Great Bible Stories: Moses, part 2 (Exodus 2:11-4:17)

When we last left our friend Moses, he was being raised as the adopted son of the pharaoh's daughter. Even better, his own mother was being paid to be his nurse. Things are going beautifully for Moses.

But not for long...

Goodbye, Egypt
One day, once Moses is grown up (although the Bible doesn't say how old he is at this point), he goes out and he notices that his own people are being persecuted by the Egyptians. Specifically, he sees an Egyptian beating a Hebrew. Exodus says, "He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand." (Exodus 2:12)

So now Moses has killed a man, but he thinks that no one knows about it, until he tries to stop two Hebrews from fighting and one of them asks him "...Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?" (Exodus 2:14b)

So now Moses realizes that people know about what he did to the Egyptian man, and he has to flee Egypt. He goes to Midian, where he finds refuge with a group of shepherds and marries one of their daughters.

Moses is Called
So now, it's time for God to call Moses to action...with a burning bush!

While Moses is pasturing the flocks of his father-in-law, a bush bursts into flame. And then God speaks to him, telling him that he has heard Israel's suffering and is sending Moses to rescue them.

Now, Moses doesn't believe this right away. He protests, "...they will not believe me or listen to my voice (Exodus 4:1)". So God gives him powerful signs to use to convince the Egyptians: a staff turning into a snake, Moses' hand turning leprous, and Nile water turning to blood.

And then...Moses has one more complaint. He is worried that he is not eloquent and can't convince the Egyptians. God provides Aaron, Moses' brother, to do the speaking for him.

It looks as if everything is falling into place!

What We Can Learn

• God will tell you where you need to be and what you need to do. He will always be there to guide you according to His plan, just like He did for Moses. So He will guide you...
• ...But you can't be totally passive! Trust is vital. God is not going to magically get you where He wants you if you just float along waiting for Him to do things in your life. You have to actively listen for His voice and trust that He knows best for you.

Part 3 will be coming soon!

What do you think? Do you like the lessons I've drawn from this part of the story? Are there any that you would add?