The Walk of The Israelites

Chapter 4

Notes from Author: This is based of chapters 6 and 7 of Exodus

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Chapter four

I sat there, feeling hopeless and sorry for myself, and my people.

"You will see what I do to Pharaoh," said the Lord to me. "You will see my mighty hand let your people go. You will see my power drive the Egyptians out."

It sounded too good to be true. If God wasn't saying it, I would say it was too good to be true. I wiped my moist eyes with my hand to help dry them.

"I am the God of Abraham, Issac, and of Jacob. However, I did not make myself fully known to them like I have to you. I have made a convent and I have heard the cry of the Israelites and will full fill it as I, the Lord, have promised."

I rested my chin on my folded hands, and listened to the Lord speak to me. I was much calmer now after a few deep breaths I had taken.

"Now go and tell the Israelites that I have come to free them," the Lord kept on speaking to me. I will redeem you with my outstretched hand and mighty powers. You will become my people and I will become your God. You will now know I am the Lord your God, who have brought you from the yoke of the Egyptians; I am the mighty hand that will free you. I will lead you to the promised land that I promised to Abraham, Issac and Jacob, and give it to you."

I caught myself stroking my beard, thinking on what the Lord had said. I waited a moment for the Lord to continue. He did not. I stood up, arched my old back to stretch it out, grabbed the staff, and walked toward where I was staying.

"Moses!" Aaron called out to me as I came over. "Did you talk to the Lord again."

I nodded my head. "The Lord, said to tell the people that he will free them."

"Then we had better do it," was all he replied. He grabbed his own staff, and started toward where the people where. I followed him. We told them, yet they did not listen. Some laughed, some cursed at us. Over all the message was the same, they did not believe us.

On our way back the Lord called to me yet again, "Moses." I gritted my teeth at what news he'd bring this time.

"Go tell the king of Egypt to let my people out of his land."

"Why should I?" I asked bitterly. "If my own people won't listen to me, why should he? I can not even speak clearly. He won't listen to me."

"I have made you like God to Pharaoh, with Aaron as your prophet. You will say everything I command of you, and Aaron will tell the king of Egypt to let the Israelites out. But I will harden his heart and he will not let them go, even with all my wonders that I will use against him he will not listen to you. Therefore, I will bring my hand out to judge them, and they will know that I am the Lord and I will bring my people out of their rule."

I nodded out of sub-conscience habit, told Aaron what God had told me. We went and did what the Lord told us to do. Once we arrived the guards protecting the doors groaned and the on the left went and told Pharaoh that we were here. He came back out,  with a grunt he nodded his head, signaling that we had permission to enter.

We did. We strode right in front of Pharaoh and his guests, as they watched us walk right in. 

"Moses!" the king of Egypt called out to us, with fake enthusiasm as a show for the people staring. "Aaron! What a surprise seeing you here. What brings you here?"

"Y-you know v-very well why w-we're-"

Aaron put his arm out stopping me. He said that he would handle this and we both took deep breath to calm our nerves.

"You know why we are here, Pharaoh." Aaron said for me. "The Lord wants you to release our people from this land."

Pharaoh started to laugh, and as he did so did everyone else in the room. He cut out suddenly, all humor washed from his face, and as he did this the room became still.

"You dare come in here, again, to tell me something I didn't want to hear the first time?"

He smiled at us. "You always have been brave, Moses." His eyes glazed for a moment, just drifting, until he snapped them back at us. "What proof do you have that your god even exists? Show me a miracle, dear brother. What single god could be more powerful than all of the ones that rule over Egypt?"

"Throw the s-staff to the g-ground, Aaron" I whispered to him. He gave me a slight nod and strode to Ramses and called out in a voice that flowed with strength. "This is the miracle the Lord gave to us to show you." He tossed the staff at the base of the tower in which Pharaoh's thrown was.

It just laid there. The people laughed and so did the king of Egypt, thinking that was all that was going to happen. I admit, I was amused to see their face's become scared as it transformed into a snake. It hissed at the people and seemed to dominate the room. It seemed larger than I remembered.

Pharaoh's face, after a moment of fright, turned into a grin. "Very good, Moses!" He called to me, sense I was still somewhat far off. "Not bad at all." He smiled at me. With that he raised his hand into the air, all covered in golden trinkets. "Boys!" he called out and snapped his fingers. With that two men with long beards showed up on both sides of Pharaoh. After those two came out four more men, two on each side, came and stood next to them. 

The first two had long flowing beards that went down to their chest, and looked well educated as well as rich. The other four, are best described, as dark and evil. They had a slight stoop when they walked, long fingernails, and a constant flame of anger in their eyes. 

"Show the snake charmers the power of our gods."

With that all six of them took their staffs they were holding, gripped the top and swung the bottom out so they were pointing into the sky and cried out, "By the power of the gods!" With that they let it slip through there hands so it would crash on the floor.

Sudden smoke appeared and out of it appeared six snakes, smaller than our snake, yet dangerous looking. They rush towards the Lord's snake at great speed. Ours waited until they came to him. With uncanny speed ours bit the neck of one, and the tail of another. As it swung its head to bit our snake our snake swallowed it whole.

It was a blur after that. All I could see were the faces of the people watching, and the fangs and tails of the snakes. A few moments afterwards I saw our snake alone, in a pool of blood. It slowly came toward me, no doubt sluggish after devouring six snakes, and trailing the pool of blood caused by the wounds of the other snakes. I lowered my left hand and instead of hissing at me like earlier, it crawled up my arm to my shoulder, around the back of my neck, and down the other arm.

The people gasped as it became wooden again. It was still bent went it became wood, but straightened out anyways. I smiled to myself, noting that the staff was a bit thicker than it had been.

I saw that Pharaoh looked at me with distaste. "Leave." he commanded. "Leave now."

"What about m-my people?" I asked. 

"As I told you before, I will not let them go. Now leave, before your thrown out."

He sunk in his chair as we both walked out of Pharaoh's sight.