Page1 Moses and Aaron Divine Commission Exodus 1-4 Learning Objectives 1. The children will examine the story of Moses. 2. The children will explore what it means to live a life with a willing heart to serve God. 3. The children will recognize they can do anything in life with God s help. Getting Started Memory Verse: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. --Philippians 4:13 (NKJV) Choose One Activity Riddle Time Before class, write down special qualities about each student on an index card, but don t show the students. When the children come into class, tell them you will be playing a guessing game, and their job is to try to guess who the card is talking about. Try to make the clues more general in the beginning, and have them become more specific in the final clues. An example could be: This person loves God. This person is nice to others. This person always shares. This person loves to play music. Etc. Use this activity to then discuss how we are all special we all have unique talents that God sees in us. God also saw a special talent in Moses. He wanted Moses to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt into the land of Canaan. But God had an interesting way of asking Moses to help the people. Let s find out exactly what happens. Would You Be Willing? Ask the following questions to the children. Encourage them to be honest with their answers. 1. Would you be willing to swallow 10 goldfish for $1,000? 2. Would you be willing to stay up all night to finish your homework if it meant you would have to skip a friend s sleepover? 3. Would you be willing to tell the truth about a friend even if it meant getting him in trouble? 4. Would you be willing to enter a burning building to find a missing sibling? Play the game again, this time asking the following questions. Encourage the children to answer according to what they think they would really do if they found themselves in that situation. 1. Would you be willing to stand up for an outcast at school if it meant that your reputation would suffer? 2. Would you be willing to stay up all night praying for a friend? 3. Would you be willing to confess your belief in Jesus even if it meant you would be made fun of and ridiculed? In today s lesson, Moses was not willing at first, but eventually he agreed to go and do as God has instructed him. (Continue with the lesson.)
Page2 Getting Started - Continued Choose One Activity All s Well That Ends Well Activity See: http://children.cccm.com/curriculum/ Old Testament Lesson 35 Teacher s Guide. You will need a deck of cards for this activity. Please see the above website for detailed instructions. This activity will serve as a concrete tool to explain that Moses mother had complete trust in God that He would care for her baby. She sent Moses in a basket on the Nile River, and God was good and allowed her to even continue care for her baby. (Continue with the lesson.) Bible Lesson with Discussion Questions Message: God will help you. Exodus 1 ~ The People of Israel Are Slaves in Egypt Here are the names of Israel's children who went to Egypt with Jacob. Each one went with his family. Jacob's sons were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad and Asher. The total number of Jacob's children and grandchildren was 70. Joseph was already in Egypt. Joseph and all of his brothers died. So did all of their children. The people of Israel had many children. They greatly increased their numbers. There were so many of them that they filled the land. Then a new king came to power in Egypt. He didn't know anything about Joseph. "Look," he said to his people. "The Israelites are far too many for us. Come. We must deal with them carefully. If we don't, they will increase their numbers even more. Then if war breaks out, they'll join our enemies. They'll fight against us and leave the country." So the Egyptians put slave drivers over the people of Israel. The slave drivers beat them down and made them work hard. The Israelites built the cities of Pithom and Rameses so Pharaoh could store things there. But the more the slave drivers beat them down, the more the Israelites increased their numbers and spread out. So the Egyptians became afraid of them. They made them work hard. They didn't show them any pity. They made them suffer with hard labor. They forced them to work with bricks and mud. And they made them do all kinds of work in the fields. The Egyptians didn't show them any pity at all. They made them work very hard. There were two Hebrew women named Shiphrah and Puah. They helped other women who were having babies. The king of Egypt spoke to them. He said, "You are the ones who help the other Hebrew women. Watch them when they get into a sitting position to have their babies. Kill the boys. Let the girls live." But Shiphrah and Puah had respect for God. They didn't do what the king of Egypt had told them to do. They let the boys live. Then the king of Egypt sent for the women. He asked them, "Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?" The women answered Pharaoh, "Hebrew women are not like the women of Egypt. They are strong. They have their babies before we get there." So God was kind to Shiphrah and Puah. And the people of Israel increased their numbers more and more. Shiphrah and Puah had respect for God. So he gave them families of their own. Then Pharaoh gave an order to all of his people. He said, "You must throw every baby boy into the Nile River. But let every baby girl live."
Page3 Bible Lesson with Discussion Questions - Continued Exodus 2 ~ Moses Is Born A man and a woman from the tribe of Levi got married. She became pregnant and had a son. She saw that her baby was a fine child. So she hid him for three months. After that, she couldn't hide him any longer. So she got a basket that was made out of the stems of tall grass. She coated it with tar. Then she placed the child in it. She put the basket in the tall grass that grew along the banks of the Nile River. The child's sister wasn't very far away. She wanted to see what would happen to him. Pharaoh's daughter went down to the Nile River to take a bath. Her attendants were walking along the banks of the river. She saw the basket in the tall grass, so she sent her female slave to get it. When she opened it, she saw the baby. He was crying. She felt sorry for him. "This is one of the Hebrew babies," she said. Then his sister spoke to Pharaoh's daughter. She asked, "Do you want me to go and get one of the Hebrew women? She could nurse the baby for you." "Yes. Go," she answered. So the girl went and got the baby's mother. Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this baby. Nurse him for me. I'll pay you." So the woman took the baby and nursed him. When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh's daughter. And he became her son. She named him Moses. She said, "I pulled him out of the water." Moses Escapes to Midian Moses grew up. One day, he went out to where his own people were. He watched them while they were hard at work. He saw an Egyptian hitting a Hebrew man. The man was one of Moses' own people. Moses looked around and didn't see anyone. So he killed the Egyptian. Then he hid his body in the sand. The next day Moses went out again. He saw two Hebrew men fighting. He asked the one who had started the fight a question. He said, "Why are you hitting another Hebrew man?" The man said, "Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking about killing me as you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moses became afraid. He thought, "People must have heard about what I did." When Pharaoh heard about what had happened, he tried to kill Moses. But Moses escaped from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian. There he sat down by a well. A priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came to fill the stone tubs with water. They wanted to give water to their father's flock. Some shepherds came along and drove the women away. But Moses got up and helped them. Then he gave water to their flock. The young women returned to their father Reuel. He asked them, "Why have you returned so early today?" They answered, "An Egyptian saved us from the shepherds. He even got water for us and gave it to the flock. Where is he?" he asked his daughters. "Why did you leave him? Invite him to have something to eat." Moses agreed to stay with the man. And the man gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses to be his wife. Zipporah had a son with Moses and they named him Gershom. Moses said, "I'm an outsider in a strange land." After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The people of Israel groaned because they were slaves. They also cried out to God. Their cry for help went up to him. God heard their groans. He remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. So God looked on the Israelites with favor. He was concerned about them. Exodus 3 ~ The Lord Sends Moses to Save His People Moses was taking care of the flock of his father-in-law Jethro. Jethro was the priest of Midian. Moses led the flock to the western side of the desert. He came to Horeb. It was the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him from inside a burning bush. Moses saw that the bush was on fire. But it didn't burn up. So Moses thought, "I'll go over and see this strange sight. Why doesn't the bush burn up?" The Lord saw that Moses had gone over to look. So God spoke to him from inside the bush. He called out, "Moses! Moses!" "Here I am," Moses said.
Page4 Bible Lesson with Discussion Questions - Continued "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals. The place you are standing on is holy ground." He continued, "I am the God of your father. I am the God of Abraham. I am the God of Isaac. And I am the God of Jacob." When Moses heard that, he turned his face away. He was afraid to look at God. The Lord said, "I have seen my people suffer in Egypt. I have heard them cry out because of their slave drivers. I am concerned about their suffering. "So I have come down to save them from the Egyptians. I will bring them up out of that land. I will bring them into a good land. It has a lot of room. It is a land that has plenty of milk and honey. It is the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. And now Israel's cry for help has reached me. I have seen the way the Egyptians are beating them down. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh. I want you to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. They are my people." But Moses spoke to God. "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?" he said. "Who am I that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" God said, "I will be with you. I will give you a miraculous sign. It will prove that I have sent you. When you have brought the people out of Egypt, all of you will worship me on this mountain." Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the people of Israel. Suppose I say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you.' Suppose they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what should I tell them?" God said to Moses, "I am who I am. Here is what you must say to the Israelites. Tell them, 'I am has sent me to you.' " God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'The Lord is the God of your fathers. He has sent me to you. He is the God of Abraham. He is the God of Isaac. And he is the God of Jacob.' My name will always be The Lord. Remember me by that name for all time to come. "Go. Gather the elders of Israel together. Say to them, 'The Lord, the God of your fathers, appeared to me. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He said, I have watched over you. I have seen what the Egyptians have done to you. I have promised to bring you up out of Egypt where you are suffering. I will bring you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. It is a land that has plenty of milk and honey. "The elders of Israel will listen to you. Then you and the elders must go to the king of Egypt. You must say to him, 'The Lord has met with us. He is the God of the Hebrews. Let us take a journey that lasts about three days. We want to go into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God.' "But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you and your people go. Only a mighty hand could make him do that. So I will reach my hand out. I will strike the Egyptians with all kinds of miracles. After that, he will let you go. "I will cause the Egyptians to treat you in a kind way. Then when you leave, you will not go out with your hands empty. Every woman should ask her neighbor and any woman living in her house for articles made of silver and gold. Ask them for clothes too. Put them on your children. In that way, you will take the wealth of Egypt along with you." Exodus 4 ~ Miraculous Signs for Moses to Do Moses answered, "What if the elders of Israel won't believe me? What if they won't listen to me? Suppose they say, 'The Lord didn't appear to you.' Then what should I do?" The Lord said to him, "What do you have in your hand?" "A wooden staff," he said. The Lord said, "Throw it on the ground." So Moses threw it on the ground. It turned into a snake. He ran away from it. Then the Lord said to Moses, "Reach your hand out. Take the snake by the tail." So he reached out and grabbed hold of the snake. It turned back into a staff in his hand. The Lord said, "When they see this miraculous sign, they will believe that I appeared to you. I am the God of their fathers. I am the God of Abraham. I am the God of Isaac. And I am the God of Jacob."
Page5 Bible Lesson with Discussion Questions - Continued Then the Lord said, "Put your hand inside your coat." So Moses put his hand inside his coat. When he took it out, it was as white as snow. It was covered with a skin disease. "Now put it back into your coat," the Lord said. So Moses put his hand back into his coat. When he took it out, the skin was healthy again. His hand was like the rest of his skin. Then the Lord said, "Suppose they do not believe you or pay attention to the first miracle. Then maybe they will believe the second one. "But suppose they do not believe either miracle. Suppose they will not listen to you. Then get some water from the Nile River. Pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will turn to blood on the ground." Moses spoke to the Lord. He said, "Lord, I've never been a good speaker. And I haven't gotten any better since you spoke to me. I don't speak very well at all." The Lord said to him, "Who makes a man able to talk? Who makes him unable to hear or speak? Who makes him able to see? Who makes him blind? It is I, the Lord. Now go. I will help you speak. I will teach you what to say." But Moses said, "Lord, please send someone else to do it." Then the Lord's anger burned against Moses. He said, "What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you. He will be glad to see you. Speak to him. Put your words in his mouth. Tell him what to say. I will help both of you speak. I will teach you what to do. He will speak to the people for you. He will be like your mouth. And you will be like God to him. "But take this wooden staff in your hand. You will be able to do miraculous signs with it." Moses Returns to Egypt Then Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro. He said to him, "Let me go back to my own people in Egypt. I want to see if any of them are still alive." Jethro said, "Go. I hope everything goes well with you." The Lord had said to Moses in Midian, "Go back to Egypt. All of the men who wanted to kill you are dead." So Moses got his wife and sons. He put them on a donkey. Together they started back to Egypt. And he took the wooden staff in his hand. It was the staff God would use in a powerful way. The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, "When you return to Egypt, do all of the miracles I have given you the power to do. Do them in the sight of Pharaoh. But I will make his heart stubborn. He will not let the people go. "Then say to Pharaoh, 'The Lord says, "Israel is like an oldest son to me. I told you, 'Let my son go. Then he will be able to worship me.' But you refused to let him go. So I will kill your oldest son." ' " The Lord said to Aaron, "Go into the desert to see Moses." So he greeted Moses at the mountain of God and kissed him. Then Moses told Aaron everything the Lord had sent him to say. He also told him about all of the miraculous signs he had commanded him to do. Moses and Aaron gathered all of the elders of Israel together. Aaron told them everything the Lord had said to Moses. He also did the miracles in the sight of the people. And they believed. They heard that the Lord was concerned about them. He had seen their suffering. So they bowed down and worshiped him. Discussion Questions: 1. How did God protect Moses early in his life? (He provided for him in that he might live when he was taken in by the Pharaoh s daughter from the Nile River to be raised as an Egyptian. God was with him.) 2. Do you think Moses was found by accident? Or was it God s plan? (Discuss together.) 3. Why do you suppose God chose a burning bush as a way to speak to Moses? (To get the attention of Moses and to show him His power.) 4. What was Moses reaction to God calling him to serve? (He was afraid. He tried to make excuses to get out of it, but God always had a solution.) 5. What did God want Moses to do? (Go to the Israelites and lead them out of Egypt to the land of Canaan.) 6. If you were Moses, how would you feel about God s command for you to lead His people? (Discuss together.)
Page6 Bible Lesson with Discussion Questions - Continued 7. Who was Moses to say sent him, if the Israelites asked? (See Exodus 3:14.) 8. Why do you think Moses was so afraid to do as God asked of him? (Discuss together. Answers will vary.) 9. God saw special talents in Moses that Moses couldn t see himself and He wanted Moses to lead the people. Do you have special talents? What kinds of talents do you have? (Make a list with each child. It will be helpful if you the teacher make lists of your own prior to class of the talents you see in each child. Most likely your list will include talents that the children do not realize they have case in point.) 10. Who was going to help Moses with leading the Israelites? (God would help him, and Aaron would help him by speaking to the people. Refer to the message statement and the Memory Verse I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. ) Application to Real Life Answering God s Call Moses was unsure of his ability to do what God called him to do. As he encountered God in the burning bush, Moses was called to do something extraordinary: lead the enslaved Israelite people out of Egypt. He heard God calling him to do this, but how did he respond? Did he immediately get up and accept God s plan? No, he did not! Instead, Moses protested to God four separate times, coming up with excuses about why he wasn t the right person. What Moses initially failed to see was that God was not asking him to accomplish anything on his own he was a servant of God and God would be with him every step of the way! At times, we might feel like Moses. Maybe we think God has called us to do something and we do not feel prepared to do it. We must remember that God is always with us and equips us with what we need to fulfill His purposes. Ultimately, Moses did answer God s call and led the Israelites out of captivity. Throughout the story, we see many examples of God s provision in miraculous ways. Look up in your Bibles and read Isaiah 6:8: Then I heard the voice of the Lord. He said, Who will I send? Who will go for us? I said, Here I am. Send me! Discussion Questions: 1. How do you think the above verse relates to our lesson about Moses? 2. What are some things that you might be uniquely gifted to do that you could step up and volunteer for? 3. If God asked you to do something that would not bring you special attention, success, or wealth, how inclined would you be to do it? 4. What should your motivation be to serve the Lord? 5. Honestly, what are you not willing to do for the Lord? 6. Are you too young to serve the Lord? Remind the children that no matter what you set out to do, in serving the Lord or serving others in life, remember the memory verse: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. God wants to help you. God will help you. (Message statement.)
Page7 Memory Work Suggestions 5 minutes 1. Recite the memory verse. 2. Practice finding the memory verse and/or Bible text in the Bible. 3. List or name all of your local ministers. 4. Allow a volunteer (child) to lead the class in an opening/closing prayer. Activity Ideas Choose One Activity Not Just a Name Game See: www.teensundayschool.com Games Not Just a Name Game You will need telephone books for this game. Please see the above website for detailed instructions. The students will use the phone books to look up and find 10 names and then use those names to create a sentence or short story. When they have finished, let the children share and laugh. Then finish the game with the discussion questions. Communication Activity See: www.kidssundayschool.com Grade School Lessons Moses #2 God Speaks with Moses See As Kids Arrive You will need paper and a pencil for this activity. The children will write down as many ways or things they can think of that people use to communicate. Give one or two examples (see below). After a few minutes, write the answers on the easel. Please see the above website for detailed instructions. Conclude the activity with the following: God desires to communicate with us all the time. Sometimes however we are just too busy to listen to Him. We may feel God has more important things to do than talk to us. This is not true. God loves us very much and wants to show us many things. We need to take time to connect with God through pray, and then listen for what He might have to say or show us. Un-spin the Web See: http://children.cccm.com/curriculum/ Old Testament Lesson 36 Teacher s Guide. You will need string, tape and the memory verse written on 3 x 5 index cards (one word on each card). Please see the above website for detailed instructions. The children have to work to find their way through the web until they have gathered all the words of their memory verse. Journal Choose One Do you ever get the sense that God has big plans for you? What do you think they might be? Write about it. What can you do right now to serve God in your congregation? Be specific. Write about it.
Page8 Homework Ideas - Read at home with a grownup the lesson titled: The Exodus from Egypt (Exodus 12:1-41). - Learn the memory verse: We have all received one blessing after another. God s grace is not limited. --John 1:16 (NIRV) - Work on memorizing Article of Faith #. - Make a list of 5 things that you do in your life that require you to follow detailed instructions. Bring your list to class. Other Resources http://children.cccm.com/curriculum/ Old Testament Curriculum Lesson 34, 35 and 36
Page9 Take Home Page: Moses and Aaron Divine Commission Today I learned Today your child was reminded that God will help us share the gifts that he has uniquely given to us. The children examined the story of Moses. They also explored what it means to live a life with a willing heart to serve God. Help me learn my memory verse I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. --Philippians 4:13 (NKJV) Ask me 1. How did God protect Moses when he was young? 2. What was Moses reaction to God calling him to serve His people? Would you have reacted the same way? Why or why not? 3. What unique gifts do you think God has given you? How can you use those gifts to serve Him? Live Your Faith Talk with your child about what serving the Lord has meant to you and your life of faith. Share any joys and struggles that have come with those experiences. Remind your child that God always gives us the strength to do what He calls us to do, just like He did for Moses. Talk together about what (if anything) you think God is wanting you to do with regards to serving Him and serving others. Pray for each other this week that God continues to make His plan for your lives clear, and that He also gives you the strength to do what He wants you to do.