The God Who Is! Exodus 3:14-15 -- By: Joseph B. Flatt

Journal: Reformation and Revival
Volume: RAR 07:2 (Spring 1998)
Article: The God Who Is! Exodus 3:14-15
Author: Joseph B. Flatt


The God Who Is! Exodus 3:14-15

Joseph B. Flatt

In response to Israel’s plight in Egypt about halfway through the fifteenth century B.C., God prepared Moses to be the human agent in delivering His people from bondage by training him for forty years in the desert near Mount Sinai as a shepherd for his father-in-law. He learned the art of hillside shepherding so that he might be an effective shepherd of God’s sheep. Near the completion of this on-the-job-training “seminary” experience, God miraculously communicated via the famous burning bush that He wanted Moses to return to Egypt and lead in the glorious deliverance of His people.

Moses’ initial response was similar to the later replies of Samuel who finally said, “Speak, for Thy servant is listening” (1 Sam. 3:10); of Isaiah who recorded his unique encounter with the Lord, “Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’ Then I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’“ (Isa. 6:8); and of Saul, when journeying to Damascus to cause havoc among believers,” ...suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; and he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ And he said, ‘Who art Thou, Lord?’“ (Acts 9:3–5).

Unfortunately Moses backed off this bold “Here am I” response to God’s summons to a feeble “Who am I?” when he realized the specifics of God’s plan included personal adversarial appearances before Pharaoh! He wanted no

part of the preposterous plan which called for him to stick his finger in the face of the despotic monarch and demand the release of the Israelites.

Appreciating Moses’ understandable fear of the fury of arrogant Egyptian Pharaohs, God reiterated His intention to keep His promises to the covenant nation and pledged His personal presence with Moses when he entered the royal court. Because Moses also doubted that the Israelites would accept his leadership without collaboration, God settled the issue by graciously identifying Himself as the singular “I Am.”

The marvelous climax of the account of this divine confrontation with Moses is recorded in Exodus 3:10–15:

Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt. But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” And He said, “Certainly I will be...

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