A Single Escapee
Pharaoh has ordered the slaughter of all male children born to the Hebrews. To save the life of her newborn son, a sorrowing mother has him placed in a basket made of bulrushes and set afloat in the river. (Exodus 2:1–3)
Moses
Pharaoh's daughter and her maids come down to the river to bathe. There they make a marvelous discovery: a Hebrew child afloat in a basket. The merciful princess spares the boy's life and turns him over to a nurse. He shall be called Moses, the princess decides, meaning "I drew him out of the water." (Exodus 2:5–10)
The Lord calls to Moses
Now a grown man, Moses has fled Pharaoh's wrath and lives in the desert among the Midianites. One morning, Moses is tending his father-in-law's flock at Horeb, the mountain of God, when he is witness to a miracle: a bush burns with fire but is not consumed. The Lord calls to the stunned Moses from the midst of the bush: "Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground." (Exodus 3:1–8)
The Deliverer
Following the Lord's commands, Moses has returned to Egypt to free the Hebrews. The Israelite elders are assembled before Moses and informed of the news. After years of oppression and slavery, the Lord has visited them, and will soon put an end to their affliction. The men understand the power Moses has been given, and fall to their knees in adoration of the deliverer. (Exodus 4:28–31)
Source: The Morgan Library
