Moses and the Burning Bush

Exodus 2, 3, and 4

     When Moses was a boy, he was adopted by Pharaoh's daughter and grew up in her house. But when he was a man, he wanted to know his own Hebrew people better.

     One day, when he was walking around the city, he saw an Egyptian beating one of the Hebrews. Moses killed the Egyptian. Then he ran away and went to live in Midian, another country, because he was afraid of Pharaoh.

     Moses married a woman in Midian. Her name was Zipporah. Moses tended her father's sheep. Moses and Zipporah had one son, whose name was Gershom.

     One day, when Moses was out with the sheep on a mountain, he saw a bush on fire. He watched it, and an angel from God appeared in the flames. The bush kept on burning but did not burn up.

     "How can this be?" he wondered. He went to have a closer look at this wonderful sight.

     When God saw Moses was stopping to see the burning bush, God called, "Moses, Moses!"

     "Here I am," said Moses.

     "Do not come any closer to the fire," God said. Take off your shoes, because the place where you are standing is a holy place."

     Then God said, "I am the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob." And Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God.

     God spoke to Moses from the burning bush and said, "I have heard the prayers of the Hebrew children of Israel. I know they are slaves. I know that they are treated cruelly by their masters. I will rescue them and take them out of Egypt to a good land. I will take them to Canaan, a land of milk and honey. Come, Moses. I will send you to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to get my people out of Egypt."

     "People will not believe me," said Moses.

     But the Lord said, "I will be with you." 

     Then Moses asked, "Who shall I say sent me?"

     And God said, "Tell the people that you are sent by I AM, the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob."

     Moses argued with God and said, "I stammer when I talk. People will not listen."

     God replied, "Who is it that made people able to speak?" But Moses still argued.

     God was angry with Moses and said, "Your brother Aaron is a good speaker. He will speak for you."

     And so Moses and Aaron went back to Egypt.