nor the other, but being ſuddenly ſtricken with admiration at the ſight, and not knowing what to think of it, he determined at laſt to approach nearer, hoping thereby to be the better informed, and waiting with reverence to ſee what the iſſue would be.
Verſ. 4. God called unto him out of the midst of the buſh, and ſaid▪ Moſes Moſes, &c.]
This calling of Moſes by his name, and the redoubling of his name in ſuch a familiar and loving manner, was both to make him know that the viſion he ſaw was of God, thereby to ſtirre him up the more carefully to intend what was done and ſaid; and alſo to intimate the great love and favour of God to him: and indeed conſidering how ſtrange and terrible the apparition was, and that Moſes though all alone and in a deſert place was not yet ſo aſtoniſhed, but that when he heard himſelf called by name from the midſt of the burning buſh, he could anſwer ſo readily here am I, we may well think that it was this gracious manner of Gods calling upon him that did thus farre encourage him.
Verſ. 5. Put off thy ſhooes from off thy feet.]
The putting off of ſhooes was uſed as a ſigne of mourning and humiliation, Ezech. 24. 17. 23. Forbear to crie, make no mourning for the dead, &c. and put on thy ſhooes upon thy feet &c. 2. Sam. 15. 30. And David went up by the aſcent of mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered; and he went barefoot, &c. Eſai. 20. 2. 4. Go and looſe the ſackcloth from off thy loyns, and put off thy ſhooe from thy foot, &c. So ſhall the King of Aſſyria lead away the Egyptians priſoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, &c. And upon this ground no doubt is Moſes here enjoyned it, both that this outward ceremonie might ſtrike him with the greater aw and reverence of Gods Majeſtie, into whoſe preſence he might not be ſuffered to approch but in ſo lowly and ſubmiſſive a manner; and alſo that it might be an outward expreſſion of the inward religious affection of his mind, that he did indeed acknowledge the diſproportion betwixt God and him, &c. And in this may alſo be included the putting off all earthly and carnall affections and thoughts, and ſuch a ſpirituall preparation of the mind as beſeems him that knows he muſt come into the preſence of ſo great a God.
Verſ. 5. For the place whereon thou standeſt is holy ground.]
To wit, becauſe of the preſent viſion; for it is all one as if he had ſaid, becauſe thou comeſt into Gods preſence.
Verſ. 6. I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, &c.]
Becauſe the Iſraelites were Gods peculiar people by virtue of the covenant which God had made with Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob, to whom he had promiſed, that he would be their God, and the God of their ſeed after them, and that he would give them the land of Canaan for an inheritance; therefore doth the Lord ſtyle himſelf here the God of Abraham, the God of Iſaac, and the God of Jacob. As for the Lords expreſſing this as in the preſent tenſe, I am the God of Abraham, &c. ſpeaking of men long ſince dead, it was doubtleſſe not onelyonly in the regard of the immortalitie of their ſouls, but alſo in regard of the certain reſurrection of their bodies too; and therefore did our Saviour alledge this place to prove the reſurrection, Mat. 22. 31, 32. As touching the reſurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was ſpoken to you by God, ſaying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Iſaac, and the God of Jacob; God is not the God of the dead, but of the living; and it is noted verſe 34, that therewith he put the Sadduces to ſilence. Look as Adam after he had ſinned was dead whilſt he lived in regard of the ſure decree, and ſentence of God, Gen. 2. 17. In the day that thou eateſt thereof thou ſhalt ſurely die; ſo the Patriarchs, when dead, were yet living, not onelyonly becauſe their ſouls died not, but returned unto God that gave them; but alſo in regard of the ſure promiſe of God concerning their reſurrection.
And Moſes hid his face, &c.]
To wit, out of an awfull reverence of the Majeſty of God: as Eliah for the ſame reaſon in this very mountain did the like, when God ſpake to him in a ſtill ſmall voice; 1. Kings 19. 13. He wrapped his face in his mantle: and of the angels it is ſaid, Eſa. 6. 3. that with their wings they cover their faces. No doubt ſo ſoon as he heard himſelf named out of the burning buſh, he was convinced of the preſence of God, and was accordingly affected with reverence and fear: But yet after that God had called upon him to pull off his ſhooes and to preſent himſelf in ſuch an humble manner before him, becauſe the place whereon he trod was holy ground; this aſſured him that the Lord meant in ſome extraordinary manner to him; and ſo being ſtricken with the deeper apprehenſion of Gods glorious majeſty and his own baſeneſſe and weakneſſe, he hid his face.
Verſ. 8. Unto a land that floweth with milk and hony.]
That is, a land abounding with all the bleſſings of a fruitſull land, not onelyonly for neceſſitie, but alſo for delight; a land that ſhould yield them plenty even of the choiceſt dainties: for under theſe two, milk and honey, all other bleſſings of the like nature are comprehended.
Verſ. 10. Come now therefore, &c.]
The ſecret inſpiration which Moſes had before from God, when he killed the Egyptian, whereof Chap. 2. 11. is now become an open calling and a full commiſſion.
Verſ. 11. And Moſes ſaid unto God, Who am I, &c.]
This he ſayes, not ſo much out of diffidence or diſobedience (though there might be in it ſome mixture of humane infirmitie) as out of modeſtie and humilitie, acknowledging that God might have choſen many more able inſtruments. At his firſt calling he was very forward, and killed the Egyptian; but his following flight out of Egypt made him now better think of the buſineſſe.
Verſ. 12. This ſhall be a token unto thee that I have ſent thee, &c.]
Some underſtand the viſion of the burning buſh to be the token whereof God here ſpeaks to Moſes; and then the following words, When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye ſhall ſerve God upon this Mountain, they conceive are added as a promiſe of that which ſhould follow upon the deliverance of the Iſraelites out of Egypt, to wit, that upon that mountain, where the Lord had now appeared to him, they ſhould be taught how to worſhip God, and ſo ſhould there offer up ſacrifices to him. But others again (and that more probably, as may appear by the connexion of the words together) hold, that the ſigne whereof the Lord here ſpeaks is that which is added immediately in the following words, to wit, That when he brought forth the people out of Egypt, they ſhould worſhip God upon that mountain. Nor is it any wonder that a thing, that ſhould ſo long after come to paſſe, is propounded to him as a ſigne or token for the preſent ſtrengthening of his faith concerning his calling: for though this token ſerved principally for the confirmation of his faith in time to come, when he ſhould ſee this token come to paſſe; yet even for the preſent, the prediction of ſuch a particular paſſage that ſhould certainly befall them upon their deliverance out of Egypt might well be a great help to the perſwading of his heart, that God would indeed deliver the Iſraelites by him; for juſt ſuch a token was given to Hezekiah, to ſtrengthen his faith concerning Gods promiſe of deſtroying the Aſſyrians that had beſieged Jeruſalem, 2. Reg. 19. 29. This ſhall be a ſigne unto thee; ye ſhall eat this year ſuch things as grow of themſelves; in the ſecond year, that which ſpringeth of the ſame; and in the third year, ſow yee, reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruit thereof, which was not fully accompliſhed till after the Aſſyrians were deſtroyed.
Verſ. 13. They ſhall ſay unt… me, What is his name? &c.]
He conceives that becauſe he was in a manner unknown to them (for from his infancy to his grown years he lived in Pharaohs Court, and now had lived for fourtie years as a baniſhed man in the land of Midian) therefore they might queſtion whether he were indeed ſent of God, and to try that, might demand of him under what name or title God had made known himſelf unto him: if this ſhould prove ſo he deſires to know what an anſwer he ſhould mak… them; not that he was ignorant of Gods name, or had hitherto worſhipped an unknown God, but onelyonly deſires by carrying them Gods own anſwer, to have that as an effectuall pledge of his calling: under what name or title God is pleaſed to ſend unto them, that he will uſe; as in a buſineſſe of great moment, he deſires as particular inſtructions as may be.
Verſ. 14. And God ſaid unto Moſes, I am that I am.]
This is the name whereby God expreſſeth his eſſence to us, ſo farre as we are able to conceive him. And it implyes, 1. his incomprehenſibleneſſe: as we uſe to ſay of any thing we would not have others to prie into, It is what it is; ſo God ſaith here to Moſes, I am what I am; 2. his immenſitie, that his being is without any limits: a man is a man, an angel is an angel, that is, every creature hath a being, but bounded and defined within ſuch a compaſſe, but God is an immenſe being, that cannot be included within any bounds; 3. that he is of himſelf, and hath not a being depending upon any other; I am, that is, by and from, and of my ſelf; 4. his everlaſtingneſſe, I am before any thing was, and ſhall for ever be; there never was, nor ſhall be time, wherein God could not ſay of himſelf, I am; 5. that there is no ſucceſſion of time with him: for the underſtanding whereof ſee John. 8. 58. Before Abraham was I am; and then, 6. that he giveth being to all things.
Verſ. 16. Go, and gather the elders of Iſrael together, &c.]
That is, the heads of their Tribes, who doubtleſſe had ſome place of authority and power amongſt them: for though in Egypt they lived in much diſorder and confuſion, yet it cannot be thought but that they had ſome kind of government amongſt them, as is yet more evident chap. 5. 14. where we reade of officers of the children of Iſrael. Now theſe the Lord commanded Moſes to aſſemble, and to deliver this meſſage to them, both that they might afterwards acquaint their brethren of the ſeverall tribes with this meſſage which God had ſent; and alſo that they might joyn with Moſes in the name of all the people to deſire of Pharaoh what God enjoyned them to deſire.
Verſ. 18. And now let …s go (we beſeech thee) three dayes journey into the wilderneſſe, &c.]
God appoints them to petition onelyonly for ſo much libertie, that the denyall of this might render Pharaoh inexcuſable, and make the juſtice of God the more manifeſt, both in deſtroying Pharaoh and delivering Iſrael: neither was it neceſſarie that either God or they (having other direction from God) ſhould reveal their whole counſel. See Deut. 2. 28. and 1. Sam. 16. 2. And the Lord ſaid, Take an heifer with thee, and ſay, I am come to ſacrifice unto the Lord.
Verſ. 19. And I am ſure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no not by a mighty hand.]
If we reade this place as it is in the margin of our Bibles, I am ſure that the King of Egypt will not let you go but by a mighty hand, the meaning then is plain, to wit, that Pharaoh would not let the Iſraelites go till God by a ſtrong hand forced him to let them go. But reading it as it is in our Bibles, which agrees beſt with the originall, it may happely be queſtioned how it can be ſaid, that the King of Egypt would not let them go, no not by a mighty hand, ſince it is evident that he did give them leave to go, chap. 12. 31. and ſo the Lord tells Moſes here in the following words, I will ſtretch out my hand and ſmite Egypt, &c. and after that he will let ye go. To which I anſwer, that though upon the ſlaying of all the firſt-born in Egypt Pharaoh gave them liberty to go; yet it might be well ſaid that he would not let them go, no not with a mighty hand, becauſe after that God had with a ſtrong and mighty hand, that is, by many grievous plagues, endeavoured to make him yield, yet a long time he perſiſted in his obſtinacy, and would not let them go, till at laſt he was even conſtrained to bid them be gone: and indeed even then he ſaid that more out of diſpleaſure then a yielding ſpirit; and therefore he ſoon repented of what he had ſaid, and when they were gone purſued after them with an army to fetch them back again.