Êxodo 3
Thomas Constable · Citado em PreceptAustin
Êxodo 3
Constable has an interesting note - Because Israel has frequently been in the furnace of affliction throughout history, though not consumed, Jews have identified the burning bush as a symbol of their race. This symbol often appears on the walls of synagogues or in other prominent places not only in modern Israel but also in settlements of Jews around the world. Exodus 3:4 When the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am." God called to him - De 33:16 Moses - Ge 22:1,11 Ge 46:2 1Sa 3:4,6,8,10 Ps 62:11 Ac 9:4 Acts 10:3,13 Related Passages: Genesis 22:1; 11 Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 11 But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” Genesis 46:2 God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here I am.” 1 Samuel 3:4; 6; 8; 10+ that the LORD called Samuel; and he said, “Here I am.” ....6 The LORD called yet again, “Samuel!” So Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he answered, “I did not call, my son, lie down again.”.....8 So the LORD called Samuel again for the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli discerned that the LORD was calling the boy.....10 Then the LORD came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.” Psalms 62:11+ Once God has spoken; Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God; MOSES' RESPONDS When the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God (Elohim) called to him from the midst of the bush - God began to speak after He had Moses attention.
Êxodo 3
Constable adds "It pictures an abundance of grass, fruit trees, and flowers where cows, goats, and bees thrive and where the best drink and food abound." NET Note adds - “milk and honey.”... will be in abundance in the land, and they therefore exemplify what a desirable land it is. The language is hyperbolic, as if the land were streaming with these products. To the place of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite - The mention of these people groups makes it clear exactly which land they were to inhabit. And yes,it was a land of milk and honey, but these 6 nations serve as a warning that it is also a land of idolatry and immorality, both of which would eventually ensnare many of the sons of Israel. Unfortunately, they had received good "training" in idol worship in Egypt (which Israel was still clinging even after they entered the promised land - see the aged Joshua giving a strong warning to the nation - Joshua 24:14-15 - note their answer in Joshua 24:16 just like they said in Ex 24:3,7! Good intentions, but weak wills). They had "tears at the altar" but there was no obedience in the crucible of the temptations and testings in everyday life! Land flowing with Milk and honey - Exod. 3:8; Exod. 3:17; Exod. 13:5; Exod. 33:3; Lev. 20:24; Num. 16:13; Num. 16:14; Deut. 6:3; Deut. 11:9; Deut. 26:9; Deut. 26:15; Deut. 27:3; Deut. 31:20; Jos. 5:6; Jer. 11:5; Jer. 32:22 THOUGHT - God uses people who are willing to be used by Him and become involved in the needs of others. Involving Moses was His plan for redeeming Israel and involving individuals today is His plan for redeeming individual souls. Is God speaking to you? Are you listening? Are you willing to be involved in His work of redemption? Do you desire to experience God's presence and power and protection in your life? Henry Blackaby wrote the following seven precepts in his wonderful course Experiencing God... (see diagram above) (If you have never done this study, I highly recommend it -- it changed the direction of my ministry some 25 years ago and I have never regretted joining God in what He was doing). 1. God is always at work around you. 2. God pursues a continuing love relationship with you that is real and personal. 3. God invites you to become involved with Him in His work. 4. God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways. 5. God’s invitation for you to work with Him always leads you to a crisis of belief that requires faith and action. 6. You must make major adjustments in your life to join God in what He is doing. 7. You come to know God by experience as you obey Him, and He accomplishes His work through you. These Seven Realities describe the ongoing experience of a God-centered life Exodus 3:9 "Now, behold, the cry of the sons of Israel has come to Me; furthermore, I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them. the cry - Ex 3:7 2:23 and I have - Ex 3:7 Ex 1:11,13,14,22 Ps 12:5 Pr 22:22,23 Ec 4:1 5:8 Jer 50:33,34 Am 4:1 Mic 2:1-3 Now, behold (hinneh, Lxx = idou) God is about to take action. He reminds Moses He has not been deaf to their distress. Sometime when we experience delay in our prayers we begin to think it is as if He does not hear our cries. He always hears. The cry of the sons of Israel has come to Me - In their distress they cried out to Jehovah. Distress has a way of bringing us to our knees and running to the only Rock of Salvation! NET Note on cry - The word is a technical term for the outcry one might make to a judge. God had seen the oppression and so knew that the complaints were accurate, and so He initiated the "proceedings" against the oppressors. Cry (06818)(tseaqah) refers to a cry, an outcry, a call for help, a cry of wailing and despair. E.g., tseaqah described the cries of outrage regarding sin that went up against Sodom and Gomorrah (Ge 18:21; Ge 19:13). The Septuagint translates tseaqah in this passage with krauge from krazo = clamor or cry = a word like "croak" ~ suggests a rough and guttural sound = croaking of ravens = croak or cry out with a loud, raucous voice like donkey in Job 6:5, childbirth Is 26:17, war cry in Josh 6:16) can refer to a chorus of voices (one voice in Lk 1:42) speaking loudly at the same time (outcry, shout, clamor). John Hartley - BDB suggests the original meaning in Arabic was "sound as thunder." This root means to call out for help under great distress or to utter an exclamation in great excitement (cf. 2 Ki 2:12). E.g., immediately on realizing that the pottage they were contentedly eating was poisonous, the sons of the prophets cried out in anguish (2 Ki 4:40). A woman who is raped is exonerated as long as she cries for help. If she does not, she is guilty of consenting to adultery (Dt. 22:23-27). Israel's leaders often had to petition God earnestly for help. As a leader, Moses faced numerous difficult situations which caused him to cry out in desperation to Yahweh for direction (cf. Ex 17:4). One time God's response to Moses was simply for Moses to cease crying and get into action (Ex 14:15). Further it describes the response of Esau to the loss of his blessing and of the nation Israel to the loss of the ark of the Philistines (Ge 27:34; 1 Sa 4:14). This word often refers to the cry of those plundered and ravaged in war (cf. Jer 49:21). A strong outcry frequently indicates that righteousness is absent or judgment is being executed. Even though Yahweh established Israel as a nation to produce justice and righteousness, he discovered bloodshed and a cry; i.e., the city was oppressing the unfortunate (Isa 5:7). The righteous lament in loud cries over the loss suffered by their nation (cf. Isa 33:7; Lam 2:18). They intercede for forgiveness by repenting of the sins which led to this calamity and seeking God's help for the future. God listens to the cries of men, particularly when the righteous cry out under inaction. The Hebrews cried under the weight of their bondage in Egypt (Ex 3:7). God heard their cry and came to deliver them through the mighty deeds at the Exodus. Because of the cry of the oppressed in Sodom and Gomorrah, God came to judge the oppressors (Ge 18:21; Ge 19:13). God especially promises to hear the cry of the afflicted, the alien, the orphan, and the widow (Ex 22:22f.; cf. Ps 9:12 [H 13]). The fact that God hears the cries of his people and delivers them from their distress distinguishes him as the true, living God; for men cry to idols, but they do not respond (Ps 107:6, 28; Isa 46:7). God, however, returns punishment to the wicked in kind. In response to the outcry of the Hebrews, the Egyptians uttered a great cry because of their sorrow over the death of their firstborn (Ex 11:6; Ex 12:30). In the end times a portion of the punishment of the wicked will be crying from a painful heart (Isaiah 65:14). God's suffering servant accomplishes his task differently than earthly rulers who seek reform and office. He will not cry in the streets (Isaiah 42:2); i.e. he will not seek through rhetoric to arouse the multitudes to move against their present rulers. In the Niphal and Hiphil ṣāʿaq means "to be called into assembly" (cf. Judges 7:23f.). A leader may summon the people together to pursue their enemies. Saul was the first leader since the Conquest who was able to assemble the entire nation, to go to battle against their enemies (1 Samuel 13:4). The people could also be called into assembly in order for their leaders to present an important matter. Samuel gathered such an assembly at Mizpah in order to install Saul as king (1 Samuel 10:17). (Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament) Tseaqah - 21x in 20v - cry(14), cry of distress(1), outcry(6). - Ge 18:21; Ge 19:13; Ge 27:34; Ex 3:7; Ex 3:9; Ex 11:6; Ex 12:30; Ex. 22:23; 1 Sa 4:14; 1 Sa 9:16; Neh 5:1; Job 27:9; Job 34:28; Ps 9:12; Isa 5:7; Jer. 25:36; Jer. 48:3; Jer. 48:5; Jer. 49:21; Zeph 1:10 Furthermore, I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them - God had not missed the oppression/affliction described in Ex 1:11,13,14,22. The Hebrew words emphasize the fact that their suffering was like being squeezed or pressured "which led to its later use in the Semitic languages for torture. The repetition in the Hebrew text of the root in the participle form after this noun serves to stress the idea." (NET) Oppression (03906)(lachats) distress, oppression, affliction. Tribulation from difficult circumstances. When the people arrived in the Land of Promise, Moses commanded each family to bring an offering of firstfruits to the priest (Dt. 26:7). Part of the presentation involved a recognition that God had seen their oppression in Egypt and rescued them. Lachats - 10x - oppression(8), sparingly(2). Ex. 3:9; Dt. 26:7 = referring to God hearing their cry and delivering them from Egypt; 1 Ki. 22:27; 2 Ki. 13:4; 2 Chr. 18:26; Job 36:15; Ps. 42:9; Ps. 43:2; Ps. 44:24; Isa. 30:20 Oppressing (03905) (lachats) mean to physically push against someone or something, to squeeze, to crush and has the sense of pressing, crowding or tormenting. Used literally twice of Balaam's donkey in Nu 22:25 "When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she pressed herself to the wall and pressed Balaam’s foot against the wall, so he struck her again." "Hold the door shut" in 1 Ki 6:32. Lachats is used repeatedly in the dark days of Judges (lasted some 1200 years!) when Israel would be oppressed by some pagan enemy and would cry out to God for deliverance. The only problem was they kept falling back into sin after a period of rest! Sounds too familiar to my life sometimes! The Septuagint translates lachats in Ex 3:9 with thlibo which literally means to press, squeeze, crush, squash, hem in and then to be narrow. Walter Kaiser - The word finds its most important usage in the realm of ethical theology. Israelites were not to oppress foreigners or strangers (Ex 22:21; Ex 23:9), for they once had been strangers in Egypt, that great oppressor. Oppressive treatment was strictly forbidden to all and to Israel in particular. Israel experienced a whole wave of oppressors during the period of the judges (Jdg 1:34; Jdg 2:18; Jdg 4:3; Jdg 6:9; Jdg 10:12; 1 Sa 10:18). But the Lord sent deliverers in each situation. Later he sent oppressors, (the king of Syria and others; 2 Ki 13:4, 22) against Israel on account of sin (Amos 6:14). Other nations will face their oppressors (Isa 19:20), too. But God always hears the cry for mercy and deliverance, and he will then fight daily against those oppressors (Ps 56:1) (TWOT) Lachats (verb) - 19x in 18v - afflict(1), forced(1), hold the shut(1), oppress(2), oppressed(6), oppresses(1), oppressing(2), oppressors(3), pressed(2). Ex 3:9; Ex 22:21; Ex 23:9; Num. 22:25; Jdg. 1:34; Jdg. 2:18; Jdg. 4:3; Jdg. 6:9; Jdg 10:12; 1 Sa 10:18; 2 Ki. 6:32; 2 Ki. 13:4; 2 Ki. 13:22; Ps. 56:1; Ps. 106:42; Isa. 19:20; Jer. 30:20; Amos 6:14 Exodus 3:10 "Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt." 1Sa 12:6 Ps 77:20 103:6,7 105:26 Isa 63:11,12 Ho 12:13 Mic 6:4 Ac 7:34,36 MOSES CALLED TO BE THE DELIVERER Therefore, come now - God is giving Moses an invitation to join Him in His work, in this case the work of deliverance (see notes above on experiencing God) And I will send you to Pharaoh - God's calling includes God's enabling. God would send him, but of course he still must go (God's sovereignty, man's response/responsibility). NET Note - These instructions for Moses are based on the preceding revelation made to him. The deliverance of Israel was to be God’s work—hence, “I will send you.” When God commissioned people, often using the verb “to send,” it indicated that they went with his backing, his power, and his authority. Moses could not have brought Israel out without this. To name this incident a commissioning, then, means that the authority came from God to do the work (compare John 3:2+). So that - Term of purpose. God does not leave Moses in the dark and as we have seen Moses already had some inkling that he was to be a deliverer of His people Israel. Stephen says "And he supposed that his brethren understood that God was granting them deliverance through him, but they did not understand.(Acts 7:25+) You may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt - Note the phrase you may bring...out which parallels God's declaration in Ex 3:8 that He would deliver them (see note there). Notice also God's use of the personal possessive pronoun "My" regarding the Hebrews. God says they are My people. Recall that sons of Israel is used as a synonym for the nation of Israel. Exodus 3:11 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?" Ex 4:10-13 6:12 1Sa 18:18 2Sa 7:18 1Ki 3:7,9 Isa 6:5-8 Jer 1:6 Ac 7:23-25 2Co 2:16 3:5 MOSES EXPRESSES INADEQUACY WHO AM I? He questioned his own identity and worthiness. But - Term of contrast. Not a good "but!" Instead of saying like Isaiah said "Here I am Lord, send me," (Isa 6:8) he begins to show some hesitation. 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? - In one sense this might speak of Moses' humility, but in another sense might be an expression of his reticence to take on this overwhelming task. He is expressing his inadequacy to fulfill God's purpose. The point is that if God called Moses, God would be his adequacy. It reminds us of Paul's words in Php 4:13+ "I can do all things through Him Who strengthens (endunamoo) me." Notice we have a responsibility ("I CAN DO") but God supplies the supernatural power by His Spirit ("THROUGH HIM"). Deffinbaugh - Moses, we are told in Scripture, was the “meekest man on the face of the earth” (Num. 12:3). To the degree that Moses’ question reveals true humility, it is legitimate. But in this instance, I fear that his humility is out of bounds. The issue here is not who Moses is, but whose he is. God has sent him, and it is God who will be with him. Moses’ authority is based upon his divine call and the divine presence with him as he goes (Exod. 3:12). (Sermon) NET - When he was younger, Moses was confident and impulsive, but now that he is older the greatness of the task makes him unsure. The remainder of this chapter and the next chapter record the four difficulties of Moses and how the LORD answers them (Ex 3:11–12, Ex 3:13–22; then Ex 4:1–9; and finally Ex 4:10–17) NET on that I should go - The imperfect tense אֵלֵךְ (’elekh) carries the modal nuance of obligatory imperfect, i.e., “that I should go.” Moses at this point is overwhelmed with the task of representing God, and with his personal insufficiency, and so in honest humility questions the choice. Moses needed to read some of Paul's other teaching - By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. (1 Cor 15:10+) And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Cor 12:9-10+) Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, 6 Who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (2 Cor 3:5-6+) THOUGHT - God is long-suffering. The Lord answered all of Moses’ objections (see Ex 4:10-13+) and gave one assurance after another to encourage him. Moses said, “I am not!” and God replied, “I AM!” Faith lays hold of what (Who) God is and obeys what God says. Faith sees the opportunities while unbelief sees the obstacles. Are you arguing with God about something He is inviting you to join Him in doing? J. Oswald Sanders remarks "His inventory of disqualifications covered lack of capability (Ex 3:11), lack of message (Ex 3:13), lack of authority (Ex 4:1), lack of eloquence (Ex 4:10), lack of special adaptation (Ex 4:13), lack of previous success (Ex 5:23), and lack of previous acceptance (Ex 6:12). A more complete list of disabilities would be difficult to conjure up. But instead of pleasing God, his seeming humility and reluctance stirred His anger. "The anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses" (Ex 4:14). In point of fact, the excuses Moses advanced to show his incapacity were the very reasons for God's selection of him for the task." (Quoted by