Called to lead Israel

The Bible indicates that Moses lived in Midian for a period of some forty years. During this time, the old pharaoh died. The one who took his place was probably Ramses II. As the Bible records, “The Israelites groaned in their slavery, and their cry for help. . . went up to God” (Exodus #2:23). Apparently their labor was being used in a giant building project for Ramses.

One day Moses was tending his father-in-law's sheep when “the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush” (Exodus #3:2). God then related the details of his covenant with Abraham, which included taking the Israelites to “a land flowing with milk and honey”—Canaan (KAY-nuhn). To accomplish this, the Israelites needed someone to lead them out of slavery, and God had chosen Moses.

Spartacus

Like Moses, Spartacus (SPAHR-tuh-kuhs; d. 71 b. c.) led a slave revolt. His had no religious overtones, however, yet he remained a powerful symbol for revolutionary political movements even in the twentieth century.

Spartacus was probably born in Thrace, in about 100 b. c. Apparently he had served in the Roman army. He then deserted and was caught; because of his desertion, he was sold into slavery. Eventually he was sent to the Italian city of Capua (KAP-yoo-uh), where there was a school for the training of gladiators (GLAD-ee-ay-tohrz).

Gladiators were warriors who fought to their deaths in a ring, watched by cheering spectators. It is not surprising, then, that some seventy slaves at the gladiatorial (glad-ee-uh-TOHR-ee-uhl) school revolted in 73 b. c. The escapees took refuge on Mount Vesuvius (veh-SOO-vee-uhs), site of a volcanic eruption some 150 years later. They defeated two legions of Roman soldiers and built up an army that numbered between 90,000 and

120,000 men. By then Spartacus had emerged as their leader. He simply wanted to lead an escape from Roman territory; other slaves, however, wanted revenge on Rome itself.

Moses was extremely reluctant, but God answered every one of his objections. He also performed the first of many miracles through Moses by turning a staff, a long stick used for herding sheep, into a snake, and then back into a staff.