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<< Exodus 3:1-9: The Burning Bush >>
 WE must learn about the peninsula of Sinai, for the journey of the children of Israel from Egypt soon leads us this way, and Midian, where Moses was living, was here. It is a great triangle between the two arms of the Red Sea. The southern part of the peninsula is made up of wild, rocky mountains. In the middle of the mountains is the group called Horeb, with Mount Sinai among them.
The whole region is barren, with little that is green except in some narrow valleys where there is water. There are dry, wiry plants such as grow in the desert, and thorny acacia trees from whose branches gum-arabic is gathered. The bush that we read of in our story is thought to have been one of these thorny acacias.
The land of Midian was near these mountains, and as Moses led the flock of Jethro to the green spots in the valleys he came to the western side of the desert, to the very mountains where the children of Israel afterwards received the Commandments. We shall read how the Lord appeared to Moses and spoke to him out of the bush. Eastern people put off their shoes or sandals as a mark of respect on coming into a house, especially on coming into a temple or a holy place.
The Lord told Moses that He would bring the children of Israel out of Egypt and give them the land of Canaan. You remember the native tribes whom Abraham found living in that land. The Canaanites were the lowlanders by the sea and Jordan; the Amorites were the highlanders of the mountains; the Hittites were the ancient people of whom there were remnants in Hebron and other towns; the Perizzites and Hivites were country villagers, and the Jebusites the people of Jebus, which afterwards became Jerusalem. What kind of a country do you think of when you read that it was flowing with milk and honey?
Moses was afraid to go on the errand on which the Lord sent him; he was so feeble and the work was so great. "Certainly 1 will be with thee," the Lord said, Ho gave him power to do signs before Pharaoh and the Egyptians, and He promised that Aaron, Moses' brother, should be with him and help him.
This is the story.
Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt. And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain. And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?
And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto 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 unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations. Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt: And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey. And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God. And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand. And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go. And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians:and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty. But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians. And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee. And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod. And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it. And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand: 4:5 That they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee. And the LORD said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow. And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh. And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign. And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.---Exodus III., IV. 1-9.
Author: William L. Worcester 1904
Spiritual Correspondences
Spiritual Meaning
1-3. And Moses was feeding the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock behind the wilderness, and came into the mountain of God, to Horeb. And the angel of Jehovah was seen by him in a flame of fire out of the midst of the bramble; and he saw, and behold the bramble burned with fire, and the bramble was in no wise consumed. And Moses said, I will therefore go aside, and see this great vision, why the bramble is not burnt.
"And Moses was feeding the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian," signifies that the law from the Divine was instructing those who were in the truth of simple good; "priest," is the good of the church where such are; "and he led the flock behind the wilderness," signifies after they had undergone temptations; "and came unto the mountain of God," signifies that the good of love Divine appeared to him; "to Horeb," signifies its quality; "and the angel of Jehovah was seen by him," signifies the Lord as to the Divine Human; "in a flame of fire out of the midst of the bramble," signifies love Divine in the truth of memory-knowledge; "and he saw, and behold the bramble burned with fire," signifies a noticing that the truth of memory-knowledge was full of the good of love Divine; "and the bramble was in no wise consumed," signifies Divine truth united to Divine good in the natural; "and Moses said," signifies perception from the law from the Divine; "I will therefore go aside, and see this great vision," signifies reflection upon this revelation; "why the bramble is not burnt," signifies that such is the union.
4-6. And Jehovah saw that he went aside to see, and God called unto him out of the midst of the bramble, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Behold me! And He said, Draw not nigh hither; pull off thy shoes from upon thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest a ground of holiness is this. And He said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses covered his faces, because he was afraid to look upon God.
"And Jehovah saw that he went aside to see," signifies reflection from the Lord; "and God called unto him," signifies influx from the Divine; "out of the midst of the bramble," signifies from the truths of memory-knowledge; "and said, Moses, Moses; and he said, behold me!" signifies internal exhortation, and hearing; "and He said, Draw not nigh hither," signifies that he must not still think of the Divine from sensuous things; "pull off thy shoes from upon thy feet," signifies that sensuous things, which are the externals of the natural, must be removed; "for the place whereon thou standest a ground of holiness is this," signifies that otherwise the Divine cannot enter; "and He said, I am the God of thy father," signifies the Divine which was of the Ancient Church; "the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob," signifies the Divine Itself, and the Divine Human, thus the Lord; "and Moses covered his faces," signifies that the interiors were guarded; "because he was afraid to look upon God," signifies lest they should be injured by the presence of the Divine Itself.
7, 8. And Jehovah said, Seeing I have seen the affliction of My people, which is in Egypt, and I have heard their cry from before their taskmasters; for I have known their sorrows; and I am come down to liberate them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to make them come up out of that land unto a land good and broad, unto a land flowing with milk and honey, unto the place of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite.
"And Jehovah said, Seeing I have seen the affliction of My people" signifies mercy toward those who are of the spiritual church after infestations by falsities; "and I have heard their cry from before their taskmasters" signifies the aid of mercy against those who desired to compel them to serve; "for I have known their sorrows" signifies foresight in regard to how much they would be immersed in falsities; "and I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians" signifies that He would let Himself down to them to set them free from the power of false memory-knowledges, which endeavor to destroy the truths of the church; "and to make them come up out of that land" signifies that they should be elevated; "unto a land good and broad" signifies to heaven, where are the good of charity and the truth of faith; "flowing with milk and honey" signifies the pleasantness and delight thence; "unto the place of the Canaanite, and the Hittite" signifies the region occupied by evils from falsities; "and the Amorite, and the Perizzite" signifies by evils and the derivative falsities; "and the Hivite, and the Jebusite" signifies by idolatry in which there is somewhat of good and truth.
9-12. And now behold the cry of the sons of Israel is come unto Me, and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. And now go, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, and do thou bring forth My people the sons of Israel out of Egypt. And Moses said unto God, Who am I that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the sons of Israel out of Egypt? And he said, Because I will be with thee; and this shall be the sign to thee that I have sent thee: when thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall worship God near this mountain.
"And now behold the cry of the sons of Israel is come unto Me," signifies pity for those who are of the spiritual church; "and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them," signifies by reason of the endeavor of subjugation by those who were in falsities; "and now go, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh," signifies the holy proceeding from the Lord's Human, by which the infesting falsities would be dispersed; "and do thou bring forth My people the sons of Israel out of Egypt," signifies the consequent liberation of those who were of the spiritual church from infesting falsities; "and Moses said unto God," signifies perception from the Divine and humiliation; "who am I that I should go unto Pharaoh?" signifies not being yet in such a state as to seem to himself to be able to go to and remove the infesting falsities; "and that I should bring forth the sons of Israel?" signifies and thus to liberate those of the spiritual church; "and He said, Because I will be with thee," signifies that the Divine will be in the Human; "and this shall be the sign to thee that I have sent thee," signifies the knowledge that the Divine proceeded from Himself; "when thou has brought forth the people out of Egypt," signifies when the spiritual are liberated from infestation by falsities; "ye shall worship God near this mountain," signifies then perception and acknowledgment of the Divine from love.
13-15. And Moses said unto God, Behold I come unto the sons of Israel, and say to them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they say to me, What is His name? What shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM WHO I AM; and He said, Thus shalt thou say to the sons of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. And God said further unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the sons of Israel, Jehovah the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you; this is My name forever, and this is My memorial unto generation and generation.
"And Moses said unto God," signifies perception from the Divine; "Behold I come unto the sons of Israel," signifies about those who are of the spiritual church; "and say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you," signifies that the Divine of the Ancient Church will be with those who are of the spiritual church; "and they say to me, What is His name?" signifies His quality; "what shall I say unto them?" signifies what answer; "and God said unto Moses," signifies the first instruction; "I AM WHO I AM," signifies the Being and Coming-forth of all things in the universe; "and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the sons of Israel," signifies the second instruction; "I AM hath sent me unto you," signifies that the Divine Coming-forth shall be in that church; "and God said further unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the sons of Israel," signifies the third instruction; "Jehovah the God of your fathers," signifies the Divine of the Ancient Church; "the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob," signifies the Divine Itself, and the Divine Human, thus the Lord; "hath sent me unto you," signifies that He will be in their church; "this is My name forever," signifies that the Divine Human is the quality of the Divine Itself; "and this is My memorial unto generation and generation," signifies that He must be worshiped perpetually.
16-20. Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, Jehovah the God of your fathers hath been seen of me, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, saying, Visiting I have visited you, and that which is done to you in Egypt; and I say, I will make you come up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, unto a land flowing with milk and honey. And they shall hear thy voice, and thou shalt go in, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, Jehovah God of the Hebrews hath met with us; and now let us go we pray a way of three days into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to Jehovah our God. And I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go, and not by a strong hand. And I will put forth My hand, and smite Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in the midst thereof and afterward he will send you away.
"Go and gather the elders of Israel together," signifies the intelligent in the spiritual church; "and say unto them," signifies instruction; "Jehovah the God of your fathers," signifies the Divine of the Ancient Church; "hath been seen of me," signifies His presence; "the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob," signifies the Divine Itself, and the Divine Human of the Lord; "saying, Visiting I have visited you," signifies His coming to those who are of the church; "and that which is done to you in Egypt," signifies the endeavor to subjugate; "and I say, I will make you come up out of the affliction of Egypt," signifies a raising and liberation from false memory-knowledges; "unto the land of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite," signifies the region of heaven occupied by those who are in evils and falsities; "unto a land flowing with milk and honey," signifies where are pleasantness and delight; "and they shall hear thy voice," signifies obedience; "and thou shalt go in, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt," signifies communication with those who are in falsities and who have infested; "and ye shall say unto him" signifies influx; "Jehovah God of the Hebrews hath met with us," signifies the Divine of the Lord in the church, and His command; "and now let us go we pray a way of three days into the wilderness," signifies the life of truth in a state altogether removed from falsities, although in obscurity; "that we may sacrifice to Jehovah our God," signifies thus the worship of the Lord; "and I know," signifies foresight; "that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go," signifies that falsity would oppose itself; "and not by a strong hand," signifies that the power of those who are of the spiritual church will not prevail against them; "and I will put forth My hand," signifies power from the Divine; "and smite Egypt with all My wonders," signifies the means of Divine power against falsities; "which I will do in the midst thereof," signifies which shall touch them directly; "and afterward he will send you away," signifies their being driven away, and liberation.
21, 22. And I will give this people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians; and it shall be that when ye go, ye shall not go empty; and every woman shall ask of her neighbor, and of her that sojourneth in her house, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters, and ye shall spoil the Egyptians.
"And I will give this people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians," signifies the fear of those who are in falsities before those who are of the spiritual church, by reason of the plagues; "and it shall be that when ye go, ye shall not go empty," signifies life no longer in need in respect to the things of the natural mind; "but every woman shall ask of her neighbor, and of her that sojourneth in her house," signifies that everyone's good shall be enriched with such things as are helpful; "vessels of silver," signifies memory-knowledges of truth; "and vessels of gold," signifies memory-knowledges of good; "and garments," signifies lower memory-knowledges corresponding thereto; "and ye shall put them upon your sons," signifies applying them to their truths; "and upon your daughters," signifies applying them to goods; "and ye shall spoil the Egyptians," signifies that such things are to be taken away from those who are in falsities and the derivative evils.
EXODUS IV
1-4. And Moses answered, and said, And behold they will not believe me, and will not hear my voice; for they will say, Jehovah hath not been seen of thee. And Jehovah said unto him, What is that in thy hand? And he said, A rod. And He said, Cast it to the earth. And he cast it to the earth, and it became a serpent, and Moses fled from before it. And Jehovah said unto Moses, Put forth thy hand, and take hold of its tail; and he put forth his hand, and took hold of it, and it became a rod in his hand.
"And Moses answered and said," signifies thought from the law Divine; "And behold they will not believe me, and will not hear my voice," signifies that those who are of the spiritual church would not have faith, thus would not receive; "for they will say, Jehovah hath not been seen of thee," signifies the Divine of the Lord in His Human; "and Jehovah said unto him," signifies foresight as to what they would be if they had not faith; "What is that in thy hand? And he said, A rod," signifies the power of the Lord's Divine Human; "and He said, Cast it to the earth," signifies the influx of the power of the Lord's Divine natural into the sensuous; "and it became a serpent," signifies the sensuous and corporeal man thereby separated from the internal; "and Moses fled from before it," signifies horror at the sensuous separated; "and Jehovah said unto Moses," signifies providence from the Divine; "Put forth thy hand, and take hold of its tail," signifies the power of uplifting from the ultimate sensuous; "and he put forth his hand, and took hold of it," signifies an uplifting toward the interiors "and it became a rod in his hand," signifies that then power was communicated from the Divine.
5-7. In order that they may believe that Jehovah hath been seen of thee, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Jehovah said further to him, Bring now thy hand into thy bosom. And he brought his hand into his bosom, and brought it out, and behold his hand was leprous, as snow. And He said, Bring back thine hand into thy bosom; and he brought back his hand into his bosom, and brought it forth out of his bosom, And behold it was turned again as his flesh.
"In order that they may believe that Jehovah hath been seen of thee," signifies that they may have faith in respect to the Lord's Divine Human; "the God of their fathers," signifies that it was the Divine of the Ancient Church; "the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob," signifies the Lord as to the Divine Itself and the Divine Human; "and Jehovah said further to him," signifies foresight as to what would be the quality of those of the spiritual church, if they did not have faith; "Bring thy hand into thy bosom," signifies the appropriation of truth; "and he brought his hand into his bosom," signifies the accomplishment; "and he brought it out," signifies that it was thence; "and behold his hand was leprous, as snow," signifies the profanation of truth; "and He said," signifies providence in respect to what would be the quality of those of the spiritual church if they did have faith; "Bring back thine hand into thy bosom" signifies the appropriation of truth; "and he brought back his hand into his bosom" signifies the accomplishment; "and he brought it forth out of his bosom," signifies that it was thence; "and behold it was turned again as his flesh," signifies that then it was good.
8, 9. And it shall be, if they do not believe thee, and hear not the voice of the former sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign. And it shall be, if they do not believe also these two signs, and do not hear thy voice, that thou shalt take of the waters of the river, and pour out on the dry [land], and the waters which thou hast taken out of the river, they shall become blood in the dry [land].
"And it shall be, if they do not believe thee," signifies if they have not faith; "and hear not the voice of the former sign," signifies if they do not obey what is announced from the Word, that instead of spiritual and rational men they would become not spiritual and not rational; "that they will believe the voice of the latter sign," signifies that they would have faith in what had been foretold from the Word, namely, that they would become profaners of truth; "and it shall be, if they do not believe also these two signs," signifies if they should have no faith whatever that such things would come to pass; "and do not hear thy voice," signifies if they do not yield any obedience; "that thou shalt take of the waters of the river," signifies false memory-knowledges; "and pour out on the dry [land]," signifies insertion into the natural; "and the waters which thou hast taken out of the river," signifies inversion of the state; "they shall become blood in the dry [land]," signifies the falsification of all truth, and the consequent privation of it in the natural.
Author: Emanuel Swedenborg
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