THE BURNING BUSH
Moses fled and earned his living as a shepherd in distant Midian.
He stayed in the house of a Midianite priest, Jethro, and married his daughter, Zipporah. But he never forgot for a moment that his people were still living as slaves in Egypt.
One day, as he was grazing his flock, one of the sheep wandered off. When Moses went to look for it, he saw a strange and fascinating sight. He saw a burning bush that was burning but had not been burnt to ashes. He could hardly believe his eyes.
Suddenly he heard a sound:
- Moses! Take off your shoes, for where you stand is holy
ground! Listen to me! I want you to lead my people out of
the house of slavery, out of Egypt, to freedom!
- But, I... I am just a shepherd - Moses replied in terror.
- Throw your stick to the ground!
Moses did so, and the stick suddenly turned into a snake.
- Now take the snake by the tail!
Moses obeyed, and the snake turned back into a stick.
- So go and tell Pharaoh that you will lead the Hebrews out of Egypt. If they don't believe you, show them the miracles.
- They will not believe me. I do not speak well, said Moses.
- Then your brother Aaron will speak for you. Now go to Egypt, and I
will be with you.
So Moses did and went back to Egypt to lead his people out of slavery and into freedom with the help of the Eternal.
