The New York Times published a recent article suggesting that the burning bush described in Exodus chapter 3 was simply an “annual natural phenomenon” in which “sunlight reflected at a particular angle off the sides of a cave.”
According to the unbiblical claims from archeologists cited in the article, the “burning bush” appears once a year on “winter solstice.”
In Exodus, the Bible describes God appearing to Moses “in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush” with the bush not being consumed:
Exodus 3:2-3 KJV – “And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.”
It was at this time when the great I Am told Moses that He would use him to deliver the Jewish people out of slavery in Egypt and bring them into the land promised by God to their forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel).
Exodus 3:14 KJV – “And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you.”
Ken Ham in his response, underscored that unbiblical claims, like those written in the New York Times, are a “reminder to be like the Bereans who ‘searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so’ (Acts 17:11).”
The Founder and CEO of Answers In Genesis further pointed out that man routinely has tried to explain away the miraculous events recorded in Biblical history.
“Note how fallible, finite man wants to downplay any supernatural and try to explain everything by natural processes,” Ham stated. “Now, was the burning bush just a phenomenon because of light? God’s Word clearly states it was a ‘flame of fire.'”
“Always test what man says against God’s Word. To get Moses’ attention, what happened wasn’t just because of light—it was something that astonished Moses!”
It is worth mentioning that, just as we see the New York Times attempting to give an alternative explanation for the miraculous hand of God, two men in Moses’ day had similar goals.
Jannes and Jambres were two magicians that tried desperately to explain away the plagues that God was pouring out onto Egpyt through Moses. By appearing to recreate the supernatural plagues, the two men cast doubt in the mind of the pharaoh that these were acts of God, and thus, he hardened his heart against God’s commands.
Ultimately the men failed when running up against a plague that they could not duplicate. They were forced to admit that these plagues were occurring by “the finger of God” (Exodus 18-19).
Interestingly, the Bible states that the world would behave like “Jannes and Jambres” in the time prior to Jesus Return:
2 Timothy 3:1,8-9 KJV – “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come… Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as their’s also was.”
