(When Pharaoh learned of the matter, he sought to kill Moses; but Moses fled from Pharaoh.
Moses arrived in the land of Midian, and sat down beside a well. Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. The daughters came to draw water for their father’s flock, but shepherds came and drove them off. Moses rose to their defense, and he watered their flock.
When the daughters returned to their father he said, “How is it that you have come back so soon today?” They answered, “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds; he even drew water for us and watered the flock.” The father said to his daughters, “Where is he then? Why did you leave the man? Ask him in to join me for a meal.”
Moses consented to stay with the man, and the man gave Moses his daughter Zipporah as wife. She bore a son whom he named Gershom, for he said, “I have been a stranger in a foreign land.”
- Where does Moses go?
- Why do you think he stays?
- What happens while he is there?
Explain to students that we don't know the answers to these questions. Just as Steven Spielberg surmised some of them in Prince of Egypt, a movie created decades earlier named The 10 Commandments, also surmises about Moses. Here is a clip from his early days in Midian.
Video clip from 10 Commandments (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsc-5GHRG38)
What do you think of the idea that Moses was angry with God?
A long time after that, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites were groaning under the bondage and cried out; and their cry for help rose up to God. God heard their moaning, and God remembered the covenant with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. God looked upon the Israelites, and God took notice of them.
- What did we just learn?
- What do you think it means that God took notice? What could happen next?
- Do we have evidence that God has already taken notice?
One thought
A Midrash from Shemot Rabbah on the question, Why Moses?
Now Moses was tending flock and God tests Moses. When Moses was tending Jethro's flock in the wilderness, a lamb scampered off. After a time, Moses noticed that it was missing. Moses set off to find the lamb and eventually found it near a stream, drinking. When Moses caught up with the lamb, Moses said, "I did not know that you ran away becuase you were thirsty. Now you must be tired." And Moses lifted the lamb onto his shoulders and carried the lam back to the flock. God then said, Because you showed such compassion in tending the to the flock of a person, you shall become the shepherd to My flock, the people of Israel.
- What is this Midrash telling us about an answer to the question, "Why Moses?"
- What is this Midrash teaching us about how we should be making our own choices?
A messenger of God appeared to Moses in a blazing fire out of a bush. Moses gazed, and there was a bush on fire, yet the bush was not consumed. Moses said, “I must turn aside to look at this marvelous sight; why doesn’t the bush burn up?” When God saw that Moses had turned aside to look, God called to him out of the bush: “Moses! Moses!” He answered, “Hineini. Here I am.” (5) And God said, “Do not come closer! Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you stand is holy ground!” I am the God of your father —the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
- What just happened?
- What questions do you have about this strange incident in the wilderness?
- Why a thornbush?
Midrash from Shemot Rabbah
A person asked, Why did God speak to Moses out of a thornbush and not out of another kind of tree? Rabbi Joshua ben Korhah replied: Had God spoken to Moses out of a carob tree or out of a sycamore tree, you would have asked me the same question; yet to dismiss you without a reply is not right. The choice of a thornbush teaches us that no place on earth lacks God. God is everywhere, even in a thornbush.
When Moses sees the thornbush is on fire but not burning up, he
1. Looks aside
2. Says Hineini - Here I am . I am present and I am ready.
3. Follows God's directives to remove his sandals and to not come closer for he is standing on holy ground.
What do you think of his actions?
Torn Paper Midrash or drawing: Imagine all that Moses has been through until this point. He has come across this bush that is burning and is not consumed. He has heard the voice of God calling to him and said Hineini
Create a picture of Moses at that moment of seeing the burning bush. Include yourself somewhere in the picture.