Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
back to:
Exodus
Book: Exodus
Chapter: 3
Overview:
God appears to
Moses in a burning
Bush.
(1-6) God sends
Moses
to deliver
Israel.
(7-10) The name
Jehovah.
(11-15) The
deliverance of the Israelites promised.
(16-22)
1-6 The years of the
Life of
Moses are divided into three
forties; the first forty he spent as a
Prince in
Pharaoh's
Court, the second as a
Shepherd in
Midian, the third as a
King
in
Jeshurun. How changeable is the
Life of
Man! The first
appearance of
God to
Moses, found him tending
Sheep. This seems
a
Poor employment for a
Man of his parts and education, yet he
rests satisfied with it; and thus learns
Meekness and
Contentment, for which he is more noted in sacred writ, than for
all his learning.
Satan loves to find us idle;
God is pleased
when he finds us employed. Being alone, is a good friend to our
Communion with
God. To his great surprise,
Moses saw a
Bush
burning without
Fire to kindle it. The
Bush burned, and yet did
not burn away; an emblem of the
Church in
Bondage in
Egypt. And
it fitly reminds us of the
Church in every
Age, under its
severest persecutions kept
By the presence of
God from being
destroyed.
Fire is an emblem, in
Scripture, of the Divine
Holiness and
Justice, also of the
Afflictions and trials with
which
God proves and purifies his people, and even of that
Baptism of the
Holy Ghost,
By which sinful affections are
consumed, and the soul changed into the Divine nature and image.
God gave
Moses a gracious
Call, to which he returned a ready
answer. Those that would have
Communion with
God, must attend
upon him in the ordinances wherein he is pleased to manifest
himself and his
Glory, though it be in a
Bush. Putting off the
Shoe was a token of respect and submission. We ought to draw
nigh to
God with a solemn pause and preparation, carefully
avoiding every thing that looks
Light and rude, and unbecoming
his service.
God does not say, I was the
God of
Abraham,
Isaac,
and
Jacob, but I am. The patriarchs still live,
So many years
after their bodies have been in the
Grave.
No length of time can
separate the souls of the just from their Maker.
By this,
God
instructed
Moses as to another world, and strengthened his
belief of a future state. Thus it is interpreted
By our
Lord
Jesus, who, from hence, proves that the dead are raised, Lu
20:37.
Moses hid his
Face, as if both ashamed and afraid to
look upon
God. The more we see of
God, and his
Grace, and
Covenant Love, the more cause we shall see to
Worship him with
reverence and godly fear.
7-10 God notices the
Afflictions of
Israel. Their sorrows; even
the secret sorrows of
God's people are known to him. Their cry;
God hears the cries of his afflicted people. The oppression they
endured; the highest and greatest of their oppressors are not
above him.
God promises speedy deliverance
By methods out of the
common ways of
Providence. Those whom
God,
By his
Grace,
delivers out of a spiritual
Egypt, he will bring to a heavenly
Canaan.
11-15 Formerly
Moses thought himself able to deliver
Israel,
and set himself to the work too hastily. Now, when the fittest
person
On Earth for it, he knows his own weakness. This was the
effect of more knowledge of
God and of himself. Formerly,
self-confidence mingled with strong
Faith and great zeal, now
sinful distrust of
God crept in under the garb of
Humility;
So
defective are the strongest graces and the best duties of the
most eminent saints. But all objections are answered in,
Certainly I will be with thee. That is enough. Two names
God
would now be known
By. A name that denotes what he is in
himself, I AM THAT I AM. This explains his name
Jehovah, and
signifies, 1. That he is self-existent: he has his being of
himself. 2. That he is eternal and unchangeable, and always the
same, yesterday, to-
Day, and for ever. 3. That he is
incomprehensible; we cannot
By searching find him out: this name
checks all bold and curious inquiries concerning
God. 4. That he
is
Faithful and true to all his promises, unchangeable in his
Word as
Well as in his nature; let
Israel know this, I AM hath
sent me unto you. I am, and there is none else besides me. All
else have their being from
God, and are wholly dependent upon
him. Also, here is a name that denotes what
God is to his
people. The
Lord God of your fathers sent me unto you.
Moses
must revive among them the religion of their fathers, which was
almost lost; and then they might expect the speedy performance
of the promises made unto their fathers.
16-22 Moses' success with the elders of
Israel would be good.
God, who,
By his
Grace, inclines the
Heart, and opens the
Ear,
could say beforehand, They shall hearken to thy voice; for he
would make them willing in this
Day of power. As to
Pharaoh,
Moses is here told that petitions and persuasions, and humble
complaints, would not prevail with him; nor a mighty
Hand
stretched out in signs and wonders. But those will certainly be
broken
By the power of
God's
Hand, who will not
Bow to the power
of his
Word.
Pharaoh's people should furnish
Israel with riches
at their departure. In
Pharaoh's tyranny and
Israel's
oppression, we see the miserable, abject state of sinners.
However galling the
Yoke, they drudge
On till the
Lord sends
Redemption. With the invitations of the
Gospel,
God sends the
teaching of his
Spirit. Thus are men made willing to seek and to
strive for deliverance.
Satan loses his power to
Hold them, they
come forth with all they have and are, and apply all to the
Glory of
God and the service of his
Church.