The burning bush marks the calling of Moses on Mount Horeb in the wilderness of Midian. While tending the flocks of his father-in-law Jethro, Moses encountered a bush burning with fire that was not consumed, signaling a divine encounter.
The Commission
At the bush, Moses received the commission to return to Egypt and demand the release of the enslaved Israelites from Pharaoh. Despite Moses's hesitations regarding his eloquence, his brother Aaron was appointed to assist him as spokesman before the royal court.
Significance
This encounter set in motion the events of the Exodus, transforming Moses from a shepherd into the prophetic leader of his people. The location on the holy mountain foreshadowed the later assembly of the entire congregation at Sinai, where the law and the covenant were established.