Exodus 3:6Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

As the common God of all, He uniquely identifies Himself as the God of the righteous.

To clarify this designation, the apostle elaborates: “All these died in faith, not having received the promises, but only seeing them from afar, and rejoicing, and declaring that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” This serves as the rationale, and he continues, “For this reason also God is not ashamed of them, calling Himself their God.” What is the basis for this? It is because they acknowledged themselves as wanderers and strangers, detached from the present world and living as sojourners in an unfamiliar land.

We behold the Son both through the eyes of faith and the eyes of our physical being, as He humbled Himself to the point of becoming human (Philippians 2:7), descending to our condition, even while He remains in the likeness and equality with God the Father, being truly divine and naturally begotten of Him. Baruch, speaking of the Word itself, proclaimed: This God is our God; He is not to be accounted of to any other. He bestowed this inheritance upon Jacob, His chosen one, and Israel, His beloved. Thus, He will manifest on earth and dwell among humanity (Baruch 3:36-38). The divine David also made it clear: the God of gods, the Lord has spoken and is summoning the earth, from the sunrise to the sunset. Out of Zion, which is the pinnacle of beauty, God, our God, is coming, and not in silence (Psalm 49:1-3). He descended in the form of fire upon Mount Sinai. However, this was merely a representation, a truth Christ embraced. The people of Judah believed they had genuinely witnessed the incomprehensible nature when Moses interceded for them before God, stood with them on Horeb, and gathered them at Mount Sinai. Following the terrifying sound of the trumpets, they assumed they had heard the voice of the Divine. But their naïveté was addressed clearly by God, who said, ‘You have heard His voice, but have not seen His form’ (Deuteronomy 4:12). Nor do I have His word within you, for you do not believe in Him whom He has sent (John 5:38). Therefore, we who have faith have seen the Father in the Son and have received His word through which we are redeemed; for it was not an intermediary, nor an angel, nor the law given by Moses, but the Lord Himself, as it is written (Titus 3:5). The truth of my words is evident in the scriptures: It is written: ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, afraid to look upon God (Exodus 3:6). Consider the weakness of the law: the God of all reveals Himself; yet when He became visible, Moses turned away. This serves as a clear indication that even the offspring of the Son do not perceive His glorious stature unless He reveals Himself and leads them to a true understanding of Him. Therefore, He spoke through Isaiah: I have revealed Myself to those who did not inquire of Me; I have been found by those who did not seek Me. ‘Here am I! Here am I!’ I said to a people who did not know Me. Daily I extended My hands to a rebellious people, who followed their own misguided thoughts (Isaiah 65:1-2). Those who averted their gaze do not witness the glory of Christ. This is reflected in the prophetic words about them: For they have turned their backs to Me, not their faces (Jeremiah 2:27). The apostle Paul also writes: The same veil remains over their hearts when the Old Testament is read, as it is lifted only in Christ. To this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts (2 Corinthians 3:14-17). However, we who have believed are unafraid to gaze directly upon the face of the Lord, for as the apostle Paul stated, we all behold with unveiled faces ... the glory of the Lord (v. 18). Therefore, it is said, Moses turned away (Ex. 3:6).

Moreover, to the Sadducees, Moses, who had a profound understanding of the resurrection, testified. For God appeared to him in a burning bush, proclaiming, I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Whose God might this be other than the God of those who are alive? For He is the God of the living. Therefore, assuredly, they will be resurrected when the mighty hand of the Lord raises all who dwell on the earth.

The Lord has the power to open both our mouths and hearts so that we might express what He wishes to reveal, enabling understanding for our benefit.

These patriarchs—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—are pivotal. You are aware that Jacob fathered twelve sons, becoming the progenitor of the nation of Israel, as Jacob himself is known as Israel, with the twelve tribes tracing back to these twelve sons. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob represent the three fathers of one nation; they embody the nation, forming the essence of that nascent people. Within the Jewish nation is a representation of the Christian community. The Jewish experience serves as a shadow, while the Christian revelation embodies the truth; as the Apostle elucidates: "All these things happened to them as images" (1 Cor. 10:11). The Apostle affirms, "This is written for our instruction to us who have reached the last ages."

Let us reflect again on Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We observe that these three men had offspring from both free and slave women. They were blessed with children from free women, as well as from slave women, who however symbolize bondage. It is stated, "Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free." The Apostle recalls this concept, interpreting the two sons of Abraham as representations of the Old and New Testaments. The Old Covenant pertains to those who pursue worldly desires, while the New Covenant is for those who aspire to eternal life. Thus, this earthly Jerusalem serves as a mere shadow of the heavenly Jerusalem, our true mother residing in heaven. These declarations are from the Apostle. Consequently, we advance toward this city, having already learned and heard much. We uncover a remarkable revelation within these generations, whether from free or slave mothers; in them resides a reflection of the future Christian community. Therefore, it is no surprise that it is declared, "I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob."

The name of the God of Vengeance instills fear, while the God of Salvation fosters hope, and the God of Virtues inspires ascetic practices. Thus, one who excels in these qualities, as if embodying the divine presence, strives even more for spiritual perfection and intimacy with God through virtuous living. Additionally, these titles serve as general designations of the Divine. The specific name of the Timeless One is the Father, the name of the Eternal Son is the Son, and the name of the Spirit who is eternally begotten is the Holy Spirit.

Thus, the prophetic Spirit chastised them through Isaiah, stating, as previously noted, "The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's manger, but Israel does not know me; my people do not understand." Similarly, our Lord Jesus, reproaching the Jews for their lack of understanding about the nature of the Father and the Son, declared, "No one knows the Father except the Son, nor does anyone know the Son except the Father and those to whom the Son wishes to reveal Him." The Word of God, as stated earlier, is indeed the Son of God. He is designated both as angel and apostle, for He brings forth all knowledge and is sent to unveil what has been revealed, just as the Lord proclaimed: "He who hears me hears Him who sent me." This connection is evident in the writings of Moses. The angel of God addressed Moses from the burning bush, saying, "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of your forefathers. Go to Egypt and bring out my people." The subsequent events can be learned from these texts, though detailing them all here is impractical. These passages affirm that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Apostle, who, while the Word preceding Him, manifested at times in the form of fire and at other times in an incorporeal appearance. Now, according to God's will, He took on human form from a virgin, enduring humiliation and suffering at the hands of demons and the misguided Jews. The Jews, despite the clear words in Moses' writings—"And the angel of God spoke to Moses from the burning bush, saying, 'I am He, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'"—continue to assert that it was the Father of all speaking. Hence, the prophetic Spirit rebuked them, saying, "But Israel does not know Me; my people do not understand." Moreover, Jesus, as mentioned earlier, affirmed among them, “No one knows the Father except the Son; nor does anyone know the Son except the Father and those to whom the Son shall reveal Himself.” The Jews, who insisted that it was always the Father who spoke to Moses, fail to recognize that it was indeed the Son of God—the one referred to as both angel and apostle—who addressed him. Consequently, they rightly receive admonishment from both the prophetic Spirit and Christ Himself for their ignorance of both the Father and the Son. Those who equate the Son with the Father evidently lack knowledge of the Father, unaware that the Creator has a Son, who, being the only begotten Word of God, is also divine. He previously appeared to Moses and the prophets in fire and incorporeal forms and has now, in the fullness of time, become man through a virgin for the salvation of all who believe, enduring suffering and humiliation so that through His death and resurrection He might triumph over death. The declaration made to Moses, "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and the God of your fathers," indicates that these patriarchs remain alive, being part of the same Christ, for they were among the first to seek God. Abraham fathered Isaac, and Isaac fathered Jacob, as recorded by Moses.

When the Holy One spoke to Moses from the burning bush, He revealed, “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Upon hearing this declaration, Death quaked with fear, recognizing that she could not dominate the descendants of Adam indefinitely. From the moment she heard God affirming His identity to Moses, she clenched her hands in dread, for she understood that God is the Ruler over both the living and the dead, and it was destined for the children of Adam to emerge from her shadow and be resurrected in bodily form. Moreover, our Savior Jesus, when confronted by the Sadducees regarding the resurrection, reiterated this truth, saying, “God is not the God of the dead, for with Him all are alive” (Luke 20:38).

He is prepared, because of this covenant, to reveal to them His unique guardianship, encouraging them to honor Him with the same devotion that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob displayed towards Him, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of God. The declaration, I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, counters the Sadducees' denial of the resurrection of the dead, for Jesus Christ states that He is not the God of the dead but of the living (Matthew 22:32). The implication of the Savior's statement is clear: even though these patriarchs have long since passed away, based on the assurance of resurrection that is destined to come, they are indeed alive (Chrysostom). Yet Moses turned away his face, for he gazed upward before God. His respect, combined with a humble awareness of his own insignificance, impurity, and sinfulness, was reflected in his inability to look directly at the source of the divine voice. Moses turned aside, covering his face, a gesture also echoed by the prophet Elijah when God manifested Himself at Horeb (1 Kings 19:13).