BRAGADAYJAH 172

We have seen so far that God was giving Moses every assurance that his mission to lead God’s people out of Egypt was going to be successful; but Moses had doubts. Having lived in the house of the Pharaoh literally most of his life, he knew the ways and the caprices of the Pharaohs far better than God did, or so he thought. Not only would he bring the people out, God assured him; “but every woman shall borrow of her neighbor and of every householder, jewelry and clothes and supplies for the journey. God called it spoiling the Egyptians, that is, God’s people taking from the world the basic necessities for survival. Yet Moses held out and told God that the people would not believe him. He was still no doubt mindful of the trouble he got into before, when he tried to help one of these very people. So now one could hardly blame him for being hesitant. “They just won’t believe me he lamented.” “What is in your hand?” God asked Moses. “Just a stick,” Moses replied. “Cast it on the ground!” God commanded Moses cast the stick on the ground and it turned into a snake, and startled, Moses ran away. God then ordered Moses to go back and take the snake by the tail, which Moses did and the snake was just a stick again. After that God told Moses to put his hand into his bosom and take it out again; and when Moses did so, his hand turned as white as snow. Now put your hand in your bosom again, and then take it out, God told Moses, and when he did so, his hand reverted to its original color. What was the color of Moses and thus his body? It was certainly not white, as white does not contrast with white. Certainly whatever his caste, he would have by today’s standard been classified as non-white for whatever that is worth. More