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God made Abraham a huge promise: a people, a land, and a blessing for all nations (Genesis 12:1–3). Fast forward 430 years (Exodus 12:40). Abraham's family has grown into a huge nation. You'd expect to find them free, blessed and living in their own land.
Instead, they are slaves in Egypt.
If you were one of them, what would you be asking God? Where are you? Do you care? Have you forgotten us? This term you'll follow Israel's road from slavery in Egypt all the way to the kings, and the very first stop answers every one of those questions.
What you'll learn
- How Abraham's family went from honoured guests to slaves in Egypt
- What God shows about himself at the burning bush, including his name: I AM
- How the God who "came down" to rescue Israel came down again in Jesus
From guests to slaves
Years earlier, Joseph (one of Abraham's great-grandsons) had saved Egypt from a terrible famine, so his whole family was welcomed there. But then things changed:
"Then a new king, who did not know Joseph, came to power in Egypt." (Exodus 1:8)
This new Pharaoh saw the Israelites as a threat. Watch how each of his plans is quietly turned around:
| Pharaoh's plan | God's quiet answer |
|---|---|
| Crush them with hard labour (1:11–14). | The harder Pharaoh pushes, the more Israel grows (1:12). God's promise of a great nation keeps working. |
| Order the midwives to kill the baby boys (1:15–16). | Two midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, fear God and refuse (1:17). Two brave women outsmart the most powerful man in the world. |
| Throw every baby boy into the Nile (1:22). | Baby Moses is hidden in a basket in the Nile, rescued by Pharaoh's own daughter and raised in the palace (2:1–10). |
God isn't mentioned much in Exodus 1–2, but he is clearly at work behind the scenes.
Moses grew up as a prince of Egypt. One day he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave, and he killed the Egyptian. Then he fled to the land of Midian, where he spent about 40 years looking after sheep (Exodus 2:11–15; Acts 7:30). His own attempt at a rescue had failed badly.
Meanwhile, the slaves cried out to God. Had he forgotten them?
"So God heard their groaning, and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God saw the Israelites and took notice." (Exodus 2:24–25)
God hears. God remembers. God sees.
The burning bush
One day, out in the wilderness, Moses saw a bush on fire, but it wasn't burning up. When he went closer, God spoke to him from the bush (Exodus 3). Here is what God says and does, and what it shows about him:
| Verse | What God says or does | What it shows about God |
|---|---|---|
| v. 2 | A bush burns but isn't burnt up. | God is powerful and holy, but he doesn't destroy what he comes near. |
| v. 5 | Moses must take off his sandals: this is holy ground. | God is holy. He isn't someone to treat casually. |
| v. 6 | God calls himself the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. | God keeps his promises across generations. |
| vv. 7–8 | I have seen, heard, know, and come down to rescue. | God sees suffering and acts. |
| v. 12 | God promises to be with Moses. | God's presence matters more than Moses' ability. |
| v. 14 | God gives his name: I AM WHO I AM. | God depends on nothing and no one. He always is. |
This is the heart of it:
"The LORD said, ‘I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings.’" (Exodus 3:7)
"Who am I?"
You might expect Moses to jump at the chance. Instead, he makes an excuse:
"But Moses asked God, ‘Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’ ‘I will surely be with you,’ God said, ‘and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, all of you will worship God on this mountain.’" (Exodus 3:11–12)
Notice that God doesn't say, "Don't worry, Moses, you're amazing." He says, "I will surely be with you." The question shifts from Who am I? to Who is God? Moses keeps making excuses into chapter 4, and God keeps answering them.
And God tells Moses his name: I AM. It means God depends on nothing. He always has been, and always will be. That was very good news for slaves who depended on Pharaoh for everything.
The rescue road: sign 1
| Where? | What did God do? | How does it point to Jesus? |
|---|---|---|
| Egypt and the burning bush (Exodus 1–3) | Saw his people's suffering, remembered his promise and came down to rescue them. | Jesus is the great "I AM" who came down to set us free from sin (John 8:36, 58). |
Key words
- Pharaoh: the title of the king of Egypt.
- Holy: set apart, completely pure and good; belonging to God.
- I AM: the name God gives himself at the burning bush, often written as "the LORD" in English Bibles.
- Covenant: a serious, binding promise God makes to bring people into a relationship with him.
How this points to Jesus
In Exodus 3:8, God says he has "come down" to rescue his people. That idea is the whole Bible in a sentence. Centuries later, Jesus spoke about a slavery worse than Egypt: everyone who sins is a slave to sin, he said, but if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed (John 8:34–36). Then he said this:
"‘Truly, truly, I tell you,’ Jesus declared, ‘before Abraham was born, I am!’" (John 8:58)
The crowd picked up stones to throw at him (John 8:59), because they understood: Jesus was claiming to be the God of the burning bush, come down to set people free.
Think about it
Name one of Pharaoh's plans and how God worked against it.Show answer
Pharaoh ordered every baby boy thrown into the Nile, but Moses was hidden in a basket in the Nile, rescued by Pharaoh's own daughter and raised in the palace.
Why might God have chosen an 80-year-old shepherd who had already failed once?Show answer
It made it clear that the rescue would come from God's power, not Moses' strength or skill. God's answer to Moses' weakness was "I will surely be with you."
How is slavery to sin like slavery in Egypt?Show answer
Both are hard, both trap you, and in both cases you can't free yourself. Someone else has to come and rescue you.
Take it further
Have you ever thought, "Who am I to do that?" This week, when you feel too small for something, remember God's answer to Moses: the question isn't so much who you are, but who God is. Your worksheet helps you trace Pharaoh's plans and unpack the burning bush.
If you'd like to, you could pray:
God, thank you that you see people who are suffering and you hear when they cry out. Thank you that you came down in Jesus to set us free. When I feel small, help me remember that you are with me. Amen.