Just Because: The Story of Salvation for Children by Steve Copland

see
    Moses was still worried.
    “Put your hand inside your coat, Moses,” the
    Lord told him, and Moses did as he was told.
    “Now take your hand out.”
    Moses took his hand out and couldn’t believe his
    eyes. His hand was covered in ugly big sores, and
    it looked as if it was rotten and might fall clean off.
    On top of that it didn’t smell too good. Moses knew
    that when people had this disease they were going to
    die. Poor old Moses stood there staring at his yucky-
    looking arm, and the Lord spoke again and told him
    to put it back inside his coat. This time when he
    pulled it out again it was back to normal, as good as
    new. He was very relieved.
    The Lord told him that if they didn’t believe
    the first miracle with his staff they would believe
    the second. Just in case they still wouldn’t believe
    him, he should get some water from the river where
    Pharaoh’s daughter found him; when he threw it on
    the ground it would turn into blood.
    Now Moses could see the Lord had it all figured
    out, but he still didn’t want to go. So he said to the
    Lord, “Sometimes I don’t speak too well when I get
    nervous, Lord, and I stutter.” Actually many people
    stutter when they are n-n-n-n-nervous, and Moses
    was one of these.
    94
    Just Because
    The Lord replied, “Who makes a man able to
    speak or not able to speak? Who makes a man able to
    see or not able to see? It is I the Lord, and I will help
    you to speak.”
    But Moses argued and said, “Oh, Lord, please
    send someone else to do it.”
    It was a good thing the Lord was patient or He
    might have turned old Moses into a snake himself.
    Instead He said to Moses. “Okay, you can take your
    brother Aaron with you because he speaks well. You
    will tell him what to say, and he can repeat it for you.
    Now get going and meet Aaron, and don’t forget to
    take your staff with you.”
    So Moses went back home and got his wife and
    son. They loaded up some good-smelling donkeys,
    met Aaron and headed off to Egypt. He was still
    nervous about what might happen in Egypt, but he
    had decided he should obey the Lord. He had his
    staff and his brother, and he knew the Lord had given
    him power to do the miracles so the people would
    believe him. He also knew the Lord would be with
    him because the Lord had promised, and He always
    keeps His promises. Moses knew in his heart that
    everything would happen as the Lord had said, Just
    Because the Lord’s plans are perfect and He always
    makes them work.
    95
    Chapter 18
    k
    It was a long journey to Egypt. When Moses and
    Aaron finally arrived they left their wives and chil-
    dren with some Hebrew people and went to Pharaoh’s
    palace. Moses was now eighty years old, and his
    brother Aaron was eighty-three. Moses ordered the
    guards to take him to see Pharaoh, and he and Aaron
    were taken inside. The powerful Egyptian king had
    a beautiful palace, with gold and jewels glittering on
    the walls and ceilings. The doors opened into the main
    room where the king’s throne was, and the two visi-
    tors saw the most powerful man in the world sitting
    and staring at them. They introduced themselves.
    “What do you want, Moses?” asked Pharaoh.
    Moses looked into Pharaoh’s wild green eyes and
    said, “The Lord God of Israel says to you to let His
    people go so they can go out to the desert to celebrate
    a feast to Him.”
    Pharaoh replied, “Who is this Lord of Israel that
    He should command me to let these people go? I don’t
    know this Lord, and besides I won’t let them go to
    97
    Just Because
    the desert to have a celebration. They are my slaves,
    and they belong to me. They can’t have enough work
    to do if they are thinking about having a celebration.
    I’ll make them work harder!”
    So Pharaoh ordered Moses and Aaron out of his
    palace and sent his guards to tell the slave masters to
    work the Jews harder and to whip them harder if they
    slowed down.
    Many Jews died, and when the people saw Moses
    they were very angry