Exodus 3: The Numinous (Bobby Valentine)
START AT 3:00 MINUTE MARK
Exodus 3: The Numinous
Woodmont Hills Church
September 9, 2026
“Numinous, arousing spiritual or religious emotion; mysterious or awe-inspiring”
I. Exodus 1-2, the Crises of Refugees & Aliens (The Egypt First Policy)
– Irrational fear (1.12)
– Shiphrah & Puah (1.15) break the law but “feared God” (v.21)
– State Sponsored terror (1.21)
II. The Cry that Pierced the Heavens (2.23) “My God My God why have you forsaken Me!”
– Cry is just a cry of pain, misery, terror. It is not directed to Yahweh: “After a long time … the Israelites groaned under their slavery, and cried out. Out of the slavery their cry for help rose up to God. God heard their groaning and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God Looked upon the Israelites and God took notice of them” (2.23-24).
– Paradigmatic experience (cf. Deuteronomy 26.1-11, esp. 5-6)
– Deuteronomy 1012-22, esp. 19
– Psalm 9.12 “For he who avenges blood is mindful of them; he does not forget the cry of the afflicted”
– Psalm 34.17; Psalm 107.6, 13, 19, 28; Mark 10.47; Luke 18.1-8
– “The poor of this world were the chosen vessels of mercy, the especially honored and blessed of God. They as a class, constitute his elect.” (David Lipscomb, “Who are to Blame?” GA 11 (6 May 1869), 422.
God’s Frightful Promise to Oppressors – Don’t be like Pharoah
“You shall not wrong or oppress a alien (foreigner, NIV), for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. You shall not abuse any widow or orphan. If you do abuse them, when they cry out to me. I will surely heed their cry, my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword … You shall not oppress the alien you know the heart of an alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt” (Exodus22.21-22; 23.9)
– The Exodus is the result of the cry of the suffering alien. “God” had had enough!
– Scholars have noted that the structure of Exodus that follows mirrors the structure of laments in the Psalms: l) a lament; 2) a cry/petition; 3) word of assurance of salvation; and 4) thanksgiving. The Book of Exodus follows this,
The Lament and Cry (ch’s 1-2)
The Word of Assurance of Salvation (ch’s 3-6)
This deliverance is “detailed” (ch’s 7-14)
The outburst of thanksgiving and praise (ch. 15)
III. “Numinous” Enters History on the side of the Refugee Aliens (Exodus 3)
– Yahweh (Yahweh is a Warrior, 15.3) shows up. First appearance of the Name (v.2) will 347x in the rest of the Book of Exodus
– Flame of Fire out of the bush but it does not burn (v.2). Fire is mysterious, even today. Clearly see it. Feel heat from it. What is it? Light passes through it. It’s there but not really there either.
– Divine Presence (the narrator is also anticipating ‘the rest of the story’). God appears “in fire” at Sinai (19.18). God spoke “out of the midst of the fire” (Dt 4.12). God leads the people in a pillar of fire (13.21; Num 14.14; Dt 1.33; etc)
– I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob” (3.6,15,16).
+ Luke 1.52-55
+ Luke 20.37-38
+ Acts 3.13
God of Rescue, God of Hesed
= “come down to deliver” “out of the misery of Egypt” (3.8, 17)
= to a good land flowing with milk & honey (3.8, 17) Salvation is not simply being removed from oppression. It also is the gift of land, a place for live and blessing … Deliverance for God is finally not only FROM something but TO something.
= “I will be with you” (3.10) Not just Moses but with all the people (Tabernacle)
IV. Moses will not stand in God’s way
1. Who am I? / I will be with you (3.11-12)
2. What is the divine name?/ I AM (3.13-22)
3) They do not believe me” / two divine signs (4.1-9)
4) I am not eloquent / I will be with your mouth (4.10-12)
5) Send someone else / Aaron indeed will speak for you [but never does!](4.13-17)
(cf. Walter Brueggemann, Delivered Out of Empire, p. 8)
V. Favor/Plunder (3.22)
– Exodus 11.2-3; 12.35-36
“I will look with favor upon you and make you fruitful and multiply you; and I will maintain my covenant with you. You shall eat old grain long stored, and you shall have to clear out the old to make way for the new. I will place my dwelling in your midst, and I shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and you shall be my people. I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be their slaves no more. I have broken the bars of your yoke and make you walk erect [stand tall].” (Leviticus 26.9-13)