Year A. 1st Term. Lesson 8. Moses

Scripture:  Exodus 2-5, 12:21-42, 14, 20:1-17 Deut 30, 34:10-12   for teacher background.   (There is a magnificent video called “The Prince of Egypt” about Moses)

Making Contact:

Ask the children if they have ever been on a journey. What did they eat and drink on the way……….did their feet hurt……….etc   Maybe something went wrong and maybe they broke down and the journey took much longer than it was supposed to…….

Exploration: Tell the story of how Moses was born and hidden, because the family the Joseph had brought to live in Egypt 430 years ago had got so big that the new Pharaoh had made them slaves and now said all baby boys had to be killed. 

Moses was put in a basket and floated down the river where the princess found him and adopted him as her prince. His mother was allowed to look after him until he was older and then he went to live in the palace where he learned to read and write. 

When he was a young man he realized that his people were suffering and he tried to do something about it. He used anger and killed a slave driver. He had to run away – the prince of Egypt had to hide in the desert as a shepherd. 

He married and learnt all about the desert and looking after sheep. One day God spoke to him through a burning bush and told him to go back to Egypt and help his people by leading them back to the Promised Land. Reluctantly he went back and with the help of Aaron, his brother, he spoke to his people and Pharaoh. 

Pharaoh was so stubborn and God sent 10 plagues to make him change his mind. Eventually when the worst plague had killed all the eldest sons in every family, Pharaoh let them go and they traveled down south. Things were very bad. There was a sea in front of them and Pharaoh and his army chasing them. 

God protected them and with a mighty miracle they crossed the sea on dry land, but when the army followed them, the sea crashed back and the enemy all drowned. Now Moses had to teach these slaves how to be a nation and how to worship and serve God. 

He spent a lot of time alone with God and used to shine when he came back to the people. He was God’s friend and God spoke to him like a friend. It was a very difficult job and the people often rebelled. 

God gave Moses the 10 commandments and showed him how to build a tabernacle. God fed the people with manna and quails and their shoes and clothes never wore out. When they ran out of water, Moses spoke to a rock and water gushed out. 

They could have got to the Promised Land in 2 weeks, but they were so rebellious and difficult that it took 40 years. 

Moses was a great leader, but because he lost his temper one day, God didn’t let him enter the Promised Land, but took him home to heaven.

 Application

We learn from our Bible Buddy Moses, that to be a leader, one must be a close friend of God’s and trust Him and if the people we are leading make us cross, we must just tell God and not lose our tempers and hit things. We need to be patient on the long journey through life.

 Consolidation

There is a work sheet with pictures to number in correct order. A craft could be done, making paper baskets. In the basket the children could write a prayer and then put it in God’s keeping at the cross.

Memory Verse: The Lord is my strength, the reason for my song, because He saved me.” Exodus 15:2