Story from https://bibleforchildren.org
Images copyright https://www.freebibleimages.org
One day Moses saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave. Though Moses had been raised and educated as a prince in Pharaoh’s palace, he too was a Hebrew. He had to help the slave.
Glancing around to make sure nobody was watching, Moses attacked the cruel slave master. In the fight which followed, Moses killed the Egyptian. Quickly, he buried the body.
The next day, Moses saw two Hebrews fighting. He tried to stop them. One said, “Will you kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Moses was afraid. Everybody knew about yesterday. Pharaoh knew. Moses had to escape. He went to a country called Midian.
While Moses rested by a well, the seven daughters of the priest of Midian filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. Other shepherds tried to push them aside. Moses protected and helped the women.
“You’re home early!” Reuel, the girls’ father exclaimed. When the girls explained why, he said, “Bring the man here.” Moses lived with Reuel, who was also called Jethro. Later, Moses married Reuel’s oldest daughter.
Back in Egypt, Pharaoh died. God’s people, the Hebrews, were still slaves. How they groaned in their suffering! How they prayed for God’s help! God heard their prayers.
Moses did not know it, but God planned to use him to help the enslaved Hebrews. Forty years had passed since Moses left Egypt. He was shepherd of Reuel’s flock. But he must have missed his own people in Egypt.
One day Moses noticed a nearby bush on fire. But the fire did not burn the bush. Moses decided to find out why. As Moses approached, God called to him out of the bush. “Moses!” “Here I am,” said Moses. “Don’t get too close,” God said. “Take off your sandals, because the place where you stand is holy ground.”
“I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people out of Egypt,” God said. But Moses was afraid to go. Then God showed Moses His great power. He turned Moses’ rod into a serpent. When Moses picked up the serpent by the tail it became a rod once more. God gave another sign.
“Put your hand on your chest,” He commanded. Moses did so. His hand turned white with leprosy! When he did it again, his hand was healed. Moses still objected. “I don’t speak well,” he told God. God became angry. “I’ll use Aaron, your brother, to speak the words you tell him,” He said.
Moses returned to Jethro, packed his belongings and left for Egypt. God led Moses’ brother Aaron to meet Moses in the mountains. Moses told Aaron all about God’s plan to set the Hebrew people free from the Egyptians.
Together, they carried the news to the Hebrew leaders. When Moses showed the signs to the Hebrew elders, they knew God would help them. Together, they bowed in worship.
Bravely, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh. “God says, ‘Let my people go’,” they told him. “I will not let Israel go,” Pharaoh answered. He would not obey God.
God would have to use His great power to change Pharaoh’s mind.
