This is meant to be a fun reading (with some commentary) for all ages through Scripture. Please do not take this as a substitute for reading through the Bible on your own.
Previously, Moses fled to the land of Midian where he was befriended by a local priest named Jethro. Eventually Moses marries Jethro's daughter Zipporah and they start to have a family together. Moses slowly starts to settle in his new life tending Jethro's sheep.
Though raised by Pharaoh's daughter, Moses belonged to the people known as Israelites or Hebrews. His people were forced into a harsh slavery by the Egyptians. Though the old Pharaoh died, the Israelites continued to suffer in slavery and captivity, and they cried out to God for help. God heard their cry, and knew this was the time to do something.
It is at this time that Moses takes Jethro's flock near Mount Horeb. This is a very important mountain in the story of God. It is where many pilgrimages lead, as we will see throughout the stories of Scripture. Many of these pilgrimages lead to great changes for great people.
That is what happens for Moses on this particular day. While leading the flock, he saw a flaming bush. What made this sight so remarkable is that though the bush appeared to be on fire, it was not actually burning up. Moses being in awe, like we all would be, turned aside to take a closer look.
At this moment the Lord calls to Moses by name from the bush. Moses responds, and God asks him to remove his sandals, for Moses is, in fact, standing on holy ground.
God continues by stating who is speaking to him. God tells him, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob."
God then tells Moses that the Lord has seen what has happened to God's people, the Israelites, in Egypt. God has come to deliver the Hebrews and take them to a better land, a "land flowing with milk and honey." God plans to send Moses to the new Pharaoh in order to bring the people out of Egypt.
Moses, at this point, is very scared, and asks "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt." God tells him not to be afraid for God will be with him throughout the way. God even gives him a sign to look forward to, for once Moses has brought the people out of Egypt, he will bring them to Mount Horeb, the very place they are speaking, and the people will worship God on this same mountain.
Yet Moses is still unsure. He seems uncertain that the Israelites will know who he is talking about if he tells them the God of their ancestors sent him. He asks God what name is he supposed to give them. God responds by giving God's Name, the name known as "The Holy Name".
Now Hebrew is a very different language from English, which can make it hard to understand what the Holy Name actually means. Often times, we translate it as "I AM WHAT I AM" or, more simply, "I AM WHO I AM".
When the Holy Name was first written it did not, like all written Hebrew words, have vowels. Words without vowels are impossible to say, so in modern times, Hebrew adds a series of dots and lines to indicate what the vowels are.
However, the Holy Name was not intended to have vowels so it can be open to all possibly interpretations. Thus the Holy Name can mean:
I AM WHO I AM
I WAS WHO I WAS
I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE
It can also mean:
I AM WHO I WAS
I AM WHO I WILL BE
I WAS WHO I AM
I WAS WHO I WILL BE
I WILL BE WHO I WAS
I WILL BE WHO I AM
The lack of vowels means the Holy Name means all these things at the same time. That means God is constant and beyond our complete understanding. That means it's okay if you're not sure what all this means. All you have to remember is that God is greater than us as human beings.
This all also means that the Holy Name isn't really meant for us to speak. Some try to do this, and this is wrong. We are called show respect to God for the fullness of Who God Is. That is why, from ancient times until even now, whenever the Holy Name occurs in Scripture, Hebrew speakers replace that word for Adonai, which means "LORD".
So whenever you see the Holy Name of God spelled out in a form it can be spoken (typically with Y, A, W, E, and H), don't say it. Simply replace that word with Adonai, or even Lord. That way you can show the same respect for the Holy Name of God that has been shown throughout time, for God calls on Moses to introduce the Lord with this Name, and that this be God's Name and Title throughout all generations.
God then tells Moses what he is to repeat to the Israelites. God assures Moses that the people will listen to him, and that Moses will then approach the new Pharaoh of Egypt and ask that the Israelites be set free. God will then show many signs so that Pharaoh will eventually believe and let the Israelites go.
Moses is still uncertain that the Israelites will believe him, so God gives him two signs. The first is with Moses' staff. When Moses throws it on the ground, at God's command, it turns into a snake. When Moses grabs it by the tail, the snake turns back into a staff.
The second sign is that when Moses, again at God's command, puts his hand in his cloak and takes his hand out, it has spots on it like he is sick. When Moses puts his hand back in and out of his cloak again, everything is fine and his hand is healthy once again.
Moses, however, still remains unwilling to do the work God has set before him. He now mentions that he has a speech impediment, which many believe means he stuttered. He tells God this will prevent him from being a good candidate to speak to the people. Yet God tells Moses that it is the Lord who gives people speech, and so God will be with him.
Finally Moses, out of excuses, asks God to send someone, anyone, else instead of him. God, understandably, is frustrated with Moses at this point. God tells him, 'Fine. I'll send your brother, Aaron. You will tell Aaron what to say and he will speak it for you.'
In a strange way, this might have been better. In those days, people believed that a god would send a prophet to speak for that god. The Egyptians would have understood Aaron as a prophet and Moses as his god. In this way, Moses ended up serving as a literal stand-in for God to the Egyptians. It would have made it feel like God was even closer to them. The Lord even tells this to Moses later as he gets ready to face Pharaoh.
Now Moses prepared to free his people. He asked his father-in-law, Jethro permission to leave. Being a priest, and a priest, as it will later be revealed, to the One True God, Jethro understood what Moses had to do, and happily sent him, with a blessing of peace, on his way. As Moses and Zipporah went with their children, they met Aaron on the way, for God had sent him. After embracing each other, Moses told his brother everything, and they prepared to free the Israelites from Egypt.
God first sends Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh with a simple request: let the Israelites go so they can hold a religious festival for the Lord. If he does not, Moses and Aaron warn, there will be consequences. Pharaoh does not listen, though. In fact, he does the opposite and makes the Israelites' work even harder. In turn, the Israelites complained to Moses and Aaron about what they had done. Moses then reaches out to God, asking why God ever put him up to this task. Yet God reassures Moses. God tells Moses that now the Lord's true might will be revealed.
God's plan starts small and with actions that Pharaoh not only would have understood, but his own people would have been able to replicate. God does this by giving the commands to Moses who then will give the command to Aaron.