Story 36: Mo'ses Begins The Work Of Delivering Is'ra-el From E'gypt lll

   After strengthening His servant against the discouragements which had almost broken his spirit, and assuring him of His presence and power in the long road ahead, the LORD then told Mo'ses to appear before Pha'raoh again. On this appearance Mo'ses was instructed by the LORD to show that Divine Power was aiding him. Mo'ses therefore, told Aa'ron to cast down his staff before Pha'raoh, and the staff was turnt into a serpent; when Aa'ron picked it up again, however, it was changed back into a staff.
   Pha'raoh then called upon his sorcerers and magicians to imitate what Aa'ron had done. The sorcerers and magicians were men who practiced artful tricks of magic in the name of religion. They were able to give the appearance of turning a staff into a serpent, perhaps by concealing snakes which they had tamed in their clothes, and then releasing them by some sleight of hand trick. But the serpent formed by Aa'ron's staff ran after the E'gyp-tian snakes, and ate them all up.
   This miracle should have convinced Pha'raoh that Mo'ses and Aa'ron were truly messengers from God, and that they spoke with Divine Authority, but his skeptical mind refused to yield. He rejected the message from God, denied the request of Mo'ses and Aa'ron that Is'ra-el be allowed to go three days journey into the wilderness to worship their God. His effort
               "To steal the livery of the court of Heaven
               To serve the devil in"
had failed, but his proud, stubborn spirit would not give into God. The plagues which followed were brought upon Pha'raoh and the E'gyp-tians because the king would not yield to the reasonable request of Mo'ses and Aa'ron. We shall learn of the plagues in stories which follow.
  

Story 36: Mo'ses Begins The Work Of Delivering Is'ra-el From E'gypt ll

   Mo'ses and Aa'ron were overwhelmed with discouragement, and complained to the LORD because of their failure in the first approach to Pha'raoh, and because of his cruel treatment of their brethren. They had been sent by the LORD, and expected immediate success; when these hopes were disappointing, they felt that it was useless to carry on their work. In the hour of bitter sorrow, however, the LORD renewed with them the Promise and Covenant which He had made with A'bra-ham, I'saac, and Ja'cob. He told them plainly that Pha'raoh would finally be forced to let the children of Is'ra-el go in freedom by the judgments brought upon him and his people. To His faithful servants the LORD said:
               "Watch, though so long be the twilight delaying,
               Let the first sunbeam arise on thee praying;
               Fear not, for greater is God by thy side,
               Than armies of satan against thee allied."
   God told Mo'ses that the apparent failure to his first attempt to persuade Pha'raoh to let the people go did not mean that his entire mission would fail. The LORD was simply waiting for the best possible time to show His power over the wicked king, and to visit the E'gyp-tians with such terrible judgments that they would be glad to let the children of Is'ra-el return to the land promised to their fathers.
   Although Mo'ses had been chosen by the LORD to lead Is'ra-el from E'gypt to the Promised Land, he knew nothing of the secret plans of God, nor the length of time that was to pass before the departure from E'gypt. He expected the LORD to perform some miracle by which Pha'raoh would consent at once to the freedom which the children of Is'ra-el desired. Instead of this prompt deliverance, however, there was a trying period of many months of sorrow and disappointment before Mo'ses was given the honor of leading the Is'ra-el-ites on the journey to Ca'naan. The LORD sought to build up the faith of His noble servant, and to prepare him for all the trials which lay ahead. The leader of the children of Is'ra-el must be made fearless in carrying out his duty, but must also be taught to trust only in the LORD.
   Mo'ses knew that Pha'raoh was one of the most powerful kings upon earth, but he was soon to learn that the LORD is mightier than any earthly king. He knew that Is'ra-el was weak, but soon he was to learn that their strength was in God. All the trials and problems of his task were safely placed in the Hands of God, to whom he must look for victory.
               "For who that leans on His right arm
                  Was ever yet forsaken?
               What righteous cause can suffer harm
                  If He its part has taken."
   The LORD said to Mo'ses, "I will make thee a god before Pha'raoh, and Aa'ron shall be thy prophet." By this He meant that Mo'ses was to be God's messenger to the wicked king, to show the E'gyp-tians  how their cruel treatment of the Is'ra-el-ites was to be punished by the God of Is'ra-el and to release all the powers of God against Pha'raoh until the proud king was willing to let the Is'ra-el-ites leave his country.

Story 36: Mo'ses Begins The Work Of Delivering Is'ra-el From E'gypt l

   Before taking his family on a perilous journey to E'gypt, Mo'ses asked the consent of his father-in-law. Without meaning actually to deceive Je'thro, Mo'ses thought it best to tell him nothing about the vision which he had, or the Divine appointment to become the leader of his people in casting off their bondage in E'gypt. Even though he did not think it wise to share his wonderful secret with Je'thro, Mo'ses was truly grateful to his father-in-law for taking him into his home when he was a wanderer, for hiring him to look after his sheep for forty years, and for giving him one of his daughters in marriage. Je'thro took the news of the departure in good spirit, and said to Mo'ses, "Go in peace." He was very fond of his son-in-law, and knew that he would not go away unless he had some very good reason.
   Mo'ses took his wife and sons, and started out in the wilderness for the long journey back to the home of his kindred. In the course of the journey God reminded Mo'ses that he had neglected an important duty while he was living in Mid'i-an. For some reason he had failed to have one of his sons circumcised as required of the chosen people of God. When this neglect was called to his mind by the LORD, and the rite duly performed, Mo'ses sent the boy and his mother back to the home of Je'thro. The LORD directed Aa'ron to go into the wilderness to meet his brother Mo'ses, and the two brothers journeyed on into E'gypt to perform the great work to which they had been called.
   The elders of Is'ra-el were then called together, and Mo'ses told them of the call which he had received from God. They accepted him as their leader, and news of his mission spread rapidly among the Is'ra-el-ites. At first there was great rejoicing among the people, and they treated Mo'ses and Aa'ron with deep respect and affection. Then Mo'ses and Aa'ron went directly to Pha'raoh, the king of E'gypt, told him that they were messengers sent by the LORD, and asked that all the He'brew people be allowed to make a three days' journey into the wilderness outside the borders of E'gypt so that they might worship their God in a special feast.
   This reasonable request was bluntly refused by Pha'raoh. The proud king of E'gypt said, "Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Is'ra-el go." He had no respect for the God of Is'ra-el, and no mercy toward the people who worshiped Him; his answer shows that he did not believe that God could help the people of Is'ra-el. Thus the servants of God were scorned and insulted, and the wicked king of E'gypt sought to make himself a god superior to the God of Is'ra-el.
   Hardened in heart, darkened in mind, and filled with a cruel, selfish spirit, Pha'raoh mocked the suggestion that his great host of slaves should be permitted to leave their work long enough to worship their God. At once he ordered his officers and taskmasters to increase the burdens of the children of Is'ra-el, and to make their work more difficult to do.
   At this particular time the He'brew slaves were employed in making brick for the great temples being erected in E'gypt. In the process of molding bricks out of clay they used straw, which was cut in fine strands to hold the bricks together. Up to this time the straw had been gathered by other workmen, but Pha'raoh now ordered that the He'brews go out into the fields and gather their own straw, and that they must make just as many bricks as they had been making before. This increase in their burdens filled the He'brews with despair, and in their disappointment and anger they turnt against Mo'ses and Aa'ron, blaming them for the new hardships inflicted by the E'gyp-tians.

Story 35: God Speaks To Mo'ses From A Burning Bush lll

   After telling Mo'ses the great name by which he was to be known in the mission to the Is'ra-el-ites, God commanded him to call together the elders of Is'ra-el and tell them of the Divine Plan which had been arranged for their freedom. God also commanded Mo'ses to ask Pha'raoh to free the He'brews from their bondage. A word of warning, however, went with this final command. The LORD said, "I am sure that the king of E'gypt will not let you go; but I will stretch out My hand and smite E'gypt with all my wonders, and after that he will, let My people go."
   In spite of all these wonderful promises from God, Mo'ses still felt himself unable to carry out the mission with success, so the LORD gave him two special signs of encouragement. First, He told him to throw his shepherd's staff upon the ground, and when he did so, it was suddenly turnt into a serpent. Then the LORD told him to pick it up by the tail, and as soon as he touched it, it became a shepherd's staff once again.
   The second sign took place when Mo'ses was directed to put his hand into his bosom. When Mo'ses withdrew his hand, it was turnt white by the dread disease of leprosy. Once again he was ordered to place his hand in his bosom, but this time it was completely healed when he withdrew it.
   Still worried about his ability to make a successful appeal to Pha'raoh on behalf of My people, Mo'ses complained that he was a very poor speaker. He declared that he had an impediment of speech which would make it impossible for him to address Pha'raoh with any hope of success.The LORD then rebuked him for his unbelief, and for the suggestion that someone else be sent in his place; Mo'ses was told that his brother Aa'ron would speak for him in all the interviews with Pha'raoh,
   While these conversations were going on between the LORD and Mo'ses, the heart of Aa'ron was moved to go out toward the wilderness east of E'gypt. Here he was led by the LORD to meet Mo'ses, and to become an assistant in the great work to which his brother had been called. Mo'ses then accepted the call of God, returned to the house of his father-in-law and arranged to leave at once for E'gypt; taking his wife and son.
 

Story 35: God Speaks To Mo'ses From A Burning Bush ll

   Although the one thing in the world which Mo'ses desired above all was the deliverance of his people from bondage in E'gypt, he felt that he was unable to serve as the leader in such an undertaking. With all humility he answered the summons from the burning bush in these modest words, "Who am I, that I should go unto Pha'raoh, and that I should bring the children of Is'ra-el out of E'gypt?"
   It was only natural for Mo'ses to think of the fact that he was still sought by the E'gyp-tian authorities for the killing of an overseer so many years before, of the fact that for forty years he had been out of touch with events in E'gypt, and of his own lack of experience in serving as the leader of a great people. For these reasons he was most reluctant to accept the Divine Commission now thrust upon him.
   If Mo'ses had been a proud, conceited man, he no doubt would have said, "Who am I not?"; but as a man who trusted only in the LORD, he said, "Who am I?" In reply to the modest question of Mo'ses, the LORD assured him that He would be with him, and that as a token of His presence Mo'ses should worship on this mountain when he brought Is'ra-el out of E'gypt.
   Then Mo'ses remembered the treatment his people had received when he had slain the cruel taskmaster so many years before. It also occurred to him that perhaps the Is'ra-el-ites would not follow a leader who had spent forty years in the king's palace while they were forced into the hardest kind of labor, and who had now been absent from the country for forty years. He knew that his people must be broken in spirit by the years of bondage, and must have lost all hope of being delivered from their troubles. Honestly facing these difficulties, Mo'ses asked the LORD, "Who shall I say sent me, what is His name?" To this question God replied, "Tell them that I AM WHO I AM sent you, that is my name."
   This name for the God of Is'ra-el means a great deal; though it cannot be fully understood by man, it helps us to learn something about the nature of God. It means, in part, that God is eternal, without beginning or end; independent, unchangeable, and all-powerful; that he is the great and only ruler of everything that has been, or ever shall be created. Mo'ses did not fully understand the words of God, but he knew that they cast a blessing upon his mission to Is'ra-el. He knew that he could begin his work of deliverance in the name of God, a name which has power to free slaves, and to inspire men to the most courageous deeds.
 
 

Story 35: God Speaks To Mo'ses From A Burning Bush l

   All through the forty years which Mo'ses spent in Mid'i-an caring for the sheep of his father-in-law the burdens of the Is'ra-el-ites were made heavier and heavier. Their daily tasks were greatly increased, brutal methods were taken to check their increase in numbers, and life was made miserable for them in every possible way. They did not know whether Mo'ses was living or dead, and probably never expected to hear of him again.
   Death had come to the Pha'raoh who was on the throne at the time when Mo'ses had fled from E'gypt, but another king, also called by the title of Pha'raoh, had taken his place. The Is'ra-el-ites had hoped that the change in monarchs would bring some relief from  their burdens, but the new king seemed to be more cruel than any who had come before him. Under the new trials and sufferings the He'brews became much more earnest in their prayers to God for deliverance, and in this way their religious life was brought into a deeper understanding of their complete dependence upon God.
   One day Mo'ses led his sheep far out into the desert regions of A-ra'bi-a to the level plain at the foot of Mount Ho'reb, which is sometimes called Mount Si'nai. While the sheep were grazing, a very startling experience came to Mo'ses. While his heart burned with love and compassion for his oppressed brethren back in E'gypt, and while he was thinking of their increased burdens under the cruel new king, a strange sight came to his eyes.
   A bush on the plain was aflame with a brilliant and dazzling fire, yet it was not burned or consumed. Mo'ses stood before the strange sight lost in wonder and amazement, unable to take his eyes from such a miracle. And so he said to himself, "I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt." Suddenly a voice came from the burning bush, saying, "Mo'ses, Mo'ses." He humbly replied, "Here am I." Then the voice said to him, "Draw not closer; put off thy sandals, for the ground whereon thou standest is holy ground."
   As Mo'ses stood in silence and awe, the voice spoke again from the burning bush: "I am the God of thy father, the God of A'bra-ham, the God of I'saac, and the God of Ja'cob." After Mo'ses had covered his face as a sign of respect, the voice continued: "I have seen the affliction of my people in E'gypt, and have come to deliver them. I shall take them to Ca'naan, the good land flowing with milk and honey, the land which I promised them long ago."
   The voice from Heaven then described the cruel treatment which the children of Is'ra-el had suffered in E'gypt, and spoke of the wonderful land in Ca'naan which God would give them for their own as soon as they drove out the heathen nations which then held the land. Mo'ses was told that this voice had come to him as a sign from Heaven, and that he should tell Pha'raoh that the LORD had sent him to deliver the He'brews from the land of E'gypt. By this command Mo'ses was called by the LORD to become the leader of Is'ra-el at once.
  

Story 34: The Youth, Training, And Manhood Of Mo'ses lll

   When the young women returned to their father's house they told him of the kindness which had been shown them by one whom they took to be an E'gyp-tian. The priest, whose name was Je'thro, reproached his daughters for not inviting the man to come to their home as a guest. The daughters then returned to the well and asked Mo'ses to come to their father's house. He was glad to accept the invitation, and before long decided to enter the priest's household as a shepherd. The next forty years of Mo'ses' life were spent in the land of Mid'i-an. The Mid'i-an-ites were descendants of one of A'bra-ham's sons by his wife Ke-tu'rah, and were of She'met-ic blood, but were not members of the race blessed in the Covenant which God made with A'bra-ham.
   Soon after entering the employ of Je'thro, Mo'ses fell in love with Zip'po-rah, who was a daughter of the Mid'i-an-ite priest. She was given to him in marriage by Je'thro, and a son was born to them. Mo'ses continued to look after the sheep for his father-in-law, and remained in the household for forty years. During that time he spent many hours every day out on the plains and hills with the sheep, communing in his heart with God, and never forgetting his hope some day to deliver the He'brews from bondage in E'gypt.
   Strange were the ways in which God prepared Mo'ses to deliver his people. First, his life had been saved by an E'gyp-tian princess, and his early years had been spent under the care and instruction of his own mother, who had providentially been permitted to attend to him as a nurse. Then came the period when he enjoyed all the advantages open to a member of the E'gyp-tian royalty. Next came the forty years of exile from E'gypt, during which time he married a daughter of the Mid'i-an-ite priest, and communed with God while caring for the sheep in the desert regions of A-ra'bi-a. Then came the call of God to begin the work for which he had been trained for eighty years, and this will be the subject of our next story.