Exodus Chapter 3
After Moses fled Egypt to the eastern Midian area to escape retribution from the Pharaoh for killing the Egyptian man who was beating the Israelite, he married and had settled into life as a shepherd for his father-in-law. He had been gone from Egypt for approximately 40 years.
The king back in Egypt had died. The Israelites were actively praying that the opportunity could somehow offer them their freedom. God heard their prayers to be free from their bondage; He remembered the covenant he had made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
God looked down upon the suffering people of Egypt, and had respect for them. Exodus 2:25.
We learn in Chapter three of Exodus that Moses was tending a flock of Jethro, his father in law, on the backside of the desert near the mountainous area of Horeb (Moses would later lead the Israelite Exodus from Egypt back to this same area with which he was familiar see Exodus 17:6).
While Moses was tending his flock, suddenly "the angel of the Lord" appeared before Moses in a "flame of fire" out of the midst of a bush. The bush burned, but was not consumed by the fire. (Exodus 3:2). The fire was bright and Moses did not look directly into it; but he did look to determine why the bush was not being consumed by the fire. When the Lord saw Moses had turned aside, God called to Moses by name from the burning bush. Moses responded "Here am I".
The Lord instructed Moses to take off his shoes because the ground there was holy and he told Moses that speaking was the God of "thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Moses became afraid to look.
The Lord explained to Moses that God had seen the affliction of His people in Egypt and heard their cry. The Lord explained that He would deliver them out of their suffering from the Egyptians and to a land "flowing of milk and honey." Ex. 3:8.
The lord explained that he was sending Moses to see the new Egyptian Pharaoh and to bring forth the people of Israel out of Egypt.
Moses spoke back to God asking who was Moses to go unto the Pharaoh and make these demands in behalf of Israel.
"Certainly I will be with thee" God told Moses. God told Moses he would serve the Lord again from this mountain. Moses asked God what he should tell the Israelites as to who had sent him to save them when they ask the name of the God.
God said tell them "I AM THAT I AM." "I AM hath sent me unto you." Ex. 3:14.
The Lord told Moses to go and gather the elders of Israel and tell them God had seen their suffering and that he would bring them out of Egypt into a land of milk and honey.
"They shall harken to thy voice," God told Moses. God told Moses to lead the elders unto Pharaoh and ask to lead the people into the dessert to make a sacrifice to their God. God assured Moses that the Pharaoh would not let them go at this first request. The Lord said when the Pharaoh refused to let them go, He would "stretch out my hand, and smite all Egypt with all my wonders" and then he will let you go.
God said he would give the Israelites favor in the sight of the Egyptians so that they would be stocked and equipped for the exodus out of Egypt. God instructed that every Israelite woman should borrow from her neighbor jewels of silver and gold an raiment; "and ye shall spoil the Egyptians" (meaning to plunder the Egyptians of much of their goods for a journey out of the country.) Exodus 3:22.
Moses was afraid the people of Israel would not believe him. The Lord was about to provide Moses with walking papers in the form of a rod.