The commentary for today's reading in the Chronological Bible mentions that some 400 years pass before another Scriptural account focuses back on the descendants of Israel in Egypt.  However God is far from being silent during those intervening years.  There are many other scrolls, tablets, and books that fill in the gaps.

The book of Job would properly be placed here in the timeline - between Genesis and Exodus.

Quite a bit has happened to the descendants of the sons of Jacob. For a while they reigned in Egypt (Lower Egypt - in the North - remember the Nile runs south to north) but now as the biblical record continues, they are enslaved.  There is a new king (from Upper Egypt who invaded Lower Egypt) in power who did not know about Joseph. This new king ordered the death of the baby boys in a effort to control the population of the Hebrew slaves.

A baby boy, later to be known as Moses, was born to Levite parents.  He was a "fine child". KJV says he was a "goodly" child. Was he one of those "easy" babies who don't cry very often? Is so, it would be easier to hide him, at least for the first few months.

Notice the verse about Pharaoh ordering that all baby boys be thrown into the Nile. Moses' mother was obedient to the order. She did add a little detail however when she placed him in a basket first. When Moses  was found by Pharaoh’s daughter, she gave him back to his mother to take care of him, and not only take care of him, but she paid Moses’ mother to do it! Isn’t it just like God? He does more for us than we could ever imagine!

How did Pharaoh's daughter know Moses was a Hebrew baby? Could it be because he was circumcised?

As an adult, Moses killed an Egyptian slave master and as a result fled from Egypt and into Midian.  This area is between Edom and Paran, east of Egypt across the Red Sea and far south of the Dead Sea.  There are many historians who believe that there were God-believing people living there when Moses arrived.  In fact Moses married the daughter of a priest of Midian.

Many years later in the land of Midian God speaks to Moses from a burning bush.

The angel of the Lord appeared to Moses from within a bush. God spoke to Moses from within the bush. Can we connect some dots here???

Our granddaughter, age 5 when retelling this story, related that God told Moses to take off his sandals because they were on fire.

God asked Moses to go to Egypt to bring the Israelites out. Moses offered up:
EXCUSES, EXCUSES, EXCUSES
1. Moses: "Who am I that I should go?"
God: "I will go with you."
2. Moses: "What is your name?"
God: "I AM."
3. Moses: "What if they don't believe me?"
God: "You will show them signs and wonders."
4. Moses: "I don't speak very well."
God: "I will help you speak."
5. Moses’ fifth excuse as to why he couldn’t go was “O Lord, please send someone else to do it.”

At this final excuse, the Lord's anger burned against Moses and so God says He will send Moses' brother Aaron. Interestingly, Aaron was already on his way.

Pay very close attention to the staff that is mentioned over the next few days' readings. There is great significance to this staff.

God also told Moses that He would harden Pharaoh's heart. But we find out later that there is a reason for this hardening of the heart. God gave Moses His entire plan, from beginning to end, including the final plague.

Going back to Moses' excuses, can we draw some conclusions concerning ourselves? How often have all of us offered up the same or similar excuses when God calls us to do His work?

We must remember that God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called!