"Moses!  Off with the sandals!  You know the drill!"
    Ah, good.  The burning bush was right where he'd seen it last time.  Moses removed his sandals.
    "And?" said the Voice.
    "Oh, yes.  The metal detector."  Moses stepped through the metal detector.
    "Now, what's on your mind?" asked the Voice.
    "It's what you told me to do last time," said Moses hesitantly.
    "Yes?  What of it?  Did you do it?"
    "Yes, of course, Lord," said Moses.
    "And?"
    "Well, uh, it isn't working out so well," Moses complained, but quickly added, "Not that I would question for a moment the Divine Will."
    "So, everything's ok, then," said the Voice.  A bit densely, Moses thought.
    At that moment, a poor shepherd named Joshua shuffled up with his sheep.
    "Uh, I guess ... ," stammered Moses. "Uh, no.  Not really.  We're getting our butts kicked pretty bad."
    "Didn't you smite them with overwhelming numbers and superior technology, like I told you to?"
    "Uh, yes, I did, Lord," said Moses. "But they won't stay smitten."
    "Excuse me," ventured Joshua. "I couldn't help overhearing your conversation.  You're talking to a bush, by the way."
    "Sacrilege!" cried Moses in shock. "This is no bush, but the Lord of the Universe!"
    "Hmm.  Looks like a bush to me," said Joshua. "And it's burning."
    "Watch thy tongue, lest it be rooted from thy mouth!" gasped Moses.
    "Why are you talking so funny?" asked Joshua. "All weird and old fashioned?  Never mind.  I was just wondering who you were smiting?"
    "The enslavers of Israel, of course," replied Moses.
    "Oh, Egypt," said Joshua. "I guess I can understand that."
    "No!" huffed Moses. "Sumer!"
    "Uh, ... Sumer?" Joshua looked puzzled. "I thought it was Egypt that enslaved the Jews."
    "No no no!" said Moses quickly. "I know it may look like Egypt is at fault, but the Lord has explained to me that it's actually Sumer."
    "Egypt is an ally," explained the Voice.
    "Hey," said Joshua. "If you're really God, I have a couple of bones to pick with you."
    "You're not allowed to pick bones with God," said Moses.
    "What about all these lean years?" Joshua persisted. "We've had three in a row.  Aren't we about due for some fat ones?"
    "Have you noticed what a terrible war god Baal is?" said the Voice. "Couldn't get up a decent war to save his immortality.  Then he goes around lying about his record."
    "Oh, yeah," said Moses. "Uh, when was that?"
    "Oh, about 200 years ago."
    "Wait a minute!" griped Joshua. "I don't care about what someone did 200 years ago.  How about the Jews' on-going enslavement?"
    "I'm a strong, confident leader," said the Voice.
    "You're a burnin' bleepin' bush!" protested Joshua. "Look at you!"
    "No," said the Voice. "Look over there!  The Sumerians are coming to enslave you!"
    "Orange alert!  Orange alert!" cried Moses.
    "I don't see anything," said Joshua. "Say, what's the deal with the rainfall around here?  I know this is a desert area, but it seems like there's less rain every year, and the desert is growing.  What are you going to do about that?"
    "Better watch out for Persia," said the Voice. "They're developing iron weapons!"
    "Good heavens!" shrieked Moses. "That's so scary!  We'd better invade them fast!"
    "Moses," pleaded Joshua, "would you just look at how this bush is burning up?  It's nothing but tinder."
    "No," said the Voice. "Don't look at me.  Look somewhere else.  Anywhere else."