The Revelation of God. Lesson 1 Lesson Text—Exodus 3:1-3 Exodus 3:1-3 1 Now Moses kept the flock...

The Revelation of God

Lesson 1

Lesson Text—Exodus 3:1-3

Exodus 3:1-31 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.


2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.


Exodus 3:4-64 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.


5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.


6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

Focus Verse—Exodus 3:2

Exodus 3:2 And the angel of the LORD

appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush

burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

Focus Thought

By God’s design, Moses first

studied God as He revealed

Himself in fire.

I. God Initiated His Self-Revelation to Moses

Culture ConnectionMrs. O’Leary’s Cow

There has probably never been another cow so unjustly maligned as one who lived at 137 De Koven Street in Chicago, Illinois, back in 1871. This poor bovine has become, through the wonder of urban myth, the cause of over three hundred deaths. In reality, she was in all likelihood merely the first witness of a tragedy of monumental proportions.


What can be established is this. On the night of Sunday, October 8, in that fateful fall, a fire did indeed start in the barn of Mr. and Mrs. Patrick and Catherine O’Leary. (Ironically, their home was spared the evening’s destruction.) Before that blaze burned out nearly thirty-six hours later, over three and one-third square miles of Chicago was consumed, leaving over one hundred thousand people homeless and causing damages in excess of $190,000,000.


Later that year, the Chicago Board of Police and Fire Commissioners held an inquiry interviewing over fifty people. They were unable to determine whether the conflagration began from a spark from a chimney or if it was deliberately set by an arsonist. So history has chosen to blame a cow!


Intriguing, isn’t it, that something so destructive would be one manner in which God chose to reveal Himself. And yet, perhaps it is not so counterintuitive, in that fire, when directed and controlled, is a driving force in industry, transportation, energy, manufacturing, and other areas of life. Fire, when it is harnessed, is a great power for good. God consumes, but He also empowers! Even someone as simple as Mrs. O’Leary’s cow can

understand that!


Contemplating the Topic

In the beginning God existed alone in the vast eternity until He decided to create. God created an immense and splendid universe with millions of galaxies, drifting stars, and orbiting planets. Not only has He created the cosmos, but He maintains its every function. Heavenly bodies emit light and follow their courses. Animals obey their natural instincts; plant life flourishes.


The natural world comes from God and witnesses not only to His existence, but to His ever-abiding presence.

God ordained a higher level of existence for humankind, a fact made evident when God formed man from the dust of the earth and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. From the beginning humans have been special creations living in a higher dimension than other biological creatures.


We possess both self-awareness and God consciousness. We have the unique potential for fellowship with God. He did not hold Himself aloof and unapproachable, but He offered and initiated a relationship with humankind.

Over time God has revealed Himself to us incrementally, beginning with a general revelation through creation. “The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory” (Psalm 97:6).


Considering the vastness of the universe—its variety, complexity, interdependence, balance and symmetry, beauty, and mystery—compels us to believe. In the face of such wonder, only the fool can say, “There is no God” (Psalm 14:1). Nevertheless, God provides more than just our amazing universe as a witness to His existence and deity; He makes overtures to us in various other ways.


Through Creation. Besides the interdependent solar system of which Earth is a part, God prepared a unique habitat governed by natural laws in which mankind can live and thrive. The seasons, the regenerative water cycle, atmosphere, and vegetation reveal the grandiose superiority of God.

Through Adam and Eve. Humankind itself reveals God by reflecting His image.


Although limited, we possess many God-like attributes, even though they all fall short of God’s perfect model: life, personality, wisdom, capacity to perceive truth, capacity to love, ability to achieve holiness, and the ability to determine justice. God gave humankind freedom within set boundaries, revealing His desire for obedience (Genesis 2:15-17). God gave Adam a helpmeet, revealing His desire for relationships.


God’s response to the Fall revealed His demand for accountability and the execution of punishment toward the disobedient. Ultimately, the Fall revealed God’s mercy.

Through the Call of Abraham (Genesis 12:1-9). Approximately two thousand years after the Fall, God called Abram from Mesopotamia and gave him many promises, including the land of Canaan as a home for the Hebrew people (Genesis 15).


This call initiated an intimate bond between God and His people. Inherent in the bond was the principle of faith in God’s promises as a requirement for inheriting the promises and the rewards in store for the faithful. Through the Revealed Names of God. After God promised to make Abram the father of a multitude, God changed Abram’s name to Abraham (“father of a multitude”).


Names became a communication tool and a useful way for God to reveal Himself to humankind. He called Himself “I am the Almighty God” (El Shaddai meaning “the abundant one” [Genesis 17:1; 28:3; 35:11; 43:14; 48:3; 49:25]). With many compound names He revealed His nature and character.

Jehovah-jireh (Genesis 22:14)“The Lord will provide a sacrifice”


Jehovah-rapha (Exodus 15:26)“The Lord our Healer”Jehovah-nissi (Exodus 17:15)“The Lord our Banner”Jehovah-shalom (Judges 6:24)“The Lord our Peace”Jehovah-raah (Psalm 23:1) “The Lord our Shepherd”Jehovah-tsidkenu (Jeremiah 23:6)“The Lord our Righteousness”Jehovah-shammah (Ezekiel 48:35)“The Lord is Present”


Today’s lesson involves God’s self-revelation by fire, the combustive energy humankind has used since the beginning. Archeologists have found evidence of fire in the earliest civilizations. For thousands of years people used fire to cook food, provide heat, give light, and communicate with one another. They used fire for religious sacrifices, cremations, and ceremonial bonfires. Although its use was widespread, fire remained a mystery for thousands of years.


Ancient peoples had not yet discovered the science behind what makes fire work—the complex chemistry of combustion of fuel and oxygen that produces heat and light. Yet, fire ignited the imagination and aroused curiosity. People never lost their fascination. Flickering yellow flames, rising sparks, crackling and popping sounds, and thick smoke evoked feelings of mystique and inspired ideas about the supernatural.


Ancient people learned that fire was an amazingly useful tool when contained, but destructive when out of control. Its intensity and consuming power must have been useful, yet at the same time frightening. We continue to use fire as an instrument of ceremony and communication in our modern culture—the Olympic torch, eternal flames at gravesites, and other examples.


God used this force in nature to reveal Himself to humanity. The ancient people of the Bible such as Abel worshiped God by offering burnt sacrifices to God from their flocks. Many believe God manifested His acceptance of Abel’s sacrifice by answering by fire and consuming the sacrifice just as in scriptural accounts of later occasions (Leviticus 9:24; II Chronicles 7:1; I Kings 18:38).


Abraham and other patriarchs used fire for sacrifices (Genesis 22:13; 26:25; 35:7). The priests used fire at the brazen altar for burning sacrifices; fire from the golden candlestick provided light in the Holy Place; fire produced a sweet odor on the altar of incense; and fire baked the shewbread.


Searching the Scriptures

God Initiated His Self-Revelation to Moses

A. Moses Was the First Theologian of the Hebrew People

Moses was a key player in God’s self-revelation. Most students of the Bible believe he authored the Books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.


He not only authored the respected Pentateuch, but he served as prophet, leader, lawgiver, and theologian. “And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face” (Deuteronomy 34:10).

Transparency 1


These five books provided enormous amounts of information about God to the Hebrew people. From the Law they learned what God required of them. They learned the seriousness of sin and God’s hatred for it. They learned how God punished the disobedient and blessed the obedient. Through Moses the Hebrews learned blood was necessary for atonement. Moses also delivered to them the Tabernacle, the sacrificial system, and the moral and civil

laws of God.


As author of Genesis, Moses emerged as the first Hebrew student of God. His writings gave insight into the life and times of humankind from Creation through the times of the patriarchs. Moses captured a large body of human history and the nature and work of God in relationship to the human race.

B. Moses Revealed the PastB. Moses Revealed the Past

Similar to a child who learns his early life history from his parents, Moses gained insight into Creation by divine retrospect as God revealed His own history and His historical interaction with humankind. Moses saw the unknown past like a prophet sees the unknown future. Although the books of Moses reveal much about God, there is so much more to know.


Moses built only the first steps in the stairway of divine understanding. For example, on one particularly stressful occasion Moses begged God to let him see His glory. God granted Moses’ request but said, “Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live” (Exodus 33:20). God placed Moses in the cleft of a rock and allowed him to see God’s hinder parts as He passed by (Exodus 33:23). This experience shows that while people truly can know God, they can never know Him exhaustively in

this life.


We cannot fully comprehend the tragic fall of humankind until we begin our journey back to God. We are fallen people living in a fallen world. We as humans lost intimacy with God and knowledge of His person in the Garden of Eden. Over the intervening years God has revealed Himself to humankind incrementally. He used Moses as one of the tools of revelation to a world separated from God.


1. History of Creation. Moses did not write as a scientist, but as a person of faith. In the study of Creation many believers would like to discover the answers to numerous scientific questions, but God was not interested in revealing His creative secrets. Further, if God had included scientific details in Moses’ account of Creation, mankind would not have comprehended them for thousands of years.


King Solomon tried to discover the answers to scientific quandaries, but the enormity of the task escaped him. Even with the amazing discoveries of modern science, we cannot know, and never will know, everything under the sun. We know more than previous generations, yet our questions continue to multiply due to a burgeoning knowledge of the vast and complex universe. One thing is certain: we know there is a God and He loves us!


It appears God hoped the inspired account of Creation would foster a burgeoning relationship with humanity. Therefore He began with the simple yet profound revelation of the beginning of all things, especially the birth of humanity. We learn in Genesis that God is the source of all things. We know He simply spoke the light, the firmament, the oceans, and the lands into existence to reveal the power of His Word.


He created Adam from dust and breathed into him His own divine breath. He used one of Adam’s ribs to create a woman who would become Adam’s partner in intimate relationship (Genesis 2). Thus the story progressed from a formless void to the beauty and delight of meaningful relationship. God began a daily communion with His human creation, but it was shattered during the Fall.


2. History of Relationships. Moses introduced us to the patriarchal families and disclosed their strengths and triumphs as well as their unfortunate quirks and failures. He wrote about their relationships with spouses, families, people in their contexts, and their relationship with God. From these narratives we learn that in spite of our humanity, God’s greatest desire is to know us, not as mere acquaintances but as intimate companions.


We learn the nature of relationship and what He expects of us in order for this human/divine relationship to begin and grow.

3. God’s Law. The Ten Commandments delineated the moral code and the other laws that reveal God’s nature and expectations of humanity. From studying His law we learn to observe the divine boundaries and accept our own accountability.


Neglecting these godly precepts blights our relationship with Him and incurs negative consequences; observing these precepts enriches our relationship with Him and reaps multiplied blessings.


4. Sin and Redemption. With his account of the Tabernacle, the Levitical priesthood, and the sacrificial system, Moses revealed God’s abhorrence of sin and the need for redemption, which is available only through the shedding of innocent blood. (See Exodus 12.) Ultimately, this precept brought to us the Savior who shed His innocent blood to redeem us. With His one-time sacrifice, the Lamb of God bore the sins of all and purchased salvation for

all. (See Hebrews 9:1-10:22.)

C. Moses Wrote the Record as God Revealed Himself

C. Moses Wrote the Record as God Revealed Himself

We are blessed that Moses wrote his revelation and that the Jews preserved it. Moses’ work became a divine textbook for the Hebrew people to learn about God. But merely knowing about God and what He required did not bring the Hebrews into relationship with Him. In order to become the people of God, they needed to know and love Him.


No one can worm his way into an intimate knowledge and a close relationship with God. Only God can initiate the relationship, redeem the life, and draw the individual closer to Himself.

1. Humanity needs God’s self-revelation in order to know Him. Humans remain “in the dark” unless God reveals His light to them. “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon

them hath the light shined” (Isaiah 9:2).


2. If God does not reveal Himself, no revelation, redemption, or reconciliation can occur. As the self-existing One, God stands outside and beyond humanity as an ethereal, transcendent being unknown and unrelated to humankind. (See Matthew 11:27.) God could have chosen to remain outside of human relationship, but His loving nature and craving for companionship did not allow it.


3. God approaches humanity and reveals Himself. Like a massive ocean liner approaching a dock, growing from a tiny speck on the horizon to become increasingly distinct, the Spirit of God approaches fallen humanity out of eternity’s mist and becomes visibly more magnificent and distinct with each revelation. No person can find God by wading into the waves on his own. The ocean is too vast and untamable. God approaches first and then draws the repentant one closer to

Himself. (See John 6:44; 14:6.)

II. The God of FireThe God of Fire

Moses led his sheep through the backside of the desert and came upon a burning bush on the rugged slope of Mount Horeb. Moses had seen burning bushes before and watched their withered branches reduced to ashes in minutes. But this time, although the flames continued to crackle, the bush did not burn up. Intrigued, he took a step nearer and was startled when a voice called to him from the midst of

the bush.


“Do not draw nearer until you take off your sandals, for the place where you stand is holy ground. . . . I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” (See Exodus 3:5-6.) Some have called this miraculous manifestation of God a “theophany.” God appeared to believers in the Old Testament in various physical manifestations (e.g., to Abraham as a man [Genesis 12:7-9; 18:1-33]).


This manifestation of God in fire astounded Moses, and years later he wrote, “For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it? Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live?” (Deuteronomy 4:32-

33).


God manifested Himself in fire on a number of occasions: to the people of Israel as the fire, smoke, and thunder on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:18-20); as a pillar of cloud and of fire guiding the Hebrews in the wilderness (Exodus 13:21); as the fire that consumed the sacrifice (for Elijah in I Kings 18:24; for David in I Chronicles 21:26; for Solomon in II Chronicles 7:1-3). Moses told Israel, “For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God” (Deuteronomy 4:24).


The idea of fire conveys several connotations and presents various images in the Bible. Primarily, fire represents the glory of God. We understand the glory of God as the divine attribute that displays God’s splendor, wealth, and royalty as sovereign Creator and Lord. The idea of fire also illustrates the message of God’s judgment against the wicked and His power over nature.


For centuries the mystique of fire also has attracted many false religions. The Zoroastrians—one of humanity’s first false religions—worshiped fire. The Canaanites worshiped Baal as the sun god and burned their children as sacrifices to him. The Egyptians worshiped the sun and saw Pharaoh as the sun god whose ultimate task was to escort the blazing fireball across the horizon.


The Greeks, after the blending of religions by the god-makers in Alexandria, worshiped the sun as Zeus and Apollo while the Roman/pagan religion worshiped the sun as Jupiter.

Satan uses the idolatrous worship of fire to mimic God and create a counterfeit “glory.” During the Tribulation the Antichrist will call fire from Heaven to convince people of his supernatural powers (Revelation 13:13).


However, God will command and defeat the devil’s counterfeit. Satan may attempt to mimic God, but Jehovah will demonstrate Himself as the real God of fire who displaces false deities and establishes Himself as the One to worship (Matthew 4:10). God supersedes false deities; He is the God of the greatest and highest order. He is God of gods and Lord of lords. God will demonstrate His greatness by defeating His enemy on the enemy’s own turf—in the fire! (See

Revelation 19:20; 20:10.)

A. In JudgmentGod Answers by Fire

A. In Judgment

Fire is a destructive natural force. Sweeping forest fires sometimes engulf large areas and firefighters suffer extreme difficulty trying to quench them. Active volcanoes spew fire and ash, leaving behind miles of blighted scoria and ruined habitats. The human body cannot endure fire.


Some burn victims endure intense pain, require skin grafts, and agonize throughout long months of therapy. These destructive aspects of fire may have caused God to choose it to reveal judgment. Peter warned in his sermon at Pentecost, “And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke” (Acts 2:19). (See also Matthew 3:10; John 15:6.) The fire of God’s judgment is a fearful

thing. Consider some examples of God’s judgment by fire.


1. Sodom and Gomorrah. “But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed” (Luke 17:29-30). An avalanche of fire poured down from Heaven upon the corrupt cities, leaving behind heaps of ashes, spirals of smoke, and the stink of sulfur. This story graphically depicts the horrific judgment of God upon those who refuse to serve Him. (See also II

Thessalonians 1:7-8.)


2. The Earth Destroyed by Fire. “Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?” (II Peter 3:12). Sometime in the future fire will consume the old cosmic system and the old will give way to the new. The divine purging by fire will correct all of the imperfections resulting from the Fall.


3. The Lake of Fire. The ultimate eternal place of punishment is called the lake of fire. “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:14-15). The lake of fire will be the final destination of the wicked. The Bible clearly states the wicked shall endure eternal punishment.


Revelation 20:10 confirms this and points to the beast and the false prophet still burning in the lake of fire after the thousand years of Christ’s millennial reign. (See also Mark 9:43-46, 48; Matthew 3:12.)

B. In SalvationB. In Salvation

Not only does fire represent judgment, but it also represents the consuming fire of the Holy Spirit that can purge the sinner of his iniquity and empower him with spiritual strength.


1. The Messianic Mission. John the Baptist proclaimed, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire” (Matthew 3:11). This baptism “with fire” refers to the purging fire that cleanses individuals who enter the kingdom of Heaven. “But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a

refiner’s fire”.


John used the same symbolism when he spoke of the separation that occurs during the winnowing of grain. The wind separates the chaff (those who reject Christ) from the precious wheat (the redeemed). Workers then rake up the chaff and burn it in the fire, while others gather the wheat and store it to the barn (Luke 3:17).


2. Fire on the Day of Pentecost. The manifestation of fire illustrates the power and the potential of the Holy Spirit. This manifestation by fire appears a number of times in the Old Testament (Genesis 15:17; Exodus 3:2-6; 13:21-22; 19:18; 40:38), and the imagery carries over into the New Testament (Matthew 3:11; Luke 3:16).


“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1-4).


The tongues as of fire that rested upon each of the 120 in the upper room portrayed the presence of God. 3. The Divine Deliverer from the Fire. God has revealed Himself as a deliverer from the fire of punishment (Matthew 6:13). An Old Testament example of this occurred when the three Hebrews refused to bow to the image of the Babylonians. The king ordered them to be cast into a fiery furnace, but God miraculously delivered them.


The smell of smoke did not cling to their clothing. Paul wrote, “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Thessalonians 5:9). (See also I Thessalonians 1:10; Romans 5:9.)


Internalizing the Message

Throughout history the mystique of fire has made it a predominant element in many different religions. Fire appears in both the Old and New Testaments as a definitive element of God’s revelation. Even today people burn candles, mount eternal flames, and carry torches as a means of communication and symbolism. Fire generally symbolizes life, energy, power, and the supernatural.


To the church, fire is a natural phenomenon that helps to manifest God’s glory to humankind.

On the other hand, fire also can represent destruction. God smote the hard-hearted Egyptians with fire in one of the plagues (Exodus 9:24). He punished the wickedness of the Hebrews with fire (Numbers 11:1-3). In the future God will punish Satan, his fallen angels, and the wicked with fire in a place called the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14-15).


God’s self-revelation as a vengeful fire should inspire in us fear, respect, and awe. Paul said, “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent” (Acts 17:30). Being passive and unresponsive to the gospel is the same as resisting the gospel. Paul warned, “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (II Thessalonians 1:8).


Thus the true God of fire has given us double-edged motivation for giving our hearts to Him. We can choose to suffer the fire of judgment or choose to be empowered by the same fire of the Holy Spirit that was poured out on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2). The Holy Spirit is still available today! “For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call” (Acts 2:39).


This Spirit baptism is not just an ecstatic experience, but an empowerment. Jesus said, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you” (Acts 1:8).

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The Revelation of God. Lesson 1 Lesson Text—Exodus 3:1-3 Exodus 3:1-3 1 Now Moses kept the flock...

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