Consumed with curiosity Moses said, "I must go see this great wonder and learn why the bush continues to burn without burning up."

As Moses approached the area where the strange bush grew God called to him from out of the middle of the bush. "Moses, Moses!"

Moses must have been shocked to hear his name spoken, but he responded quickly, "I am here."

"Don't come so near. Take off your shoes, for the place where you stand is holy ground." The ground, of course, was holy because the presence of God was there, not because the land, of itself, was holy. The voice went on to explain, "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob."

When Moses heard this he became frightened and hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

"I have seen the persecution of my people in the land of Egypt and have heard their cry as they suffer under the hand of the cruel Egyptian taskmasters. I know the pain and anguish my people are going through, and have come down to deliver them. I will bring them out of the land of Egypt and lead them to a good land. A land symbolically flowing with milk and honey. The land which I promised to their father Abraham.

"I am sending you, Moses, to Pharaoh, so that you can bring my people, the children of Israel, out from Egypt."

Moses was not the haughty young man he had been in his earlier years. "Who am I, Lord," he asked, "that you should choose me to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?"

"I will be with you, Moses," God promised. "In fact, once you have brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, you will serve Me upon this very mountain."

But Moses wanted to know, "And when those in Israel ask who sent me, what am I to tell them?"

"You will tell them 'I AM' has sent me," God answered. "Tell the elders how I appeared to you in the burning bush and say, 'The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. He told me, "I have seen what the Egyptians are doing to you and I will bring you out of the land of affliction into a land that flows with milk and honey."' The elders will listen to what you say and you'll be brought before the king of Egypt. Then you will tell him, 'The Lord God of the Hebrews has met with us, and now let us go three days journey into the wilderness and offer sacrifices to the Lord our God.'"

"I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go; I will have to show My mighty hand. I will destroy all of Egypt with my miracles before Pharaoh will let you go. But I will see to it that the Egyptians load you down with jewelry, fine clothes and silver and gold before you leave."

"But the people won't believe me," Moses protested, "they'll say 'God never appeared to you.'"

"Throw down that shepherd's staff you have in your hand," God commanded. Moses threw it on the ground and it became a large snake. Moses ran from it but God ordered, "Catch it by the tail." Moses obeyed and the snake became a rod again.

"Do that," God told Moses, "and they will believe that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has sent you. Now, put your hand inside your robe." Moses did as God instructed and put his hand in his robe . When he took it out again he was startled to see that it was white with leprosy.

"Now put it back again." Moses once more did as God commanded and when he took his hand out of the robe it was once more normal.

"If any will not believe the first miracle they will believe you because of the second. And if there are still any who don't believe, take water from the Nile river and pour it on the land. The water will become blood."

But Moses didn't really want the job God was giving him, so he argued, "I'm not a good speaker, Lord, I'm slow of speech, I have a heavy tongue."

"Who made mouths?" asked God. "Who makes men who can speak or not speak, hear or not hear, see or not see? Do what I say, and I will be with you. I will make you speak well and tell you what you should say."

"Please Lord," begged Moses, "Send someone else."

When God chooses a person for a job He doesn't take no for an answer. He grew angry with Moses' reluctance. God would have been with Moses and spoken through him, but because of his unbelief, He told him, "Your brother Aaron is a good speaker and he is already on the way here looking for you. He will speak for you. He will be your spokesman and you will be as a god to him, telling him what to say. Be sure to take your staff along so I can perform the miracle through you."

Moses finally realized that he was going to have to do what God told him, so he went back to talk to his father-in-law Jethro, who he worked for, and asked his permission to leave to visit his relatives in Egypt. Jethro said "Go in peace."

Moses met his older brother as he was on his way back to Egypt. Then Moses told Aaron everything that had happened, and what God had commanded them to do when they got there. Together the two brothers traveled toward Egypt to perform the mighty miracles that God would do through them before finally bringing His people out of slavery.