Wesley Corpus

The discovery God was pleased to make of his glory to Moses at the bush, ver. 1 - 5. A general declaration of God's goodwill to his people, who were beloved for the Father's sake, ver. 6. A particular notification of God's purpose concerning the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt. He assures Moses it should now be done, ver. 7 - 9. He gives him a commission to act in it as his ambassador both to Pharaoh, ver. 10, and to Israel, ver. 16. He answers the objection Moses made of his own unworthiness, ver. 11, 12. He gives him full instructions what to say, both to Pharaoh and to Israel, ver. 13 - 18. He tells him before - hand what the issue would be, ver. 14 - 22. Now Moses - The years of Moses's life are remarkably divided into three forties; the first forty he spent as a prince in Pharaoh's court, the second a shepherd in Midian, the third a king in Jeshurun. He had now finished his second forty when he received his commission to bring Israel out of Egypt. Sometimes it is long before God calls his servants out to that work which of old he designed them for. Moses was born to be Israel's deliverer, and yet not a word is said of it to him till he is eighty years of age. Even to Horeb - Horeb and Sinai were two tops of the same mountain. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him - It was an extraordinary manifestation of the divine glory; what was visible was produced by the ministry of an angel, but he heard God in it speaking to him. In a flame of fire - To shew that God was about to bring terror and destruction to his enemies, light and heat to his people, and to display his glory before all. And the bush burned, and yet was not consumed - An emblem of the church now in bondage in Egypt, burning in the brick - kilns, yet not consumed; cast down, but not destroyed. I will turn aside and see - He speaks as one inquisitive, and bold in his inquiry; whatever it was, he would if possible know the meaning of it.