EXODUS

THE DELIVERANCE OF THE HEBREWS FROM EGYPT

33.

MOSES' TRAINING AS AN INDUSTRIAL AND
RELIGIOUS LEADER

After the death of Joseph and his brothers and all that generation, the Israelites increasing rapidly became so numerous and powerful that the land was filled with them. And a new king who did not know Joseph was established upon the throne of Egypt. He said to his people, ‘See, the Israelites are becoming too numerous and too powerful for us. Come, let us deal wisely with them, for fear that they become so numerous, that, if war is proclaimed against us, they will join our enemies and fight against us and leave the land.'

So the Egyptians set taskmasters over them to impose burdens upon them; and they built for Pharaoh the store-cities, Pithom and Rameses. But the more the Egyptians afflicted them, the more numerous they became and the more they spread everywhere, so that the Egyptians dreaded what they might do. And the Egyptians cruelly enslaved them, making their lives bitter with hard forced labor in mortar and brick and by brutally exacting from them all kinds of forced labor in the field.

And Pharaoh gave this command to all his people, 'You shall throw every son that is born to the Hebrews into the river, but every daughter you shall save alive.'

Now a man of the tribe of Levi married a woman of the same tribe, and she gave birth to a son; and when

she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him for three months. But when she could no longer hide him, she took a basket made of papyrus reeds, daubed it with mortar and pitch, and put the child in it. Then she placed it in the reeds by the bank of the river Nile, while his sister remained in sight to see what would happen to him.

The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe in the Nile, and while her attendants were walking along the river's bank, she saw the basket among the reeds and sent her waiting-maid to bring it. When she opened it and saw the child, the boy was crying; and she felt sorry for him and said, 'This is one of the Hebrew children.'

Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, 'Shall I go and call one of the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?' Pharaoh's daughter said to her, 'Go.' So the maiden went and called the child's mother, and Pharaoh's daughter said to her, 'Take this child away and nurse it for me, and I will pay you your wages.' Then the woman took the child and nursed it. When the child had grown up, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son, and she named him Moses, for she said, 'I drew him out of the water.'

One time, after Moses had grown up, he went out to his own people; and as he was watching them at their hard labor, he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own race. He looked around and seeing that there was no one in sight, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.

On the next day Moses went out, and saw two Hebrews struggling together; and he said to the one who was in the wrong, 'Why do you strike your fellow workman?' The man replied, 'Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as

you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moses was afraid and said, 'What I have done is known!' When Pharaoh heard what had taken place, he endeavored to put Moses to death; but Moses left the country and made his home in the land of Midian.

As he was sitting by a well, the seven daughters of the priest of Midian came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their father's flock, but the shepherds came and drove them away. Then Moses stood up and protected the women and watered their flock.

When they came to their father, he said, 'How is it that you have come back so early to-day?' They replied, 'An Egyptian protected us from the shepherds, and besides, he drew water for us and watered the flock.' Then he said to his daughters, 'Where is he? Why have you left the man? Ask him to eat with us.' So Moses consented to make his home with the man; and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter as wife. She bore him a son and he named him Gershom [An alien residing there], for he said, 'I have been an alien living in a foreign land.'

34. MOSES' CALL TO PUBLIC SERVICE

Now after a long time the king of Egypt died. Meantime Moses was keeping the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the other side of the pasture and came to Horeb the mountain of God. There the angel of Jehovah appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a thorn bush. As he looked, the bush flamed up without being consumed. Moses said, 'I will stop here and see this wonderful sight, why the bush is not burned up.'

When Jehovah saw that he stopped to look, he called

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to him from the midst of the bush, 'Moses, Moses.' Moses answered, 'Here I am.' Then God said, 'Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you are standing is sacred ground.' He also said, 'I am the God of your forefathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' Then Moses covered his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

But Jehovah said, 'I have certainly seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry of distress because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians and to bring them out of that land into a land that is beautiful and spacious, to a land abounding in milk and honey. The cry of the Israelites has come to me and I have seen the oppression which they suffer at the hands of the Egyptians. Come now, I will send you to Pharaoh in order that you may bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.'

But Moses said to God, 'Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?' He answered, 'I will surely be with you; and this shall be the sign to you that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God upon this mountain.'

Then Moses said to God, 'If I go to the Israelites and say to them, "The God of your forefathers has sent me to you," and they ask me, "What is his name?" what shall I answer them?' God said to Moses, 'I AM WHAT I AM'; and he said, 'Declare to the Israelites: "I AM has sent me to you." Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, "Jehovah the God of your forefathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, has appeared to me

and said, I have surely remembered you and seen what is being done to you in Egypt, and I have declared that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to a land abounding in milk and honey." And they shall listen to your voice; and you, together with the elders of Israel, shall go to the king of Egypt, and you shall say to him, "Jehovah the God of the Hebrews has appeared to us. Now let us go three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to Jehovah our God." But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless he is compelled by a mighty power. Therefore I will exercise my power and overwhelm Egypt with all the marvellous deeds that I will do in its midst. After that he will let you go.'

Moses said to Jehovah, ‘O Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since thou hast spoken to thy servant; for I am slow of speech and slow in expressing my ideas.' Jehovah said to him, 'Who has given man a mouth? Or who makes one deaf or dumb, or blind or able to see? Is it not I, Jehovah? Now go, and I will be with you and teach you what you shall speak; and your brother Aaron shall act as your spokesman to the people.'

Then Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, 'Let me go again to my people in Egypt to see whether they are still alive.' Jethro answered Moses, 'Go, with my blessing.'

PHARAOH'S PITILESS INDUSTRIAL OPPRESSION

Then Jehovah said to Aaron, 'Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.' So he went and met him on the mountain of God and kissed him. And Moses told Aaron all that Jehovah had sent him to declare, and the signs which he had commanded him to perform.