God’s plan for a leader
key words
biblical reference
Exodus 2:1-15
memory verse
“Teach me to do your will, for you are my God” (Psalm 143:10a, NIV*).
lesson objective
To help children recognize that God is always evident in the lives of his people.
prepare yourself to teach
The Hebrew people were enslaved by the Egyptians, because, after many years of enjoying their protection and sharing the land, a new Pharaoh had come to the throne. He was bold and arrogant and he did not know Joseph, who had been a senior government official and saved the Egyptian people from starving.
Joseph’s brothers and his father, Jacob, had come to live in the land of Goshen, where they settled and multiplied to be more than 600,000 people. The new Pharaoh was afraid because the Hebrew people were multiplying rapidly and there were more Hebrew people than Egyptian people, so he decided to make the Hebrews slaves because he was afraid that the Hebrews would try to take over his kingdom.
To remove this threat completely, he ordered every male child born of a Hebrew woman to be killed. However, God had great plans for the people of Israel, as he had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He used a woman named Jochebed and Pharaoh’s own daughter to carry out his plans.
Jochebed gave birth to a son whom she hid for three months. Then she took him to the river and put him in a basket to save him from death. Pharaoh’s daughter, who was on the bank of the river, picked up the basket with the baby and decided to raise him as her own son. She named him Moses. God used these people to carry out his plans.
Throughout all this history we realize how God reveals himself even in the most adverse situations, to fulfill his will.
Present today’s lesson so that you children can see that just as God took care of Moses as a baby, he also cares for them and is evident in all aspects of their daily lives. Remember that you must teach the Word of God effectively, and encompassing their salvation.
adaptation
Your children are starting to find themselves in situations unknown to them; and when they face circumstances that seem very complicated or difficult to accept, they may not feel that God is working in their lives.
Give a brief introduction to the Bible story telling the children why the Hebrews lived in Egyptian. Here is an example:
“Abraham had a grandson named Joseph, who was sold by his brothers to be a slave in the land of Egypt. After many years, because Joseph obeyed God and helped save Egypt from famine, Joseph’s family, the Hebrews or Israelites, went to live in Egypt because there was no food in the land of Canaan.
The Egyptians gladly received their new neighbors, and Pharaoh gave them the best land to live on and to work. However, many years later there was a new Egyptian Pharaoh who was not aware of what Joseph had done and did not want the Hebrews in his country. He thought the Hebrews were a threat to the peace of his people.”
Tell the story so that children understand the terrible situation God’s people were going through, being subject to slavery and the death of all baby boys. Allow your children to participate by saying what dangers God saved Moses from while in the basket (drowning, starving, wild animals, etc…)
Talk about Moses’ childhood and help your children to imagine what his lifestyle in the Egyptian royal palace was like, and how this would differ from his Hebrew roots.
introduce the lesson
Ask children what they know about Moses. Perhaps many remember the story of the baby inside the basket. Give some time for them to tell others what they know. If possible, give them paper and crayons to draw a picture of what they remember. This will help to illustrate the Bible story.
Read with children Exodus 2:1-15, and clarify anything that they may not understand before you start to tell the Bible story.
teach the lesson
Prior to the session study Exodus 2:1-15 and be prepared to tell the story in your own words. Also, prepare the material you deem necessary to illustrate the story in class. You can use a doll, drawings made by children or pictures that illustrate the content of the lesson. You will also need markers or crayons. Remember that the more dynamic the class, the more the story will impact the minds of your children.
Gather your children to listen to the Bible story. The story of Moses is well known. It is likely that the children have heard it more than once. However, remember that we can always find new and fresh ways to teach the Word of God.
application to daily life
Establish a relationship between the Bible story and the lives of the children. Emphasize how important it is to know that God cares for us, because he loves us and has a special plan for our lives.
Ask your children, “What if your family had to be slaves to someone? How would you feel if you had to run away from someone who wants to hurt you? How would you feel if you had to live with a different family than your own?”
Let them answer and discuss their different views.
Emphasize that, despite everything bad that happened to Moses and his family, God did not forget them. Maybe they did not realize it at that moment, but God was carrying out his plan. He took care of Moses when he was just a baby because he would be a great leader who would deliver God’s chosen people. Talk with your children about how bad things can happen to people who believe in God. Let them give examples (diseases, natural disasters, loneliness, poverty, wars, etc...). However, regardless of what might happen to us, we can always trust that God is working in our lives to carry out his plan.
connect the lesson
Use these activities to connect the children’s attention with the topic. Modify or add activities that fit your group's particular needs.
What happens next?
Distribute Student Activity Sheet #106-A, and ask the children what is happening in each picture. Then cut out the four boxes with the pictures and glue them in the correct sequence. When they have finished, review today’s story using the worksheet.
The funny pencil
Ask the children to look at Student Activity Sheet #106-B and follow the instructions to find the secret message. Read the words of each line out loud. When everyone has found the hidden message ask all of them to read it together. The message is, “God has plans for you”.
practice the memory verse
Write the words of the memory verse on two sets of cards. Keeping the sets separate, mix up the cards. Divide the class into two groups. Allow the groups to come forward to put together the memory verse and to repeat it out loud together. The group to do it in the shortest amount of time is the winner.
Help them memorize the verse and ask them to go over it at home during the week.
wrap-up
Pray
Pray with the group about any of their needs. Ask the Lord to help them trust him more.
Encourage
Emphasize that today’s story covers forty years of Moses’ life, during which time, God was preparing him even though he was living in the midst of the Egyptians; and was unknowingly a participant in God’s plan. We must also prepare to serve God in whatever he wants us to do (which includes going to school, obeying our parents and teachers, praying, reading the Bible, etc.). Encourage children to trust in God no matter what.
Invite
Invite the children to return for the next session and to invite their friends to also come.
* Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™