The burning bush was a divine encounter that revealed the presence and holiness of God, and it was also a Christophany, a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ. Exodus 3:2 says, “And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush.” The term “Angel of the Lord” in the Old Testament, when used in this distinct manner, refers not to a created angel but to the Lord Himself. This is made even clearer in Exodus 3:4, where the text says, “God called to him from the midst of the bush.”
Moses was told to remove his sandals, for the place where he stood was holy ground (Exodus 3:5), and he hid his face because he was afraid to look upon God (Exodus 3:6). The One speaking identified Himself as “the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Yet this same figure is introduced as the Angel of the Lord. This is not a contradiction, but a profound mystery of the Second Person of the Godhead, appearing in visible form before the incarnation. It was the Son, before He was born of a virgin.
The bush burned but was not consumed, symbolizing the divine nature: self-existent, eternal, and holy. Fire represents judgment and purity, yet the bush remained intact, pointing to the mercy and patience of God. This encounter marked the commissioning of Moses to deliver Israel, with God declaring, “I have surely seen the oppression of My people… so I have come down to deliver them” (Exodus 3:7-8).
The burning bush reveals that Jesus, the Angel of the Lord, is both the messenger and the presence of God. He is the Deliverer, the Holy One, and the eternal “I AM” (Exodus 3:14), the same One who would later say in John 8:58, “Before Abraham was, I AM.”
