1 NOW Moses kept the flock [ First the flock of his father in law then the flock of the Lord. ] of Jethro his father in law, [ What do we know about Jethro that is of signifigance? Jethro had been a product of growing up in the church - he knew how the Priesthood was supposed to work. The High Priest of Midian had several generations of Priesthood training and experiences behind him, extending clear back to Father Abraham" (Third, p. 279). "Joseph Smith changed Exodus 18:1 to read 'the high priest of Midian', confirming what is recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 84:6-7, that Jethro held the Melchizedek Priesthood" (Student Manual, p. 124). We should notice that Jethro is not an Israelite, but is labeled a "priest" (v. 1), blesses the Lord (v. 10-11), and sacrifices to the Lord with Moses, Aaron, and all of the elders of Israel partaking in that sacrifice (v. 12). So we have a non-Israelite priest worshiping and sacrificing to the Lord, which violates dogmatic notions about who can and cannot be a "priest". ] the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, [ Sometimes named Horeb, at other times Sinai. The mountain itself had two peaks; one was called Horeb, the other Sinai. ] even to Horeb. [ Horeb was probably the primitive name of the mountain, which was afterwards called the mountain of God, because God appeared upon it to Moses; and Mount Sinai, ynys , from hns seneh, a bush, because it was in a bush or bramble, in a flame of fire, that this appearance was made. ]

2 And the angel of the LORD [ Who is this angel? From vs 4, 6 and 14 we understand that he is "I AM" or Jehovah; ] appeared unto him in a flame of fire [ Fire usually consumes everything. So why not this time? What do we know about fire? 1) it is a symbol of deity - interesting that it will later be a pillar of fire that will accompany the children of Israel in their journey in the desert; fire or a flame was found also in the holy of holies, between the cherubim as another symbol of God. ] out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. [ Just as the children of Israel were in the midst of distress and persecution and yet they were not consumed. Symbolic of us as we try to follow the master; we may be made low, humbled, persecuted and tried but with our faith we will be protected and will overcome without blemish. Moses’ encounter with the Tree of Life. ]

3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, [ The burning bush is really the attention getter for Moses. It is what causes him to stop what he is presently doing and look. ] and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.[ Burning bush, a lamp, a tree of light a tree of light. ]

4  And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, [ Moses exercised his agency and looked toward God. ] God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, [ So the voice of God is coming from the Tree of light(the burning bush). ] and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. [ Same words as the Savior. ]

5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: [ Or Wait don’t come any closer. Moses was at the time walking up the mountain looking at the burning bush. And the Lord says wait a second, your only focus here should not be on the burning bush; I have something of greater importance for you. This is the foundational principle used as God was tutoring Moses, the Lord prepared Moses to do on Mount Sinai what the ordinances of the Melchizedek Priesthood were designed to prepare a person to do: “see the face of God . . . and live” (Doctrine and Covenants 84:22; see Moses 1:4–5, 31; Exodus 2–3; JST Exodus 34:1–2). In this way Moses came to know the nature of God and his holiness. Moses’s ascending the mountain of God and speaking with him face-to-face became the template for the temple experience, for what temple teachings convey about obtaining heaven, and are what God desired the Israelites to experience after their exodus from Egypt: to come into his immediate presence. ] put off thy shoes from off thy feet, [ Or don't treat this mountain as you would any other mountain. Temple worship required that the shoes were removed before entering the temple. Not too different from today - one of the very first things that we do in the temple is to remove our shoes. The sole was strapped about the foot As such these soles would trap in dust, gravel, and sand about the foot in travelling, especially as they became moist from the sweat of the foot, rendering them uncomfortable many times, hence the custom of frequently washing the feet in those countries where these sandals were worn. Pulling off the shoes was, therefore, symbolic of laying aside the pollutions contracted by walking in the way of sin. ] for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. [ "The place...thou standest is holy ground". The word we have here is "holy" and this comes from the Hebrew root "qdš- : קֹדֶשׁ", and has two different forms that are used. The first usage is here where God is speaking of the ground, the Lord uses the noun form "qōdeš" Pronunciation: KO-desh. God was teaching them that the ground in and of itself was not holy, but it had become so, or was made holy by the presence of God, by the fact that he had been there. Something to think about we we enter the temple. The elements of the temple are ordinary objects, some you can buy at your local store - what makes them unique is that they have been in the presence of the Lord. Now the next usage of the word that is translated as "holy" shows up in Exodus 19:6. It's when Moses at the command of God goes up into Mount Sinai while the children of Israel waited below. Here the word is "qadōš" which is slightly different, but it is also translated as "holy". Pronunciation: KA-dosh. Derived from the root verb קָדַשׁ (qadash), meaning consecrated, dedicated, "to be set apart" or "to be holy." It represents the priesthood, sacrifices, and various rituals that were established to maintain the sanctity required in order to approach God. This idea of being "set apart" was integral to the covenantal relationship, if Israel were to be a holy nation where God would be among them (Exodus 19:6). From the writings of Josephus, we learn of a general opinion had prevailed that God dwelt on that mountain; and hence the shepherds, considering it as sacred ground, did not dare to feed their flocks there. Moses, however, finding the soil to be rich and the pasture to be good, boldly drove his flock thither to feed on it. ]

6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, [ ABRAHAM was the father of the Ishmaelites, and with him was the covenant first made. ] the God of Isaac, [ ISAAC was the father of the Edomites as well as the Israelites, and with him was the covenant renewed. ] and the God of Jacob. [ JACOB was the father of the twelve patriarchs, who were founders of the Jewish nation, and to him were the promises particularly confirmed. Hence we see that the Arabs and Turks in general, who are descendants of Ishmael; the Edomites, now absorbed among the Jews, who are the descendants of Esau; and the Jewish people, wheresoever scattered, who are the descendants of Jacob, are all heirs of the promises included in this primitive covenant; and their gathering in with the fullness of the Gentiles may be confidently expected. ] And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

7 ¶ And the LORD said, I have surely seen [ There is nothing that does escape his eye; he makes reference to his knowledge that he is fully aware of all of their sufferring. ] the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;

8 And I am come down to deliver them [ Or that is the very reason why I am here right now talking to you. ] out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, [ Canaan, when compared with the small tract of Goshen, in which they were now situated, and where, we learn, from chap. i. 7, they were straitened for room, might be well called a large land. See a fine description of this land Deut. viii. 7. ] 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.

9 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.

10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.

11 ¶ And Moses said unto God, Who am I, [ Or why me? Moses concern #1. Watch how the Lord responses to Moses. He does not suggest that Moses you are awesome, you are great, he does not try to build him up in any way other than to say "I will be with thee". That should be enough. ] that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? [ Think of him, reflect on the fact that for the first forty years of his life, he had been primped, pampered, and prepared as a prince, even to become a king in Egypt. For all he had known, he was a member of the royal family, even a god. He had access to the greatest knowledge and library in the world. 40 years before, Moses thought he knew who he was: he was a prince of Egypt and a Hebrew, God's chosen instrument to deliver Israel. After forty years of chasing sheep around the desert, Moses didn't have the same self-sure confidence that he once had. Now, Moses is called by God to deliver the people from the land of Egypt so he asked the question - Why me? To which we do not get a response here but we do have one found in Moses 1. ]

12 And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; [ Or you are not going to do this on your own, I will be with you, trust me. Very interesting phrase. Rest assured that I will be there to help you - but you are going to have to figure it out and go do the work. Is this not how God works? He might give us direction of what he wants to have happen but leaves the implementation and the details of how to do it up to us. This is part of the plan so that we can learn to become like him. We will make mistakes in that process and that is ok; but through it all he will be there to help us. ] and this shall be a token unto thee, [ What is the token or sign here? The buring bush; it defies every principle that Moses knows; when things are in a fire they are consumed, and yet the bush still stands unblemished. Hence the power of God is here. ] that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain. [ The Lord had a great plan for the people. To bring them out of bondage and then give them their endowments. See Exodus 19:5 ]

13 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? [ Or I don't really know you well enough to introduce you to others, or speak for you. After all this is really Mose's first encounters with God. Moses figures that when he speaks to them of a supernatural deliverance, they will inquire who is the God making these promises. The reasoning for the Israelites asking is that they know different Gods by name: "When God," say they, "judgeth his creatures, he is called µyhla Elohim; when he warreth against the wicked, he is called twabx Tsebaoth; but when he showeth mercy unto the world, he is called hwhy Yehovah." Remember they have been so long held, and seeing and hearing little in religion but the superstitions of those among whom they were forces to serve. They had forgetten much about God. ] what shall I say unto them? [ Who shall I say that I am representing. ]

14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: [ hyha ra hyha EHEYEH - These words have been variously understood. The Vulgate translates EGO SUM QUI SUM, I am who am. The Septuagint, egw eimi o wn, I am he who exists. The Syriac, the Persic, and the Chaldee preserve the original words without any gloss. The Arabic paraphrases them, The Eternal, who passes not away; which is the same interpretation given by Abul Farajius, who also preserves the original words, and gives the above as their interpretation. The Targum of Jonathan, and the Jerusalem Targum paraphrase the words thus: "He who spake, and the world was; who spake, and all things existed."] and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, [ Trying to bring them toward the relationship that God had with their 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.

16 Go, and gather the elders of Israel [ You do not need to do this alone. ] together, and say unto them, The LORD God [ µyhla hwhy Yehovah Elohim, which we translate the LORD GOD. Hebrew - Yahweh ( or Jehovah which means "to become" or "to exist") translated as Lord; Elohim translated as God ("the Gods") which together the words mean "He will cause Gods to be". ] of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, [ An exact fulfillment of the prediction in the exact words that were spoken by Joseph of Ol in Gen 49:24. ] and seen that which is done to you in Egypt:

17 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. [ Probably was contrary to what the elders and people of Israel wanted to hear. After four hundred years in Egypt, they had set down roots. They most likely had no desire to return to the Promised Land; all they wanted was to be made more comfortable in Egypt. ]

18 And they shall hearken to thy voice: [ Hebrew "Shema" is translated here as hearken which means to "listen" and "obey". God gives Moses a pep talk so to speak that it will be ok, that the people will listen to him. ] 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, [ In this period of time distance was usually calculated to how many days journey it was from place A to place B. Interesting to note that Sinai was considered to be a 3 day journey. ] that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God. [ So in essence we could translate this verse into lets go to the temple and offer sacrifice to God. ]

19 ¶ And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand. [ Becker's Bible translation 1549 would render this to say: "I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, EXCEPT with a mighty hand." or The king of Egypt, who now profits much by your servitude, will not let you go till he sees my hand stretched out, and he and his nation be smitten with ten plagues. Hence God immediately adds, ver. 20: I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders-and after that, he will let you go.]

20 And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders [ This is translated from the same Hebrew word as God told Sarah when he responded "is anything too hard for the Lord." If I can bring life to Sarah's dead womb, then surely I can bring the children of Israel out of Egypt. ] which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go.

21 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:

22 But every woman shall borrow [ Shall ASK. The original word la shaal signifies simply to ask, request, demand, require, inquire, &c.; but it does not signify to borrow in the proper sense of that word, not a real good translation here. ] 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; [ Dring this time of subjectivity they would not have been permitted to accumulate any kind of property as all gains were subject to their oppressors. ] and ye shall spoil the Egyptians. [ The verb lxn natsal signifies, not only to spoil, snatch away, but also to get away, to escape, to deliver, to regain, or recover. SPOIL signifies what is taken by violence; but this cannot be the meaning of the original word here, as the Israelites only asked, and the Egyptians with out fear, terror, or constraint, freely gave. It is worthy of remark that the original word is used, 1 Sam. xxx. 22, to signify the recovery of property that had been taken away by violence: "Then answered all the wicked men, and men of Belial, of those that went with David, Because they went not with us we will not give them aught of the SPOIL ( ll hm mehashSHALAL) that we have RECOVERED, wnlxh ra asher HITSTSALNU. In this sense we should understand the word here. The Israelites recovered a part of their property - their wages, of which they had been most unjustly deprived by the Egyptians.]