February 8 Daily Devotional

Exodus 3–4

When Moses was about eighty years old, one day he came with his flock to mount Horeb. Near the mountain he saw a strange sight. He saw a bush which seemed to be on fire. He watched it for a while, it was burning and burning, but was not consumed.

He said to himself, I will go and look at this strange thing, a bush on fire, yet not burning up. Coming near to the bush, he heard a voice coming out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” He listened and said, “Here am I.” The voice continued, Do not come nearer. “Put off thy shoes, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground … I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. And the Lord said, I have seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt … and I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey … Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people, the children of Israel out of Egypt.”

But Moses hesitated. He knew it would be a very difficult task for a man of eighty. He said, “Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh?” The Lord said, I will be with thee. Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, Jehovah has sent me unto you. Still Moses hesitated and said, “They will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice.” He wished some sign which he could give to his people ‘ and the Egyptians, to show them that God had sent him. He was empowered to do three signs. The first was, he could cast his rod to the ground and it would turn into a snake, and by taking hold of its tail it would become a rod again. The second was, he could put his hand into his bosom and it would become leprous, and if he put his leprous hand into his bosom again it would be restored. The third, he could take water from the Nile, pour it on the land, and it would become blood.

But Moses still did not want to go. He objected, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent … I am slow of speech.” The Lord said, “Who hath made man’s mouth? Have not I the Lord? … I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.” Still he hesitated, and he said. “O my Lord, send, … by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.” Then in anger the Lord said, “Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? … He can speak well … He shall be thy spokesman unto the people … He cometh forth to meet thee.” At last Moses yielded to God’s call. He took his flocks back to Jethro his father in law. Then he took his wife and sons and went toward Egypt. On the way he met Aaron coming to see him. So the two brothers came to the elders of Israel in the land of Goshen.