Hermeneutical Assignment on: The Burning Bush Exodus 2:11-25; 3:1-10

By

Timothy Ching Lung LAM

The first Assignment Submitted to Dr. Yiu Wing FUNG of Alliance Bible Seminary in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Course of BS515-E: Hermeneutics Summer 2003

Timothy Ching Lung LAM Student ID Number: D023111

August 2, 2003

Hermeneutical Assignment on: The Burning Bush Exodus 2:11-25; 3:1-10

I. Introduction The verb, see plays an important role in Exodus 2:11-25; 3:1-10 whereby Gods plan of delivering the Israelites are revealed through the seeing acts of both Moses and God.

II. What Did Moses See?

1. Contents of the Passages Throughout the following three passages, the verb, see and its synonyms (i.e. NIV, watch, glance, and look) appears nine times when it relates to Moses, which indeed are only found in the first and third passages.1 passage only describes the same act implicitly. On the other hand, the second

(1)

2:11-15

One day, Moses went out to his own people to watch their burdens and then, he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew (2:11). Then, Moses looked this way and

that and saw no one around before he killed the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand (2:12). However, Moses murder was actually seen by a Hebrew (or even more).

When Moses went out to his people again on the next day pretending nothing happened, he saw two Hebrews fighting each other (2:13). Thereupon, he rebuked the wrongdoer who he judged to be mistreating the other Hebrew. This Hebrew, who was coincidentally a witness of Moses murder, challenged his authority as the ruler and judge over him and asked if he intended to kill him as he did to the Egyptian (2:14). As a result, Moses was afraid that his

murder was uncovered causing him to flee from Egypt to Midian (2:15).

There are five times appeared in 2:11-15, with the other four appeared in 3:1-6. Page 1 By Timothy Ching Lung LAM

Hermeneutics

Hermeneutical Assignment on: The Burning Bush Exodus 2:11-25; 3:1-10

(2)

2:16-25 As mentioned before, there is no explicit verb, see found in the second passage. However, one could tell, within the context, that Moses saw the seven daughters of the Midian priest at the well by where he sat down after fleeing from Pharaoh (2:15-16). fathers flock (2:16-17). At the well, Moses saw these girls being bullied by

the shepherds when they were drawing water from the well to water their Accordingly, Moses rescued them and helped water

their flock. As a result, Moses was invited by their father, Reuel, to stay with him who also gave his daughter Zipporah to him in marriage (2:20-21). Thereafter, Moses begot a son named Gershom, for which the name reminded him of being a sojourner in a strange land (2:22, YLT).

(3)

3:1-6

In this passage, what Moses saw was God Himself appearing in the burning bush. When Moses was 80 years old tending his father-in-law's sheep near the Horeb, he saw a burning bush (3:1-2). While Moses was trying to go over and see this supernatural sight, God, in the midst of the burning bush, saw him having gone over to look (3:3-4). Accordingly, God warned him not to come

closer and asked him to take off his shoes, proclaiming the land as holy and confessing himself as God whereupon Moses hid his face out of fear to look at God (3:5-6).2 After taking off his shoes and hiding his face, Moses was asked

by God to deliver his people, the Israelites.

2. Similarities

(1) Causal Pattern: Saw and Judged

Obviously, the three passages coherently follow the same pattern, i.e. Moses saw and judged under his verdict: (a)
2

Moses accused the Egyptian as the wrongdoer after he saw him beating the

It should be noted that the fourth time that the verb, look appeared was indeed not a seeing act as Moses hid Page 2 By Timothy Ching Lung LAM

Hermeneutics

Hermeneutical Assignment on: The Burning Bush Exodus 2:11-25; 3:1-10

Hebrew. (b) Moses killed the Egyptian at the time he judged appropriate since he saw no one there. (c) (d) When Moses saw two Hebrews fighting, he judged one of them in wrong. Moses judged the shepherds as the wrongdoer because he saw the girls mistreated by them. (e) Moses went up to see the burning bush as he judged it as a supernatural sight.

(2)

Turning Points Pattern: Observation-Proactive Actions-Passive Responses Each passage demonstrated a turning point in Moses life, which began with his seeing act followed by his proactive action resulting in someones reaction and his subsequent passive responses with frustration. (a) The first turning point An end of the 1st 40 years in Egypt. Moses saw his oppressed brethren killed the Egyptian a Hebrew accused him Moses fled from Pharaoh. (b) The second turning point The next 40 years in Midian. Moses saw the oppressed Midian girls rescued them the father of the girls asked Moses to stay with them Moses agreed and married his daughter. (c) The third turning point The remaining 40 years to deliver Israel Moses saw the burning bush turned aside to see God asked him to deliver Israel Moses finally accepted.

3. Progression of Thoughts Despite the similarities between the three passages in terms of Moses seeing acts, there are indeed some differences and progressions of thoughts within the passages:

his face in order not to see God after he knew Gods presence in the burning bush. Hermeneutics Page 3 By Timothy Ching Lung LAM

Hermeneutical Assignment on: The Burning Bush Exodus 2:11-25; 3:1-10

(1)

Identity Changed

Throughout the three passages, the identity of Moses has changed from the prince of Egypt, to the fugitive fleeing from Pharaoh, to the sojourner in Midian, and finally to the deliverer of Israel sent by God following his respective seeing acts.

(2)

Confidence Changed

Following what he saw and encountered, Moses was losing his confidence. wisdom he acquired in Egypt in the past 40 years.3

At

first, Moses was very confident in himself as he had grown up with all the However, Moses was

losing his confidence as he was rejected by his people. As the fugitive and the sojourner in Midian, Moses confidence appeared to be further lessened. At the age of 80, Moses had no confidence at all as evidenced in his excuses made against Gods commandments (3:11-4:13).

(3)

Dominant Act Changed At the beginning of each passage, all of Moses actions were dominated by his seeing acts, which, however, turned out to be abandoned at the end. For Moses,

it appeared that he was taking a proactive role to see if there was anything wrong or injustice among his people at the beginning. However, Moses seeing action was rather passive in the second passage as he sat down there and did nothing until the Midian girls came along. At the end, Moses hid his eyes denoting his submission to God whereupon he no longer relied on what he saw.

(4)

Role of Deliverance Changed

At first, Moses intended to be the deliverer of Israel, which, nonetheless, was rejected by his people as a result. Later on, although Moses became the

deliverer of the oppressed Midian girls, his desire for delivering his brethrens
3

See Acts 7:22-23, Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and Page 4 By Timothy Ching Lung LAM

Hermeneutics

Hermeneutical Assignment on: The Burning Bush Exodus 2:11-25; 3:1-10

became even far-reaching.

After all, when Moses had given up to be the

deliverer after shepherding the flocks for forty years, he was ironically chosen by God to deliver Israel.

III. What Did God See? In the verses 2:25, 3:7 and 3:9, the verb, see, appears three times when it relates to God, of which the first time appears in the transition verse between Moses settlement in Midian and Gods appearance in the burning bush (2:25) while the remaining two both appears in the burning bush incident (3:7;9):

1.

Similarities

What these three verses in common are what God sees, namely, the Israelites in afflictions. After Moses had fled from Egypt and the Israelites still groaned

under bondage even though the king of Egypt died, it appeared that everything was working against Israel (2:23). However, this passage reminds us that God is very much informed, and involved in fulfilling His promises for Israel. In this

regard, when Israelites cried out for help, God heard and remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (2:24). Most importantly, not only

He looked upon them, God was concerned about the Israel and that His redemptive plan had been carried out.

2.

Progression of Thoughts Notwithstanding that the verb, see repeatedly appears in the three verses, it is not a redundant addition but rather clarifies what God saw in a progressive manner. The first verse says that God looked on the Israelites; but it does not describe what exactly He looked upon His people. Nevertheless, the following two verses provide more details that God have seen the misery of His people in Egypt as indicated in the second verse while the third verse gives further hint that God have seen the way how Egyptians were oppressing His people.

action. When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his fellow Israelites. (NIV) Hermeneutics Page 5 By Timothy Ching Lung LAM

Hermeneutical Assignment on: The Burning Bush Exodus 2:11-25; 3:1-10

Furthermore, Gods reaction after He saw the Israelites was in a progressive manner. It appears in the first verse that God was only concerned about His In addition to His

people without indicating His concrete redemptive plan.

concerns on Israels suffering, God appeared to Moses in the burning bush revealing His plan (as stated in the second verse) that He has come down to rescue the Israelites and to deliver them out of Egypt to the promised land. And how God was going to deliver His people is described in more details in the third verse that He was going to send Moses to Pharaoh to bring His people out of Egypt.

It should be noted that God was not concerned about His people without taking any action in the first verse. God had indeed prepared Moses to deliver His people by first delivering him from Pharaoh when he was a child (2:1-10). In addition, God had prepared Moses heart for delivering His people (2:11-22). Hebrews 11:24-26 explains why Moses visited his brethren because of his decision to identify with them and even to suffer with them. It is why the

scripture says God did look on the Israelites at the very beginning. (2:25)

IV. Conclusion In short, the verb see plays an important part throughout the above passages. Although it appears in the first few scriptures that only Moses saw all these afflictions among his people, it is God who indeed saw them all. Thus, God looked upon the children of Israel just as Moses looked upon them and that Moses heart was a reflection of the heart of God demonstrating that both of them looked on the afflicted with compassion. At last, the seeing acts of these passages culminate in the burning bush

incident bringing together the two apparently separated seeing acts of God and Moses whereby God prefaced His commission of Moses by revealing His covenanted plan for delivering the Israelites.

Hermeneutics

Page 6

By Timothy Ching Lung LAM

Appendix 1) What Did Moses See?

Comparison/ Exodus 2:11-15 Progression of Exodus Exodus Thought 2:11-12 2:13-15 1. Moses own Two Hebrews Who/What did people at fighting Moses See? Exodus 2:16-25 Exodus 3:1-6

Seven daughters of a their hard Midian Priest labor. drew water 2. An Egyptian and filled the beating a troughs to Hebrew. water their 3. No other fathers flock. people 2. Some shepherds came along and drove the girls away. What Did Moses 1. Killed the Asked the one in Got up and came to Egyptian. the wrong rescue the girls and Do After He 2. Hid him in water their flocks Saw? the sand. afterwards 1. The girls first What Happened Moses murder Moses was afraid of his left Moses. to Moses After was seen by a Hebrew or even murder being 2. However, His Action(s)? more. seen and fled Reuel, the from Pharaoh to father of the Midian as girls and the Pharaoh heard priest of of this and tried Midian, invited to kill him Moses to have something to eat and asked him to stay 3. Reuel also gave his daughter, Zipporah to Moses in marriage. 4. Moses agreed to stay and beget a son from Zipporah.

1.

Bush on fire but without being burnt up (Moses indeed saw the angel of the Lord, who turned out to be the Lord himself, in the middle of a burning bush).

Go over and see the burning bush (Straight sight). 1. God asked Moses not to come closer to the burning bush while asked him to take off his shoes. Moses hid his face as he was afraid to look at God.

2.

Similarities Causal Pattern: 1. Saw and Judged

2. Moses saw the Egyptian beating the Hebrew and judged him as the wrongdoer. Moses killed the Egyptian at the time he judged appropriate when he saw no one there. Moses saw one of the two fighting Hebrews in wrong. Moses judged the shepherds in wrong when he saw them bullying the girls. Moses judged the burning bush as supernatural scene because he saw it not burnt up.

3.

1) What Did Moses See?

Comparison/ Progression of Thought Turning Points Pattern: ObservationProactive Actions-Passive Responses Exodus 2:11-15 Exodus Exodus 2:11-12 2:13-15
An End of the 1 40 Years in Egypt Moses saw his oppressed brethren killed the Egyptian a Hebrew accused him Moses fled from Pharaoh.
st

Exodus 2:16-25

Exodus 3:1-6

The Next 40 Years in Midian Moses saw the oppressed Midian girls rescued them the father of the girls asked Moses to stay with them Moses agreed and married his daughter.

The Remaining 40 Years to Deliver Israel Moses saw the burning bush turned aside to see God asked him to deliver Israel Moses finally accepted.

Differences Identity Changed Confidence Changed

Moses the Prince of Egypt became Moses the Fugitive Moses the Sojourner Moses the Fugitive became Moses the became Moses the Sojourner Deliverer (of Israel sent by God) Moses was very confident in Moses was losing Moses had no himself as he had grown up at the his confidence as confidence at all age of 40 and that he had acquired he was rejected by especially at the age of the education in Egypt (Acts his people. 80. He made excuses 7:22-23) to reject Gods commandment. Moses actions were dominated by Moses seeing act Moses actions were no his eyes. became rather longer dominated as he passive. hid his eyes. Although Moses intended to When Moses When Moses had given deliver Israel, he failed to do so. delivered 7 up being the deliverer of daughters of the Israel, he was asked by Midian Priest, his God to deliver them. desire for delivering Israel became far-reaching.

Dominant Act Changed The Role of Deliverance Changed

ii

2) What Did God See?

Comparison/ Exodus 2:25 Progression of Thought Who/What did He looked on the God See? Israelites. Exodus 3:7 Exodus 3:9

He has indeed seen the He has seen the way misery of his people in the Egyptians are Egypt. oppressing them. What did God do He was concerned about He is concerned about He is sending Moses after He saw? them their suffering and that to Pharaoh to bring He has come down to His people out of rescue them from Egypt. Egyptians and to bring them up to the promised land. Similarities The object of what God looked on: the Israelites in afflictions. Progression of The Israelites The misery of the The way the Thoughts: Israelites in Egypt. Egyptians are What God Saw? oppressing the Israelites. Progression of Only concerned about Concerned about the Gods action plan Thoughts: the Israelites Israelites suffering with became more How God Acted? the action plan to rescue concrete that He was them. sending Moses to deliver His people.

iii