May 10, 2018

When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, ‘Moses! Moses!’ And Moses said, ‘Here I am.’ (Exodus 3:4 NIV)

To start with when Moses looks at this burning bush, it is said that although the bush was on fire, it did not burn up (Exodus 3:3). It is a burning bush that does not stop burning. What does this suggest? It suggests some type of power behind that fire of bush that does not end. From within that fire, a voice calls out Moses’ name twice.

We all know that the voice is God’s. God is calling out to Moses because he has appointed Moses to return to Egypt to save his people who are in slavery. He says that he sees the misery of his people in Egypt and wants to liberate them (Exodus 3:7). Therefore the image of the burning bush stands for God’s holy power and for God’s salvation.

The Presbyterian Church in Canada has chosen the image of the burning bush as its logo. Recently, it gave a makeover to the logo and here is what it looks like:

Very often I have glanced through this logo when looking at denominational literature and have taken it for granted. Yet when they did the makeover a month ago, I started thinking, do we as a congregation of the PCC really apprehend the God of the burning bush? He is a God who does not “burn out”. He is the holy God who is meant to be feared. Yet he is also a God who sees the misery of his people. He wants to save them from whatever slavery of life they are experiencing. May we truly worship this holy God who saves us.

The Lord said, ‘I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. (Exodus 3:7 NIV)

Pastor Pye