Exodus 3-4:19
The King of Egypt who wanted to kill Moses died after a few years. The Israelites still did slave work and were treated very badly over the years. They prayed and asked God to help them.
Moses did not know it but it was God's plan to use him to save the Israelites from slavery. Forty years passed since Moses was in Egypt. Moses was now 80 years old. One day when Moses led the sheep and goats deeper into the desert he came at Mount Horeb, the mountain of God.
There he saw a strange thing. He saw a thorn bush burning but the thorn bush was not burning out.
It's strange, Moses thought. Just when Moses wanted to go closer to see why the bush did not burn out, he heard a voice from the thorn bush that said; I am the God of your forefathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Do not come closer, pull out your sandals, because you stand on holy ground.
Moses closed his face because he was afraid to look at God. Then God told Moses that He had heard how the Israelites prayed and begged Him to help free them from the people who make them work as slaves.
God then said to Moses that He will send him to Pharaoh to bring His people, out of Egypt. Moses did not expect it. He fled from Egypt because he killed a man. How can the Lord expect him to return to Egypt?
Moses was afraid to go back to Egypt, so he devised many excuses not to go. Moses said to God, I'm not an important man. I cannot go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt. But God told Moses that He would be with Him.
Then Moses said to God, And what if I came there and told them that the God of your forefathers sent me to you and they asked me what is His name? What should I say to them?
And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”
You must also say to the Israelites, The Lord sent me to you. He is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob and God added, This is my name forever. My name will always be the Lord.
Moses then thought of another excuse not to go. Moses said; Perhaps the Israelites will not believe me and will not listen to me. They will say, The Lord has not appeared to you. Then God said to him, What is in your hand? And Moses said, It is my walking stick. Then God said to him, Throw it to the ground. So Moses threw his walking stick on the ground, and it became a snake!
Moses ran from it, but God said; Grab the snake by its tail. When Moses reached out and caught the snake’s tail, the snake became a walking stick again. Then God said to Moses if he used his stick in this way, the Israelites would believe him.
God gave another sign to Moses so that the Israelites could believe him. God said to Moses; Put your hand under your robe. So Moses put his hand under his robe. When he brought his hand out it was covered with spots that were white like snow.
Then God said, Now put your hand into your robe again. So Moses put his hand into his robe when he brought his hand out, his hand was the same as it was before.
Then God said to Moses; If the Israelites still refuse to believe you after you show them both of these signs, then take some water from the Nile River. Pour the water on the ground and as soon as it touches the ground, it will become blood.
After God gave all these signs to him he still did not want to go. Then Moses said to God; I am not a good speaker. So God said to him; I will be with you when you speak. I will give you the words to say.
But Moses said, My Lord, I beg you to send someone else, not me. Then God became angry with Moses and said; I will tell you what to say. Then you will tell your brother Aaron, and I will help him. So Aaron will speak in your place.
God said; Go now and use the miracles to show the people that I am with you. Moses went to his father-in-law and said to him, that he wants to go back to Egypt to see if his people are still alive.
Moses, father in law, Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace. In Midian God said to Moses; *go now to Egypt, all the men that wanted to kill you are dead. After that Moses took his wife and sons, packed the donkeys and start his journey to Egypt.
Remember the Bible is not just a made-up story. It is the word of God and it is a true story. Everything happened exactly as the Bible tells us.
Thank you for reading.
Sources: ERV Easy to read Bible, ICB International Children's Bible, The Message Bible, The New King James Bible.
Images: freebibleimages.org
