This Week's Story
click here to play audioMoses watched as a fire swallowed a bush and the bush remained. A voice spoke.
This Week’s Story relives American history and the Bible through brief inspiring stories presented on mp3 audio recordings and text for reading.
Desert Exile part three
“Come, my friend.” Moses ran his hand through Shining Star’s matted mane. “With water your tail will arch high again, your legs will prance, and your spirits will raise mine.”
Star nuzzled Moses with love. Riding upon Shining Star Moses had fled the wrath of Pharaoh. Together they had crossed desert wilderness to Midian.
He drew water for Star and himself and sat wearily at a well. Seven girls were there drawing water and pouring it into troughs for their father’s flocks of sheep.
Shepherds came running with sticks and yelling at the girls, “Be gone and take your mangy sheep with you. This water is for us.” Moses’ sword flashed into the air. No other weapon was needed by this Egyptian warrior. The shepherds realized they were defenseless. Their terror catapulted them into a frenzied run for safety.
Moses sighed with disgust and helped the girls finish giving water to their sheep. They looked curiously at him, shyly thanking him as they left. They returned with a message. “Our father, Jethro, invites
you to our home for a meal. He is grateful for the protection you gave us.”
Moses accepted the invitation and stayed for many more meals, eventually marrying Jethro’s daughter Zipporah. He often thought, Strange that I, a prince of Egypt and a Hebrew slave, should live in a tent and be a shepherd.
Forty years had passed in Egypt and now forty in Midian. At eighty Moses was strong in mind and body, and chosen for an extraordinary mission. In Egypt he had been nursed and nurtured by his Hebrew mother, educated and honored as a prince of Pharaoh, trained as a soldier, and in the end wanted for murdering a slave driver. In Midian he lived in desert exile and peace.
One day deep in the wilderness near Mt. Horeb Moses was caring for his father-in-law’s flocks of sheep, when he saw an unusual fire. It swallowed a bush, but the bush remained. Why, Moses wondered, isn’t the bush destroyed? I want to see this sight closer.
He moved forward and a voice spoke, “Moses, Moses.”
“Yes, I am here,” Moses answered.
“Do not come closer. Take off your sandals. You are standing upon holy ground. I am the god of your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
Moses was undone. Was God speaking to him? He covered his face with his hands, for fear he might see God.
“Moses, the Hebrews, my people, suffer in Egypt. I hear their screams for mercy. I have come to rescue them and guide them to a land flowing with milk and honey.
“I am sending you to Pharaoh. You will lead my people out of Egypt.”
Moses stammered, “What will give me the right to appear before Pharaoh and how can you expect me to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt?”
God replied, “I will be with you.”
“But Lord, if I say to the Hebrews, ‘The god of our ancestors has sent me to you.’ they won’t believe me. They will ask, ‘Who are you talking about? What is his name?’ How am I going to answer them?”
God said, “I AM THE ONE WHO ALWAYS IS. Tell them, ‘I AM sent me to you.’ I AM will be my name forever.”
“Moses, go to Egypt. Gather the Hebrew leaders. Tell them what I have told you. They will listen and go with you to Pharaoh.”
This is Barbara Steiner anticipating Moses’ response. Please check out thisweeksstory.com.
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