For the Hebrews, the day that God had warned Abraham about was nigh. The pharaoh, looking upon their great numbers, declared, “There are too many Hebrews. If war were to break out with the Canaanites they would join our enemies and kill us because of their connection to that land. We will take them as our slaves and bend their backs with hard labor.” All the people of Egypt saw how they stood to benefit from this, and so it was that through the labor of the Hebrew slaves, the cities of Rameses and Pithom were built. But God continued to bless his people, causing them to flourish in the midst of their suffering. And though they were slaves, the Hebrews were feared all the more by the Egyptians who cruelly intensified their labor.
The pharaoh then called Shiphrah and Puah, two Hebrew midwives, and ordered them to kill all Hebrew boys as they were being born. But they were loyal to God and so they secretly refused the order. When the pharaoh learned of this, he asked, “Why have you let them live?”
But Shiphrah and Puah were clever and replied, “Hebrew women are different from Egyptian women. They give birth so fast that by the time we arrive, it is too late to do anything.” So the Hebrews, as well as the Egyptians’ fear of them, continued to grow. The pharaoh, no longer hiding his genocidal intentions, then issued this decree throughout Egypt, “Any Hebrew boy that is born must be thrown into the Nile River.”
After this order, Jochebed, a descendant of Levi, gave birth to a son, her third along with his brother Aaron and sister Miriam. She kept him hidden from the Egyptians for three months but soon realized that he would be discovered and killed. Running out of options, she devised a desperate plan to save him. She fashioned a waterproof basket, placed her son in it, then placed it among the reeds of the Nile River. But Miriam secretly kept watch over him from a distance.
It so happened that the daughter of the pharaoh went down to the river to bathe with her attendants. When she saw something strange among the reeds she sent one of her servants to get it. When she found the crying baby inside she said, “This is a Hebrew baby,” and felt sorry for him.
At that moment, Miriam mustered her courage and came out of hiding. Walking towards the pharaoh’s daughter she said, “I saw what you found. If it pleases you, I could find a Hebrew woman to be his wet nurse.”
“Go and do as you have said,” the pharaoh’s daughter replied, and so Miriam returned with Jochebed. Thus the child was raised by his own mother under the protection of the pharaoh’s daughter. Jochebed treasured the time that they had together, but when it was determined he was old enough, he left his mother and lived within the palace as the adopted son of the pharaoh’s daughter. It was she who named him Moses, which means “drawn from the water.” But the other sons of Israel were not as lucky, and their deaths caused immeasurable suffering among the Hebrews.
The years passed for Moses in the palace until he was fully grown. It was no secret that Moses was an adopted Hebrew child, and so he grew up haunted by the spectre of his people’s slavery. One day, while away from the palace, he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave. After years of feeling that, in spite of his wealth and influence, he was incapable of doing anything about his people’s suffering, a rage deep came bursting from within. Waiting until there were no witnesses, he killed the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand.
The next day, as he saw two Hebrews fighting with each other, he said, “Stop it! What is wrong with you? Why are you hitting a fellow Hebrew?”
The men replied, “Who made you judge over us? Are you going to kill us like you killed that Egyptian?” Moses, realizing he had not been as careful as he had hoped, feared for his safety should word of this reach the ears of the pharaoh. His fears were not without merit, for when the pharaoh learned that Moses had killed an Egyptian, he ordered his death. But Moses had already escaped to the land of the Midianites, descendants of a son of Abraham.
Upon finding a well and sensing he had escaped the danger of pharaoh’s wrath, he stopped. As he rested, he saw seven women arrive to get water. But other shepherds came and tried to scare the women off so that they could use the well for themselves. Moses sprang up and rescued the women from their attackers and helped them safely secure the water they needed. As they worked, he learned they were sisters drawing water for their father Jethro’s flocks.
Upon the sister’s return home, they told their father everything that had happened. He asked, “Where is he? Why did you leave him there? Go and invite him here for something to eat.”
The girls went back to retrieve Moses and after hearing his story, Jethro invited him to stay and work with his family. As it was with his ancestor Israel while tending the flocks he fell in love with one of Jethro’s daughters, Zipporah, and with Jethro’s blessing, they were soon married. Years passed, but Moses never forgot the home he had left. When his first son was born, he said, “He shall be named Gershom, because I am a sojourner here.”
For forty years, Moses made a life for himself in Midian. The pharaoh he had fled from died, but the slavery of the Hebrews continued. Their suffering brought great pain to the heart of God, but as the Hebrews cried out they did not know that their deliverance was at hand.
Moses was far from home watching Jethro’s flocks on Mount Sinai when he saw something strange in the distance, a bush that had caught fire, but did not burn. As he approached this unexplainable phenomenon, he heard a voice say, “Moses, Moses! Come no closer! Take off your sandals, for the place where you stand is holy ground. You are in the presence of the God of Israel, Isaac, and Abraham.” Hearing this, Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look.
God continued, “I have felt the suffering of my people in Egypt and I have come to rescue them from the hands of their captors, as I promised to your ancestors, and bring them to a land flowing with milk and honey. I have chosen you since before you were born to deliver my message to the pharaoh and to one day lead my people out of Egypt.”
Moses replied, “Look at what has become of me. I am a lowly shepherd. I am unworthy to convince the pharaoh to free our people.”
God replied, “Do not worry about your status or ability. I will be with you, and when you have brought my people out of Egypt, you will worship at this very mountain together.”
Moses continued, “But what if I go to the Hebrews and I tell them that I have been sent from God and they ask me what your name is?”
God answered, “I am who I am, Yahweh. This is who you will say sent you. When you have gathered the elders of Israel together, say to them that Yahweh, who loves them, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel has seen their suffering and sent you to bring them out of slavery to the land of Canaan. Then you will go to the pharaoh and say to him that the God of the Hebrews has met with you and that you desire to go into the wilderness for three days to offer sacrifices to your God. But the pharaoh will not let you go. Because of my love for them, so that they might understand that I am God and return to me, I will prove my power throughout all of Egypt. Then they ask you to leave their land, not just for three days, and at that time I will make them charitable towards you so that when you leave you will be like a conquering army instead of refugees.”
“But what if they don’t believe me or listen to me?” Moses stammered.
“Tell me what is in your hand,” Yahweh said.
Moses replied, “My staff.”
“Throw it on the ground,” Yahweh commanded, and the moment that Moses’ staff touched the ground it transformed into a snake. Moses ran from it, but Yahweh said, “Reach out and take it by the tail.” When Moses did it immediately turned back into a staff.
“If they do not believe this sign and listen to your voice, you will take water from the Nile River and as you pour it out, it will become blood. Then they will know that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel appeared to you.”
“But Yahweh,” Moses protested, “I am not a skilled speaker. I get confused about what I should say and I stammer.”
Yahweh replied, “Who made your mouth? Go. I will teach you what to say and give your words authority.”
But Moses would not relent and said, “Please Yahweh, send someone else.”
Moses’ continued unwillingness to place his trust in his God was grievous, so Yahweh said, “I know that Aaron, your brother, can speak well. He is already traveling here to see you. Speak with him. Have him become your mouthpiece.” Then Yahweh left that place and Moses gathered his flocks and journeyed towards the home of Jethro.
When he arrived, he said, “I must return to Egypt to be with my people.”
“Go, my son. I wish you all the best.” Jethro replied.
Moses then gathered his family and traveled with them towards Egypt. On his journey, as Yahweh had said, he encountered his brother Aaron. Moses revealed to him the purposes of Yahweh, and so from then on, Aaron listened to the words of Moses and spoke on his behalf. When they met with the Hebrew elders, they told them what was to come and performed the signs that Yahweh had shown Moses. When they realized that Yahweh had never abandoned the promises made to their ancestors, they bowed down and worshipped God.
With the blessing of the elders, Aaron and Moses sought out the pharaoh. When they were granted an audience with him, they said, “Yahweh, our God, wishes that all of the Hebrews be permitted to go on a three-day journey into the desert so they can worship and offer sacrifices there.”
But the pharaoh replied, “Who is this Yahweh that I should obey? I don’t know your god and I will not let the Hebrews go. Why do you seek to keep the people from their work?” Then the pharaoh sent them away and punished their insolence by telling his overseers, “No longer are you to supply the Hebrews with their straw for making bricks for our cities. They must now gather their own straw, but their brick quota will remain unchanged. Their desire to hold a festival to their god in the wilderness is nothing but a sign of laziness.”
The next day, the Hebrews feverishly worked to gather enough straw, but when they were unable to maintain their brick quota, they were beaten. Some went to the pharaoh and asked, “Why are you treating us this way? The fault is with your overseers who no longer give us straw but still tell us to make the same amount of bricks.”
The pharaoh yelled back, “You are lazy! That is why you are complaining and why Moses has requested that you be able to travel into the wilderness for three days to worship your god. Get back to work. You will not receive any more straw and your brick quota remains unchanged.”
After the elders left, they found Moses and Aaron and growled, “We hope Yahweh punishes you for making the pharaoh angry with us. You are going to get us all killed.”
Frustrated, Moses left them and when he was alone asked Yahweh, “Is this why you sent me? All that I’ve done is add to the suffering of my people.”
God replied, “My people seem to have forgotten that I am Yahweh, who appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, though I did not reveal my name to them as I have with you. With them I established my covenant, to give them the land of Canaan, where they were strangers, and to make them a blessing to all people so that the whole world might remember me.
“I feel the suffering of my people, the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep as slaves. I have always remembered my covenant, so tell the people, ‘I will free you from your slavery. I will rescue you. I will lead you to the promised land and give it to you. I will be your God and you will be my people.” Then God left Moses, but when he delivered these words, the people would not listen because their suffering was great.
So Yahweh again spoke to Moses, saying, “The pharaoh has set himself up as a god on earth and he is worshipped by the Egyptians. He has no respect for those who do not wield power. So I will give you power and authority so that in his eyes you will be almost like a god yourself. Your brother Aron will be like your prophet. He will speak everything that I tell you, but the pharaoh's heart will harden and he will not listen. So I will show many signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. And then the Egyptians will know that I am God when I stretch my hand across Egypt and bring my people out from among them.”
When Moses and Aaron returned to the pharaoh, they said, “You have answered our request by demonstrating your power over our lives. Though we serve a loving God, if the language of power is all you and your people understand, then that is how God must communicate with you.” Then Aaron threw his staff down in front of the pharaoh and it became a snake. But the pharaoh’s sorcerers, whether by sleight of hand or through demonic power, made their staves become snakes. But Yahweh’s power is peerless and so Aaron’s snake ate the magicians’ snakes in a show of superiority. But this did not convince the pharaoh to let the Hebrews go and he sent Moses and Aaron away.
The next morning they confronted the pharaoh who was on his boat on the Nile. Aaron said, “Yahweh commands you to let the Hebrews worship in the wilderness, but you have not listened. You say you don’t know our God, well now you and all of Egypt will learn that Yahweh is ruler over all, even the very water of the earth. With this staff, we will strike the water of the Nile and it will turn to blood. The fish will die, the river will stink, and your people will be unable to drink from it. And not just the nile, but all of your water, even what you have stored in jars, will turn to blood.”
Aaron then immediately stretched his staff over the river and it turned to blood as he had said. But the pharaoh’s sorcerers showed that they too could turn water to blood. So the pharaoh would not listen and returned to the palace. The people of Egypt became desperate and were forced to dig wells to find potable water deep in the ground which God had left uncursed so that they would not die.
Moses and Aaron came before the pharaoh again and said, “There is no need for this to continue. Yahweh does not wish for anyone to suffer, but you bring this pain upon yourselves because you refuse to acknowledge God. Release the Hebrews so they can worship in the desert. If you again refuse, Yahweh will plague your land with frogs. The Nile will issue them forth in droves into your houses, your beds, and your kitchens.” But he would not listen, so Aaron stretched his staff over the streams and ponds of Egypt and the frogs infested all the land.
Though the pharaoh’s sorcerers were also able to make frogs come out of the water, the infestation was too much to bear, so the pharaoh called Moses back to him and said, “Pray to your god to take these frogs away and I will let your people go and worship.”
Moses replied, “It will be done.” Then Moses left and prayed to Yahweh for relief from the frogs. Yahweh did as Moses asked and every frog that had come onto the land died. They were thrown into piles and the land smelled terrible. But when the pharaoh saw that the plague had ended, he hardened his heart and would not let the Hebrews leave.
Then Yahweh told Moses to have Aaron strike his staff on the ground. Throughout the land the dust became gnats and they swarmed all over the people and animals in Egypt. But when the pharaoh’s magicians’ tried to create their own swarm of gnats, they could not. They said to the pharaoh, “this plague was caused by the hand of Yahweh.” But the pharaoh’s heart was hard and he would not listen.
Early the next morning, Yahweh awoke Moses and Aaron with a message for the pharaoh. They approached him and said, “Let the Hebrews go and worship. If you do not, Yahweh will send swarms of flies into Egypt. They will be everywhere: in every house, on every person and animal, even the ground will be covered with them. But so you will recognize that Yahweh, who the Hebrews worship, is the only God, this plague will not affect the region of Goshen where they live. The pharaoh would not relent and so the power of Yahweh was again displayed just as Moses and Aaron had said.
When he could no longer stand the flies, the pharaoh sent for Moses and said, “I will allow you to worship your god, but you must do so here in Egypt.”
Moses replied, “Any sacrifices we made here would be offensive to the Egyptians who would kill us for worshipping a god they don’t serve. We must make our three-day journey into the desert as Yahweh commanded.”
“Fine,” the pharaoh said, “I will let you offer sacrifices in the desert, but you must not go far. Now please, pray to your god to take these flies away.”
Moses replied, “As soon as I leave your presence I will pray and these flies will be gone tomorrow.” But when the swarming flies dispersed, the pharaoh again hardened his heart and refused to let the Hebrews go.
When Moses returned to the pharaoh, he said, “Think of your people and put an end to this. What has transpired until now will seem like a minor annoyance compared to what is coming if you continue. Let the Hebrews go into the desert to worship there or tomorrow will bring with it a terrible disease on the animals you depend on: horses, camels, donkeys, cows, sheep, and goats. But Yahweh will not send this plague to Goshen. When you see that the animals of the Hebrews are not diseased you will know Yahweh protects them. The pharaoh did not relent and from his hubris, his people’s livelihoods were devastated the next day as they watched all of their animals die, but not one of the Hebrews’ animals did. Yet even this did not soften the pharaoh’s heart.
When next they met, Moses took some soot from the pharaoh’s fireplace and tossed it into the air in front of him. It covered the land of Egypt and made them all break out in painful, oozing sores. But in spite of the cries of his people, the pharaoh’s heart remained unchanged.
So again, Yahweh sent Moses to the pharaoh with a message, “Let the Hebrews go into the desert and worship. If you refuse, Yahweh will demonstrate a power greater than you could imagine. Look at what has happened to your kingdom because of the stubbornness of you and your people. If Yahweh chose, you could have been utterly destroyed with but a thought. Yet all this has happened for a reason: It was Yahweh who created the world and everything in it, but you and your people have turned to other gods and have mistreated these foreigners who were once considered honored guests. You and all the world must remember the truth. So tomorrow, Yahweh will send the worst hailstorm that has ever fallen on Egypt. Please, spare your people from this disaster. Order them to take shelter with their families, because this hail will kill everything it touches.”
By this time, some of the pharaoh’s advisors had come to believe in the power of Yahweh because of what they had seen. They hurried to warn everyone of the impending storm, but many did not believe their warnings and did nothing to protect themselves.
At the appointed time, Moses stretched his staff towards the sky and Yahweh sent thunder, hail, and lightning over all the land. Not only did it kill everyone who had ignored the warnings, but It destroyed their flax and barley crops, stripping the fields bare, sparing only Goshen. Yet even amidst the devastation, God protected the Egyptians from starvation, for their wheat and spelt crop had not yet sprouted.
Seeing the devastation in his land, the pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned. I see now that Yahweh is right. Pray for this storm to stop and I will let you go.”
Moses replied, “After I leave, I will pray for the storm to stop, but I am not fooled. I know that in your heart you still do not submit to Yahweh.” And, just as Moses suspected, after the storm ended the pharaoh refused to let the Hebrews go.
Yahweh then said to Moses, “Go once more to the pharaoh, who continues in his stubbornness, for I am going to show more signs to him. Tell your children and grandchildren what I have done in Egypt so they will always remember that I am God.”
When Moses returned to the pharaoh he said, “How long will you continue to stubbornly refuse to acknowledge Yahweh? Our God has already shown mastery over the water, earth, sky, and all that dwells within. Let the Hebrews go and worship. If you do not Yahweh will bring a plague of locusts on your land. They will cover the ground, devouring what little food remains. Their infestation of your homes will be unequaled in the history of Egypt.”
The pharaoh’s advisors pleaded with him, “How long must the people suffer? Let the Hebrews go and worship. Can’t you see that Egypt has been brought to ruin.” So the pharaoh said to Moses, “Go. Worship your god. But give an accounting of who and what will make the journey.”
Moses said, “We will take our young and old, our sons and daughters, and our livestock, which we require both for feasting and for sacrifice to Yahweh.”
Pharaoh sneered back, “Do you take me for a fool? If you desire to leave with your women, children, and livestock it is clear you are conspiring against us. No! You can take just the men with you to worship your god, which was always what I assumed you wanted.” Then he ordered Moses and Aaron to leave.
After leaving, Moses had Aaron stretch his staff over Egypt. A wind blew from the east all day and night and by the next morning, locusts covered the land. Their swarms blackened the sky and they stripped the ground bare.
The pharaoh quickly called Moses and Aaron back and said, “I have sinned against Yahweh. Please, remove this plague from my kingdom.” After they left, Yahweh brought a strong wind out of the west and blew the locusts into the Red Sea. But after seeing the locusts dissipate, the pharaoh once again refused to let the Hebrews leave.
This time, and without warning, Yahweh had Moses stretch his hand towards the sky to cover Egypt in total darkness, which seemed to them to be alive, and they were unable to pierce it even with their torches. Blinded, they stood motionless and terrified. Yet in the land of Goshen, light remained for the Hebrews.
Moses and Aaron were able to maneuver through the blackness to the pharaoh and when he realized they had come into his presence he said, “Go! Worship your god! Take everyone, your men, women, and children, but leave your animals behind.”
But Moses replied, “You must allow us to have animals to sacrifice to Yahweh. We have to take them all because we do not yet know how many of them Yahweh will ask us to sacrifice.”
The pharaoh, enraged, shouted, “I am a god in the flesh, ruler of the mightiest kingdom on earth. How dare you dictate to me what I will do with your people who are my property! Get out of my sight and never come before me again, for if you do it will mean your death!”
Moses said, “As you wish. I will never appear before you again unbidden. But before I go, please, listen to my warning so that you and your people might be saved from what is coming. At midnight tonight, every eldest child in Egypt will die, from your eldest son to the eldest son of your slaves. There will be a sadness in Egypt unlike any that has ever been or ever will be. But any who seek the protection of Yahweh will be saved. Then you will know that Yahweh shows mercy on those who believe.’ And you will come to me and beg us to leave.” Then Moses left the pharaoh.
After leaving, Yahweh said to Moses, “Give these instructions to everyone. Each family must take a lamb or goat without blemish, a year-old male, and kill it, using its blood to mark the doorposts of your houses. Inside your homes, you will roast the meat of the animal over the fire and eat it, for it represents the sacrifice made for you that saves you from death. You will rid your houses of yeast, which will be a symbol for sin, and eat unleavened bread to remember to keep your lives holy. You will also eat bitter herbs to remember the bitter suffering you have endured and are being rescued from. Anything that remains you will burn in the fire. You will eat quickly, for an angel will pass through the land of Egypt tonight and kill all the firstborn in the land of Egypt. Judgment comes to all the false gods of Egypt and those who have chosen to worship them in spite of the many signs of Yahweh. But the blood on your doors will be a sign of God’s protection. You will be passed over when the angel sees it and saved from death. This Passover day you will commemorate with a feast to Yahweh throughout the generations.”
Moses delivered these instructions to the leaders of the Hebrews and anyone else who would listen. They bowed down and worshipped Yahweh before quickly returning to their homes to make the necessary preparations.
That night, at midnight, every unprotected firstborn male child in Egypt died. The pharaoh along with all of Egypt got up in the night and saw what had been done. Then an agonized cry filled all the land, for there was not a single Egyptian family without someone dead.
Then the pharaoh called Moses and Aaron before him and cried, “Go! Leave my people! You and all the Hebrews. Take everything you have and go.”
The Egyptians pushed the Hebrews to leave quickly, for they feared for their lives. The Hebrews gathered their belongings, including many valuables received as a peace offering from the Egyptians. They also gathered the bones of their ancestor Joseph, to honor his dying wish to one day be buried in Canaan. Over a million people left Egypt that day, along with countless livestock. Their ancestors came to this land as refugees. They had lived as honored guests. They had lived as mistreated slaves. They were now not only Hebrews, they were Israelites, a wealthy nation leaving Egypt to find the land that had been promised to them by God.
The pharaoh then called Shiphrah and Puah, two Hebrew midwives, and ordered them to kill all Hebrew boys as they were being born. But they were loyal to God and so they secretly refused the order. When the pharaoh learned of this, he asked, “Why have you let them live?”
But Shiphrah and Puah were clever and replied, “Hebrew women are different from Egyptian women. They give birth so fast that by the time we arrive, it is too late to do anything.” So the Hebrews, as well as the Egyptians’ fear of them, continued to grow. The pharaoh, no longer hiding his genocidal intentions, then issued this decree throughout Egypt, “Any Hebrew boy that is born must be thrown into the Nile River.”
After this order, Jochebed, a descendant of Levi, gave birth to a son, her third along with his brother Aaron and sister Miriam. She kept him hidden from the Egyptians for three months but soon realized that he would be discovered and killed. Running out of options, she devised a desperate plan to save him. She fashioned a waterproof basket, placed her son in it, then placed it among the reeds of the Nile River. But Miriam secretly kept watch over him from a distance.
It so happened that the daughter of the pharaoh went down to the river to bathe with her attendants. When she saw something strange among the reeds she sent one of her servants to get it. When she found the crying baby inside she said, “This is a Hebrew baby,” and felt sorry for him.
At that moment, Miriam mustered her courage and came out of hiding. Walking towards the pharaoh’s daughter she said, “I saw what you found. If it pleases you, I could find a Hebrew woman to be his wet nurse.”
“Go and do as you have said,” the pharaoh’s daughter replied, and so Miriam returned with Jochebed. Thus the child was raised by his own mother under the protection of the pharaoh’s daughter. Jochebed treasured the time that they had together, but when it was determined he was old enough, he left his mother and lived within the palace as the adopted son of the pharaoh’s daughter. It was she who named him Moses, which means “drawn from the water.” But the other sons of Israel were not as lucky, and their deaths caused immeasurable suffering among the Hebrews.
The years passed for Moses in the palace until he was fully grown. It was no secret that Moses was an adopted Hebrew child, and so he grew up haunted by the spectre of his people’s slavery. One day, while away from the palace, he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave. After years of feeling that, in spite of his wealth and influence, he was incapable of doing anything about his people’s suffering, a rage deep came bursting from within. Waiting until there were no witnesses, he killed the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand.
The next day, as he saw two Hebrews fighting with each other, he said, “Stop it! What is wrong with you? Why are you hitting a fellow Hebrew?”
The men replied, “Who made you judge over us? Are you going to kill us like you killed that Egyptian?” Moses, realizing he had not been as careful as he had hoped, feared for his safety should word of this reach the ears of the pharaoh. His fears were not without merit, for when the pharaoh learned that Moses had killed an Egyptian, he ordered his death. But Moses had already escaped to the land of the Midianites, descendants of a son of Abraham.
Upon finding a well and sensing he had escaped the danger of pharaoh’s wrath, he stopped. As he rested, he saw seven women arrive to get water. But other shepherds came and tried to scare the women off so that they could use the well for themselves. Moses sprang up and rescued the women from their attackers and helped them safely secure the water they needed. As they worked, he learned they were sisters drawing water for their father Jethro’s flocks.
Upon the sister’s return home, they told their father everything that had happened. He asked, “Where is he? Why did you leave him there? Go and invite him here for something to eat.”
The girls went back to retrieve Moses and after hearing his story, Jethro invited him to stay and work with his family. As it was with his ancestor Israel while tending the flocks he fell in love with one of Jethro’s daughters, Zipporah, and with Jethro’s blessing, they were soon married. Years passed, but Moses never forgot the home he had left. When his first son was born, he said, “He shall be named Gershom, because I am a sojourner here.”
For forty years, Moses made a life for himself in Midian. The pharaoh he had fled from died, but the slavery of the Hebrews continued. Their suffering brought great pain to the heart of God, but as the Hebrews cried out they did not know that their deliverance was at hand.
Moses was far from home watching Jethro’s flocks on Mount Sinai when he saw something strange in the distance, a bush that had caught fire, but did not burn. As he approached this unexplainable phenomenon, he heard a voice say, “Moses, Moses! Come no closer! Take off your sandals, for the place where you stand is holy ground. You are in the presence of the God of Israel, Isaac, and Abraham.” Hearing this, Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look.
God continued, “I have felt the suffering of my people in Egypt and I have come to rescue them from the hands of their captors, as I promised to your ancestors, and bring them to a land flowing with milk and honey. I have chosen you since before you were born to deliver my message to the pharaoh and to one day lead my people out of Egypt.”
Moses replied, “Look at what has become of me. I am a lowly shepherd. I am unworthy to convince the pharaoh to free our people.”
God replied, “Do not worry about your status or ability. I will be with you, and when you have brought my people out of Egypt, you will worship at this very mountain together.”
Moses continued, “But what if I go to the Hebrews and I tell them that I have been sent from God and they ask me what your name is?”
God answered, “I am who I am, Yahweh. This is who you will say sent you. When you have gathered the elders of Israel together, say to them that Yahweh, who loves them, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel has seen their suffering and sent you to bring them out of slavery to the land of Canaan. Then you will go to the pharaoh and say to him that the God of the Hebrews has met with you and that you desire to go into the wilderness for three days to offer sacrifices to your God. But the pharaoh will not let you go. Because of my love for them, so that they might understand that I am God and return to me, I will prove my power throughout all of Egypt. Then they ask you to leave their land, not just for three days, and at that time I will make them charitable towards you so that when you leave you will be like a conquering army instead of refugees.”
“But what if they don’t believe me or listen to me?” Moses stammered.
“Tell me what is in your hand,” Yahweh said.
Moses replied, “My staff.”
“Throw it on the ground,” Yahweh commanded, and the moment that Moses’ staff touched the ground it transformed into a snake. Moses ran from it, but Yahweh said, “Reach out and take it by the tail.” When Moses did it immediately turned back into a staff.
“If they do not believe this sign and listen to your voice, you will take water from the Nile River and as you pour it out, it will become blood. Then they will know that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel appeared to you.”
“But Yahweh,” Moses protested, “I am not a skilled speaker. I get confused about what I should say and I stammer.”
Yahweh replied, “Who made your mouth? Go. I will teach you what to say and give your words authority.”
But Moses would not relent and said, “Please Yahweh, send someone else.”
Moses’ continued unwillingness to place his trust in his God was grievous, so Yahweh said, “I know that Aaron, your brother, can speak well. He is already traveling here to see you. Speak with him. Have him become your mouthpiece.” Then Yahweh left that place and Moses gathered his flocks and journeyed towards the home of Jethro.
When he arrived, he said, “I must return to Egypt to be with my people.”
“Go, my son. I wish you all the best.” Jethro replied.
Moses then gathered his family and traveled with them towards Egypt. On his journey, as Yahweh had said, he encountered his brother Aaron. Moses revealed to him the purposes of Yahweh, and so from then on, Aaron listened to the words of Moses and spoke on his behalf. When they met with the Hebrew elders, they told them what was to come and performed the signs that Yahweh had shown Moses. When they realized that Yahweh had never abandoned the promises made to their ancestors, they bowed down and worshipped God.
With the blessing of the elders, Aaron and Moses sought out the pharaoh. When they were granted an audience with him, they said, “Yahweh, our God, wishes that all of the Hebrews be permitted to go on a three-day journey into the desert so they can worship and offer sacrifices there.”
But the pharaoh replied, “Who is this Yahweh that I should obey? I don’t know your god and I will not let the Hebrews go. Why do you seek to keep the people from their work?” Then the pharaoh sent them away and punished their insolence by telling his overseers, “No longer are you to supply the Hebrews with their straw for making bricks for our cities. They must now gather their own straw, but their brick quota will remain unchanged. Their desire to hold a festival to their god in the wilderness is nothing but a sign of laziness.”
The next day, the Hebrews feverishly worked to gather enough straw, but when they were unable to maintain their brick quota, they were beaten. Some went to the pharaoh and asked, “Why are you treating us this way? The fault is with your overseers who no longer give us straw but still tell us to make the same amount of bricks.”
The pharaoh yelled back, “You are lazy! That is why you are complaining and why Moses has requested that you be able to travel into the wilderness for three days to worship your god. Get back to work. You will not receive any more straw and your brick quota remains unchanged.”
After the elders left, they found Moses and Aaron and growled, “We hope Yahweh punishes you for making the pharaoh angry with us. You are going to get us all killed.”
Frustrated, Moses left them and when he was alone asked Yahweh, “Is this why you sent me? All that I’ve done is add to the suffering of my people.”
God replied, “My people seem to have forgotten that I am Yahweh, who appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, though I did not reveal my name to them as I have with you. With them I established my covenant, to give them the land of Canaan, where they were strangers, and to make them a blessing to all people so that the whole world might remember me.
“I feel the suffering of my people, the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep as slaves. I have always remembered my covenant, so tell the people, ‘I will free you from your slavery. I will rescue you. I will lead you to the promised land and give it to you. I will be your God and you will be my people.” Then God left Moses, but when he delivered these words, the people would not listen because their suffering was great.
So Yahweh again spoke to Moses, saying, “The pharaoh has set himself up as a god on earth and he is worshipped by the Egyptians. He has no respect for those who do not wield power. So I will give you power and authority so that in his eyes you will be almost like a god yourself. Your brother Aron will be like your prophet. He will speak everything that I tell you, but the pharaoh's heart will harden and he will not listen. So I will show many signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. And then the Egyptians will know that I am God when I stretch my hand across Egypt and bring my people out from among them.”
When Moses and Aaron returned to the pharaoh, they said, “You have answered our request by demonstrating your power over our lives. Though we serve a loving God, if the language of power is all you and your people understand, then that is how God must communicate with you.” Then Aaron threw his staff down in front of the pharaoh and it became a snake. But the pharaoh’s sorcerers, whether by sleight of hand or through demonic power, made their staves become snakes. But Yahweh’s power is peerless and so Aaron’s snake ate the magicians’ snakes in a show of superiority. But this did not convince the pharaoh to let the Hebrews go and he sent Moses and Aaron away.
The next morning they confronted the pharaoh who was on his boat on the Nile. Aaron said, “Yahweh commands you to let the Hebrews worship in the wilderness, but you have not listened. You say you don’t know our God, well now you and all of Egypt will learn that Yahweh is ruler over all, even the very water of the earth. With this staff, we will strike the water of the Nile and it will turn to blood. The fish will die, the river will stink, and your people will be unable to drink from it. And not just the nile, but all of your water, even what you have stored in jars, will turn to blood.”
Aaron then immediately stretched his staff over the river and it turned to blood as he had said. But the pharaoh’s sorcerers showed that they too could turn water to blood. So the pharaoh would not listen and returned to the palace. The people of Egypt became desperate and were forced to dig wells to find potable water deep in the ground which God had left uncursed so that they would not die.
Moses and Aaron came before the pharaoh again and said, “There is no need for this to continue. Yahweh does not wish for anyone to suffer, but you bring this pain upon yourselves because you refuse to acknowledge God. Release the Hebrews so they can worship in the desert. If you again refuse, Yahweh will plague your land with frogs. The Nile will issue them forth in droves into your houses, your beds, and your kitchens.” But he would not listen, so Aaron stretched his staff over the streams and ponds of Egypt and the frogs infested all the land.
Though the pharaoh’s sorcerers were also able to make frogs come out of the water, the infestation was too much to bear, so the pharaoh called Moses back to him and said, “Pray to your god to take these frogs away and I will let your people go and worship.”
Moses replied, “It will be done.” Then Moses left and prayed to Yahweh for relief from the frogs. Yahweh did as Moses asked and every frog that had come onto the land died. They were thrown into piles and the land smelled terrible. But when the pharaoh saw that the plague had ended, he hardened his heart and would not let the Hebrews leave.
Then Yahweh told Moses to have Aaron strike his staff on the ground. Throughout the land the dust became gnats and they swarmed all over the people and animals in Egypt. But when the pharaoh’s magicians’ tried to create their own swarm of gnats, they could not. They said to the pharaoh, “this plague was caused by the hand of Yahweh.” But the pharaoh’s heart was hard and he would not listen.
Early the next morning, Yahweh awoke Moses and Aaron with a message for the pharaoh. They approached him and said, “Let the Hebrews go and worship. If you do not, Yahweh will send swarms of flies into Egypt. They will be everywhere: in every house, on every person and animal, even the ground will be covered with them. But so you will recognize that Yahweh, who the Hebrews worship, is the only God, this plague will not affect the region of Goshen where they live. The pharaoh would not relent and so the power of Yahweh was again displayed just as Moses and Aaron had said.
When he could no longer stand the flies, the pharaoh sent for Moses and said, “I will allow you to worship your god, but you must do so here in Egypt.”
Moses replied, “Any sacrifices we made here would be offensive to the Egyptians who would kill us for worshipping a god they don’t serve. We must make our three-day journey into the desert as Yahweh commanded.”
“Fine,” the pharaoh said, “I will let you offer sacrifices in the desert, but you must not go far. Now please, pray to your god to take these flies away.”
Moses replied, “As soon as I leave your presence I will pray and these flies will be gone tomorrow.” But when the swarming flies dispersed, the pharaoh again hardened his heart and refused to let the Hebrews go.
When Moses returned to the pharaoh, he said, “Think of your people and put an end to this. What has transpired until now will seem like a minor annoyance compared to what is coming if you continue. Let the Hebrews go into the desert to worship there or tomorrow will bring with it a terrible disease on the animals you depend on: horses, camels, donkeys, cows, sheep, and goats. But Yahweh will not send this plague to Goshen. When you see that the animals of the Hebrews are not diseased you will know Yahweh protects them. The pharaoh did not relent and from his hubris, his people’s livelihoods were devastated the next day as they watched all of their animals die, but not one of the Hebrews’ animals did. Yet even this did not soften the pharaoh’s heart.
When next they met, Moses took some soot from the pharaoh’s fireplace and tossed it into the air in front of him. It covered the land of Egypt and made them all break out in painful, oozing sores. But in spite of the cries of his people, the pharaoh’s heart remained unchanged.
So again, Yahweh sent Moses to the pharaoh with a message, “Let the Hebrews go into the desert and worship. If you refuse, Yahweh will demonstrate a power greater than you could imagine. Look at what has happened to your kingdom because of the stubbornness of you and your people. If Yahweh chose, you could have been utterly destroyed with but a thought. Yet all this has happened for a reason: It was Yahweh who created the world and everything in it, but you and your people have turned to other gods and have mistreated these foreigners who were once considered honored guests. You and all the world must remember the truth. So tomorrow, Yahweh will send the worst hailstorm that has ever fallen on Egypt. Please, spare your people from this disaster. Order them to take shelter with their families, because this hail will kill everything it touches.”
By this time, some of the pharaoh’s advisors had come to believe in the power of Yahweh because of what they had seen. They hurried to warn everyone of the impending storm, but many did not believe their warnings and did nothing to protect themselves.
At the appointed time, Moses stretched his staff towards the sky and Yahweh sent thunder, hail, and lightning over all the land. Not only did it kill everyone who had ignored the warnings, but It destroyed their flax and barley crops, stripping the fields bare, sparing only Goshen. Yet even amidst the devastation, God protected the Egyptians from starvation, for their wheat and spelt crop had not yet sprouted.
Seeing the devastation in his land, the pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned. I see now that Yahweh is right. Pray for this storm to stop and I will let you go.”
Moses replied, “After I leave, I will pray for the storm to stop, but I am not fooled. I know that in your heart you still do not submit to Yahweh.” And, just as Moses suspected, after the storm ended the pharaoh refused to let the Hebrews go.
Yahweh then said to Moses, “Go once more to the pharaoh, who continues in his stubbornness, for I am going to show more signs to him. Tell your children and grandchildren what I have done in Egypt so they will always remember that I am God.”
When Moses returned to the pharaoh he said, “How long will you continue to stubbornly refuse to acknowledge Yahweh? Our God has already shown mastery over the water, earth, sky, and all that dwells within. Let the Hebrews go and worship. If you do not Yahweh will bring a plague of locusts on your land. They will cover the ground, devouring what little food remains. Their infestation of your homes will be unequaled in the history of Egypt.”
The pharaoh’s advisors pleaded with him, “How long must the people suffer? Let the Hebrews go and worship. Can’t you see that Egypt has been brought to ruin.” So the pharaoh said to Moses, “Go. Worship your god. But give an accounting of who and what will make the journey.”
Moses said, “We will take our young and old, our sons and daughters, and our livestock, which we require both for feasting and for sacrifice to Yahweh.”
Pharaoh sneered back, “Do you take me for a fool? If you desire to leave with your women, children, and livestock it is clear you are conspiring against us. No! You can take just the men with you to worship your god, which was always what I assumed you wanted.” Then he ordered Moses and Aaron to leave.
After leaving, Moses had Aaron stretch his staff over Egypt. A wind blew from the east all day and night and by the next morning, locusts covered the land. Their swarms blackened the sky and they stripped the ground bare.
The pharaoh quickly called Moses and Aaron back and said, “I have sinned against Yahweh. Please, remove this plague from my kingdom.” After they left, Yahweh brought a strong wind out of the west and blew the locusts into the Red Sea. But after seeing the locusts dissipate, the pharaoh once again refused to let the Hebrews leave.
This time, and without warning, Yahweh had Moses stretch his hand towards the sky to cover Egypt in total darkness, which seemed to them to be alive, and they were unable to pierce it even with their torches. Blinded, they stood motionless and terrified. Yet in the land of Goshen, light remained for the Hebrews.
Moses and Aaron were able to maneuver through the blackness to the pharaoh and when he realized they had come into his presence he said, “Go! Worship your god! Take everyone, your men, women, and children, but leave your animals behind.”
But Moses replied, “You must allow us to have animals to sacrifice to Yahweh. We have to take them all because we do not yet know how many of them Yahweh will ask us to sacrifice.”
The pharaoh, enraged, shouted, “I am a god in the flesh, ruler of the mightiest kingdom on earth. How dare you dictate to me what I will do with your people who are my property! Get out of my sight and never come before me again, for if you do it will mean your death!”
Moses said, “As you wish. I will never appear before you again unbidden. But before I go, please, listen to my warning so that you and your people might be saved from what is coming. At midnight tonight, every eldest child in Egypt will die, from your eldest son to the eldest son of your slaves. There will be a sadness in Egypt unlike any that has ever been or ever will be. But any who seek the protection of Yahweh will be saved. Then you will know that Yahweh shows mercy on those who believe.’ And you will come to me and beg us to leave.” Then Moses left the pharaoh.
After leaving, Yahweh said to Moses, “Give these instructions to everyone. Each family must take a lamb or goat without blemish, a year-old male, and kill it, using its blood to mark the doorposts of your houses. Inside your homes, you will roast the meat of the animal over the fire and eat it, for it represents the sacrifice made for you that saves you from death. You will rid your houses of yeast, which will be a symbol for sin, and eat unleavened bread to remember to keep your lives holy. You will also eat bitter herbs to remember the bitter suffering you have endured and are being rescued from. Anything that remains you will burn in the fire. You will eat quickly, for an angel will pass through the land of Egypt tonight and kill all the firstborn in the land of Egypt. Judgment comes to all the false gods of Egypt and those who have chosen to worship them in spite of the many signs of Yahweh. But the blood on your doors will be a sign of God’s protection. You will be passed over when the angel sees it and saved from death. This Passover day you will commemorate with a feast to Yahweh throughout the generations.”
Moses delivered these instructions to the leaders of the Hebrews and anyone else who would listen. They bowed down and worshipped Yahweh before quickly returning to their homes to make the necessary preparations.
That night, at midnight, every unprotected firstborn male child in Egypt died. The pharaoh along with all of Egypt got up in the night and saw what had been done. Then an agonized cry filled all the land, for there was not a single Egyptian family without someone dead.
Then the pharaoh called Moses and Aaron before him and cried, “Go! Leave my people! You and all the Hebrews. Take everything you have and go.”
The Egyptians pushed the Hebrews to leave quickly, for they feared for their lives. The Hebrews gathered their belongings, including many valuables received as a peace offering from the Egyptians. They also gathered the bones of their ancestor Joseph, to honor his dying wish to one day be buried in Canaan. Over a million people left Egypt that day, along with countless livestock. Their ancestors came to this land as refugees. They had lived as honored guests. They had lived as mistreated slaves. They were now not only Hebrews, they were Israelites, a wealthy nation leaving Egypt to find the land that had been promised to them by God.
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