The Israelite slaves had become so numerous, that Pharoah had the first-born child slain. Moses' mother couldn't bear to have her newborn baby killed, so she placed him in a basket, and placed the basket in the river, where he was found by the Pharoah's daughter, and taken in by her to be raised in the palace. Moses' own mother bacame his nurse, and she raised him to understand his heritage.
As a young man, he had to flee after killing an Egyptian taskmaster who Moses witnessed beating a Israelite slave. As he fled, he came upon a bush that was burning, but was not consumed by the flames. God spoke to Moses from within the bush, and told him to go to Pharoah and demand the freedom of the Hebrew slaves.
When the Pharoah refused, God sent the Ten Plagues, which eventually forced the Pharoah to release the slaves. As they left Egypt, God parted the waters of the Red Sea to allow the Israelites to cross to the other side and escape from the Pharoah who had changed his mind, and sent men to pursue them.
While the Israelites travelled for 40 years through the dessert, Moses received the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. |
