Who Spoke Out Of The Burning Bush?

[jazzytakara]

I've always understand that it was God who spoke to Moses from the Burning Bush; however, the passage starts with 'angel of God' and I read an article using this story the Bible with the voice being that of an angel? Can someone please explain this to me. Thank you.

[cappie]

It is important to note that the word translated angel is mal’ak, which simply means "messenger". It often does denote angelic creatures--angels--since they are often the "messengers" of God in the Old Testament. But the word need not necessarily refer to that genus of species. In fact, it is odd that the angel is somehow both the messenger and the Lord Himself... unless, of course, you're a Christian.

 

In the New Testament, Jesus is described as the "one sent" by God--the Messenger or Apostle of God. In John 6:29 Jesus states: “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” Here Jesus clearly identifies Himself as the one "sent" by God.

 

This is how the earliest Christians understood this text. The following is from Justin Martyr:(Feast June 1)

 

"Now the Word of God is His Son, as we have before said. And He is called Angel and Apostle; for He declares whatever we ought to know, and is sent forth to declare whatever is revealed; as our Lord Himself says, "He that heareth Me, heareth Him that sent Me." From the writings of Moses also this will be manifest; for thus it is written in them, "And the Angel of God spoke to Moses, in a flame of fire out of the bush, and said, I am that I am, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, the God of thy fathers… But so much is written for the sake of proving that Jesus the Christ is the Son of God and His Apostle, being of old the Word, and appearing sometimes in the form of fire, and sometimes in the likeness of angels; but now, by the will of God, having become man for the human race, He endured all the sufferings which the devils instigated the senseless Jews to inflict upon Him; who, though they have it expressly affirmed in the writings of Moses, "And the angel of God spoke to Moses in a flame of fire in a bush, and said, I am that I am, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob," yet maintain that He who said this was the Father and Creator of the universe” (First Apology, LXIII).