Exodus-Chap-3-1-22
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Colour coded
details of our beloved TaNaKh:
1. Torah = History & Law, 2. Nevi’im = The Prophets. 3. *Ketuvim = all other Writings.
*The Ketuvim - Includes, Poetical books - Psalms, Proverbs, Job,
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Please Note: Some
alterations or (additions) have been made relating to ‘Names’ and ‘Attributes’
of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, having been
corrected like it once was pre the “Masoretic Text”.
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Remember the following truth from our beloved Torah!
“Ye
shall NOT ADD
TO THE WORD which I command you, NEITHER SHALL YE DIMINISH FROM IT, that ye may
keep the commandments of יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloleichem, which I command you”. Davarim -
Deuteronomy 4:2. (JPS-1917).
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With Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
Introduction:
Exodus Chapter 3 is the moment of “The Call”. For forty years, Moshe has lived as a humble shepherd in Midian, a stark contrast to his youth in the Egyptian palace. This chapter marks the transition from Moshe the fugitive to Moshe the Messenger. It introduces the concept of a אֱלֹהִים - Elohim (God) who is not distant or indifferent, but one who actively hears the cries of the suffering and chooses a reluctant, human partner to bring about justice.
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Let us now read Shemot
- Exodus Chapter 3:1-22: (JPS-1917 version of the Torah).
1. “Now Moshe - Moshe was keeping the
flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the farthest end of the
wilderness, and came to the mountain of , unto Horeb. 2. And the angel of יְהוָה - the
LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he
looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and
the bush was not consumed. 3. And Moshe said: ‘I
will turn aside now, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt’. 4. And when יְהוָה - the
LORD saw that he turned aside to see, אֱלֹהִים – Elohim called unto him out of the midst
of the bush, and said: ‘Moshe, Moshe’ And he said: ‘Here am I.' 5 And
He said: ‘Draw not nigh hither; put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the
place whereon thou standest is holy ground’. 6 Moreover He said: ‘I am the אֱלֹהִים - Elohim of thy father, the אֱלֹהִים - Elohim of Abraham, the אֱלֹהִים - Elohim of Isaac, and the אֱלֹהִים - Elohim of Jacob’. And Moshe hid his
face; for he was afraid to look upon אֱלֹהִים - Elohim. 7 And
יְהוָה - the
LORD said: ‘I have surely seen the affliction of My people that are in Egypt,
and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their
pains; 8 and I am come down 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, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of
the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite,
and the Hivite, and the Jebusite. 9 And now, behold, the cry of the children of
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Let us look at the commentary of the above verses:
Verses
1-3: The Unconsumed Bush.
Moshe leads the flock to Horeb, the “Mountain of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim”. The fire in the bush is
the primary symbol: fire usually destroys what it touches, yet this bush
remains whole. This represents the endurance of the soul and the Jewish people;
though they are in the “fire” of Egyptian bondage, they are not consumed. אֱלֹהִים - Elohim meets Moshe in a lowly thornbush, showing that He is present even in the most
humble and painful places.
Verses
4-6: The Invitation to Holiness.
God calls “Moshe, Moshe” the double name signifies an urgent, loving summons.
The command to “remove your sandals” is about direct contact. To stand on holy
ground, one must remove the barriers (leather/animal skins) between themselves
and the earth. אֱלֹהִים - Elohim identifies Himself not
through abstract philosophy, but through lineage: the אֱלֹהִים - Elohim of Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob.
Verses
7-10: The Mandate.
אֱלֹהִים - Elohim uses four powerful
verbs: Seen, Heard, Known, and Come Down. This is a
legal and emotional commitment. He acknowledges the “taskmasters” and the
“sorrow”. However, the turning point is verse 10: “Come now, therefore, and I
will send you”. אֱלֹהִים - Elohim performs the miracle, but He
requires a human hand to execute the mission.
Verses
11-12: The First Hesitation.
Moshe asks, “Who am I?” This is not just false modesty; it is a genuine crisis
of identity. He is a stutterer and a man who fled
Verses
13-15: The Revelation of the
Name.
Moshe asks for a Name to give the people. אֱלֹהִים - Elohim replies: “Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh” – “I Will Be What I Will Be”. This is a Name
of pure existence and potential. It suggests that אֱלֹהִים - Elohim cannot be put in a box or
defined by a single image. He is the אֱלֹהִים - Elohim of the future as much as the
past. He is the “Becoming” אֱלֹהִים - Elohim who will manifest through
the act of liberation.
Verses
16-17: The Strategy of
Assembly.
אֱלֹהִים - Elohim instructs Moshe to “Go and
gather the elders of Israel”. This is a crucial political step. Before Moshe
faces Pharaoh, he must first find legitimacy among his own people. אֱלֹהִים - Elohim tells him to use a specific
phrase: “יְהוָה - the LORD ... has surely
visited you”. In Hebrew, the words Paqod
Paqadti (I have surely remembered/visited)
were traditional “code words” of redemption passed down from Joseph. This was
the sign the elders needed to know the message was authentic.
Verse 18: The Request for a Three-Day Journey.
אֱלֹהִים - Elohim tells Moshe to ask Pharaoh
for a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices. Some see this
as a test of Pharaoh’s heart a modest request to see if he would grant any
religious freedom at all. By refusing even a small request, Pharaoh justifies
the greater judgments that will follow. It establishes that the struggle is not
just about physical labor, but about the freedom to
serve אֱלֹהִים - Elohim.
Verse 19: The Foreknowledge of Resistance.
אֱלֹהִים - Elohim warns Moshe: “The king of
Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand”. This prepares Moshe for
failure. It teaches that the path to liberation is rarely a straight line; there
will be obstacles and “No’s” before the final “Yes”. אֱלֹהִים - Elohim is transparent with Moshe, this
will be a trial of endurance.
Verse 20: The “Stretched Out” Hand.
אֱלֹהִים - Elohim promises to “smite Egypt
with all My wonders”. The Hebrew word for wonders, Niflaot,
implies things that are distinguished or “separated” from the natural order.
This is the first mention of the supernatural intervention that will eventually
break Pharaoh’s resolve.
Verses
21-22: The “Despoiling” of
אֱלֹהִים - Elohim promises that the Israelites
will not leave empty-handed. He says every woman shall ask her neighbour for
"articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing." This is not
portrayed as theft, but as back-pay for centuries of unpaid slave labour. It
ensures that when the people finally leave, they do so with the dignity of a
nation, not the rags of a fugitive slave. These materials would later be used
to build the Sanctuary (Mishkan) in the desert”.
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My Closing
Message:
The conclusion of Chapter 3 shows us a אֱלֹהִים - Elohim who is a master strategist. He doesn't just provide a spiritual vision; He provides a practical plan involving communal leadership, diplomatic requests, and economic justice. It reminds us that "redemption" is a holistic process it involves the spirit, the body, the law, and the pocketbook. Moshe enters this chapter as a shepherd of sheep and leaves as a shepherd of a nation, armed with the promise that though the road is hard, the outcome is guaranteed. Thus Exodus 3 teaches us that the “burning bushes” of our lives, those moments of realization or suffering are often where our true purpose is hidden. Moshe wanted to look away, but by turning toward the flame, he found his calling. The chapter reminds us that liberation begins when we stop accepting “the way things are” and start listening to the voice that insists things can be different. אֱלֹהִים – Elohim, blessed be He, does not choose the “perfect” man; He chooses the man who is willing to take off his shoes and listen.
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Malachi 3:7. (JPS).
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שָׁלוֹם
עֲלֵיכֶם - Shalom Aleichem - Peace be
with you!
Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben
Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
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