Let my people go
Moses was reluctant to be the one to free his people, and the job was by no means an easy one. When Moses first went to the Pharaoh to ask him to let the Hebrews go, the Pharaoh responded by telling his overseers to make the Hebrews work harder. This made the Hebrews angry at Moses. It looked as if they were never going to escape the hardships in Egypt. But God was persistent and didn’t let Moses give up.
Moses and his brother, Aaron, went back to the Pharaoh. Aaron threw down his staff before the Pharaoh, and it turned into a snake. The Pharaoh summoned his magicians, who threw down their staffs, which also became snakes. And the Pharaoh still would not listen.
Because of the Pharaoh’s hardheartedness, ten plagues were inflicted on the Egyptians. In the first plague, Moses and Aaron went to the Pharaoh again, as he was going to bathe in the Nile. Moses said, "God sent me to say, ‘By this you shall know that I am the Lord. See, with the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the Nile, and it shall be turned to blood. The fish in the river shall die, the river itself shall stink, and the Egyptians shall be unable to drink water from the Nile."
When the staff struck the water, all the water in Egypt turned to blood. But the Pharaoh’s magicians did the same, so the Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened.
Seven days later, Moses again went to the Pharaoh. "Let my people go," he said. "If you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs; the river shall swarm with frogs; they shall come up into your palace, and into the houses of your servants and of your people, and into your ovens and your kneading bowls; the frogs shall come up on you and your people and on all your officials."
The Pharaoh refused to listen, so Moses let loose the plague of frogs. The Pharaoh’s magicians did the same, and the Pharaoh did not know what to do with all these frogs; so he promised to let the Hebrews go if Moses would get rid of the frogs. Moses promised the frogs would all die the next day. After the frogs were dead, they were gathered into huge piles, and the land stank.
Once the frogs were dead, the Pharaoh went back on his promise, so in the third plague Moses caused gnats to swarm over all of Egypt, on both the people and the animals. The Pharaoh’s magicians told him that this was beyond their magic, but still the Pharaoh would not listen.
As a fourth plague, Moses caused great swarms of flies to cover the Egyptians, but the Hebrew people were not affected. The Pharaoh begged Moses to pray to God to make the flies go away. Moses said he would if the Pharaoh would let them go and not trick them this time. The Pharaoh promised, but as soon as the flies were gone he changed his mind again.
The fifth plague caused all of the Egyptian cattle, horses, sheep, and camels to die, but not one of the cattle of the Hebrews died. Still the heart of the Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.
For the sixth plague, before the Pharaoh, Moses threw soot from the ovens up in the air, which caused boils to break out on people and animals. Even the Pharaoh’s magicians were afflicted with the boils; but still Pharaoh would not listen.
The seventh plague was hail, which ruined most of the crops. Next came the ou and your people eighth plague, locusts, which ate the remaining crops. The ninth plague brought darkness over the land for three days. But still the Pharaoh was not willing to let the Hebrew people leave Egypt with their flocks and herds. Then God announced the tenth and final plague, and Moses reported to his people, "Thus says the Lord: about midnight I will go out through Egypt; every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of the Pharaoh who sits upon his throne to the firstborn of the female slave who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the livestock." So that the plague would not affect the He- brews, they sacrificed a lamb and spread its blood on their doorposts. In this way, God would know to pass over that household and let the Hebrew firstborn live.
Finally, all the Egyptians rose up and cried out to the Pharaoh to let the Hebrews go. He agreed, and about 600,000 men, women, and children and all of their livestock set out. But once more the Pharaoh changed his mind. When he saw that all of his Hebrew slaves were gone, he and his army set out after them in chariots.
As the Hebrew people were camped by the Reed Sea, they saw the Egyptians coming, and they were very much dry ground afraid. Moses told them not to be afraid, and he stretched out his hand, with his staff, and divided the sea on dry ground. Once Moses and his people were across, Moses again stretched out his hand, and the sea closed in upon the horses, chariots, and chariot drivers who were pursuing them.
Moses and his people were now free from the Egyptians, but they had many years of wandering in the wilderness yet before them. Eventually, however, they found Canaan, the land that had been promised to them.
"Mark and Paul"
Mark had just moved; his parents were busy unpacking boxes and moving furniture. He didn"t know anybody and was sad he had left all his friends.
He walked down the gravel path behind his house to the playground. It was full of children about his own age. Most of them were playing kickball. Mark sat down on one of the swings and watched them play. Soon a girl with long brown hair came up to him. "Hi! My name is Joanna. Who are you?"
"I’m Mark. I’ve just moved here. I live in the middle of that row of townhouses." He pointed towards the brick buildings. "What grade are you in? I’m in the fifth grade."
"Me too. Maybe youll be in my class; there are only two grade five classes."
Mark and Joanna sat on the swings talking. After awhile the others stopped playing and came over to meet Mark–Amy, Michael, Harry, Bobby, Susan, Peter, Janice and lots more. Mark was sure he wouldn’t remember all those names. "It’s easy for them," he thought, "they only have to remember one more name but I’ve got to remember tons!"
Joanna stood up from the swings, "I’ve got to go home now. I’11 see you at the bus stop tomorrow." She walked over to the sandbox where a boy, an older boy, was playing by himself. He took Joanna’s hand and they left the playground.
"Who is that?" asked Mark.
"That’s Paul–he’s Joanna’s brother," Amy replied.
"He’s a retard-spastic!" Harry said nastily.
"Is not. Paul’s exceptional," Amy answered back.
"Exceptionally stupid," Harry retorted and some of the children laughed. Amy’s face burned red. "I’m going," she said and ran off behind Joanna and Paul.
Mark was troubled and embarassed. Soon he left the playground, too.
The next day Mark’s mother drove him to school. He had to enroll so when he went up to his room, the class had already started. Mark was in Mr.Humbert’s class and Joanna, Amy and Harry were sitting at their desks. Mark liked the students and Mr.Humbert seemed like a nice teacher, but-the work was much harder at this school. Mark never had had to do math word problems or diagram a sentence at his old school.
Everyday Mark liked school more. He enjoyed doing experiments in Science, was good in Reading and learned the trick of math word problems. But he still had problems in Grammar. He was good in sports, too, and everyday after school Mark went to the playground and played with the other children. He felt odd, though, when he saw Paul playing in the sandbox alone. Joanna would take Paul to the sandbox, play with him for a bit and then join the others.
One day at school Mark asked Joanna why Paul didn’t play with the other children.
"They don’t want to play with him because he’s retarded and he’s clumsy," she said.
Mark didn’t say anything because he knew how clumsy Paul was but he didn’t think it was fair that Paul was always alone. That afternoon Mark brought his own ball to the playground. He went
over to Paul and said, "Hi! Do you want to play ball with me?" Paul looked up at Mark and said, "No. You just want to make fun of me."
Mark was horrified. He felt his face burn. "No," he said, "that’s not true. I just want to play with you."
Paul smiled, "OK."
Mark helped Paul up from the sandbox and they walked to a quiet corner. Mark felt a little awkward holding a big boy’s hand but inside he knew he was right in doing so.
"You stand there," he told Paul, "I’ll kick the ball to you and then you kick it back to me." Mark gently kicked the ball to Paul’s feet. Paul looked at the ball, hesitated and then kicked. The ball went wide and Mark ran to retrieve it. Paul looked upset but Mark smiled at him and told him not to worry.
"Hey look! Mark is playing with the retard!" Harry yelled.
Mark was angry but tried to ignore Harry. Paul’s lower lip trembled as though he was going to cry.
"Don’t listen to him," Mark said.
"Mark and the retard! Mark and the retard!" Harry jeered.
Mark was really angry then but he just clenched his jaw tight and continued to play with Paul. Joanna came up to them and said, "I’m playing with you guys."
The next day at school Harry went up to Mark, "Hey," he called, "why do you want to play with that retard? You’re good at sports you should play with us. Anyway, if you keep on playing with him you’ll be a retard too. That stuff rubs off."
Mark trembled with rage. "Paul is my friend," he spat out, "and I like him. Just because he’s slow doesn’t mean he’s not a human!" Mark stalked off. He knew if he stayed there he would punch Harry.
That afternoon in the playground Mark took Paul aside and taught him how to kick the ball. Every atternoon Mark helped Paul and little by little Paul improved and learned different techniques. Mark learned to ignore the shouts and jeers of the other children. It became easier because everyday fewer children teased Mark and some came to play with him and Paul.
One day Amy said to Mark, "It’s more fun playing with you because nobody calls you an idiot everytime you miss the ball or fall down."
Harry and a few of the others still laughed at Mark. He didn’t care because he knew that most of the children liked him and admired him not just because he played with Paul but because he was able to find time to help anyone who asked. At the end of the school year Mark, the new boy, was voted the most popular boy in school.
A Great Miracle
A long time ago, more than 2,000 years ago, the Jews had been defeated by a people called the Syrians.
When Antiochus IV became king of Syria, he was angry at the Jewish people for refusing to worship the Greek gods that he worshiped.
The Jews believed they should worship their own god, in their own way. (Ask the children,"What do you think? " Allow time for responses.)
Most of us don’t want anyone to tell us what to think, or what to say, or what we should consider important. We believe that we have the right to worship in our own way, and that others should have the same right.
But Antiochus didn’t believe that, and he decided to make the Jews worship his gods. He forbade them to read their holy books, pray to their god, and celebrate their holidays.
Antiochus even had Greek statues put in the Temple in Jerusalem, the holiest of all places to the Jews! He ordered the Jews to give up their Sabbath.
The Jews did not like this at all.
In the village of Modin, a leader rose up and his name was Mattathias. He and his five sons–Judah Maccabee, Jonathan, Johanah, Eleazar,and Simon–joined a band of patriots in the hills,and became guerilla fighters. On dark nights, they laid low the armies of Antiochus, one after another. When Mattathias died, Judah become the leader of the outlaw army, and it was under his leadership that they entered Jerusalem. When they reached the Holy City, their joy turned to bitterness when they saw the dirt and the desolation in the temple area. They started to work on restoring and scrubbing the Temple, and on the 25th of Kislev, they relit the Great Menorah with the small bit of holy oil they had found.Every year thereafter, the Jews celebrate this day as the Festival of Cleansing of the Temple.
From here, the story goes into a number of legends. The most loved story is one in which there is only enough oil for one day, but by a miracle, it burned for eight days, until more oil could be found and sanctified.
So for eight days, they celebrated the dedication of the Temple and their right to worship freely. And ever since that time, Jews everywhere have celebrated that great event that happened long ago. On the eight days of Hanukkah–which actually means "dedication"–Jewish people light candles, sing songs, play games, eat foods fried in oil, and give one another gifts!Even when Jews have lived in places where again it was against the law for them to worship freely,they have celebrated in this way.
(At this point, bring out the menorah and place the candles in it, one at a time, beginning at the right. Then, lighting the candles from the left, tell the children that one candle is lit the first evening of Hanukkah, two the second evening, and so on up to eight candles for each day of Hanukkah.)
Hanukkah is a celebration that we Unitarian Universalists can all appreciate, because we believe that all people should be free to worship in their own way.
Children, Money and Values: Ten Principles
“How come you won’t get me the latest video game?”
“Gimme, get me, I want it, I saw it on T. V.”
“Amanda gets double what I get as an allowance!”
“I’m the only one in my class whose parents are tightwads. Just because you think this simple lifestyle stuff is cool, doesn’t mean I want it!”
“We tried to share our value of a simple lifestyle with our children, but some resented never having what other kids had, and now they’re typical yuppies.”
“My husband and I can live happily on very little, but now that we have kids we want them to have the advantages of a good school system, a safe place to live, and enough money to handle medical emergencies. What’s responsible and what’s luxury?”
This “simple lifestyle” stuff can sound great in theory but be anything but simple in the very day living of it. In fact, it can cause guilt, conflict, resentment, and self-righteousness. So why don’t we just give it all up and enjoy the good life? Perhaps because we take seriously the motto “Live simply so that others can simply live.” Over the years, my husband and I have struggled with many of the above situations and offer the following snippets of wisdom as part of the ever evolving discussion on children, money, and values.
1. Simple lifestyles need not mean living in destitution, but we must never be so isolated from the poor that we fail to be touched by their pain.
For example, if our own neighborhood is not poor, can we find ways to come into face to face contact with people who have less than us.
2. People are more important than things.
If we have a choice between protecting a possession and protecting a relationship, the person comes first. For example, buying a house, car, etc., should not be at the expense of time needed for the family.
3. Start young.
It’s a lot easier to maintain a modest lifestyle if that’s how the children have grown up. For example, if the policy at the grocery store has always been no trinkets, it’s easier than backing off from these treats later.
4. Seek a balance.
If parents are perceived as scrooges, children may resent having a thrifty lifestyle forced upon them and rebel to the opposite extreme. An occasional splurge is good for the soul and can let your kids know you’re human. For example, although we don’t typically buy expensive brand-name clothes for our children, sometimes we’ve made an exception if it was a quality item, just to break our image as tightwads.
5. Hang around with people with values like yours.
One of the hardest things for a parent is the concern that their child will suffer by not having something important that their peers have. It’s easier to say “no” to a purchase when you can point out friends who have similar family standards.
6. What about Allowances?
A modest amount of regular spending money can help the child learn the value of money and have the power to get things the parents might think are frivolous. The child then learns his/her own lessons about what is worth buying without the parent preaching.
7. Gift-giving criteria.
Encourage the giving of gifts that are creative and may not cost money. The gift of one’s effort and time are thus highlighted. Although we have done a lot of coupons for services and craft projects, we also found out the hard way that it’s important to give at least one item that they can unwrap and might be considered a “heart’s desire.”
8. Reduce temptation.
Although children should learn how to say “no” to the consumerism of our society, sometimes it can be so overwhelming that it’s easier to just minimize the commercials seen by limiting TV, and not spend much time in stores.
9. Make the “green movement” an ally.
Although our kids sometimes think this “simple lifestyle stuff” is pretty square, they can get turned on by the environmental ideas of “reduce, reuse, recycle.” Saving mother earth is attractive and in.
10. Favorite personal tip.
We instituted an annual clothing allowance once the kids got to an age that they contested the reasonable and thrifty clothes we bought for them. This took us out of the argument and let them decide whether to blow the whole year’s allowance on a couple pair of popular running shoes or rather to discover the joys of bargains and discount stores. What’s your best tip?
Source: Parenting for Peace and Justice Newsletter, Issue No. 65, December 1994
Background for Moses in the Bulrushes
All that is known of Moses comes from the Bible and mostly from the book of Exodus, which tells the story of the "going out" of the Israelites from Egypt, of the covenant made with YHWH, and of the tabernacle. The J authors, Z 50 years after the likely time of the events depicted in Exodus, offer the earliest account; the E and P writers build on the J document. Originally, the material in Exodus belonged to four separate traditions, but by the J writers’ time in the 11th century B.C.E., these separate sources had been woven into a common strand.
The stories about Moses reflect an accurate picture of Egypt in the 13th century B.C.E., though much of the material in Exodus is legendary. The best guess of today’s scholars is that the events of Exodus may have taken place from 1290 to 1224 B.C.E., and that the Pharaoh was Ramses II. It would have been customary for nomadic people to be admitted to Egypt in times of famine, and it is known that during this time Ramses II launched vast building projects that needed much slave labor. The number of Egyptian loan-words found in Exodus is another reason to believe in the historicity of the basic story.
Did Moses actually exist? In the oldest section of Exodus, "The Song of Miriam," there is no mention of Moses. On the other hand, it is reasonable to assume that the legends about Moses are based on events in the life of a historic person. Details about him such as his Levite ancestry, his ability to deal with the Egyptians, and the descendants he left support such a belief. Though Exodus 2: 10 infers that the name Moses stems from his being drawn out of the water, most scholars believe it is an Egyptian root word for "to be born." It is found in names such as Tutmose, which means "Tut is born."
The nativity story is similar to other such tales in the Near East and elsewhere in which a king is warned that a child who is about to be born will in some way usurp his power. The king then tries to kill the child, who is saved by the deity and eventually does carry out the fore ordained plan for his life. Elements in this story are similar, for example, to one about the birth of Sargon I of Agade: "… my changeling mother conceived me, in secret she bore me. She set me in a basket of rushes, with bitumen she sealed my lid. She cast me into the river which rose not over me…." (Daiches, Moses: The Man and His Vision, p. 32).
The story of a cruel king who tries to kill a child destined for great things, only to be thwarted in the end, has intrinsic psychological appeal. Children identify with the hero who survives persecution and is eventually able to win the battle against such evils. The question of adoption may bring up special concerns. Though most children have concerns about adoption at one time or another, these issues are especially acute for children who are actually adopted. As you pose the discussion question about adoption, be sensitive to the children’s worries, and invite them to share their feelings. Reassure the children with the thoughts about the biological mother’s difficult but loving choice and the adoptive parents’ commitment, care, and love.
Background for Moses in the Burning Bush
This part of the story of Moses reinforces our belief in the historical existence of a Hebrew who was raised in the Egyptian court. Here Moses is shown identifying with a Hebrew who is being beaten and with the other Hebrew workers, even though they resent him when he interferes and confront him angrily: "Who made you a ruler and a judge over us!" He goes into exile because of his actions on the part of the Hebrews, yet the daughters of Reuel/Jethro in Midian mistake him for an Egyptian. And the "miracles" Moses is later empowered to do are those the Egyptian magicians can also produce.
No one is certain where Midian was. There are two possibilities: on the Sinai Peninsula and in the area east of the Gulf of Aqabah.
The two names for Moses’ father-in-law, Reuel and Jethro, can he explained by the fact that they appear in different sections, taken from different traditions, and the editors did not feel it was important to harmonize the two versions. In both cases, however, he is depicted as a priest of Midian.
The pharaoh who died is likely to have been Seti I, who died in 1290 B.C.E. The death of a pharaoh would be an auspicious time for the slaves to attempt a rebellion.
It is common in the Near East to take off one’s shoes when in the presence of the holy.
The angel may have been a messenger from God or an epiphany, and fire–for example, in halos– is often a symbol of God’s presence.
In order for Moses to convince the Hebrews of his authority, it was important for him to know God’s name. The Hebrew words for God’s answer can be translated variously as "I am what I am," "I am who I am," or "I will be what I will be." Albright, a noted biblical scholar, suggests the best meaning is "He causes to be what comes into existence." Some scholars question the likelihood of such an abstract name in those times, but there are examples of other, similar Near Eastern epithets for gods.
Third- and fourth-grade children are beginning to be able to make a commitment and stick to it, even if only for a limited period. In their imagination they can try out the feeling of being "called," and the idea of causes worthy of lifelong dedication, even if they are not quite ready for such dedication themselves. Children this age can identify with the oppression of slaves and their yearning to be free, and imagine an inner commitment to the cause of their freedom.
Another topic of interest will be "what really happened" at the scene of the burning bush and the other miracles. Eight-and nine-year olds are working hard to sort out the facts of things, to understand how things work and what is real. Let them discuss possible explanations, but bring them back to the question of how the miracles relate to commitment and the accomplishment of something so difficult that it might seem a "miracle."
Background for "Let My People Go"
Children at this age have probably learned about slavery in the early days of the United States. Because of this they may associate the word slave with African Americans. This story provides an opportunity to broaden their understanding of oppression and slavery, to help them avoid stereotypical thinking. The motivating questions ask them to think about times when they felt oppressed. This may be difficult for them to do, but if you can relate a short personal story, you Il may elicit some personal stories from the children.
Beginning with the definition of slavery as "the total subjection of one person to another" (Mays, Harper’s Bible Commentary, p. 959), children can see that slavery is not necessarily related to color, race, gender, or religion, although all of those categories have been used to define classes of slaves. The Hebrews held different religious beliefs from the Egyptians. They were easy to identify by their patterns of worship, their dress, their daily life–and they had become numerous enough to threaten the ruling class. Thus, though they had been welcomed as settlers by earlier generations of Egyptians, by Moses’ time they had become an oppressed class of people, subject to the cruel taskmasters of the Pharaoh.
The Hebrews worked on the tombs, temples, and obelisks designed by Egyptian architects. (The famed pyramids had been built approximately a thousand years earlier.) Because they were called lazy workers–a charge commonly leveled against oppressed classes–the Hebrews were forced to make their bricks without straw. Strawless bricks do not hold together well, yet the Hebrews were required to make their usual quota. It was either no straw, or take extra time to glean the stubble from the fields. Either way, the task was nearly hopeless, and the punishment was a beating. For Moses, the lack of straw was the "last straw. " It was time to try the magic that YHWH had shown him. Popularly known as the ten plagues, the calamities inflicted on Egypt were familiar threats to the well-being of the nation. The power of the Exodus story is that they occur one right after the other. Written down many centuries after it occurred, and drawn from three traditions J, E, and P), the story as recorded in Exodus is full of repetition and confusion. The plagues were natural occurrences in an unnatural time frame–folk history in its most dramatic form.
The story of the plagues and the crossing of the Reed Sea is the basis tbr the Jewish celebration of Passover. At the Passover meal the story of the Exodus is recounted through words, symbols, and songs. One seder ritual has to do with the plagues. Before drinking the first cup of wine, one removes a drop for each plague visited upon the Egyptians, diminishing one’s own pleasure because of the suffering of the oppressor. The theme of the Passover seder is that our joy in freedom is possible only if we remember our own suffering and the suffering of others.
In the telling of this story, we have referred to the Reed Sea. There is on modern maps a sea called the Red Sea, but the Hebrew term used in Exodus is yam suph or Sea of Reeds. Great confusion exists among biblical scholars about the route of the Exodus–in fact, three routes have been suggested, each with respected literary and geographical credentials. The source of confusion seems to be the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, the Septuagint, dating back perhaps to the third century B.C.E. Reed was translated Red, and on the basis of that error it was long assumed that the Red Sea was the site of the crossing.
Who was Moses?
Goals:
To hear the story of Moses: his early life, his calling by God and his leadership of the Hebrew people to freedom.
(for older kids) To consider the meaning of persecution and oppression.
Materials for making a mural:
Sheet of mural paper long enough to contain the 4 parts of the Moses story
Paint, brushes, water (or markers or crayons if you prefer)
Activities:
Read the Background for Moses in the Bulrushes, Background for Moses and the Burning Bush, Background for Let My People Go. After each story draw or paint pictures on the mural to tell that part of the story as you discuss the questions.
Be sure your kids know the meaning of the words:
descendant (a person with a long line of ancestors—those who lived before)
midwives(women who help deliver babies)
persecute (to bother or harm someone because of his or her beliefs)
bondage (slavery)
boils (big sores on your skin)
multitude (many, many people)
Read the 1st story: “Moses in the Bulrushes.”
Discuss:
When people are being persecuted, they often have to make very hard choices. Moses’ mother had to give him up so that he could live. Did she love him even though she gave him up? How do you think his sister, Miriam, felt?
Most of the times when the ancient Israelites were persecuted, it was because they believed in one god instead of the goads their neighbors worshiped. Sometimes they were forced to worship the gods of others or die. What are other examples of hard choices people might have to make?
Pharoah’s daughter felt pity for Moses. What is pity? What did her feelings of pity cause Pharoah’s daughter to do?
Read the 2nd story: “Moses and the Burning Bush”
Discuss:
Sometimes people get a felling that they must do something—that they are “called” to help others. Martin Luther King, Jr. felt called to help black people. Gandhi felt called to help oppressed of India. Dorothea Dix, a Unitarian, felt called to help the poor, imprisoned, and the insane. What was Moses “called” to do?
Moses, Dix, King, and Gandhi are people who dedicated their lives to serving others. Who are some others who have dedicated their lives to serving others? Have you heard about any other people who felt “called” to do something special? What did they do? Is there something you feel you should dedicate your life to? What is it?
Read the 3rd story: “Let My People Go”
Discuss:
What would you have done if you were Pharaoh?
How did the Hebrews feel about Moses at the beginning of the story? Do you think the miracles convinced them? How would you feel about leaving your home to wander in the wilderness?
The story of the Exodus of the Hebrew people from Egypt has become an important symbol for freedom fighters around the world, and a symbol of how freedom can be gained even when it seems impossible. What are some other examples of people being oppressed? Who? Where? When? By whom?
Moses in the Bulrushes
About 400 years after Joseph and his family settled in Egypt, their descendants had become a large number of people. They were such a large number, in fact, that the Pharaoh wanted to decrease the number of Hebrews, as they were called, in his kingdom.
To do this, the Pharaoh told the Hebrew midwives, "When you act as midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birth stool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, she shall live."
But the midwives knew that killing the babies would make God angry, so they did not do as Pharaoh commanded, but let the boys live.
When Pharaoh found out, he called the midwives together and said, "Why have you done this, and allowed the boys to live?"
They answered, "Because the Hebrew women are so healthy they give birth before the midwives come to them."
The Hebrew people continued to multiply and grow strong. Finally Pharaoh commanded all his people, "Every boy that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every girl live."
Soon after this, a Hebrew woman gave birth to a son. She was able to hide him for three months. When she could hide him no longer, she got a basket made of bulrushes, and covered it with tar. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river. His sister, Miriam, stood at a distance, to see what would happen to him.
The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her maidens walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to bring it to her. When she opened it she saw the child. He was crying, and she took pity on him. "This must be one of the Hebrews’ children," she said.
Miriam approached the Pharaoh’s daughter and said, "Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?"
Pharaoh’s daughter said, "Yes." So Miriam went to get her mother, the mother of the baby.
Pharaoh’s daughter said to the mother, "Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages." So the mother took the child and nursed it. When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and she took him as her son. She named him Moses, "because," she said, "I drew him out of the water."
Moses and the Burning Bush
Although moses was raised as the grandson of the Pharaoh, he still thought of himself as a Hebrew. Once, when he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave, Moses tried to stop the Egyptian. In the struggle, the Egyptian was killed. This made the Pharaoh very angry, and Moses had to go into hiding.
While he was in hiding, he married and started to raise a family. Once, while tending his father-in-law’s sheep, he saw a bush that burned without being burned down. Moses went closer to look at this amazing bush, up on the side of a mountain. As Moses came closer, God called to him out of the bush, "Moses, Moses."
Moses answered, "Here I am," and covered his face, because he was afraid to look at God.
God told Moses that the suffering Hebrews at the hands of the Egyptians had not gone unnoticed: God had heard the Hebrews’ cries. Indeed, God had come to deliver them from the Egyptians and to bring them to a land flowing with milk and honey. Thus God was sending Moses to the Pharaoh to free the Hebrew people from Egypt.
But Moses protested, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Hebrew people out of Egypt? If they ask, ‘What is the name of the one who has sent you!?’ what shall I say?"
God said to Moses, "I am who I am. Say, ‘I am has sent me to you. The God of your fathers and mothers, the God of Abraham and Sarah, the God of Isaac and Rebekah, the God of Jacob and Rachel has sent me to you.’" Moses still protested that people would not believe him. God told Moses to throw the staff he had in his hand on the ground. When Moses did so, the staff turned into a snake, and Moses drew back from it. God told him to grab the snake by the tail, and when Moses did, the snake turned back into a staff.
Then God told Moses to put his hand inside his cloak and then take it out. When Moses did so, his hand developed a very bad disease called leprosy. Then God told Moses to put his hand back inside his cloak and take it out. When Moses did, his hand was restored to health.
God told Moses, "If they will not believe you, or heed the first sign, they may believe the second sign. If they will not believe these two signs or heed you, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground; and the water that you shall take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground."
Still Moses protested. He reminded God that he stuttered and wouldn’t be able to speak well. God assured Moses that his speech would be taken care of. Moses still begged God to send someone else.
Finally God got angry and told Moses that Moses’ brother, Aaron, would be there to speak for him, but that Moses must go. And so Moses and his family went to Egypt. Four times he had tried to get out of going. But he believed it was God who was calling him, so he went.
