GRADE 7 AIM: To learn how God commissioned Moses to deliver the Israelites from their bondage in Egypt and lead them to Canaan, the promised land I Am Who I Am - Divine Name Revealed Theme : Deliverance of the Oppressed Exodus 3:1-20, 6:2-8 (NRSV) UNIT 1, LESSON 5 Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. 3 Then Moses said, I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up. 4 When the LORD saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, Moses, Moses! And he said, Here I am. 5 Then he said, Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. 6 He said further, I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. 7 Then the LORD said, I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, 8 and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9 The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. 10 So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt. 11 But Moses said to God, Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt? 12 He said, I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain. 13 But Moses said to God, If I come to the Israelites and say to them, The God of your ancestors has sent me to you, and they ask me, What is his name? what shall I say to them? 14 God said to Moses, I AM WHO I AM. He said further, Thus you shall say to the Israelites, I AM has sent me to you. 15 God also said to Moses, Thus you shall say to the Israelites, The LORD, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you : This is my name forever, and this my title for all generations. 16 Go and assemble the elders of Israel, and say to them, The LORD, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying: I have given heed to you and to what has been done to you in Egypt. 17 I declare that I will bring you up out of the misery of Egypt, to the land of the Canaan-
Page 2 UNIT 1, LESSON 5 ites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey. 18 They will listen to your voice; and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; let us now go a three days journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God. 19 I know, however, that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand. 20 So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all my wonders that I will perform in it; after that he will let you go. Exodus 6: 2-8 God also spoke to Moses and said to him: I am the LORD. 3 I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name The LORD I did not make myself known to them. 4 I also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they resided as aliens. 5 I have also heard the groaning of the Israelites whom the Egyptians are holding as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant. 6 Say therefore to the Israelites, I am the LORD, and I will free you from the burdens of the Egyptians and deliver you from slavery to them. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. 7 I will take you as my people, and I will be your God. You shall know that I am the LORD your God, who has freed you from the burdens of the Egyptians. 8 I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; I will give it to you for a possession. I am the LORD. 9 Moses told this to the Israelites; but they would not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and their cruel slavery. Student Introduction To begin the lesson, have students sit together in pairs. Have one member from each pair blindfolded and give the other member a sheet of paper with a figure drawn on it. Examples of simple figures could include the outline of a house, a rhombus, or an octagon. More complex figures could be multiple shapes attached to each other to form one object. The aim of the game is to have students explain the figure to their blindfolded partner and have them draw it out on a sheet of paper. Limit the instructions they are allowed to use to words like, Stop, Up, Down, Diagonal, Right and Left. Have all the groups begin drawing at the same time. Post Game Discussion How did it feel to not be sure about what you were drawing? How easy/hard was it to listen to your partner s instructions in the midst of all the other noise and instructions from other groups? Did you ever feel angry/ frustrated/hesitant? When and why?
UNIT 1, LESSON 5 Page 3 Bible Exploration The Bible is filled with stories of God protecting and caring for His people. This lesson looks at how God cared for His Chosen People - the Israelites and how he used Moses to carry out His plan. Moses lived an interesting life which shaped his character and faith. He began his life as an Israelite baby whose life was in great danger. After being sent down a river in a basket by his mother, he was saved by an Egyptian princess and grew up as an affluent Egyptian in Pharaoh s palace. Moses was forced to run away from Egypt when he stood up for an Israelite and eventually lived in the desert and worked as a shepherd looking after the flocks of his father-in-law, Jethro. During this time in the desert, Moses meets God and is given a special task of leading the Israelites out of Egypt. God appeared to Moses through a burning bush on the Mountain of Horeb and reveals his Divine name and his plans to deliver Israelites from their bondage - in fulfillment of his covenant with their ancestors (Exodus 2:24, 3:6). The exact location of this mountain is still not known and this is the same mountain that Moses later returns to with the Israelites to receive the 10 Commandments. Mount Sinai is believed to be a different name to this same mountain (Exodus 34:2 and Deuteronomy 4:10). In Exodus 3: 7-10, God tells Moses that he has seen the misery and heard the cries of the Israelites in Egypt. He also tells Moses that he has a plan to use him to deliver His people and lead them to a land that is flowing with milk and honey (v.8). Moses responds to this with many of his own fears and doubts. We read about them in Exodus 3 verses 11, 13 and Exodus 4 verses 1, 10 and 13. God responds to all these doubts individually and patiently. God gives Moses a name by which he can tell the Israelites who has sent him: I am Who I Am. God also equips Moses with a few tricks and signs that he can use against the Pharaoh turning a rod into a snake, making his hand like that of a leper. God also knows all of Moses own insecurities and thus, chooses Aaron to be his partner and helper. God not only knows how Pharaoh will respond to Moses but also knows what needs to be done so that the Israelites can be set free. God sent the 10 plagues upon Egypt to show His power and to persuade Pharaoh to free the Israelites from Slavery. The plagues were: Water turned to blood, frogs, lice (gnats), flies, cattle disease, boils, hail, locusts, darkness and death of the first born. Eventually, the Israelites are freed and this marks the beginning of their journey to the promised land. In this lesson we see how God responded to the cries of Israelites and commissioned Moses to deliver them from their slavery in Egypt. We also see how God has equipped Moses to undertake this immense task despite his fears and helped him accomplish his mission successfully. The Israelites are known as God s Chosen People
Let s Review 1. Describe Moses Burning Bush experience on Mount Horeb. How did God identify himself to Moses? (Ch.3:1-6) 2. Why did God want to deliver the Israelites from their slavery in Egypt and what was Moses commission? Ch.3:7-10) 3. What was the sign that was given to Moses that it is the Lord that is sending him to deliver Israelites from Egypt? Ch:3:12 Values For Life It is not an easy task to step out of our comfort zone and do things, especially when we feel un-worthy or unsure about how things will work out or how people will react. Moses had grown up as a royal in Egypt, yet he was afraid to go back. He felt he would not be taken seriously and that he would not be accepted by the Israelites. But God had a plan! As much as the Israelites suffered in Egypt, it would have not been easy for them to step out into the desert and follow a man who was supposed to lead them to safety. After all, they were leaving behind everything they knew for a nomadic, desert life. But God had a plan! God has a plan for each of us. Through all our trials and tribulations, He is watching us and He has a plan to redeem and protect us. Moses was afraid but he constantly took his fears back to God in prayer and God answered each and every one of his prayers. It is not easy to step out in faith, but just like Moses and Israelites, we can know that He is our refuge and that He will answer our needs if we go to Him in prayer. Like the famous song says, Nothing is impossible if we put our trust in God! God knows more than we do. We are only able to see our life today but God can see our tomorrow he sees the bigger picture. God will never lead us into a situation we cannot handle.
Faith In Action Have students work together to create a Prayer Box (for either their class or the entire Sunday School). An old shoe box or tissue box can be used to create the Prayer Box. The box should be situated in a centrally located space where students can anonymously include prayer requests. As a class, students can pray for all the requests once a week/month (as time and circumstances permit). Memory Verse God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; Psalm 46:1-2 Closing Prayer Thank you Lord for being our refuge and shelter from the beginning of time till the end of ages. Help us and comfort us through our fears, doubts and worries. Help us remember that just as you had a plan for the Israelites, you do have a plan for our own lives also and let us live a life worthy of your name. Amen