How much of the Bible’s teachings are images to illustrate a point, rather than the literal truth? Discerning the difference defines one’s faith.
For example, Moses fled Egypt after a life of privilege because he’d murdered a man. Forty years passed and a humbled Moses tended sheep in the wilderness near Mount Sinai.
From Exodus 3:1-6
“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.”
Some might be tempted to think: Aww. A bush can’t catch fire and not turn into ashes. Must have been a heat wave in the desert. The old sheep herder must have viewed a mirage.
But Moses saw the miracle. God used the unusual occurrence to restore Moses to his original mission: leading chosen children out of slavery. When we have spiritual eyes, we also find a path to new freedom.
Jesus refers to the historic burning bush in Mark 12:26 and Luke 20:37. Stephen also references it in Acts 7:30. If we dismiss the account in Exodus, what are we to do with these three?
The beauty of miracles is that they are impossible and direct us to see God's hand.
