How does God answer Moses when he asks who he is to lead Israel out of Egypt?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

God promises to be with Moses, gives him the name and message to bring to Israel, and tells him how the king’s refusal will be overcome.

Chapter breakdown

How does God answer Moses when he asks who he is to lead Israel out of Egypt? God promises to be with Moses, gives him the name and message to bring to Israel, and tells him how the king’s refusal will be overcome.

Moses feeds the sheep of Jethro, his father-in-law and the priest of Madian. He takes the flock into the inner parts of the desert and reaches Horeb, the mountain of God. The Lord appears in a flame within a bush. Moses sees that the bush is on fire but is not burned, and decides to go and see why. Challoner’s note explains the appearance as an angel representing God and speaking in his name.

When the Lord sees Moses coming forward to look, he calls from the bush, “Moses, Moses.” Moses answers, “Here I am.” God tells him not to come near and to remove his shoes because the ground where he stands is holy. He identifies himself as the God of Moses’ father, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Moses hides his face because he does not dare look at God.

God has seen his people’s suffering in Egypt and heard their cry because of the harshness of those over their work. He knows their sorrow and has come down to deliver them from the Egyptians. He will bring them into a good, spacious land flowing with milk and honey, the places of the Chanaanite, Hethite, Amorrhite, Pherezite, Hevite and Jebusite. He again says that Israel’s cry has reached him and that he has seen the Egyptians’ oppression. He sends Moses to Pharao to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt.

Moses asks who he is to go to Pharao and bring Israel out. God answers that he will be with Moses. The sign that God sent him is tied to what follows the departure: when Moses has brought the people out of Egypt, he will offer sacrifice to God on this mountain.

Moses asks what to say if the Israelites ask the name of the God of their fathers who sent him. God answers, “I AM WHO AM,” and tells him to say that “HE WHO IS” has sent him. God also tells him to say that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, has sent him. This is God’s name forever and his memorial for all generations. Challoner’s note explains the name as God being itself: eternal, existing of himself, independent and infinite, without beginning, end or change, and the source of all other beings.

Moses must gather Israel’s elders and tell them that the Lord God of their fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, has appeared to him. God has visited them and seen all that has happened to them in Egypt. He has given his word to bring them out of Egypt’s suffering into the land of the Chanaanite, Hethite, Amorrhite, Pherezite, Hevite and Jebusite, a land flowing with milk and honey.

God says the elders will listen to Moses. Moses and the elders are to go to the king of Egypt and say that the Lord God of the Hebrews has called them. They are to ask to go three days’ journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to the Lord their God. God knows the king will not let them go except by a mighty hand. God will stretch out his hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders he will do there; after these, the king will let them go.

God will give the people favor in the Egyptians’ sight, so they will not leave empty-handed. Every woman is to ask her neighbor and the woman in her house for silver and gold vessels and clothing. These are to be put on their sons and daughters, and they will strip Egypt of goods. Challoner’s note explains that this does not authorize theft or injustice. He describes it as a just decision by God, the lord and master of all things, to pay Israel some part of what the Egyptians owed for their labor.

The story inside

Moses’ question is about going to the king and bringing Israel out. God answers first with his presence, then with a sign to be fulfilled after the departure. Moses next asks what name he should give Israel. God provides the name and a message for the elders. Their promised willingness to listen contrasts with the king’s predicted refusal. God’s instructions therefore name both the people Moses must speak to and the resistance he will face; the promised wonders explain how that resistance will be overcome. (Exodus 3:10–20.)

Lessons worth keeping

1
God answers the task Moses names. Moses asks who he is to go to Pharao and bring Israel out. God promises to be with him and names their later sacrifice on this mountain as the sign that he sent Moses. The answer gives a promise attached to this particular task. (3:11–12.)
2
The name belongs with the message. God gives “I AM WHO AM” and “HE WHO IS,” then identifies himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Moses is to carry that identification to Israel and gather the elders with the promise of departure. (3:13–17.)
3
The coming refusal is already named. God says the elders will listen, but the king will refuse except by a mighty hand. The wonders, the king’s later permission and the goods Israel will receive are promises here, rather than events already completed. (3:18–22.)

Test your recall

Why does Moses approach the bush, and why does he hide his face? He approaches to see why the burning bush is not burned. After God identifies himself, Moses hides his face because he does not dare look at God. (3:2–6.) How will the king’s refusal be overcome? God will stretch out his hand and strike Egypt with wonders; after these the king will let Israel go. (3:19–20.) Why does Challoner distinguish taking the goods from theft?

Show answer

His note explains it as God’s just disposal of goods to pay Israel some part of what was owed for their labor. That explanation is Challoner’s note on 3:22.

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 6160–6163
Exodus Chapter 3 God appeareth to Moses in a bush, and sendeth him to deliver Israel.
Lines 6164–6176
3:1. Now Moses fed the sheep of Jethro, his father in law, the priest of Madian: and he drove the flock to the inner parts of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, Horeb. 3:2. And the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he saw that the bush was on fire, and was not burnt. The Lord appeared.... That is, an angel representing God, and speaking in his name. 3:3. And Moses said: I will go, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
Lines 6177–6187
3:4. And when the Lord saw that he went forward to see, he called to him out of the midst of the bush. and said: Moses, Moses. And he answered: Here I am. 3:5. And he said: Come not nigh hither, put off the shoes from thy feet; for the place, whereon thou standest, is holy ground. 3:6. And he said: I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Moses hid his face: for he durst not look at God.
Lines 6188–6203
3:7. And the Lord said to him: I have seen the affliction of my people in Egypt, and I have heard their cry because of the rigour of them that are over the works; 3:8. And knowing their sorrow, I am come down to deliver them out of the hands of the Egyptians, and to bring them out of that land into a good and spacious land, into a land that floweth with milk and honey, to the places of the Chanaanite, and Hethite, and Amorrhite, and Pherezite, and Hevite, and Jebusite. 3:9. For the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have seen their affliction, wherewith they are oppressed by the Egyptians. 3:10. But come, and I will send thee to Pharao, that thou mayst bring forth my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.
Lines 6204–6211
3:11. And Moses said to God: Who am I that I should go to Pharao, and should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? 3:12. And he said to him: I will be with thee; and this thou shalt have for a sign that I have sent thee: When thou shalt have brought my people out of Egypt, thou shalt offer sacrifice to God upon this mountain.
Lines 6212–6227
3:13. Moses said to God: Lo, I shall go to the children of Israel, and say to them: The God of your fathers hath sent me to you. If they shall say to me: What is his name? What shall I say to them? 3:14. God said to Moses: I AM WHO AM. He said: Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel: HE WHO IS, hath sent me to you. I am who am.... That is, I am being itself, eternal, self-existent, independent, infinite; without beginning, end, or change; and the source of all other beings. 3:15. And God said again to Moses: Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel: The Lord God of your fathers the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob hath sent me to you; this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
Lines 6228–6237
3:16. Go and gather together the ancients of Israel, and thou shalt say to them: The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared to me, saying: Visiting I have visited you; and I have seen all that hath befallen you in Egypt. 3:17. And I have said the word to bring you forth out of the affliction of Egypt, into the land of the Chanaanite, and Hethite, and Amorrhite, and Pherezite, and Hevite, and Jebusite, to a land that floweth with milk and honey.
Lines 6238–6249
3:18. And they shall hear thy voice; and thou shalt go in, thou and the ancients of Israel, to the king of Egypt, and thou shalt say to him: The Lord God of the Hebrews hath called us; we will go three days’ journey into the wilderness, to sacrifice unto the Lord our God. 3:19. But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go, but by a mighty hand. 3:20. For I will stretch forth my hand, and will strike Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst of them: after these he will let you go.
Lines 6250–6263
3:21. And I will give favour to this people, in the sight of the Egyptians: and when you go forth, you shall not depart empty: 3:22. But every woman shall ask of her neighbour, and of her that is in her house, vessels of silver and of gold, and raiment: and you shall put them on your sons and daughters, and shall spoil Egypt. Shall spoil, etc.... That is, you shall strip, and take away the goods of the Egyptians. This was not authorizing theft or injustice; but was a just disposal made by Him, who is the great lord and master of all things, in order to pay the children of Israel some part of what was due to them from the Egyptians for their labours.