The Burning Bush: God's Holy Fire
Month 3: The Great Rescue · Walking in the Spirit
Today's Scripture
Read together: Exodus 3:1-6
1 Meanwhile, Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from within a bush. Moses saw the bush ablaze with fire, but it was not consumed. 3 So Moses thought, “I must go over and see this marvelous sight. Why is the bush not burning up?” 4 When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called out to him from within the bush, “Moses, Moses!” “Here I am,” he answered. 5 “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” 6 Then He said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
Memory Verse
“Therefore tell the Israelites: ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians and deliver you from their bondage. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.”— Exodus 6:6 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Numbers 26–27
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Around Day 65 of 365 — a new census and Joshua chosen to lead.)The Heart of It
Out in the wilderness, an old shepherd named Moses saw something impossible. A bush was on fire, but it wouldn't burn up. When he turned to look, God called to him from inside the flame. "Take off your sandals," God said, "for the place where you are standing is holy ground" (). The fire was a sign of God's holy presence. It was dazzling, alive, and pure. Moses hid his face. To be near the living God is to know at once how holy He is and how small we are.
Fire is one of the Bible's great pictures of the Holy Spirit. The same God who showed up in flame at the bush would later come down as "tongues, as of fire" on the believers at Pentecost (). God's fire doesn't destroy His people. It sets them on fire for His purposes. Moses came to the bush a forgotten shepherd. He walked away a sent man. That's what God's presence does. It makes ordinary people holy and bold. We don't make that fire by trying harder. We receive it by drawing near. We take off our "sandals." And we say, like Moses, "Here I am." The God who burned in the bush still loves to fill His children with holy fire today.
Around the Table
Moses saw a bush on fire that didn't burn up — and God was talking from inside it! God is amazing.
Let's do it: Wiggle your fingers like flames and say, "God is holy and God is here!"
"Holy ground" means God's presence makes a place special. We get quiet and respectful when we come near to God.
Let's talk: When do you feel God is especially near? What helps you pay attention to Him?
Fire at the bush, fire at Pentecost. God's holy presence is also His empowering presence. He fills His people, not just so they feel something, but so they can be sent.
Let's go deeper: Moses argued that he wasn't good enough. Why does God like to use people who feel too ordinary?
💬 Conversation Starter
If you saw a bush burning that never turned to ash, what would you do? Would you run away, or step closer to look? Why?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
A flame that keeps itself burning, with a voice coming from inside it, can't be explained by the laws of nature. This was a miracle. It was an act of the God who made nature and can act above it. The same Creator who set the universe's rules is free to step into His world whenever He chooses.
For Dad · Go Deeper
Pentecostal theology has always cherished the burning bush as an early picture of Spirit-empowered mission. God's presence and God's sending belong together. But notice the order. Holiness comes first ("take off your sandals"). Only then comes the sending. Robert Menzies stresses that the Spirit's filling in Acts is mainly for witness, not for spectacle. Guard your own heart here, Dad. The goal is not a thrilling experience but a holy, sent life. Don't chase fire for its own sake. Draw near in reverence, and let God do the sending. Character over experience, every time. Then teach your kids to want His presence more than His fireworks.
Draws on: Robert Menzies, Pentecost: This Story Is Our Story.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, You are holy, and Your presence makes us holy. Fill our family with Your Spirit's fire — not for show, but to make us pure and bold for You. Here we are; send us. In Jesus' name, amen."
God's holy fire doesn't burn me up. It sets me apart and sends me out.