Moses and the Burning Bush

Moses and the Burning Bush

The story of Moses and the burning bush is one of the most famous stories in the bible. Yahweh's; the name of God in the Hebrew Bible, relationship with the Jewish people is represented by Moses' experience with the burning bush. The life of Moses is separated into three, forty year time periods.

Moses was born to a Hebrew woman, but for his first forty years, he was brought up as the son of Pharaoh's daughter, in Pharaoh's palace. Moses learned all the wisdom and skills of the Egyptians. Unlike the Hebrews, he was comfortable and privileged. Eventually his pleasures turned to outrage at seeing an Egyptian beating a Jewish slave. Moses' killed the Egyptian and fled Egypt to the land of Midian, in fear of the Egyptian punishment for murder. Jethro, the priest of Midian, gave Moses shelter. He married the priest's daughter and for his second forty years, became a Shepard of his father-in-laws flocks. During his second forty years, Moses led his flock to the far side of the desert, to a place called Horeb, the mountain of God, also known as Mount Sinai. There the angel of God appeared to him, in a flame that lit from the middle of the thorn bush. The fire, however did not burn the bush. Some believe that through thought, Moses turned to God and this is what led him to the burning bush. Others, that God could hear the cries of his chosen people, brutally enslaved. When he saw that Moses came close He called to him. When Moses heard the voice, he fell to his knees. He was afraid to look at the bush, which he knew was God. The Jews didn't consider a man worthy to look directly at God. The Bible says no one can see God and live to tell about it. God tells Moses, that he had seen the misery of the Jewish and had come to bring them out of Egypt to a country rich with milk and honey, to Canaan. Moses gave him many reasons why he should not be chosen as his messenger. He pleaded with him that he was not eloquent to talk and convince people. God answered that he would help Moses speak. When Moses asked who he should say sent him, God responded, "I am who I am, I am, Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." He also gave Moses three signs to show his chosen ones. Moses' staff would become a serpent, he could observed that his hand temporarily turned white, as if afflicted by leprosy, then keeping it in the dark area of his shit, it would transform back to his normal flesh and he could turn water into blood. Moses' still begged for someone else to be sent in his place, so Yahweh sent Moses' brother, Aaron. It was then that Moses accepted and spent his last forty years leading the Jewish from Egypt, to the Promised Land. "If...God so commands you, then you will be able" (Exodus 3:12). The vision of the burning bush therefore makes clear the historic and spiritual essence of Israel, the