|
|
|
© 2024, Life Connection
International, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Has someone ever asked you to do something that you felt unsure about? How did you respond?
God's people, the Israelites, were slaves in Egypt. God was concerned about them and wanted to rescue them. He wanted to give them their own land. So God asked a man named Moses to go to the king of Egypt. God wanted Moses to ask the king to release the people. But Moses wasn't so sure about doing this.
Now, use your imagination, as we journey back through time to look at the Life Connection Story "Moses Part 1."
(Story adapted from Exodus 1 to 4)
My name is Moses. I am excited to share with you how God worked in my life.
The Israelites were Abraham's descendents through his son Isaac. Isaac's son Israel (also called Jacob) and his family moved to Egypt. Israel had seventy people in his family. But 430 years later, about two million Israelites lived in Egypt! Pharaoh (the king of Egypt) feared that the Israelites might attack the Egyptians and leave the country. So the Egyptians made the Israelites work as slaves. God's people suffered terribly. God had promised to give the Israelites their own, good land. He always keeps His promises.
God had a plan for me from the time I was a baby. Pharaoh told the nurses to kill all the newborn Israelite boys. But the nurses trusted God and let the babies live. (I was one of those babies.) Then Pharaoh told the Egyptians to throw every newborn Israelite boy into the Nile River. I also ended up in the Nile River-by a different way. My mother made a basket and put me in it. Then she put the basket into the Nile River. My sister stayed nearby.
Pharaoh's daughter found the basket. She wanted me as her son, but she needed someone to take care of me. So my sister went and got my mother. Pharaoh's daughter paid my mother to take care of me! My mother cared for me until I could eat solid food. Then Pharaoh's daughter adopted me. I was an Israelite, but I grew up as an Egyptian in Pharaoh's family.
Years later, I saw an Egyptian man beating an Israelite man-one of my people. I killed the Egyptian. I thought I could use my power to help my people. After all, I was Pharaoh's grandson. The next day, I tried to break up a fight between two Israelites, but they didn't want my help. They didn't even respect my power. One of them said, "Who made you our judge? You're not the boss of us." Then he asked whether I planned to kill him, too. Now everyone knew that I had killed an Egyptian! I had to get out of Egypt-fast. I ran away to live in the land of Midian. In Midian, I got married and worked as a shepherd. For forty years, I took care of my father-in-law's sheep.
One day, I came to the mountain of Sinai. A bush was on fire, but the flames did not burn up the bush. Amazing! I had to get a closer look. An angel of the Lord called to me in the flames coming out of the bush. The Lord said that He had seen the Israelites' suffering and was concerned about them. He wanted me to represent Him and bring His people out of Egypt. Me! I was not a great man, but God said He would be with me. I wanted proof, though. What if the Israelites didn't believe that God had appeared to me? God said to tell them that "I AM WHO I AM" sent me to them. That is God's name. He is the Eternal One-the One who has always been.
Then God asked me to throw down my walking stick. It was my most important tool as a shepherd. God wanted me to give up my life as a shepherd and trust Him. When the walking stick hit the ground, it became a snake. I ran! Then God told me to grab the snake by the tail. I did it, and it turned into a walking stick again. God also gave me other miracles. Maybe the people would listen and believe when they saw the miracles.
I still wasn't convinced, though. I never could speak well or find the right words. God reminded me that He made my mouth. He would speak through me. I begged God to send someone else. He said that He would give me the words, and my brother Aaron would speak for me. God wanted me to trust Him. His power, not mine, would bring the people out of Egypt.
Let's thank God for all He has done and for His great love for us. Pray these words of praise to Him:
Dear God, You promised to give the Israelites their own, good land. You had a plan for Moses from the time he was a baby. Thank You for always remembering Your promises and keeping them. Thank You for having a plan for me.
Use Exodus 1-4 and the Life Connection Story. They will help you complete your Life Connection Response.
|
|
|
|
|
|
