Through the Bible – Day 21

₁Moses asked the LORD, “Suppose everyone refuses to listen to my message, and no one believes that you really appeared to me?”

₂The LORD answered, “What's that in your hand?”

“A walking stick,” Moses replied.

₃“Throw it down!” the LORD commanded. So Moses threw the stick on the ground. It immediately turned into a snake, and Moses jumped back.

₄“Pick it up by the tail!” the LORD told him. And when Moses did this, the snake turned back into a walking stick.

₅“Do this,” the LORD said, “and the Israelites will believe that you have seen me, the God who was worshipped by their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

₆Next, the LORD commanded Moses, “Put your hand inside your shirt.” Moses obeyed, and when he took it out, his hand had turned white as snow—like someone with leprosy.

₇“Put your hand back inside your shirt,” the LORD told him. Moses did so, and when he took it out again, it was as healthy as the rest of his body.

_8-9Then the LORD said, “If no one believes either of these miracles, take some water from the River Nile and pour it on the ground. The water will immediately turn into blood.”

₁₀Moses replied, “I have never been a good speaker. I wasn't one before you spoke to me, and I'm not one now. I am slow at speaking, and I can never think of what to say.”

₁₁But the LORD answered, “Who makes people able to speak or makes them deaf or unable to speak? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Don't you know that I am the one who does these things? ₁₂Now go! When you speak, I will be with you and give you the words to say.”

₁₃Moses begged, “LORD, please send someone else to do it.”

₁₄The LORD became irritated with Moses and said:

₁₈Moses went to his father-in-law Jethro and asked, “Please let me return to Egypt to see if any of my people are still alive.”

“All right,” Jethro replied. “I hope all goes well.”

₁₉But even before this, the LORD had told Moses, “Leave the land of Midian and return to Egypt. Everyone who wanted to kill you is dead.” ₂₀So Moses put his wife and sons on donkeys and headed for Egypt, holding the walking stick that had the power of God.

₂₁On the way the LORD said to Moses:

₂₄One night while Moses was in camp, the LORD was about to kill him. ₂₅But Zipporah circumcised her son with a flint knife. She touched his legs with the skin she had cut off and said, “My dear son, this blood will protect you.” ₂₆So the LORD did not harm Moses. Then Zipporah said, “Yes, my dear, you are safe because of this circumcision.”

₂₇The LORD sent Aaron to meet Moses in the desert. So Aaron met Moses at Mount Sinai and greeted him with a kiss. ₂₈Moses told Aaron what God had sent him to say; he also told him about the miracles God had given him the power to perform.

₂₉Later they brought together the leaders of Israel, ₃₀and Aaron told them what the LORD had sent Moses to say. Then Moses worked the miracles for the people, ₃₁and everyone believed. They bowed down and worshipped the LORD because they knew that he had seen their suffering and was going to help them.

₁Moses and Aaron went to the king of Egypt and told him, “The LORD God says, ‘Let my people go into the desert, so they can honour me with a celebration there.’ ”

₂“Who is this LORD and why should I obey him?” the king replied. “I refuse to let you and your people go!”

₃They answered, “The LORD God of the Hebrews, has appeared to us. Please let us walk three days into the desert where we can offer sacrifices to him. If you don't, he may strike us down with terrible troubles or with war.”

_4-5The king said, “Moses and Aaron, why are you keeping these people from working? Look how many you are keeping from doing their work. Now everyone get back to work!”

₆That same day the king gave orders to his slave bosses and to the men directly in charge of the Israelite slaves. He told them:

₁₀The slave bosses and the men in charge of the slaves went out and told them, “The king says he will not give you any more straw. ₁₁Go and find your own straw wherever you can, but you must still make as many bricks as before.”

₁₂The slaves went all over Egypt, looking for straw. ₁₃But the slave bosses were hard on them and kept saying, “Each day you have to make as many bricks as you did when you were given straw.” ₁₄The bosses beat the men in charge of the slaves and said, “Why didn't you force the slaves to make as many bricks yesterday and today as they did before?”

₁₅Finally, the men in charge of the slaves went to the king and said, “Why are you treating us like this? ₁₆No one brings us any straw, but we are still ordered to make the same number of bricks. We are beaten with whips, and your own people are to blame.”

₁₇The king replied, “You are lazy—nothing but lazy! That's why you keep asking me to let you go and sacrifice to your LORD. ₁₈Get back to work! You won't be given straw, but you must still make the same number of bricks.”

₁₉The men knew they were in deep trouble when they were ordered to make the same number of bricks each day. ₂₀After they left the king, they went to see Moses and Aaron, who had been waiting for them. ₂₁Then the men said, “We hope the LORD will punish both of you for making the king and his officials hate us. Now they even have an excuse to kill us.”

₂₂Moses left them and prayed, “Our LORD, why have you brought so much trouble on your people? Is that why you sent me here? ₂₃Ever since you told me to speak to the king, he has caused nothing but trouble for these people. And you haven't done a thing to help.”

₁The LORD God told Moses:

₉When Moses told this to the Israelites, they were too discouraged and ill-treated to believe him.

₁₀Then the LORD told Moses ₁₁to demand that the king of Egypt let the Israelites leave. ₁₂But Moses replied, “I'm not a powerful speaker. If the Israelites won't listen to me, why should the king of Egypt?” ₁₃But the LORD sent Aaron and Moses with a message for the Israelites and for the king; he also ordered Aaron and Moses to free the people from Egypt.

₂₄Jesus then told them this story:

₃₁Jesus told them another story:

₃₃Jesus also said:

₃₄Jesus used stories when he spoke to the people. In fact, he did not tell them anything without using stories. ₃₅So God's promise came true, just as the prophet had said,

₃₆After Jesus left the crowd and went inside, his disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the story about the weeds in the wheat field.”

₃₇Jesus answered: