(THE) BURNING BUSH

Moses and the Burning Bush

Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 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. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.” When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.”   “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” 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, because he was afraid to look at God. Ex 3:1-6

The word for bush in Exodus 3:2 is “seneh” meaning a thorny bush. In Genesis 3:18 we are told that thorns were part of the curse for Adam’s sin. Trees or wood in the Bible symbolize humanity. When Jesus healed the blind man he first saw people like trees (Mk 8:24). In the tabernacle, the ark was made of wood and overlaid with gold (Ex 25:10,11). This was a picture of Jesus’ humanity (wood) and His Deity (gold).

A consuming fire (Dt. 4:24; Heb 12:29) is a picture of God’s judgment on sinners (Heb 6:8). However, this bush was not consumed (Ex 3:2), similar to Daniel 3:25 where Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were not consumed while the “Son of Man” was seen with them in the fire representing God’s grace.

Moses was told to take off his sandals because he was standing on holy ground (Ex 3:5 God’s presence). The priests that ministered at the altar had to wash their feet before serving at the altar, so they would not die(Ex 30:17-20). Their altar fire had to be continuously burning (Lev 6:13). Jesus washed the disciples feet and related this to spiritual cleansing (Jn 13:8-10).

In summary, humanity represented by the thorn bush is cursed because of Adam’s sin and the result will be destruction. However, God’s grace in the form of the non-consuming fire saves humanity from eternal death whenever an individual places his or her faith in Jesus’ sacrifice. We are declared holy (Heb 10:10) represented by Moses taking off his sandals and we can enter boldly into the Holy of Holies because of Jesus’ finished work (Heb 10:19).

Verse 1

FILL ME WITH THE FLAME OF YOUR SPIRIT
FILL ME WITH YOUR FIRE THE UNQUENCHABLE KIND

Commentary:

This image of a flame and an unquenchable fire should remind us of Moses’ burning bush encounter found in Exodus 3. The Angel of the Lord is Jesus, the Eternal One (non-consuming fire), the God-Man (wood representing humanity and the non-consuming fire representing Deity). The believer is asking God to fill him/her with God’s Holy Spirit, the powerful passionate kind.

Chorus

FIRE, YOUR HOLY FIRE
ONLY YOU CAN WARM MY COLD, COLD HEART (2x)

Only God living inside of us can change our hardened, cold hearts by filling them with pliable, passionate hearts willing to love as Jesus does.
Verse 2

FILL ME WITH THE FLAME OF YOUR SPIRIT
FILL ME WITH YOUR FIRE THE UNQUENCHABLE KIND
LIGHT UP ALL THE DARKNESS BEFORE ME
PURIFY MY SOUL AND MY MIND

The Holy Spirit is the only One that can illuminate our minds to truth, dispelling the errors of the world and changing our actions to live righteous lives in a perverted, dark world.
Chorus (2x) 
Verse 3

FILL ME WITH THE FLAME OF YOUR SPIRIT
FILL ME WITH YOUR FIRE THE UNQUENCHABLE KIND
LIGHT UP ALL THE DARKNESS BEFORE ME
PURIFY MY SOUL AND MY MIND

Chorus (2x) 
Bridge:

THERE IS NOTHING THAT THIS WORLD CAN OFFER ME
BURNING EMBERS THEY GLOW SO BRIGHTLY
QUICKLY PASSING TO OBSCURITY
FIRE, YOUR HOLY FIRE, FIRE            FIRE, YOUR HOLY FIRE                   ONLY YOU CAN WARM MY COLD, COLD HEART
THERE, THERE IS NOTHING THAT THIS WORLD CAN OFFER ME
I NEED YOUR FIRE LORD, I NEED YOUR HOLY FIRE INSIDE OF ME
ONLY YOU CAN WARM THIS COLD, COLD HEART

The world and its desires will pass away. It has nothing to offer us, like burning embers it appears to have real substance but soon it will pass into meaninglessness. Only God can give us true purpose in living; the world is bankrupt in this sphere.
Chorus (4X)