The Story of Moses, Part 4 (Exodus 2-3)

Moses fled from Egypt because Pharaoh planned to kill him, and for the next forty years he lived in a land called Median. Do you think Moses felt like a failure? He tried to help his people in Egypt, but he only got himself into trouble and almost lost his life. Do you think Moses will ever return to Egypt? His answer would probably be “no way,” but God had a different plan. In the land of Median Moses soon became friends with the priest, his name was Jethro, and helped take care of his sheep. After a period of time the king of Egypt died. A new Pharaoh took his place, but things got even worst for Moses’ people. They groaned in their slavery and suffering, and the Bible says “their cry came up to God by reason of their bondage.” God saw what was going on, and he really cared for the people. In fact, God planned to send Moses back to Egypt to help them, but will he be willing to go? At first he was not, but God had a special way of getting his attention and he finally became willing to go. Here’s what happened. One day Moses took Jethro’s sheep to a place the Bible calls, “the back side of the desert.” While he was there he saw something very unusual. He saw a bush that was burning, and the fire just kept burning without burning up the bush. As Moses came closer, God spoke to him out of the burning bush and told him to take off his shoes because he was standing on holy ground. The Bible says that “Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.” God then told Moses he had heard the cry of his people in Egypt, and God said to him “I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.” If you were Moses, would you still be afraid to go back to Egypt?