Day 28: The Burning Bush

 Today's reading: Exodus 3, Leviticus 2-3; and Psalm 45.

I. While tending "the flock of his father-in-law" (3:1), he received a miraculous theophany in a burning bush that was not consumed by the fire (3:2-6). God says to Moses that He knows of the suffering of the Hebrews in Egypt, and calls on him to lead them out to "a land flowing with milk and honey" (3:7-9). He reveals His Name to Moses and promises to be with Moses as he confronts Pharaoh for this (3:10-22). The revelation of the Name of God to Moses, or perhaps God’s own explanation of His divine name, is interesting as to what this tells us about Who God Is, as the Ignatius Bible notes:

I AM WHO I AM: The personal name of God, which is also a revelation of his nature. Traditionally, the name is said to express a philosophical truth: God is infinite Being, the One whose essence is to exist, without beginning or end, independently of all other things that exist... This aspect of the mystery may be seen in the burning bush, where the fire of divine presence burns undiminished without need of created realities to generate or sustain itself. The name can also be said to express a historical truth: God is sovereign over all ages of time, for he is the First and the Last, who is present and active in history from its inception to its consummation... (p. 128)

Moses' hesitation in 3:11 is probably to be expected when faced with a theophany such as this. We are weak, finite beings after all. The man was undoubtedly awestruck by the encounter and afraid.

II. In Leviticus chapters 2 & 3, cereal offerings and peace offerings are described, and as to how the Hebrews shall give them to the Lord. This all seems odd to us today, but the right way to worship God was outlined for them at that time, and it all foreshadowed what would come with Christ (Heb 10:1). I do like how the Ignatius Bible explains these offerings:

The cereal offering, which is a gift of "tribute" presented to the Lord as Israel's covenant King... The peace offering, which promotes "peace" between partners joined together in a covenant... (p. 182)

That explanation was helpful for understanding these offerings more.

III. Psalm 45 celebrates a royal wedding. I'm curious if this was for an actual royal wedding (whose?) or if the psalmist was taking some poetic license here. Interestingly, there are lines in it which are messianic, such as "Your divine throne endures for ever and ever" (45:6; Heb 1:8-9).

That's all for today!