Sabbath School - Meat In Due Season Advanced Commentary - SS25-Q3-L2

Sabbath School - Meat In Due Season Advanced Commentary

SS25-Q3-L2-The Burning Bush

July 5-11, 2025

Sabbath Afternoon–July 5, 2025

Scripture Reading for the Week:

Exod. 18:3-4; Exod. 3:1-22; Gen. 22:11-15-18; Exod. 6:3; Joel 2:32; Exod. 4:1-31; Gen. 17:10-11

Thought for Meditation

This great purpose had been shadowed forth in types and symbols. The burning bush, in which Christ appeared to Moses, revealed God. The symbol chosen for the representation of the Deity was a lowly shrub, that seemingly had no attractions. This enshrined the Infinite. The all-merciful God shrouded His glory in a most humble type, that Moses could look upon it and live. So in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, God communicated with Israel, revealing to men His will, and imparting to them His grace. God's glory was subdued, and His majesty veiled, that the weak vision of finite men might behold it. So Christ was to come in "the body of our humiliation" (Philippians 3:21, R. V.), "in the likeness of men." In the eyes of the world He possessed no beauty that they should desire Him; yet He was the incarnate God, the light of heaven and earth. His glory was veiled, His greatness and majesty were hidden, that He might draw near to sorrowful, tempted men. {DA 23.2} The Desire of Ages (1898)

Memory Verse

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. (Exo. 3:7-8)

Purpose of the Study

To understand the significance of Moses’ encounter with God at the burning bush as a turning point in redemptive history. This study reveals how God manifests His presence in humble forms, calls chosen individuals into sacred service, responds to the cries of His people, and seals His covenant through divine authority and consecration. From a prophetic perspective, this encounter prefigures Christ’s incarnation, God’s end-time call to His people, and the purifying fire of the Holy Spirit preparing leaders for deliverance.

The affliction of Israel is not hidden from God. He sees, hears, knows, and comes down to deliver. This echoes the incarnation of Christ—God stepping into human history to rescue His people.

SOP:
“The burning bush... revealed God. The symbol chosen... was a lowly shrub...“So Christ was to come... yet He was the incarnate God... His glory was veiled... to draw near to sorrowful, tempted men.” — DA 23.2

Prophetic Application:
This moment foreshadows Christ’s first advent, and also the final deliverance of spiritual Israel from modern Egypt (sin, apostasy, oppression) before the second advent.

a 14:4}

Outline of the Study

Sunday-July 6, 2025

The Burning Bush

Exod. 18:3-4; 2 Sam. 7:8; Exodus 3:1-6.

Monday-July 7, 2025

The Angel of the Lord

Exodus 3:7-12; Exod. 2:23-25; Mal. 3:1; Gen. 22:11-15-18; Gen. 31:3-11, 13; Judg. 2:1-2; Judg. 6:11-22; Zech. 3:1-2.

Tuesday-July 8, 2025

The Name of the Lord

Exodus 3:13-22; Isa. 57:15; Exodus 6:3; Gen. 2:4-9; Gen. 4:1-26; Gen. 7:5; Gen. 15:6-8; Gen. 17:1; Joel 2:32.

Wednesday-July 9, 2025

Four Excuses

Exodus 4:1-17; Exod. 3:11

Thursday-July 10, 2025

The Circumcision

Exodus 4:18-31; Gen. 17:10-11.

Friday-July 11, 2025

Prophetic Insights and Further Study

🌿 Sunday – July 6, 2025: The Burning Bush

Reading: Exod. 18:3–4; 2 Sam. 7:8; Exod. 3:1–6

“There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up” (Exodus 3:2)

God chooses a solitary mountain and a humble bush to reveal Himself—not through grandeur, but through simplicity. The flame signifies His holy presence, yet He remains approachable to Moses.

"The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush…" (Exod. 3:2).

Thought Question:

Why would God choose such a lowly object to reveal His presence?
How does this speak to the way God still reveals Himself today?
Why did God choose a humble bush to reveal Himself?
Short Answer:
To show that He dwells with the lowly and uses simple means to reveal divine glory, so even the weak may look and live. (PP 251)

“The burning bush, enshrouded in fire, yet unconsumed, represented God’s people, who, although subjected to the fiery ordeal of oppression, were not to be destroyed.”
— Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 251

Prophetic Insight:

The bush typifies the remnant who survive the flames of persecution and purification. Just as Moses had to remove his shoes, God's last-day people must reverently prepare to stand on holy ground—before divine commissioning.

Consider the Following
❖ The Burning Bush (Exodus 3:1-6)

— The 40 years Moses lived in Midian can be summed up as follows: he married, had two sons, and served as a shepherd for his father-in-law. He also dedicated that time to writing two books: Job and Genesis, essential to understanding the crucial themes of salvation. But everything changed in a moment.

— At Horeb (Mount Sinai), the Angel of God appeared to Moses in a burning bush (Ex. 3:1-3). Who was this Angel?

God Himself (Ex. 3:4). Before becoming incarnate, Jesus appeared on multiple occasions as “the Angel of Jehovah” (Gen. 22:11-17; Judges 6:11, 16; 13:17-22; Zech. 3:1-2).

— When speaking to Moses, God presented himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The idea was clear: God had come down to fulfill the promise made to these patriarchs and to give Israel the land of Canaan (Gen. 12:7; 26:3; 48:3-4).

👼 Monday – July 7, 2025: The Angel of the Lord

Reading: Exod. 3:7–12; Exod. 2:23–25; Mal. 3:1; Gen. 22:11–18; Gen. 31:3–13; Judg. 6:11–22; Zech. 3:1–2

“So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt” (Exodus 3:10)

“The Angel of the Lord” is not a created being but a Christophany—a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ. He appears with compassion, affirming the cries of Israel and declaring, “I am come down to deliver.”

“The Angel of the covenant, Christ, had been with the Hebrew host in all their wanderings.”
— Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 311

“It was Christ who from the bush on Mount Horeb spoke to Moses.” — PP 366

Prophetic Insight:

Christ as the Angel of the Covenant appears throughout redemptive history. As He led Israel out of bondage, He will again lead spiritual Israel through earth’s final crisis into the heavenly Canaan.

Thought Question:

What does it mean that God Himself came down to deliver His people?
How does Christ still “come down” in our suffering?
Who is the Angel of the Lord that appeared to Moses?
Short Answer:
He is Christ Himself, the eternal Word, who personally leads, speaks, and delivers His people throughout all ages. (PP 366)

Consider the Following

❖ God's Orders (Exodus 3:7-12)

— God presents Himself as a dynamic Person, using action verbs: see, descend, and take out (Ex. 3:7-8).

(1) SEE: God is not indifferent to suffering. He sees everything. He especially sees the pain and injustice committed against his people (2 Kings 9:26).

(2) DESCEND: God does not remain still. He comes down to walk among us. He dwells among human beings (Ex. 29:45; Jn. 14:16-17)

(3) TAKE OUT: God, in His time, acts to free us from suffering and fulfill His promises (Jer. 29:11)

— God also required definite actions from Moses: Go to Egypt and bring my people out of there (Ex. 3:10, 12).

— Moses was completely overwhelmed by the task. He no longer wanted to use his strength; he no longer felt

capable of fulfilling the mission; all he could do was exclaim, “Who am I?” (Ex. 3:11).

— His pride had been transformed into humility. In fact, it was at this moment that he was ready for his mission.

🕊️ Tuesday – July 8, 2025: The Name of the Lord

Reading: Exod. 3:13–22; Exod. 6:3; Joel 2:32; Gen. 2–17; Isa. 57:15

“God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.” (Exodus 3:14)

God reveals Himself to Moses as “I AM WHO I AM” (YHWH). This sacred Name expresses His self-existence, eternity, and faithfulness. It also implies His presence in the present—"I Am" with you now.

“Jehovah is the name given to Christ.” ‘Behold, God is my salvation,’ writes the prophet...” — ST May 3, 1899

Prophetic Insight:

In the final call to salvation, Joel 2:32 will be fulfilled: “Whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered.” This points to the Loud Cry when God's name will be exalted above every earthly name.

Thought Question:

Why is God’s name central to understanding His mission?
How does the name “I AM” speak to your present need or situation?
What is the significance of God's name “I AM WHO I AM”?
Short Answer:
It reveals God’s eternal, self-existent nature—He is always present, faithful, and unchanging, our constant source of life and help. (ST May 3, 1899)

Does anyone have seen God? No one has seen God - The Invisibility of God’s Full Glory!
John 1:18 - “No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.”
1Tim. 6:16 - “Who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see…”
Exo. 33:20 - “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.”

Some Have “Seen” God in a Limited or Mediated Form

Despite the above, several people in the Bible are said to have seen God — but in a manifested or representative form:

Moses saw God's back (Exodus 33:21–23), but not His face.

Isaiah saw “the Lord sitting on a throne” (Isaiah 6:1), likely a vision of Christ’s glory (compare John 12:41).

Jacob said, “I have seen God face to face” (Genesis 32:30), but this was likely the pre-incarnate Christ.

The 70 elders of Israel “saw the God of Israel” (Exodus 24:10), but this was a theophany (a visible manifestation of God, not His full essence).

Jesus Christ Reveals God to Us

John 14:9 – “He who has seen Me has seen the Father…”

“It was Christ who from the bush on Mount Horeb spoke to Moses, saying, ‘I AM THAT I AM.’” — Desire of Ages, p. 24

➡️ So, the “I AM” who appeared to Moses was Christ, the eternal Son of God.

�� Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15). Through Him, humanity sees the character, love, and nature of God in a form we can understand and relate to.

In the Future, the Redeemed Will See God

Matthew 5:8 –“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

Revelation 22:4 –“They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.”

�� In the new earth, the redeemed will behold God face to face — a privilege only possible when sin is completely removed, and humanity is glorified.

Q: Has anyone ever seen God?
A: No one has seen God's full glory and lived, but many have seen manifestations of Him (such as Christ, angels, or theophanies). Jesus is the clearest revelation of God we have. One day, the saved will see God face to face.

For more studies please visit this site:

https://sites.google.com/view/prophetic-insights/prophetic-insights-on-the-pre-existence-of-jesus

Consider the Following

❖ The name of God (Exodus 3:13-22)

— Every Egyptian god had a name, but Israel worshipped “the Almighty God” (Ex. 6:3). After centuries of Egyptian contamination, the Israelites wanted to know the name of their Deliverer (Ex. 3:13).

— Since in that era a name was associated with a person's character, God presents himself with one of his main attributes: 'ehyeh (to be). God is eternal, has always been, is, and always will be. He is "I AM" (Ex. 3:14).

— Over time, the pronunciation of this name was lost. God allowed this because what matters is not the name itself, but its character. He adapts to our needs. We can call Him "Shepherd," "Healer," "Provider," "Father," …, "Love." Tetragrammaton name of GOD - YaHWeH - vowels from (Septuagint Hebrew-Greek word name of God - (adonai, el kanah)

📌 1. Adonai (אֲדֹנָי)

Hebrew Meaning: Lord or Master
Often used reverently in place of the Tetragrammaton (YHWH).

🔁 Greek Equivalent:

Κύριος (Kyrios) – Lord, Master

This is the standard translation of “Adonai” in the Septuagint.
Also used throughout the New Testament for both God the Father and Jesus Christ.
Example:
- Psalm 110:1 (Hebrew): "The LORD said to my Lord (YHWH to Adonai)"
- Greek (LXX): "Εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος τῷ Κυρίῳ μου..." — "The Lord said to my Lord..." Exo. 34:2-3

📌 2. El Qanna / El Kanah (אֵל קַנָּא)

Hebrew Meaning: Jealous God or Zealous God
- El = God
- Qanna/Kanah = Jealous (in the sense of zealous, passionate for His people)
- Found in Exodus 20:5, Deut. 4:24, etc.

🔁 Greek Equivalent:

While there is no single-word Greek name like “El Qanna,” the concept is translated in full phrases:

ὁ Θεὸς ζηλωτής – The God who is jealous/zealous
- ζηλωτής (zēlōtēs) = zealous, jealous
Example:
- Exodus 20:5 (LXX):
  - "ἐγὼ εἰμι Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου... Θεὸς ζηλωτής εἰμι ἐγώ"
  - “I am the Lord your God... I am a jealous God”

— The important thing is that God wants us to feel close, accessible, necessary, and a close friend.

❌ Wednesday – July 9, 2025: Four Excuses

Reading: Exod. 4:1–17; Exod. 3:11

«But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.”» (Exodus 4:13)

Despite the divine call, Moses offers excuses: inadequacy, ignorance, fear of rejection, and speech problems. God meets each with a promise, sign, or provision, showing that God enables those He calls.

“The servant of God must expect to meet many obstacles and stern conflict. Yet in view of the strength to be gained through faith, none need fail or be discouraged.”

“The servant of God must expect many obstacles… Yet in view of the strength to be gained… none need fail.” — PK 175 (Prophets and Kings, p. 175)

Prophetic Insight:

The call to service may appear overwhelming, especially in the end-time work. But as with Moses, God equips the willing, not the perfect. Our weakness is the stage for God’s strength.

Thought Question:

What excuses might we be offering today for not obeying God’s call?
How can God's patience with Moses encourage us in our own weakness?
Why did God still choose Moses despite his excuses?
Short Answer:
Because God equips the called. He patiently answers doubts and empowers the weak to fulfill His divine mission. (PK 175)

Consider the Following

❖ Excuses and more excuses (Exodus 4:1-17)

— Before openly admitting that he did not want to fulfill the mission God had entrusted to him, Moses presented four "perfect" excuses for rejecting it. For each excuse, God responded with a promise.

EXCUSE

PROMISE

APPLICATION

“Who am I?” (Ex. 3:11)

“I will be with you” (Ex. 3:12)

The power to fulfill God's commission lies not in us, but in the fact that God empowers us. He will be with us as He was with Moses.

“What is your name?” (Ex. 3:13)

“I am who I am” (Ex. 3:14)

God is true, eternal, and personal; he promises and always keeps his promises; timeless; always reliable.

“They will not believe me nor listen to my voice” (Ex. 4:1)

“They will believe you because of the signs you will do” (Ex. 4:8)

God gave Moses power to perform miracles, and he worked in the hearts of the people to believe in those miracles. Jesus also promised to do the same for us (Mark 16:17-18).

“I have never been a man of easy speech” (Ex. 4:10)

“I will teach you what you shall say” (Ex. 4:12)

He who created the tongue will give us the necessary words at the necessary time (Ex. 4:11; Lk. 12:11-12)

— Finally, God said to Moses, “No more excuses; you can do it, and you will do it” (Ex. 4:14-17).

✂️ Thursday – July 10, 2025: The Circumcision

Reading: Exod. 4:18–31; Gen. 17:10–11

“At a lodging place on the way, the Lord met Moses and was about to kill him” (Exodus 4:24)

God confronts Moses for failing to circumcise his son—neglecting covenant duty. Before delivering Israel, Moses had to obey fully. This moment reveals how sacred and serious God's covenant is.

“The Lord would not work with Moses until he had fully obeyed the command.”
— Conflict and Courage, p. 86

“He had failed to comply with the condition by which the child could be entitled to the blessings of God’s covenant...” — PP 255

Prophetic Insight:

Circumcision prefigures the spiritual cutting away of sin. In the end-time, God’s messengers must be fully consecrated—circumcised in heart (Rom. 2:29), lest their work be hindered by inconsistency or compromise.

Thought Question:

Why must leaders first be consecrated before leading others to deliverance?
What “unfinished obedience” in our life might hinder God’s greater calling?
Why did God confront Moses about circumcision?
Short Answer:
God required full obedience to the covenant—leaders must be consecrated before they can lead others. (PP 255)

Consider the Following

❖ The Return to Egypt (Exodus 4:18-31)

— The first step Moses took in returning to Egypt was to ask his father-in-law for permission (Ex. 4:18). Taking his family, he began the journey (Ex. 4:20). But something surprising happened. Along the way, God wanted to kill him (Ex. 4:24).

— Zipporah understood what was happening and took the necessary measures to avoid the fatal outcome: she circumcised her son (Ex. 4:25).

— Moses (influenced by his wife) had not circumcised his son. Therefore, he was disobeying the conditions of the covenant God had established with Abraham (Gen. 17:10).

— The conscious refusal to obey a clear divine command disqualified Moses from leading the people. This situation had to be remedied before he could fulfill his mission.

🔭 Friday – July 11, 2025: Prophetic Insights and Further Study

The burning bush points to more than Israel’s deliverance—it foreshadows Christ's incarnation, the perseverance of the saints, and God's method of communicating glory through humility.

“God uses the things that are despised and counted as nothing to show the greatness of His power.”
— Ministry of Healing, p. 474

“God will have a people... whose characters are as firm as steel... who will not be bought or sold.” — 4T 525

Prophetic Closing Insight:

The church today stands on the brink of a greater Exodus. God is again calling messengers from the “backside of the desert,” preparing them in quiet, fiery trials to lead His people out of bondage. The bush still burns—not consumed—and God still speaks.

Reflection Questions:

How does the story of the burning bush change the way you view God's call?
What mission is God calling you to that feels bigger than you? How will you respond?
How does the burning bush relate to end-time prophecy?
Short Answer:
It foreshadows how God will call and empower His final messengers, purified in fiery trials, to lead spiritual Israel to final deliverance. (4T 525)

“A man will gain power and efficiency as he accepts the responsibilities that God places upon him, and with his whole soul seeks to qualify himself to bear them aright. However humble his position or limited his ability, that man will attain true greatness who, trusting to divine strength, seeks to perform his work with fidelity. Had Moses relied upon his own strength and wisdom, and eagerly accepted the great charge, he would have evinced his entire unfitness for such a work. The fact that a man feels his weakness is at least some evidence that he realizes the magnitude of the work appointed him, and that he will make God his counselor and his strength.” EGW (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 255)

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