The Burning Bush

MOSES had come all the way to the mountain of Hoʹreb to find grass for his sheep. Here he saw a bush on fire, but it wasn’t burning up!

‘This is strange,’ Moses thought. ‘I will go closer and get a better look.’ When he did, a voice came from the bush, saying: ‘Do not come any closer. Take off your sandals, because you are standing on holy ground.’ It was God speaking by means of an angel, so Moses covered his face.

God then said: ‘I have seen the suffering of my people in Egypt. So I am going to free them, and you are the one I am sending to lead my people out of Egypt.’ Jehovah was going to bring his people to the beautiful land of Caʹnaan.

But Moses said: ‘I am nobody. How can I do this? But suppose I do go. The Israelites will say to me, “Who sent you?” Then what shall I say?’

‘This is what you are to say,’ God answered. ‘“JEHOVAH the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob has sent me to you.”’ And Jehovah added: ‘This is my name forever.’

‘But suppose they don’t believe me when I say that you sent me,’ Moses replied.

‘What is in your hand?’ God asked.

Moses answered: ‘A stick.’

‘Throw it on the ground,’ God said. And when Moses did, the stick became a snake. Jehovah then showed Moses another miracle. He said: ‘Put your hand inside your robe.’ Moses did, and when he took his hand out, it was white like snow! The hand looked as if it had the bad sickness called leprosy. Next Jehovah gave Moses power to do a third miracle. Finally he said: ‘When you do these miracles the Israelites will believe that I sent you.’

After that Moses went home and said to Jethʹro: ‘Please let me go back to my relatives in Egypt to see how they are.’ So Jethʹro said good-bye to Moses, and Moses began his trip back to Egypt.