This page gives you questions and leader’s notes for studying Exodus 3, the chapter where God calls Moses from a burning bush and begins to send him back to Egypt. It is written for small groups, Sunday school classes, and personal study. You can work through the questions in order or pick the sets that fit your time.
Exodus 3 at a Glance
Moses is tending his father-in-law’s flock in Midian when he sees a bush that burns without being consumed. God speaks to him from the bush, tells him to remove his sandals because the ground is holy, and reveals himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God says he has seen the suffering of his people in Egypt and has come to rescue them.
Moses objects, asking who he is to go to Pharaoh, and then asks what name he should give the Israelites. God answers with the name “I AM” and promises his presence and a sign. The chapter closes with God describing how the Egyptians will let the people go and how they will leave with valuables.
Observation Questions
Use this set first, before anyone offers an interpretation. Ask group members to point to the text and name what is actually happening, without explaining it yet. Give people a minute of silence to scan the chapter before you start.
Exodus 3:2
The LORD’s angel appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the middle of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
(WEB)
This verse introduces the burning bush and is the natural place to begin the session. Reading it aloud sets the scene and invites the group to picture the moment Moses first encounters God.
Exodus 3:5
He said, “Don’t come close. Take off your sandals, for the place you are standing on is holy ground.”
(WEB)
God’s instruction to remove the sandals is the center of the call scene. Reading it slowly helps the group notice the word “holy” and talk about what makes a place or moment set apart.
Exodus 3:7-8
7 The LORD said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. 8 I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey; to the place of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite.
(WEB)
These verses show God describing what he has seen, heard, and known about his people. Reading them aloud lets the group hear the compassion in God’s words before discussing the mission that follows.
Exodus 3:12
He said, “Certainly I will be with you. This will be the token to you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”
(WEB)
God’s promise to be with Moses is the answer to his fear and his question. Reading this verse before the discussion of Moses’s objections gives the group the reassurance the chapter itself offers.
Exodus 3:14
God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM,” and he said, “You shall tell the children of Israel this: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
(WEB)
The “I AM” name is the high point of the chapter’s revelation. Reading it aloud allows the group to pause and reflect on how God chooses to identify himself before opening the question of what it means.
Memory Verse for Exodus 3
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we come to you as Moses did, aware that we stand on ground you have made holy by your presence. Thank you for seeing the burdens we carry and for hearing the cries we have not always known how to speak. Where we feel unqualified or afraid, remind us that you are with us and that your name is faithful from generation to generation. Give us eyes to notice you in ordinary places and willing hearts to follow where you lead. Amen.
