Exodus 3:1-15

Do you remember who Moses was? Pharaoh was having all male babies killed. Moses’ mother made an ark of bullrushes and put him in the water. Then Pharaoh’s daughter found him, took him in, and raised him. Moses had been the prince of Egypt.

Then one day Moses saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew. Moses killed the Egyptian and tried to bury him. He tried to hide what he had done. When Pharaoh heard about it, he sought to slay Moses, but Moses fled to Midian.

It was in Midian that Moses meet Jethro and agreed to work for him. Moses then married Jethro’s daughter. Moses was working, leading Jethro’s flock when the Lord came to him in the form of a burning bush. Notice that Moses stopped, turned, and gave his attention to the unusual sight of the burning bush.

Verses 1-3

Just think what he’d have missed out on if he hadn’t stopped to see the bush. He would have missed the blessing of God, talking to God, and the call of God on his life.

Verses 4-5

God stopped Moses in his tracks. He told Moses to come no closer and take off his shoes. Why? Because the ground where he stood was holy ground. The ground itself was not holy. It was holy because God was there.

When God told him to take off his shoes, he was teaching him a lesson. God is holy – separate – distinct – different than mortal man. When man enters God’s presence, he must be respectful and reverent. God is not “the man upstairs” or a chummy friend. God is holy.