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Bible story · Exodus 3–4

Moses and the Burning Bush

God speaks to Moses from a bush that burns but does not burn up. A 2-minute animated story, told simply for children and families, with each verse from the King James Version.

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1 of 8

Moses was looking after his father-in-law’s sheep in the desert, near Horeb, the mountain of God.

Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.

Exodus 3:1 KJV

2 of 8

There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from inside a bush. The bush was on fire, but it did not burn up!

And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

Exodus 3:2 KJV

3 of 8

“How strange!” Moses said. “I will go closer and see why the bush does not burn up.”

And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.

Exodus 3:3 KJV

4 of 8

When God saw Moses coming closer, he called to him from the bush: “Moses! Moses!” And Moses answered, “Here I am.”

And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.

Exodus 3:4 KJV

5 of 8

“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, because the place where you are standing is holy ground.”

And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

Exodus 3:5 KJV

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God said, “I have seen how my people are suffering in Egypt. Now go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people out.”

Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.

Exodus 3:10 KJV

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Moses was afraid. “Who am I to go to Pharaoh?” he asked. And God answered, “I will be with you.”

And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.

Exodus 3:12 KJV

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So Moses packed up his family, took his staff in his hand, and set off back to Egypt, trusting God to go with him.

And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.

Exodus 4:20 KJV

The end

Next story: Moses and the Red Sea

What does this story teach?

  • God notices when people are suffering, and he cares.
  • God calls ordinary people to do his work.
  • When we feel too small, God says, “I will be with you.”
  • God is holy, and meeting him changes us.

Questions to talk about

Use these with your children after the story, at bedtime, at the table or in a class.

  1. Why do you think the bush did not burn up?
  2. Why did God tell Moses to take off his sandals?
  3. How did Moses feel about going back to Egypt?
  4. When have you needed to remember that God is with you?

Read the story in the Bible

This retelling uses simple words for young readers. Read the full account in Exodus 3–4, one verse per screen:

Exodus 3 Exodus 4

Frequently asked questions

Where is the story of the burning bush in the Bible?

It is in Exodus 3 and 4. Moses meets God at Horeb, also called Mount Sinai, while looking after his father-in-law Jethro’s sheep.

Why didn’t the burning bush burn up?

Exodus 3:2 says “the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.” It was a sign of God’s presence, and it caught Moses’ attention so that God could speak to him.

What did God tell Moses at the burning bush?

God told Moses that he had seen his people’s suffering in Egypt and was sending Moses to lead them out. When Moses asked God’s name, God said, “I AM THAT I AM” (Exodus 3:14).

What does “holy ground” mean?

Holy means set apart for God. The ground was holy because God was present there, so Moses took off his sandals as a sign of respect and worship (Exodus 3:5).

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