The God Of The Bush Series

THE GOD OF THE BUSH

Ex. 3:1-14

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. President Bush was going through an airport when he saw a man who looked like Moses. He asked him, "Are you Moses?" The man acted as if he didn't hear.

2. He asked him again, "Are you Moses?" The man refused to look at him. The third time, Bush got right up close and asked, "Are you Moses?" "Yes!"

3. "Why didn't you answer me the first two times I spoke to you?" "Because the last time I spoke to a bush, I spent the next 40 years on the backside of the wilderness."

B. WHAT’S IN A NAME?

1. Pharaoh once asked a good question, “Who is the Lord, that I should serve Him?” Who and what is God?

2. A great definition is the Westminster Catechism: “God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.”

3. God reveals Himself by making known or proclaiming His Name. To worship God is to call upon His Name (Gen. 12:8), to fear it (Deut. 28:58), to praise it (2 Sam. 22:50), to glorify it (Ps. 86:9). It’s wickedness to take His name in vain (Ex. 20:7) or to blaspheme it (Lev. 18:21; 24:16).

C. MOST COMMON NAMES OF SCRIPTURE:

1. ELOHIM (trans. “God” in KJV) is the word that signifies the creative power and omnipotence of God. The plural form foreshadows the revelation of the Trinity.

2. EL SHADDAI. El Shaddai is the name God used with Abraham. Shaddu means “mountain” and used in conjunction with El is means “Almighty God.” It can also mean “the God who is sufficient (Gen. 21:33).

3. ADONAI literally means “Lord, Master.” It conveys the idea of rulership and dominion (Ex. 23:17; Isa. 10:16,33.

4. MELEK is the word speaking of God as “King.” Nebuchadnezzar said, “I praise…the King of Heaven” Dan. 4:37. David recognized God as King; “The Lord is King forever & ever” Ps. 10:16; “He is the King of Glory” Ps. 24:8,10; “I will exalt You my God the King!” Ps. 145:1.

5. But tonight I want us to look at God’s special name revealed in connection with His bringing Israel (& us) into covenant with Him.

D. TEXT

1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.” 4 When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.” 5 “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” 6 Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God….“I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” Ex. 3:1-7,10,13-14.

E. THESIS

1. We’re starting a new series tonight taking a look at the names by which God has described Himself. The series is entitled, “The Names of God.”

2. Tonight’s message is entitled, “The God of the Bush” and deals with the most important of God’s names.

I. BACKGROUND OF MOSES

A. MOSES’ UPBRINGING

1. According to the ancient historian, Philo (Life of Moses, 1:13), Moses was the adopted son of Hatshepsut. She was her father's only child and she was otherwise childless.

2. Stephen said, “Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds” Acts 7:22.

3. He knew he was of Israelite birth and willing to relinquish his Egyptian inheritance.

4. MOSES CHOSE something better than ruling on the throne of Egypt a short time, or having a closet full of gold; something better than a few dancing girls.

5. Where are the Pharaohs of Egypt today? Where are the dancing girls? (Dead and turned to dust). Where is Egypt's glory today? A few stone monuments are left, slowly turning into dust. Had Moses chosen them, that's all that would remain of his poor choice.