Illustration. (Below) Moses hides his face as he stands barefoot before the burning bush from which God speaks, as Mount Sinai looms in the distance (above) The very ground itself was made holy by the living presence of God. Moses is reluctant now, but rather than rebuke him, God promises to be with him, and describes the ultimate victory he will win (3:18–22). For 40 years Moses lived as a prince in Egypt; for 40 years he was an outcast in Midian; for 40 years he led the people of Israel