elites would not trust him, and
began to whisper the tale of how he had killed the Egyptian, so that
Moses was obliged to flee for his life, leaving behind all the riches
and honours he had enjoyed so long.

A very different kind of life began now for Moses. He journeyed far
into the desert and joined company there with an Arab tribe, and
wandered from place to place feeding their flocks and living the life
of a shepherd.

But God had more difficult work for him to do than feeding sheep, and
one day when he was in the desert he saw a strange sight. A bush was
growing there, and in the middle of the bush a fire was burning, and
the strange thing was that although the fire kept on burning fiercely
the bush was not burnt at all. It was the Angel of the Lord that was
in the midst of the fire, and as Moses drew near God called him by his
name, and told him that he was to go back and set his people free
from the tyranny of Pharaoh and lead them into the Promised Land.

[Illustration: In the middle of the bush a fire was burning.]

At first Moses said it was impossible for him to do this. His own
people would not trust him, and he was no great speaker; he would
certainly fail. But God bade him do his best, and Aaron his brother
would speak for him; and above all God would be his helper.

[Illustration: "Arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this
people." Joshua i. 2.]

So Moses returned to the land of Egypt and boldly asked Pharaoh to
allow the people to go and worship God. Time after time Pharaoh
refused, although God sent dreadful plagues to warn him. At last,
however, when the angel of death killed all the eldest sons of the
Egyptians, Pharaoh was terrified and said the people might go at once
and take all their belongings with them.

[Illustration: The Land of Canaan lay stretched out before him.]

It was a great company of people that set out, and Moses the great
leader guided them on their way. They had many adventures, and braved
many dangers and difficulties, but God was always their shield and
defence. He delivered them by parting the waters of the Red Sea and
allowing them to walk over dry-shod when Pharaoh and his army were
pursuing them. And when the pursuers tried to follow them, the waters
rolled back, and the whole great army were swept away by the returning
tide.

Yet in spite of God's care and goodness towards them, these Israelites
were often ungrateful, and complained bitterly when they suffer