A Consuming Fire: Moses and the Burning Bush with R.C. Sproul
Summary
TLDRIn this script, the speaker delves into the theological significance of the burning bush, an event pivotal in both Moses' life and human history. They explore the concept of 'theophany,' where God's presence is made visible through supernatural phenomena, such as the fire within the bush that did not consume it. The discussion extends to other instances of the Shekinah Glory in the Bible, including the covenant with Abraham and the conversion of Saul, highlighting the transformative power of divine encounters.
Takeaways
- 🔥 The story of Moses and the burning bush is a significant event in redemptive history, marking a turning point for Moses and humanity.
- 🌳 The bush in the story was a common, ordinary bramble bush, not something supernatural in itself.
- 👀 Moses saw a fire inside the bush that did not consume it, suggesting a supernatural phenomenon rather than a natural one.
- 🔥 The fire was independent of the bush, indicating a theophany, a visible manifestation of God's presence.
- 🌟 The term 'theophany' comes from 'theos' (God) and 'phaneo' (to make manifest), referring to God making himself visible.
- 🌌 The Shekinah Glory, or the visible manifestation of God's glory, is a recurring theme in the Bible, often associated with fire.
- 📜 In Genesis 15, God's promise to Abraham is accompanied by a vision of a smoking oven and a burning torch, symbolizing the Shekinah Glory.
- 💡 The Shekinah Glory is also present in the conversion of Saul (Paul) on the road to Damascus, where he encounters a blinding light from heaven.
- 🐑 The birth of Jesus is announced to shepherds by an angel accompanied by the Shekinah Glory, demonstrating God's presence and power.
- 🌟 The Shekinah Glory is not just associated with God the Father but is also linked to the Second Person of the Trinity, reflecting the deity of Jesus Christ.
Q & A
What is the significance of the burning bush in the encounter with Moses?
-The burning bush is significant as it represents a theophany, a visible manifestation of God's presence. The bush was on fire but not consumed, indicating the fire was independent and supernatural, symbolizing God's power and majesty.
Why was the bush not consumed by the fire?
-The bush was not consumed because the fire was not of the bush itself but was a divine presence within it. This supernatural fire was a manifestation of God's glory, independent of the natural properties of the bush.
What is the term 'theophany' and how does it relate to the burning bush?
-The term 'theophany' comes from 'theos' meaning God and 'phaneo' meaning to make manifest. It refers to a visible appearance of a deity, in this case, God's presence within the burning bush, which was a supernatural and not a natural phenomenon.
How does the speaker describe the nature of the fire in the bush from Moses' perspective?
-The speaker suggests that from Moses' viewpoint, the fire appeared to be coming from inside the bush, indicating a supernatural presence rather than a natural fire that would consume the bush.
What is the 'Shekinah Glory' and how is it connected to the burning bush?
-The 'Shekinah Glory' is the visible radiance or manifestation of God's presence and power. It is connected to the burning bush as the fire within the bush is considered a form of this divine radiance, revealing God's glory to Moses.
Can you explain the significance of the 'Shekinah Glory' in redemptive history?
-The 'Shekinah Glory' is significant in redemptive history as it represents key moments when God reveals Himself in a tangible way, such as to Moses at the burning bush, to Abraham in his covenant promise, and to Paul on the road to Damascus, impacting their lives and the course of history.
What is the biblical reference to God's promise to Abraham and how does it relate to the 'Shekinah Glory'?
-The biblical reference is Genesis 15:17, where God makes a covenant with Abraham, demonstrated by a vision of a smoking oven and a burning torch passing between the pieces of animals. This vision represents the 'Shekinah Glory', symbolizing God's commitment and promise to Abraham.
How does the speaker describe the Apostle Paul's encounter with the 'Shekinah Glory'?
-The speaker describes Paul's encounter as a transformative moment when he was struck by a blinding light from heaven, fell to the ground, and heard the voice of Jesus asking why he was persecuting Him. This encounter with the 'Shekinah Glory' turned Paul's life around, making him a devoted apostle.
What is the connection between the 'Shekinah Glory' and the birth of Jesus?
-The connection is that an angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds with the 'Shekinah Glory' shining around them, announcing the birth of Jesus as the Savior. This display of divine glory accompanied the momentous event, signifying its importance.
How does the speaker link the 'Shekinah Glory' to God the Son in the context of theophany?
-The speaker suggests that the 'Shekinah Glory' is not only linked to God the Father but is also inseparably related to the Second Person of the Trinity, God the Son. This implies that the glory displayed in theophany is the inherent glory of God the Son from all eternity.
What is the significance of the Mount of Transfiguration in relation to the 'Shekinah Glory'?
-The Mount of Transfiguration is significant as it was the site of a magnificent display of the 'Shekinah Glory' in the New Testament. The glory displayed there was not a reflection but an inherent divine radiance bursting through from Jesus' concealed deity, highlighting the divine nature of Jesus.
Outlines
🔥 The Theological Significance of the Burning Bush
In this paragraph, Sproul delves into the theological implications of Moses' encounter with the burning bush. He emphasizes that this event was not only transformative for Moses but also pivotal in human history. Sproul clarifies that the bush was an ordinary bramble bush, and the supernatural aspect was not the bush itself but the fire within it. He suggests that the fire was independent of the bush, indicating a divine presence. The paragraph explores the idea that the fire was a manifestation of God's power, separate from the natural world, and sets the stage for deeper theological discussions.
🌟 Theophany and the Shekinah Glory
This paragraph introduces the concept of 'theophany,' which refers to the visible manifestation of God. Sproul explains that God, being a spirit, is invisible but occasionally reveals Himself in visible forms, such as fire. He connects this to the burning bush, suggesting that the fire was a supernatural phenomenon, a contra naturam, or against nature. The paragraph also discusses the Shekinah Glory, the visible radiance of God's presence, which is often associated with fire in biblical narratives. Sproul uses examples from the Old Testament, such as God's promise to Abraham and the Pentateuch, to illustrate how God's glory is communicated through fire.
📜 The Covenant and the Vision of Fire
Sproul recounts the biblical story of God's covenant with Abraham, highlighting the significance of the vision of a smoking oven and a burning torch in Genesis 15:17. He interprets this vision as a divine promise, with God swearing by His own being, demonstrating His commitment to Abraham. The paragraph explores the idea that this vision of fire is a representation of the Shekinah Glory, symbolizing God's presence and His oath to fulfill His promises. Sproul emphasizes the profound impact of this divine encounter on Abraham's life and faith.
🌈 The Conversion of Saul and the Shekinah Glory
In this paragraph, Sproul shifts focus to the New Testament, discussing the conversion of Saul of Tarsus (later known as Paul) on the road to Damascus. He describes the sudden appearance of a light from heaven that shone around Saul, accompanied by a voice identifying itself as Jesus. Sproul draws parallels between this event and Moses' encounter with the burning bush, noting the repetition of names and the divine call. He suggests that Saul's encounter with the Shekinah Glory was transformative, leading to his conversion and his role as a prominent apostle. The paragraph also touches on the Shekinah Glory's appearance at the birth of Jesus, as described in the Christmas narrative.
🌟 The Shekinah Glory and the Trinity
The final paragraph connects the Shekinah Glory to the Second Person of the Trinity, suggesting that the divine manifestations of light and fire are not limited to God the Father but are also inherent in God the Son. Sproul anticipates further discussions in future sessions to explore this connection in depth. He also reflects on the Transfiguration of Jesus, where the Shekinah Glory was displayed, indicating that the glory was not merely a reflection but an inherent divine attribute. The paragraph concludes by reinforcing the idea that wherever the Shekinah Glory is present, God is present.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Redemptive Historical Perspective
💡Theological Implications
💡Theophany
💡Shekinah Glory
💡Contra Naturam
💡Moses
💡Pentecost
💡Abraham
💡Saul of Tarsus
💡Transfiguration
💡Nativity
Highlights
Moses' encounter with the burning bush was a life-changing event and a watershed moment in human history.
Theological implications and ramifications of the burning bush event will be explored beyond the basic narrative.
Moses was tending Jethro's flock when the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from a bush.
The bush was on fire but not consumed, indicating a supernatural phenomenon contrary to nature.
The fire was independent of the bush, not using it for fuel, symbolizing a theophany or divine manifestation.
The term 'theophany' means the manifestation of God, with 'theo' from 'theos' for God and 'phany' from 'phaneo' meaning to make manifest.
God's invisible spirit can make itself visible through visual manifestations like the burning bush.
The Shekinah Glory, God's radiant majesty, was communicated through fire in key moments of redemptive history.
Abraham's encounter with God's promise and the Shekinah Glory in Genesis 15 demonstrated God's commitment to His covenant.
The Shekinah Glory in the form of a smoking oven and burning torch passed between the divided animals in Abraham's covenant vision.
Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus involved an encounter with the Shekinah Glory, changing his life and making him a great apostle.
The Shekinah Glory at Jesus' birth appeared to shepherds, not in the manger, but in the fields outside Bethlehem.
The Shekinah Glory is linked not only to God the Father but also to the Second Person of the Trinity, God the Son.
The Transfiguration of Jesus was a magnificent display of the Shekinah Glory, revealing His divine nature.
The presence of the Shekinah Glory signifies the presence of God, whether in the burning bush, the Transfiguration, or other biblical events.
Transcripts
SPROUL: We're going to continue now with our study of Moses and the burning bush and all that
was involved in that particular encounter.
In our last session, I mentioned that from a redemptive historical perspective, that
particular incident was not only life changing for Moses himself but was a watershed moment
for all of human history.
And we looked at the basic narrative in the first two sessions, and from now on, I want
to be looking at some of the theological implications
and ramifications from this event.
So, I'll turn your attention again tonight just to the first part of Chapter 3 of Exodus
where we read these words, "Now, Moses was tending the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law,
the priest of Midian.
And he led the flock to the back of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush.
So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed.
Then Moses said, "I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not
burn."
Now, according to Jewish tradition, this area of the desert is populated by the most common
of bushes that were bramble bushes, and the assumption of the Jewish historians was that
this particular bush was a simple, ordinary bramble bush of no great significance in itself.
And, when this experience occurred to Moses, the first thing I think we have to understand
is that there was nothing at all supernatural about this bush.
It was a common, ordinary, bramble bush doing what common, ordinary, bramble bushes do in
the desert.
And, it's not like there was a miracle performed where God caused a bush to burn that could
burn forever without losing any of its substance from the burning process.
And here's one of those occasions when we read the Scripture, that the words that we
read in there can be a little bit misleading, because, Moses is describing this experience
from what we call a phenomenal logical perspective,
that is, he tells about it from what it looked
like.
He's walking along with his sheep there in the desert, he sees this strange phenomenon
of a bush burning, and he turns aside to see what this bush burning is all about.
He's astonished to see that although the bush is burning, it is not consumed.
Now I'm suggesting, perhaps, that what Moses saw was a fire in the bush.
It wasn't beside the bush.
It wasn't on top or over the bush like the flames and tongues of fire that came down
on the day of Pentecost on that occasion.
Rather, from Moses' viewpoint, the fire was coming from inside the bush.
But, what I'm suggestion to you is that the significance of the statement that the bush
was not being consumed indicates that the bush itself was not burning.
The fire was in the bush but not of the bush.
Now, what does that mean and what's the
significance of that?
Well, it indicates that the fire that Moses saw was independent of the bush.
It was not using the bush for its fuel.
That's why it wasn't consumed.
The fire that Moses saw was burning from its own power.
It was generated from itself and not from a conflagration of the bush.
So what we have here, clearly, is a biblical example of what we call "theophany."
And, the word "theophany" means -- we have the first part of the word, "theo" that comes
from the word "theos" for God.
And, the second part, "phany," it comes from which "phaneo" which means to make manifest.
The God that we worship is a spirit.
He is invisible.
His invisible substance cannot be seen by the human eye, but there are occasions in
redemptive history where the invisible God makes himself visible by some kind of visual
manifestation.
And that's what we're encountering here with this experience.
Now, to have a bush with a fire in it is what we call in theology, when the fire is not
consuming the bush, an activity that is contra naturam -- an activity that is contra naturam.
"Contra" means against, and "naturam" means nature.
So this activity that Moses is looking at is something that is completely contrary to
nature.
This is not a natural phenomenon.
It is a supernatural phenomenon.
Usually, the phrase "contra naturam" is used to describe what we call "the miraculous."
I'm not convinced that this was necessarily a miracle that he was witnessing, but it was
a supernatural reality.
And what he was seeing, plain and simple, in this fire was a visible manifestation of
the Glory of God.
We hear in the Bible about the outward appearance of God's Glory, and we call that the "Shekinah
Glory."
The Glory that is refulgent.
The Glory that radiates from the very being of God that is so powerful and so majestic
that it overwhelms anyone who ever comes in contact with it.
I want us to see that throughout redemptive history, at critical junctures, at critical
moments, God manifest himself to people through the Shekinah Glory that is communicated chiefly
through some kind of fire.
And, I want to take some time tonight to look at some of these episodes, particularly in
the Old Testament but not exclusively there.
Where we see the Shekinah Glory of God that flows out of God's inner perfect,
Holy, transcendent
being.
Let's go back for a moment earlier in the Pentateuch to the fifteenth chapter of Genesis.
Where in Genesis, we find the record of God speaking to Abraham and making the promise
to him there that he will be the father of a great nation.
Remember that Abraham was called by God, and he said, "I will be your shield and your very
great reward," and Abraham said, "What reward can you give me?"
He was already one of the richest men in the world.
He said, "I have all these things, but I don't have an heir.
I don't have a son.
My heir is my servant, Eliezer of Damascus."
And God said, "No, no, no.
Eliezer will not be your heir, but I'm going to give you a son from your own loins.
In her old age, your wife will bear you a son, and he will become the father of a great
nation," and we know the rest of the terms of that covenant.
We're told that Abraham believed God and was accounted to him for righteousness.
But as he spelled all these things out that he was going to do for Abraham, Abraham had
the basic struggles that we all would have in a situation like that, so he said to God,
"How can I know this?
How can I be sure that this will happen?"
Well, I think I've told the congregation at St. Andrews on other occasions that one of
the strangest phenomenon I know of in Christendom is this practice that people have when I go
to a conference and a speaker along with other speakers.
People come up afterward and ask me to sign their Bible for them, as if I wrote the Bible.
But, it's a practice, so I try to do it.
But then they not only want the signature, but they want me to give them my life verse.
I don't know where this idea ever came from.
I mean, how can you take one verse out of the whole Bible and make it your life verse.
The whole Bible is our life verse.
But people ask for that, and I'm a little bit mischievous when I sign Bibles, and I
write down my verse.
I write down Genesis 15:17.
And, the people think, and they walk away.
Usually what happens is about one-half hour later, they come back to me and ask, "Did
you make a mistake on this verse that you wrote down there?"
I say, "No," and they say, "Well, I went and looked at this verse that you said was your
life verse, and I can't make any sense out of it at all."
Then I take some time to explain it to them.
So let me just read verse 17 of Genesis 15.
"And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared
a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces."
And I say to people, "If I'm ever locked up in a prison and I'm in solitary confinement,
and I can only have one verse in all of the Bible at my disposal, that's the verse I want."
People look at me like I'm crazy.
What's going on here?
You go through this garish ritual that God commands Abraham to cut all these animals
in half and this gory mess of placing the animals in a pathway like an aisle, like a
gauntlet.
And then this horrible fear comes upon Abraham in this night vision, and it says, "In this
darkness, in his sleep, Abraham sees the smoking oven and a burning torch moving between the
pieces."
Well, obviously, what's going on -- well, maybe not so obvious to everybody, but it's
obvious to me what's going on here.
In this text is the cutting right of a covenant where God is demonstrating to Abraham through
this vision of fire, of a torch, a burning oven that passes between the pieces.
And that is the vision of the Shekinah.
That's God in this dream moving between the pieces of these animals that have been cut
in half, and what God is saying dramatically to Abraham, "Abraham, how can you know that
I'm going to do what I say I'm going to do to you?
Here's how.
I've just run the gauntlet, and what I'm saying to you is if I fail ever to keep a promise
that I make to you, may I be like these animals, cut in two.
May the immutable God suffer a mutation.
May the eternal become temporal.
The infinite finite.
I'm not swearing on my mother's grave to you, Abraham -- I am swearing by my own being.
I'm putting my deity on the line when I make this commitment to you."
And, the author of Hebrews picks that up in the New Testament when he says, "Because God
could swear by none greater, he swore by himself," and it was an oath by fire.
It was an oath demonstrated by the Shekinah Glory made visible to Abraham in the darkness
of the night.
Now here we have Abraham and Moses both having this experience of encountering the Shekinah
Glory of God in this fire that changes their lives.
Go fast forward to the New Testament, and we go to the book of Acts where the Apostle
Paul has his experience of conversion on the road to Damascus.
We read in Acts 9 these words: "Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against
the disciples of the Lord, went to the high
priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues
of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might
bring them bound to Jerusalem.
As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven."
When he later recalls this before Agrippa, he adds "A great light.
Brighter than the noonday sun.
A blinding light, which was seen not only by Saul but those who were in his entourage."
"And he fell to the ground, and he heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why are
you persecuting me?'
And he said, 'Who are you, Lord?'
And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
It is hard for you to kick against the goads.'
So, trembling and astonished, said, 'Lord, what do you want me to do?'"
I hope you didn't miss the parallel there that when God appears to Moses, he calls him
by the repetition of his name, which I'll comment further on at some later date.
When he says to him out of that burning bush, "Moses, Moses."
Now, when the Shekinah Glory appears to Saul of Tarsus, the voice comes again out of the
midst of that brilliant, effulgent glory saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute
me?"
And, this is the moment.
This is the encounter that turns Paul's life upside down and makes him the greatest apostle
of the biblical era.
What is it that happened?
What did Paul meet?
He ran right up against the Glory of God, right up against the brilliant, resplendent,
beauty of the Shekinah.
Now there are other places where this takes place, but let me remind you of one that you're
all familiar with that accompanied not only the call of Moses and the call to Saul or
the promise to Abraham, but accompanied the very moment of the birth of Jesus.
Strangely enough, the Shekinah Glory wasn't in the cave.
It wasn't in the manger.
It wasn't with Mary and Joseph.
It was like it appeared to a bramble bush out in the fields outside of Bethlehem where
the shepherds were there tending their sheep.
And we read in the Christmas narrative by Luke that the Glory of God shown around about
them.
And, I like the old translation, "And they were sore afraid."
Terrified.
So the angels had to calm them down and say, "Don't be afraid."
The Angel of the Lord's coming here accompanied by this visible display of the Shekinah Glory
that should make us all tremble.
Nevertheless, they said, "We are coming with good news, with the best of all possible news.
For unto you is born this day in Bethlehem a Savior who is Christ the Lord."
We're going to explore in the weeks to come how this Shekinah Glory that changes Moses'
life, and changes Saul's life, and changes Abraham's life and changes all the world history
at Bethlehem is not just linked to God the Father but is understood and inseparably related
to the Second Person of the Trinity.
That whenever God appears in theophany with the Shekinah Glory, it's not just God the
Father we're dealing with here, as I hope we will see at our next time together that
ultimately what is being displayed is the Glory inherent of God the Son from all eternity.
So, it's not so much what was in that bush; it's who was in that bush.
Who was speaking to Moses centuries before Moses would speak to him
on the Mount of Transfiguration,
which was clearly the most magnificent display of the Shekinah Glory anywhere in the New
Testament.
Where just as that bush was burning from inside and not the bush itself, so in the transfigured
Jesus, the Glory that was displayed there on the mountain, was not a reflection but
a Glory that burst through from his concealed deity.
Because, where the Shekinah is, dear ones, God is.
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