God provides food for the people

Exodus 16:1-18

To help the children be grateful to God because He feeds his children.

“The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him” (Nahum 1:7, NIV*).

In some ways the people of Israel were like small children. God needed to teach them a new way of life. During the time they lived in Egypt, they had turned away from the Lord and their worship and rituals.

Moses trusted God, and followed him as God led the Israelites across the Red Sea. But as time passed, they forgot the miracles that God had done to free them, and they complained about everything that happened to them. God sent many plagues to the Egyptians to punish them for their hardness of heart. He opened the Red Sea to allow the Hebrews to pass. He protected and guided his people with a pillar of fire at night and a pillar of cloud during the day. The Lord looked after His people with great love and incredible patience.

However, they continued to complain and murmur against Moses. They thought they would die of hunger in the desert, and they longed for the food they had in Egypt. God heard them, and he sent bread from heaven in a form they could pick up every morning. Manna was the main food of the Israelites during the 40 years of their journey to the Promised Land. God also sent them quail to eat.

But that was not the only problem. They also suffered from the lack of water, and their complaints were increasing. Moses became discouraged because of the accusations he received from the people he had helped to liberate. But the love and infinite patience of God remained intact. God used a rock to provide fresh water to drink.

God showed His love to Israel, just as a mother does to her hungry and complaining child.

It is not unusual for preschoolers to be impatient and restless when their needs or desires are not met immediately. Through this story, they will be able to understand that God supplies the needs of His children because He loves us and cares for us. They may realize that when we know that God acts in our lives, it is irrational that we become impatient and complain by questioning His power. Help your children develop sensitivity to God’s love and care through this lesson. Tell them that the church is a good place to learn about God’s love. Remind them that God loves them and cares for them, even when they hurt themselves when they are playing or have a bad day at home or school.

Attention

Use some activities to capture the attention of the children and help them learn today’s lesson.

Flying quail

If possible before class, find a picture of a quail. This is a bird or bird-like creature similar to a turkey, pheasant, or grouse. Start the class by talking with your children about their favorite foods. Let every child mention the food they like best. Briefly introduce the lesson, talking about a bird-like animal that serves as food for humans, the quail. Explain that this is a kind of small brown bird like a turkey, pheasant or grouse. Some hunters catch them to eat them.

Ask your children to pretend to fly like birds around the class; and, when you touch them, they fall on the ground.

Ask: “Did any of you eat quail today?” Then tell the children that today’s story tells us about when God fed his people with quail.

The following activities will help prepare children to experience and review the Bible story.

A story from a tent

If possible, prepare to set up a structure in the meeting area that resembles a tent. Perhaps you can use some large chairs and a large sheet.

Walk with the children several times around the meeting area. Then gather them in the area designated for biblical stories.

Say: “We have walked a lot; I think it is time we set up a camp.”

Allow the children to help you set up the tent structure.

Say: “The Israelites walked long distances in the hot desert. They were tired and hungry; they no longer had food. Let us get into our camp. (Carefully help them all under or near the tent.)

Ask: “Do you see anything to eat?” (No.) “Good, the Israelites also had no food. We will find out how God helped them.

Food sent by God

The Israelites left Elim and went on their way. When they reached the desert, they began to complain: “Moses, Moses, we are hungry. Our stomachs make noise,” they said. “We would be better off if we had never left Egypt. We are very hungry here.”

God heard the people’s complaints and said to Moses, “I’ll drop food from the sky like rain for the whole camp. Tell them to go outside and collect what you need for the day. Everyone will have enough to eat.”

Moses trusted in God, and he told the people what the Lord had said to him.

Suddenly, God appeared in a cloud and said to Moses: “Tell the people that they will eat meat tonight, and that every morning they will eat all the manna they want. They will know that I am God and that I provided food.”

That night the quail came and filled the camp. God wanted the people to have meat to eat. The next morning, small thin leaves, white as snow, were scattered over the whole camp.

“What is this?” the people asked. “We do not know what it is!”

“It is the bread God gives us to eat,” said Moses.

So, the Israelites gathered as much food as they needed. They trusted in God and obeyed Him, and He provided food for the people to eat.

God sent quail

Before class, cut out the quail and the wings from Student Activity Sheet #35-A and #35-B. Make a horizontal cut above the text; this is where the children will insert the wings.

In class, give the children the quail and the wings. Let the children color the quail and the wings. Show the children how to insert the wings. If they want to make puppets, they can attach two small sticks to the feet of the quail.

Let the children wander around the room with their birds, pretending that the birds are flying. Have the children say, “Thank you, God, for sending the food.”

At the conclusion, you can serve your children cereal flakes, crackers, or small pieces of bread as a reminder of the food from heaven that God sent to his people.