1. When Moses went out the first time to deliver Israel, by slaying the Egyptians, what did he manifest? Pride and self-sufficiency.
2. What must we conclude was his idea of the way deliverance would come? That the people would rally around him, and that under his military guidance they would fight their way out of bondage.
3. In that case who alone would have received the glory?
4. What was God's design? "And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honor upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten me honor upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen." (Exodus 14:17-18)
5. While Moses was keeping sheep in the wilderness, what did he learn? "Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth." (Numbers 12:3)
6. When he went with the Lord's commission, how was he regarded? "And the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants, and in the sight of the people." (Exodus 11:3)
7. How did the Lord appear to Moses, when he would send him to Egypt? "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. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. 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 I am." (Exodus 3:2-4)
8. When Moses went to see the burning bush, what was said to him? "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. And he said, Draw not nigh hither; put off your shoes from off your feet, for the place whereon you stand is holy ground." (Exodus 3:4-5)
9. Who was it speaking form the bush? "Moreover he said, I am the God of your 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." (Exodus 3:6)
10. What other instances can you name where people were required to put off their shoes on account of the presence of God?
11. What did the Lord say He had seen and heard? "And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows." (Exodus 3:7) "I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you into Egypt." (Acts 7:34)
12. What did he say he now proposed to do? "And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me; and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. Come now therefore, and I will send you unto Pharaoh, that you may bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt." (Exodus 3:8-10)
13. How eager was Moses now to go? "And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?" (Exodus 3:11)
14. What did the Lord say? "And he said, Certainly I will be with you; and this shall be a token unto you, that I have sent you: When you have brought forth the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God upon this mountain." (Exodus 3:12)
15. What question did Moses ask? "And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers has sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is His name? what shall I say unto them?" (Exodus 3:13)
16. What did the Lord reply? "And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM; and He said, Thus shall you say unto the children of Israel, I AM has sent me unto you." (Exodus 3:14)
17. What did God say of this name? "And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shall you say unto the children of Israel, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me unto you; this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations." (Exodus 3:15)
18. What is its meaning? It means "the One who is," that is, the self-existent One, thus expressing the distinguishing characteristic of God.
19. What objection did Moses still interpose? "And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice; for they will say, The Lord has not appeared unto you." (Exodus 4:1)
20. What three signs did the Lord give him by which he might prove that he had a divine commission? "And the Lord said unto him, What is that in your hand? And he said, A rod. And He said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it. And the Lord said unto Moses, Put forth your hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand: That they may believe that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared unto you. And the Lord said furthermore unto him, Put now your hand into your bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow. And He said, Put your hand into your bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh. And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe you, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign. And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto your voice, that you shall take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which you take out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land." (Exodus 4:2-9)
21. Was Moses ready to go then? "And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since You have spoken unto your servant; but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue." (Exodus 4:10)
22. What reply did the Lord make! And the Lord said unto him, Who has made man's mouth? or who makes the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall say." (Exodus 4:11-12)
23. What did Moses still say? "And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray You, by the hand of him whom You will send." (Exodus 4:13)
24. How did the Lord regard this continued refusal? "And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses..." (Exodus 4:14)
25. What help did he provide for Moses? "And He said, Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he comes forth to meet you; and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart." (Exodus 4:14)
26. Who did he say should instruct them both? "And you shall speak unto him, and put words in his mouth; and I will be with your mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what you shall do. And he shall be your spokesman unto the people; and he shall be, even he shall be to you instead of a mouth, and you shall be to him instead of God." (Exodus 4:15-16)
27. What confidence may the Lord's servants have in this age as they go to preach the gospel? "And Jesus came and spoke unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go you therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." (Matthew 28:18-20)
Notes:
When God sent Moses back to Egypt, He gave him the best commission that was every given to man. "Thus shall you say unto the children of Israel, I AM has sent me unto you." (Exodus 3:14)
God made himself known as the self-existent one--the living God. He is the living God, in contradistinction from all other gods of every kind. He has "life in himself," (John 5:26) He is the Author of life. The title, "I AM" comprises all that may be said of God, for that He is the Creator of all things is necessarily conveyed in the idea that He alone lives by His own power. The possession of life, inherent life, marks Deity. The man who claims to have life in himself, whether he has faith in Christ or not, actually claims to be God.
On the changing of the rod into a serpent, Speaker's Commentary says:
This miracle had a meaning which Moses could not mistake. The serpent was probably the basilisk or Uracus, the Cobra. See Tretram, Nat. His., p. 271. This was the symbol of royal and divine power on the diadem of every Pharaoh. It was a poisonous snake, as is shown by the flight of Moses, and by most passages in which the same word occurs, sehash, derived from hissing. This snake never attacks without first inflating its neck, and then hissing; on the monuments it is always represented with its neck enormously swollen. The conversion of the rod was not merely a portent, it was a sign, at once a pledge and representation of victory over the king and gods of Egypt.--Signs of the Times, June 1, 1888--Lesson 24 - Sabbath, June 16--Exodus 3:2 to 4:16.
E.J. Waggoner