Shalom!

 
Shemot/Exodus 3:1 Now Moshe was tending the flock of Yitro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of Elohim. 2 And the Angel of YHWH appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. 3 Then Moshe said, "I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn." 4 So when YHWH saw that he turned aside to look, Elohim called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Moshe, Moshe!" And he said, "Here I am." 5 Then He said, "Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground." 6 Moreover He said, "I am the Elohim of your father -- the Elohim of Abraham, the Elohim of Isaac, and the Elohim of Ya'acov." And Moshe hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon Elohim, 7 and YHWH said: "I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. 8 "So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to 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 has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. 10 "Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt."
 
After 40 years of shepherd training, YHWH now appears to Moshe in a "flame of fire from the midst of a bush". Recall that the entrance to the Garden of Eden was blocked by sword of fire and cherubim. The only way man could go back in was through the fire. Now also remember that YHWH's signature in the covenant made with Avraham was a flaming fire that moved between the pieces:
 
Bereshith/Genesis 15:17 And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces.
 
This week, we have YHWH Elohim appearing to Moshe in the fire of the burning bush. Later, there will be the pillar of fire by night leading them through the wilderness, and then the Divine Presence engulfing Mt. Sinai with fire and smoke. In fact we are told more than once that our El is a consuming fire:
 
Devarim/Deuteronomy 4:24 "For YHWH your Elohim is a consuming fire, a zealous El.
 
Yet if we go back to our Torah reading in Shemot, we see that there is a fire that is not consuming the bush. First century Jewish writer Philo wrote this about the burning bush:
 
...when Moshe was leading his flock, he came upon a grove in a valley, where he saw a bush that was suddenly set ablaze without anyone setting fire to it. Being entirely enveloped by the flame, as though the fire proceeded from a fountain showering fire over it, it nevertheless remained whole without being consumed, as if it were taking the fire for its own fuel. In the middle of the flame there was a beautiful form, a most Godlike image, emitting a light more brilliant than fire, which anyone might have imagined to be the image of the living God.
 
Philo goes on to compare the burning bush to the oppressed Israelites and the fire to be a symbol of the oppressors. The fact that the bush was not consumed symbolized that Israel would not ever be destroyed by those who would attack them. The enemy's hostility would be unsuccessful and fruitless because of the One "more brilliant than fire" in their midst. His Glory would turn the fiery persecutions that they endured into a sort of Divine discipline that would lead to their redemption. Let's take a look at how this happened when the Israelites were in Egypt.
 
Yosef had brought the family to Egypt and settled them in the productive land of Goshen. The Israelites had assimilated to a certain degree to the lifestyle of the Egyptians. From what we read later, we know they greatly appreciated the food of Egypt. But then the Egyptians begin to treat them like strangers and subjected them to bondage. No longer did they feel a loyalty to the land. They felt like strangers; in fact, YHWH never intended for them to be absorbed into the Land of Egypt! The Elohim of their fathers comes to mind and they cry out.
 
Egypt was never the land promised to the Israelites as their inheritance. It was YHWH's intention and covenant promise to give them the land of Canaan, a land that flowed with milk and honey. But it is not very easy to convince a nation, numbering some millions, to leave a country in which they have been born and nourished and living for hundreds of years. Had Moshe gone to the children of Israel before the time of their bondage, and said, "Up! Let's go to the land which YHWH swears that He will give you," they would have laughed at him and completely ignored him! The fire of affliction must be used to wean them from the world of Egypt.
 
So, Pharaoh becomes the picture of the power of evil, the seed of the serpent, the anti-messiah. But he is no match for our YHWH of Hosts. Our great Elohim will see to the salvation of His people, using the very works of the evil one.
 
The fire of intense persecution can bring refinement in growth and maturity.
 
Shemot/Exodus 1:12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel.
 
Ya'acov, the brother of Yeshua writes:
 
Ya/acov/James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
 
Purpose of refinement:
 
Psalm 66:8 Oh, bless our Elohim, you peoples! And make the voice of His praise to be heard, 9 Who keeps our soul among the living, And does not allow our feet to be moved. 10 For You, O Elohim, have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined. 11 You brought us into the net; You laid affliction on our backs. 12 You have caused men to ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water; But You brought us out to rich fulfillment.
 
We know that our Messiah Yeshua is coming. But will refinement precede His arrival?
 
Malachi 3:2 "But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire And like launderer's soap.
 
The story is told of refining silver (author unknown):
 
A woman in a Bible study called up a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest in silver beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that, in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest so as to burn away all the impurities.
 
 
The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot - then she thought again about the verse, that He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver. She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man
answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. For if the silver was left even a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.
 
The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "oh, that's the easy part -- when I see my image reflected in it."
 
If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has His eye on you and will keep His hand on you and watch over you until He sees His image in you.

Yochanan the Immerser (John the Baptist) states the following of Yeshua the Messiah:
 
Luke 3:16 Yochanan answered, saying to all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
 
Daniel tells us that in the end of days there will be those who will be refined:
 
Daniel 12:9 And he said, "Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. 10 "Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand.
 
Are you ready for the fire of the Refiner? As the nations come against Israel, Zechariah prophesies:
 
Zechariah 13:8 And it shall come to pass in all the land," Says YHWH, "That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, But one- third shall be left in it: 9 I will bring the one-third through the fire, Will refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them. I will say, 'This is My people'; And each one will say, 'YHWH is my Elohim.' "
 
Come, Messiah Yeshua!
 
Revelation 19:11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of YHWH.
 
Shabbat Shalom!
Ardelle