A Story of God and All of Us Young Reade - By Roma Downey Page 0,14

water stretching from the earth to the clouds. All around him, the Israelites shield their eyes from the mist and spray, stunned at the vast wall of water climbing higher and higher right before their very eyes.

And then the water parts in two, forming a great

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canyon. The seafloor is completely exposed, with water on either side. The wind rages through the gap.

Moses knows precisely what to do next. "Follow me," he cries, thrusting his staff into the sky. "This is God's work."

Aaron leaps to his feet and organizes the Israelites, hurrying them into the divide in the seas. They scramble toward the entrance, so eager to be safe from Pharaoh that many leave all their belongings behind. As they step inside, faces glance up in awe at the vast mountains of water. Ahead, there is darkness, and Joshua quickly orders the people to light torches. Moses leads the way, in silt and mud up to his ankles. Water from the parted sea drips in the smallest of droplets onto his head. The way is misty, loud, and dark, yet Moses presses on.

"Come on," Aaron encourages the Israelites. "Come quickly."

Joshua joins in, when he sees that the people are terrified of taking that first step of faith into the parted sea. "It's safe. Have faith," he cries.

Back on shore, some of the Egyptian horses balk at entering the watery tunnel. The Egyptian commanders order their men to dismount and grab their weapons. They stumble into the great chasm, their eyes 52

adjusting to the darkness, even as they stumble over the rocky slime in their search for the Hebrews.

Moses trudges over sand and rocks. Ahead, he can see something new and quite miraculous: the sun. It is merely a faint disk right now, burning through the wall of mist. But the mist soon begins to part, and the sun burns brighter and brighter.

Joshua breaks ranks and charges toward it, a broad smile spreading across his face. "We're almost there! Come on!" he yells.

The light increases as the ground becomes total desert again. In ones and twos, the Israelites finally step onto the sand of safety. Then by tens and twenties. And then by the hundreds and thousands.

Now Moses turns around and faces the sea once more. Yet again he raises his staff to the sky. In the depths of the tunnel, he sees Pharaoh's army rushing forward.

The darkness is intense, but there is light on the faces of the Egyptians.

Then they feel another sensation: drops of water. But this is not rain. The Egyptians glance up to the sky, just in time to see the great walls of water collapsing down onto them.

From the shore, the Israelites stand in stunned silence as they watch the ocean descend from the sky and drown Pharaoh's army. A great whoosh of

wind is

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shoved from the chasm as it closes shut, but then the seas and the skies are calm.

"Thank you, Lord," shouts Joshua. "We are free at last."

Moses tells the jubilant Israelites, "Come. There is a long road ahead. We must be strong." Their faith in God is enduring, and they will follow Moses anywhere God tells him to go. Thus begins forty years of wandering for the Israelites, in search of the land that God promised to give Abraham and his people.

God does more than lead them through the great desert wilderness; he gives Moses a set of rules to govern their lives. Moses returns alone to Mount Sinai, where he once tended his flock. There he receives the Ten Commandments, a moral code written in stone.

Moses descends Mount Sinai, carrying two stone tablets, and is greeted by Joshua. These will be placed inside the Ark of the Covenant, a sacred vessel, and carried by the Hebrews as their most holy possession. "God has renewed the promise he made to Abraham," Moses says, brimming with a faith greater than ever before. "We must worship no other God... no more lying... stealing... cheating... no more murder

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or dishonor... If we are true to God, he will keep his promise."

"Abraham's dream. That is our future?" asks Joshua.

" You are the Israelites' future now, Joshua. Don't look back. You must take the land promised to Abraham. And to all his descendants--as numerous as the stars."

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PART THREE

DEFENDING THE HOMELAND

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Jericho is an ancient city, settled time and again over the centuries by different cultures. Tall, thick walls that have kept out many an enemy surround it. The Hebrews have crossed into the Promised Land, and this cherished settlement calls to them.