Moses and the Burning Bush

Moses and the Burning Bush (Exodus 3:1-15, Spark pages 72-75)

In last week’s story, Moses was a baby and saved by Pharaoh’s daughter.  Well,  in our story today, a looooong time has past, and Moses is now a daddy and a farmer who watches over sheep.

It was HOT.  WHEW!  It was dry.  Moses was watching over his sheep in the desert, trying to help them find food and water.  He looked up and—LOOK!  Over there!

There was a bush on fire!!  Help! WAIT—look CLOSER.  The bush WAS on fire, but it didn’t burn up.  Nothing else around it was catching on fire!  Moses was surprised—and confused.  He squinted his eyes—can you squint with me?  He looked at the bush this way.  He looked at the bush that way.  He looked around the bush.  It didn’t make sense.  Why wasn’t anything else catching on fire?

GOD:  Moses!  Moses!

Moses was scared, but still he answered:

MOSES:  Here I am.

GOD:  Take off your shoes.  The place you are standing is holy ground.

We’re on holy ground—can you take off your shoes with me? We take off our shoes to show respect.  Moses kicked off his sandals, keeping his eyes on the flaming bush. 

GOD:  I am the God of your fathers.

OH!  It’s God!  Moses hid his face—he was afraid to look at God.  Can you hide your faces with me?

GOD:  I have heard my people crying in Egypt.  My people are hurting and sad and I have come to help and save them.

Moses wasn’t sure how God might do this, so he may have looked confused.

GOD:  GO! 

God said

GOD: I am sending you to Pharaoh to ask him to let my people go.

MOSES:  ME?  Who I am to do this?  Pharaoh doesn’t know me, I’ve never been a leader.  I—I have a speech problem! Who will listen to a guy that hasn’t been a leader and isn’t a strong speaker?

GOD:  Moses, I will be with you.”

Then Moses did something very important—he trusted God.  Though he didn’t like speaking in public and he was scared, he was willing to do everything God said. 

God gave Moses the words and power he needed to talk to Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egypt.

What’s one thing you had to do that was scary?  What about some time you had to trust God?  Let’s add these as pictures or phrases to our God sighting board!