Monday: The Angel of the Lord
Daily Lesson for Monday 7th of July 2025
“The angel of the Lord” appeared to Moses in flames of fire “from within a bush” (Exodus 3:2, NIV). It was the Lord Jesus Himself speaking to Moses “from within the bush” (Exodus 3:4, NIV).
Do not be confused with the title “angel of the Lord” as a depiction of Jesus Christ. The term angel itself simply means “messenger” (Hebrew mal’akh), and it always depends on the context whether this angel is to be interpreted as human or divine (see Malachi 3:1). There are many instances in the Bible where “the angel of the Lord” refers to the divine person (study, for example, _Genesis 22:11,15-18; Genesis 31:3,11,13; Judges 2:1-2; Judges 6:11-22; Zechariah 3:1-2)_. This angel of the Lord not only speaks in the name of the Lord, but He is the Lord Himself. Jesus is God’s messenger to communicate the Father’s Word to us.
Read Exodus 3:7-12. How did God explain to Moses why He wanted to intervene on behalf of the Israelites enslaved in Egypt?
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The suffering of God’s people in Egypt is colorfully described as a groaning and a deep cry for help. God heard their cry and was concerned (Exodus 2:23-25). He called them “my people” (Exodus 3:7). That is, even before Sinai and the ratifying of the covenant, they were His people, and He would cause them to dwell and prosper (if they would obey) in the land of Canaan, as He had promised their fathers.
God said to Moses that He was sending him to Pharaoh for a specific task: “So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt” (Exodus 3:10, NIV). Again, God calls them “my people.”
What a task God presented to His servant! Moses, therefore, responded with a question: “Who am I?” That is, grasping the significance of what is going to happen and what his role is going to be in all this, Moses wonders why someone like himself would be chosen. Here, early on, we have an indication of his character, his humility, and his sense that he is unworthy of what he is being called to do.
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Why is humility, and a sense of our own “unworthiness,” so important for anyone who seeks to follow the Lord and do anything for Him? |
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I don't know about you, but in my lifetime, I have not met many people who have had a burning bush experience. I have met some folk who claim such experiences, and typically they talk about it a lot to try and convince the rest of us that they have a message from the Lord for these times. Humility is not one of their characteristics, and often they end up being frustrated that nobody is listening to them.
In today's world, the most effective Christians are not those who claim to have had a supernatural experience but rather those who understand the practical implications of Christianity in everyday life. Sometimes we spend a lot of time defending the supernatural beginnings of our church and we overlook that our very best defence is that we put the supernatural into the perspective of the real world.
Complex number theory lives up to its name - complex, and a lot of people think that mathematicians who talk about imaginary numbers are a bit cuckoo in the head. But some mathematicians have taken complex numbers and applied them to electrical engineering, and given us many of the useful electronic devices we use every day. We don't defend complex number theory, we use it in practical ways that make our lives better.
Supernatural beginnings are one thing, but if we get stuck on the "supernatural" rather than the application to our spiritual wellbeing and responsibility in the natural world, we run the risk of being idol worshippers.
We should be praying for a miracle in our spiritual experience, making the supernatural meaningful in a natural world.