The Burning Bush Scene

            Today was… well, eventful.  Where to begin… oh ok, so I was looking after Yitro’s flock and I was leading the flocks, I guess I should have figured I was going to be leading something else, much larger, in the future.  Anyways, I came to this mountain and all of a sudden an angel appeared to me in a flame in a bush on fire but not being consumed by that fire.  So I decided to turn towards this great spectacle.  This thing was amazing, it went against nature, plus I sort of felt a connection to the bush.  This bush reminded me of my people, the Israelites, and the fire was the Egyptians who were trying to destroy them (the bush).  However, I knew, and this bush reassured me, that Egypt would not consume and destroy the Israelites, rather the bush would continue burning without being consumed.

Then, a great voice came and said, “Moshe, Moshe!”  So I said, “Here I am.”  The voice told me to take off my shoes, so I did.  Then, He told me that He was the G-d of my forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  I didn’t know these people exactly by name, but as soon as I heard their names, I felt like they must have been important and these people were really my great-great-great… grandfathers.  I was so stunned by these names that I hid my face from this awesome voice and His power.

            He told me that He had heard the cries and pleas of the Israelites who were being afflicted in Egypt.  He wanted to send them to this land full of other nations and flowing with milk and honey.  I was going to ask Him why He was bringing them to a land that was already inhabited by other nations, but then I figured that He knew what He was doing and that if He wanted His nation to live in that land, He would have enough power to get rid of these other nations.

And then He said He wanted to send me to Pharaoh to take His people out.  Now hold on, ME?!  So I asked G-d how am I worthy to go?  Pharaoh wouldn’t let someone like me, even bringing offerings and presents, into his court.  Am I important enough to speak with kings?  And even if he let me in, what would I say?  What could I say to persuade him to let an entire nation go?! 

But G-d said that He would be with me.  And seeing what He can do with the bush, I felt a little more confident.  But then I was concerned about answering the people if they asked me what G-d’s name was.  He told me that he will be what he will be, which didn’t really answer my question.  But then He said to tell them He was the G-d of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the words that had a certain power on me.  He also wanted me to assemble the elders of the Israelites and to tell them that I will bring them to this land full of other nations and milk and honey.  I figure I’ll get some resistance here, for they don’t know G-d’s power like I do.  Then I will go to Pharaoh, demand that the Israelites go sacrifice in the desert for a few days, he will say no, G-d will perform miracles and Pharaoh will then let us go.  Also, when we do leave, we will “borrow” money and clothes from the Egyptian neighbors so that we can provide for ourselves on our trip.

I told Him that the people wouldn’t believe me, so He said for me to take my staff and to throw it on the ground, which I did.  All of a sudden, the staff turned into a snake, so I jumped back in surprise and in fear of what I had just done.  He told me to pick it up by its tail, and when I did this it turned back into a staff.  He said I could use this trick or whatever you want to call it to make the people believe.  Then, He had me put my hand in my shirt and when I took it out, it was leprous!  I freaked when I saw this.  Yikes!  But after I put the hand back in my shirt and pulled it out again, it was normal.  Then He said that they will definitely believe this trick, and if not then I could spill some water from the Nile onto dry land and it would turn into blood.

However, I knew I couldn’t be G-d’s mouth to the people, for when I was younger, I put a hot piece of coal to my mouth and ever since I have had a speech impediment.  But G-d tried to reassure me that He would be my mouth.  I was still unsure, so he told me to take my brother Aaron and that he will be my speaker and I will be his leader and I will perform the signs.  Whew, that’s a relief, because I knew I wouldn’t be able to speak to the people.