God Listens to the Cries of His People

Transcription

1 God Delivers His People Lesson 1 God Listens to the Cries of His People Objective: That whenever the children are treated unfairly they will take their problems to God in prayer and they will trust him to rescue them. For the teacher: Pray asking God to use this lesson in your life and in the lives of the children. Read Exodus 2:23-25: After the death of the king of Egypt, the Israelites still complained because they were forced to be slaves. They cried out for help and God heard their loud cries. He did not forget the promise he had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and because he knew what was happening to his people, he felt sorry for them. Based on this passage, explain the Israelites situation. How did the Israelites express their feelings about being slaves to God? When someone is going through a time of suffering, what can he say to God? The Bible has many examples of prayers made by people who were suffering. These prayers are called laments. A lament begins by crying out to God, and it ends in worship and thanksgiving. Read Psalm 13: How much longer, Lord, will you forget about me? Will it be forever? How long will you hide? How long must I be confused and miserable all day? How long will my enemies keep beating me down? Please listen, Lord God, and answer my prayers. Make my eyes sparkle again, or else I will fall into the sleep of death. My enemies will say, Now we ve won! 1

2 God Delivers His People Lesson 1 They will be greatly pleased when I am defeated. I trust your love, and I feel like celebrating because you rescued me. You have been good to me, Lord, and I will sing about you. What does the psalmist say to God to express his frustration and pain? What does he ask God to do for him? How do you express your trust in God in the light of serious difficulties? Now think about how you pray. In what ways would you like your own prayers to become more like the psalmist s prayer? Before class: ü Make sure the video equipment is in good working order. ü Learn the song and look at the instructions for the game that the children can play while they sing it. (The words to the song are found after lesson 5). ü Make copies of the worksheets for the younger children. ü Make copies of the second worksheet for the older children ü Bring pencils for each of older children. Let s start by talking with God God, thank you that you chose us to be your people. Thank you because you hear us when we cry out to you and you respond to us. Amen. Before watching the video Ask the children, Do you know what a slave is? Let the children express their ideas. A slave is a person who is the property of someone else and who is forced to work for his or her owner without any pay. Tell the children to close their eyes and to imagine that they and all the members of their families are slaves. They have to work every day. They can t go to school or play, and they are not paid for their work. They belong to someone else. They are not allowed to leave. If they try to escape, they are captured and beaten. They can open their eyes. 2

3 God Delivers His People Lesson 1 Ask the children what they think about the idea of belonging to someone else, being forced to work for that person, and not being able to leave. Does that seem good? Why or why not? Let s watch the video Today we will watch a video called God Delivers His People. We will see what happened to Abraham s descendants after they became slaves. Take note of how the Israelite people thought and felt as slaves. Let s sing the song While they listen to the song, have the children form several lines holding onto the shoulder of the child in front. A teacher or older child can direct each line so that during the song the lines of children move around the classroom. Two teachers or students can join hands to form a bridge that the children can pass under. (The words to the song are found after lesson 5.) Let s talk about what we saw Divide the children into small groups based on their ages, and ask them, Why were the Israelites suffering at the beginning of the video? What did Moses mother say to the men who were suffering in their work? She told them to trust in God because he was going to save them. Why do you think it was difficult for Moses and the other people to believe God was going to save them? Tell the children that during difficult times, when we are suffering or being taken advantage of by others, it s hard to recognize that God is with us and that he cares for us. We don t always know what to say to him. But the Bible teaches us that we can tell God anything. It s fine to tell him about the things that are unfair or make us unhappy. We can cry or even shout and we can ask God to do something for us. Then we can trust that he will save us because we are his chosen children. Read Luke 18:7 with the children: Won t God protect his chosen ones who pray to him day and night? Won t he be concerned for them? 3

4 God Delivers His People Lesson 1 Explain to the children that this is a promise we can count on. God loves justice, and if someone mistreats us, God is not in agreement with that. When we cry out to him, the Bible teaches that he won t be slow in responding. Worksheet for the smaller children We see the Israelite slaves suffering on this worksheet. Have the children color the worksheet and think about the following verse. Read the verse with the children that says: Won t God protect his chosen ones who pray to him day and night? Won t he be concerned for them? Luke 18:7 Activity for the older children This activity gives the older children the opportunity to write a psalm of lament, expressing their complaints and praises to God. Make copies of the worksheets and cut them in half so that each child will get a half sheet (there are two copies on each page). Explain to the children that in the Bible when people were suffering, they often wrote a song or poem to express their feelings to God. First they told God everything that was happening to them. Then they asked for his help. They ended their song or poem by expressing their trust and confidence in God despite what they were going through. These songs were called laments. Read Psalm 13 to the children, explaining that this psalm is an example of a lament: 1 How much longer, Lord, will you forget about me? Will it be forever? How long will you hide? 2 How long must I be confused and miserable all day? How long will my enemies keep beating me down? 3 Please listen, Lord God, and answer my prayers. Make my eyes sparkle again, or else I will fall into the sleep of death. 4 My enemies will say, Now we ve won! 4

5 God Delivers His People Lesson 1 They will be greatly pleased when I am defeated. 5 I trust your love, and I feel like celebrating because you rescued me. 6 You have been good to me, Lord, and I will sing about you. What does the psalmist say to God to express his frustration and his pain? Help the children identify what the psalmist says to express his pain and frustration. What does he ask God to do for him? How does he express his trust in God despite the difficult situation in which he finds himself? Tell the children, You will each write a psalm of lament. It s like writing a letter or a poem to God. First you can tell God about any difficult or unfair situation that you are going through, or anything that make you sad or angry. Then you can ask God to change the situation. At the end of the lament, praise God for how good he is. Give each child a worksheet and a pencil. Make sure there is enough time left for them to write. Finish the activity by giving the children an opportunity to share what they have written with the rest of the group. Don t force the children to share if they don t want to. Let s sing the song If time permits, repeat the song, following the instructions from earlier in the lesson. Let s talk with God to end the class Father, thank you that you are just and you are good. Thank you for listening to our prayers. We praise you because we know that you won t be slow to respond and to rescue us. Amen. 5

6 Won t God protect his chosen ones who pray to him day and night? Won t he be concerned for them? Luke 18:7 God Delivers His People Lesson 1

7 My Psalm of Lament: First write about something that makes you sad. Now ask God to do something for you. Express praise to God for all he has done in your life and that you can trust him. God Delivers His People Lesson 1 My Psalm of Lament: First write about something that makes you sad. Now ask God to do something for you. 7 Express praise to God for all he has done in your life and that you can trust him. God Delivers His People Lesson 1

8 God Delivers His People Lesson 2 God Revealed Himself to Moses as the Eternal God Who Cares About His People Objective: That the children will praise God because he is holy, he is eternal and he cares about our needs. For the teacher: Pray asking God to use this lesson in your life and in the lives of the children. In your understanding, what makes the God of Israel different from all other gods? Read Exodus 3:5-7, where God speaks to Moses at the burning bush: God replied, Don t come any closer. Take off your sandals the ground where you are standing is holy. I am the God who was worshiped by your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Moses was afraid to look at God, and so he hid his face. The Lord said, I have seen how my people are suffering as slaves in Egypt, and I have heard them beg for my help because of the way they are being mistreated. I feel sorry for them. What do we learn about God in these verses? What was God s attitude toward his people s suffering? Why do you think God told Moses to take off his sandals? How is God s presence comparable to a fire? Realizing how great and holy God is, how should we worship him? How can we show our reverence for him? Think of a time when the presence and love of God was very real to you. What did you do? What difference does it make to you to serve a God who cares about your needs? 8

9 God Delivers His People Lesson 2 Before class: ü Prepare everything you will need to tell the story: o Color then cut out the figure of Moses, the burning bush and the sheep faces, that are found at the end of this lesson. o Attach the figures to disposable cups or another base that will hold them upright. o Make sheep out of cotton balls with the paper faces glued onto them. o Bring a brown colored piece of fabric, tissue paper or crepe paper to form a mountain. ü Practice telling the story of Moses and the burning bush, using the instructions in this lesson. ü Make copies of the worksheet for the smaller children. ü In addition you will also need to bring glue, and either orange colored cellophane, paper or yarn. ü For the older children prepare a special place where they can worship God and bring worship songs that you can sing with them. Let s start by talking with God Father, I praise you because you are eternal and holy. Thank you that even though you are so different from us you still care about our needs. Amen. Before watching the video Ask the children, How many of you enjoy bonfires? I want you all to think of a time when you were really close to a bonfire or another large fire. How does a fire feel if we are a ways away from it? It feels good, especially if it s cold out. What happens if we get too close to a fire? We get burnt. Tell the children, fire is something good, but we need to treat it with respect. God is also like that. He is very good but we shouldn t treat him like just anybody. We need to respect him. In that way we can enjoy the warmth of his presence and his goodness. 9

10 God Delivers His People Lesson 2 Tell the Story to the Children Have the children sit in a circle, and sit down with them. Before telling the story, place the cloth or paper mountain someplace where all the children can see it. Mound it up to look like a mountain. Tell the story in the following way: Moses lived in the land of Midian, where he watched over his father-in-law s sheep. Place Moses and several sheep at a distance from the mountain. One day Moses took the sheep into the desert to Mount Horeb. Move Moses as if he was walking and have the sheep follow him. Suddenly Moses saw a bush that was on fire but wasn t burning up. Walk Moses over to the mountain, and place the burning bush by the mountain. Moses went over to the bush and God spoke to him from within it. Moses, Moses! Here I am, said Moses. Don t come any closer. Take off your sandals. The ground where you are standing is holy. Make the figure of Moses bow down before God. Moses took off his sandals to show reverence to God. God spoke to him from the bush and said, I am the God who was worshipped by your ancestors Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I have seen how my people are suffering in Egypt and I have come to save them. Go, I am sending you to Pharaoh to lead my people out of Egypt. Have Moses bow down again, then have him look up to speak with God. 10

11 God Delivers His People Lesson 2 Moses respected God but he was afraid to do what God asked of him. Moses said, Lord, who am I to go and speak with Pharaoh. I can t speak well. God said, Moses, I will be with you. My name is I Am. I will give you victory over Pharaoh. Also I am sending your brother Aaron to you so that he can accompany you and help you to speak. Make Moses bow down for the last time then have him go back the way he came. So it was that Moses left that place and returned to Egypt. Let s talk about what we saw Divide the children up into small groups based on their ages and ask, What did Moses see while God was speaking to him? He saw a burning bush. Why do you think God told Moses not to go any closer to the bush? Tell the children, God is holy, and he is also eternal. This means that he has always existed and always will exist. Nobody can control him or force him to do what he or she wants. But despite the fact that God is so great and so perfect, he cares about what happens to us! What did God tell Moses regarding the suffering of his people? He said that he had seen the suffering of his people and that he was going to save them. What did God tell Moses to do? God told Moses to take the people out of Egypt. 11

12 God Delivers His People Lesson 2 I wonder how the Israelites felt when they found out that so great and so perfect a God was thinking about them? Give the children a couple minutes to think about this. Ask the children if they would like to pray with you, thanking God for thinking about us. Let s pray with the children Father, you are a great and perfect God. Please forgive us if we have treated you as less than you deserve. Please forgive us if we have come to you disrespectfully. Help us to always keep in mind that you are holy and you are eternal. Thank you because you care what happens to us and because you want to free us from evil. Amen. Worksheet for the smaller children You will need the following: ü Copies of the worksheet for the children ü Yellow or orange cellophane, paper or yarn ü Glue This worksheet has a picture of Moses and the burning bush. The children should color the page, then glue something orange or yellow onto the bush to represent fire. For example they can glue pieces of colored paper, cellophane or pieces of yarn. Read the verse with the children that says: Lord, who doesn t honor and praise your name? You alone are holy, and all nations will come and worship you, because you have shown that you judge with fairness. Revelation 15:4 Activity for the older children Read Exodus 3:5 (found at the beginning of the lesson) to the children and ask them, In this verse, what did God order Moses to do? Why do you think God ordered Moses to take off his shoes? Because the place where he was standing was holy. 12

13 God Delivers His People Lesson 2 What made the place holy? Because God was there. Tell the children, nowadays when we go to a place to worship God we don t take off our shoes, but we do other things to show our respect. Name some ways that we show our respect and love for God. Mention ways that we show our respect for God in our time and culture. For example, being quiet in church, not eating, kneeling, raising our hands or looking up toward heaven, closing our eyes when we pray etc. Explain to the children that all these practices are ways to worship God, showing our respect for him and praising him for being so good and holy. Activity Prepare a place for worship, thinking about how to create a worshipful atmosphere. For example, you can clean the space, put down a rug, decorate with flowers, candles, verses on the wall or pictures of people worshiping. You can prepare a place for the children to kneel, raise their hands, dance around or whatever feels worshipful to you. Explain to the children that you are going to have a special worship time. If you like, have them pretend they lived back when Moses did and invite them to take off their shoes before coming into the worship area. Sing worship songs with the children. Then read Revelation 15:4. Invite the children to pray and worship God in a special way. Let s sing the song If time permits, ask the children to stand up and sing the song they saw in the video. During the song, they can form several lines holding onto the shoulder of the child in front of them. A teacher or older child can direct each line so that during the song the lines of children move around the classroom. Two teachers or students can join hands to form a bridge that the children can pass under. Let s talk with God to end the class God, you are holy and eternal. We love you, Lord. Thank you for being a God who cares for us. Amen. 13

14 3. Glue the sheep faces onto cotton balls. 2. Glue the figures of Moses and the burning bush onto disposable cups or another strong base. (If needed, add reinforcement to the burning bush, so that it stands upright) 1. Color and cut out the figures. Instructions: A piece of brown fabric or tissue paper and something with which to form a mountain. To tell this story you will also need: Figures used to tell the story God Delivers His People, Lesson 2.

15 God Delivers His People Lesson 2 Lord, who doesn t honor and praise your name? You alone are holy, and all nations will come and worship you, because you have shown that you judge with fairness. Revelation 15:4

16 God Delivers His People Lesson 3 God Freed His People from Pharaoh s Power Objective: That the children will praise God whose power is greater than that of Pharaoh, Satan or anyone else. For the teacher: Pray asking God to use this lesson in your life and in the lives of the children. Think about the account of the Israelite slaves in Egypt. What was Pharaoh s plan for the Israelite people? What was God s plan for them? Read Exodus 3:19-20 where God says to Moses: But I know that the king of Egypt won t let you go unless something forces him to. So I will use my mighty power to perform all kinds of miracles and strike down the Egyptians. Then the king will send you away. Why didn t Pharaoh want to let the Israelites leave his land? What did God do to convince him? Make a list of the plagues that God sent to Egypt (you will find them in Exodus 7:14-12:30) and note what parts of nature are under God s control. Now think about your own life: Is there anything or anybody that is stopping you from freely serving God? How has God freed you from circumstances or people that put you in bondage? What people or circumstances might be putting the children in your class in bondage? How might God want to free them? Take a moment to pray that the children in your class will experience God s freeing power in their lives. 16

17 God Delivers His People Lesson 3 Before class: ü Make sure that the video equipment is in good working order. ü Make copies of the worksheet for the smaller children. ü Make copies and cut out the plagues on the second page (you can print them in color or in black and white). ü For the older children, make sure there is a strong table and at least two chairs for the arm wrestling contest. Let s start by talking with God Father, we thank you for freeing your people from Pharaoh s control and we thank you that you have the power to free us as well. Amen. Before watching the video Ask the children, What is a plague? Listen to the children s responses. What examples of plagues have you seen? The children can mention plagues of insects, rats, cockroaches or another pest. Generally speaking, are plagues good or bad? They are bad. Let s watch the video Tell the children that today they will watch the video called God Delivers His People. This time they should take note of all the different plagues God sent and his purpose in sending them. Let s sing the song After watching the video, sing the song. During the song, the children can form several lines holding onto the shoulder of the child in front of them. A teacher or older child can direct each line so that during the song the lines of children move around the classroom. Two teachers or students can join hands to form a bridge that the children can pass under. (The words to the song are found after lesson 5.) Let s talk about what we saw Divide the children into small groups based on their ages and ask, To whom were the Israelites enslaved in this story? What was Pharaoh s plan for the Israelites? That they continue being 17

18 God Delivers His People Lesson 3 slaves in Egypt, helping to build great cities. What was God s plan for the Israelites? They would leave Egypt and be free to worship him. How did Pharaoh react when Moses and Aaron told him, in God s name, to let the people go free? He didn t want to let them go, he became stubborn and he made the people suffer more than before. Why didn t Pharaoh want to let the people go? Tell the children, just like the Israelites, we also have an enemy who wants to keep us in slavery. His name is Satan. In what ways does Satan decieve people into serving him? Tell the children that Satan, just like Pharaoh, has lots of power but God is more powerful. God has freed us and for that reason Satan doesn t have the right to put us in bondage under him. Who was more powerful in this story, God or Pharaoh? God! How did God show his power? God showed his power by sending plagues on Pharaoh and the Egyptians. Let s pray thanking God for being so powerful and because he has freed us from Satan s power over us. Let s pray with the children God, thank you that you have power over everything. Thank you because you don t allow our enemies to put us in bondage. We praise you and we want to serve only you. Amen. Worksheet for the smaller children To do this worksheet you will need: ü Copies of the worksheet ü Copies of the plagues (you may print them in color or black and white) ü Scissors and glue This worksheet shows Moses and Aaron asking Pharaoh to let the people go. Pharaoh became stubborn and for this reason God sent many plagues. 18

19 God Delivers His People Lesson 3 The children should color the worksheet and then glue on or draw the plagues that God sent. Read the verse with the children that says: God said to Moses: Go to the palace and tell the king of Egypt that I order him to let my people go, so they can worship me. Exodus 8:1 Activity for the older children Organize an arm wrestling contest. Each child should arm wrestle another child, then the winners will arm wrestle each other until there is just one final winner left. (If preferred, divide up the boys and girls so that there will be a winner in each category). After the contest ask the following questions: Was this game easy or hard for you? Who gave up quickly? Who lasted a long time before giving up? How did you feel when you tried really hard but still weren t able to win? Congratulate the winner and say, You were the strongest, overpowering all the other children. But if you were arm wrestling with your father, would you still be able to win? What about if you were put against a famous athlete, would you be able to win against him or her? Would you be willing to try? Tell the children, Pharaoh thought that he could fight against God and win. It s as if you or I wanted to arm wrestle against the strongest man on earth. Even if we fought with all the strength we have, in the end we would be overpowered. Satan is like that also. He is using his strength to try and overpower God, but in the end he will surrender because God is much more powerful than he is. If there is time, have an arm wrestling contest between the children and the teachers. Let s talk with God to end the class Thank you God because you are all powerful. Thank you that we are not Satan s slaves but rather your servants. Help us to be truly free and to serve you with love. Amen. 19

20 God said to Moses: Go to the palace and tell the king of Egypt that I order him to let my people go, so they can worship me. Exodus 8:1 God Delivers His People Lesson 2

21 God Delivers His People Lesson 2 Plagues, for gluing to worksheet, black and white option

22 God Delivers His People Lesson 2 Plagues, for gluing to worksheet, color option

23 God Delivers His People Lesson 4 The Blood of the Lamb Saved God s People from Death Objective: That the children will understand that just like the blood of the lamb saved the first-born sons of the Israelites; Jesus blood saves us from eternal death. For the teacher: Pray asking God to use this lesson in your life and in the lives of the children. Read Exodus 12:21-23 Moses called the leaders of Israel together and said: Each family is to pick out a sheep and kill it for Passover. Make a brush from a few small branches of a hyssop plant and dip the brush in the bowl that has the blood of the animal in it. Then brush some of the blood above the door and on the posts at each side of the door of your house. After this, everyone is to stay inside. During that night the Lord will go through the country of Egypt and kill the first-born son in every Egyptian family. He will see where you have put the blood, and he will not come into your house. His angel that brings death will pass over and not kill your first-born sons. What impresses you about this passage? How did the blood of the lamb on the doorposts save the Israelites? Read Ephesians 1:7 Christ sacrificed his life s blood to set us free, which means that our sins are now forgiven. And Hebrews 9:12 Then Christ went once for all into the most holy place and freed us from sin forever. He did this by offering his own blood instead of the blood of goats and bulls. In what way is Jesus like the lambs that the Israelites sacrificed? How is Jesus sacrifice different from the sacrifice of the Passover lamb? Why do you think Jesus blood has so much power to free us from sin and death? 23

24 God Delivers His People Lesson 4 Before class: ü Get ready to enact the story with the children using the following props: o Bring a toy lamb (stuffed animal) and a knife. o Attach paper over the top of the door and along the sides of the door to your classroom to protect it. o Put red paint or water tinted with red coloring into a container. o Bring a sprig of a plant or a paintbrush that can be used to apply the blood to the paper covering the doorframe of the classroom. o Print the picture of Jesus on the cross, preferably in color, to use in telling the story. If in black and white, color the blood coming from Jesus hands, head, side and feet red. ü Make copies of the worksheet for all the children. ü Bring small paintbrushes and red paint for the worksheet. ü Bring some extra Bibles for the activity with the older children, in case some children forgot theirs. Let s start by talking with God Jesus, thank you for dying for us to save us from eternal death. Amen. Before telling the story Ask the children, What color is our blood? It s red. Many people are afraid to look at blood. Why do you think they are afraid? What is special about our blood? 24

25 God Delivers His People Lesson 4 Explain to the children that blood is necessary for life. We can lose some blood and nothing will happen to us. But if a person loses a lot of blood, they can die. That s why blood is special. Tell the story and act it out Tell the children that they will be pretending that they are an Israelite family who lived in Egypt when God sent the final plague on the Egyptians. Remind the children that the Israelites were slaves in Egypt. Even though God sent many plagues to Egypt, Pharaoh still didn t let God s people go free. Then God decided to send one last plague as a final judgment against Pharaoh and his people. God said that he was going to kill the oldest son of each Egyptian family. Have all the boys who are the oldest sons in their families stand up! Imagine that each one who is standing would die. They can sit back down. God gave special instructions to the Israelites. He told each family to choose a lamb or goat. Show the stuffed animal or toy that you brought to class. The animal had to be one year old, and perfect, without anything wrong with it. God told the people to take care of the animal for several days and then to kill it. Bring the knife up to the throat of the lamb and pretend that you are killing it. Then they had to collect the blood of the lamb. Show the children the container with the red paint or red tinted water. The Israelites were to brush some of the blood over the door of their house and on the sides of the door. 25

26 God Delivers His People Lesson 4 Ask for a volunteer from the older children. Have the volunteer stain the paper beside and over the door using the branches or paintbrush. When God saw the blood over the door and at the sides of the door, he didn t allow the angel of death to enter that house and kill the first-born son of that house. God told the Israelites that they should always remember this day. Every year they celebrate the Passover to remember how God saved them using the blood of the lamb. We Christians do not celebrate the Passover like the Israelites did, killing a lamb and putting its blood on our doors. We do not have to kill a lamb anymore because we have someone who died to free us from sin and death. That person is Jesus! Show the children a picture of Jesus on the cross. Point out the red blood coming out of Jesus hands, side, head and feet. Tell the children: When Jesus died on the cross, his blood was shed and he was killed just like the lamb was killed to save the firstborn sons of the Israelites. When we trust in Jesus, we can be sure that God looks at his blood and passes over us so that we will not spend eternity separated from God. Let s talk about what we saw Hold the lamb in one hand, and the picture of Jesus on the cross in the other hand, and say, In the New Testament, Jesus is called the Lamb of God. In what ways is Jesus like the Passover lamb? Listen carefully to the children s answers. Remind them that that Jesus was holy and perfect. He never sinned, but he died to save us from sin and death. 26

27 God Delivers His People Lesson 4 The Israelites celebrate the Passover every year to remember that God saved them from death and slavery in Egypt. What ceremonies do we have to remember Jesus body and blood that was shed for us? Listen to the children s answers. Remind them of communion, the Lord s Supper or Eucharist, which is one way that we remember Jesus sacrifice. Some people who don t know about Jesus believe that they still have to sacrifice animals so that God won t be angry with them. What would you tell someone who believed this? Read Hebrews 9:12 Then Christ went once for all into the most holy place and freed us from sin forever. He did this by offering his own blood instead of the blood of goats and bulls. Explain to the children that when Jesus was killed on the cross, God accepted his sacrifice. Even though we deserve to die for our sins, God forgives us and saves us when we trust in him. If we believe in Jesus, we may die physically, but we will not die an eternal death. We will not be separated from God forever because God has promised us eternal life with Him. Worksheet for the smaller children This worksheet shows an Israelite boy on one side, standing under a doorway. On the other side is Jesus on the cross, with a finger person looking up at Jesus. The children should add hair and color the clothes so the person on their worksheet looks like them. They should put red paint on the doorposts and on the cross to signify blood. Below the door it says, The blood of the lamb saved the Israelite boys. Under the cross it says, The blood of Jesus saves me,. The children should write their name on the blank line. Read the verse with the children: Christ sacrificed his life s blood to set us free, which means that our sins are now forgiven. Christ did this because God was so kind to us. Ephesians 1:7 27

28 God Delivers His People Lesson 4 Activity for the older children In this activity the children will look up verses in their Bible that further explain the Passover. If it won t detract from the content of the lesson, you can turn the activity into a competition to see who can find the verses the fastest. However it is more important to think about what the verses teach than to see who is the quickest. Explain to the children that the Israelites celebrate the Passover each year to remember how God freed them from the Egyptians. The Passover is celebrated with a meal that uses special food. Besides the lamb, what else did the Israelites eat during the Passover meal? Look up Exodus 12:8 in your Bible for the answer to this question. Jesus was an Israelite: he also celebrated the Passover meal with his disciples. What other name was used for the Passover celebration in Jesus time? Look up Luke 22:7 to find the answer. What did Jesus say to his disciples when he broke the bread in the Passover meal? Look up Mark 14:22 to find the answer. What did Jesus say to his disciples when he gave them the cup of wine? Look in Matthew 26:27-28 to find the answer. Explain to the children that when Jesus died on the cross he sacrificed his body and blood for our sins. Just like the Passover lamb died in place of the first-born Israelite sons, Jesus was sacrificed in our place. The older children can also do the same worksheet as the smaller children. Let s sing the song If time permits, ask the children to stand up and sing the song they saw in the video. During the song, they can form several lines holding onto the shoulder of the child in front of them. A teacher or older child can direct each line so that during the song the lines of children move around the classroom. Two teachers or students can join hands to form a bridge that the children can pass under. (The words to the song are found after lesson 5.) Let s talk with God to end the class Lord Jesus, thank you for giving your life for us. Amen. 28

29 God Delivers His People Lesson 4 Visual for telling the story

30 Christ sacrificed his life s blood to set us free, which means that our sins are now forgiven. Christ did this because God was so kind to us. Ephesians 1:7 God Delivers His People Lesson 4 The blood of the lamb saved the Israelite boys. The blood of Jesus saves me,.

31 God Delivers His People Lesson 5 God s People Celebrate Because He Delivered Them! Objective: That the children will celebrate the freedom God has given through Jesus. For the teacher: Pray asking God to use this lesson in your life and in the lives of the children. Read Exodus 12:40-42: The Lord s people left Egypt exactly four hundred thirty years after they had arrived. On that night the Lord kept watch for them, and on this same night each year Israel will always keep watch in honor of the Lord. According to this passage, how long did the Israelite people live in Egypt? What difficult things happened to them there? Who was responsible for getting them out of Egypt? How do the Israelites celebrate their departure from Egypt? Think about the history of your country. At one time was your country or were your people under the control of others? In what ways did your country s fight for independence resemble that of the Israelites? How was it different? Is there a holiday in your country to celebrate its freedom or independence? How is that holiday celebrated? Are there special activities that take place? Think about how God has freed your community from the power of sin, through Jesus. In what ways does your church or community celebrate the freedom that God provides through Jesus? In this lesson, the children will have the opportunity to celebrate the freedom they have in Jesus with a parade. 31

32 God Delivers His People Lesson 5 Before class: ü Make sure the video equipment is in good working order. ü Identify a place where the children can parade. It can be on the church grounds or out on the streets. Let the pastor know what you are going to do and explain to him that the purpose of the parade is to honor Jesus victory over sin. ü Bring copies of the worksheet for the smaller children, as well as tape or glue to join each worksheet in the shape of a trumpet. ü Bring some things that the older children can use as instruments in the parade. For example, cans, buckets, or fry pans to use as drums. ü Bring fabric, ribbon and sticks to make flags and heavy paper for banners. ü Bring drinks and a snack for the children. Let s start by talking with God God, thank you for freeing us from sin and from evil. Thank you because today we can celebrate being free! Amen. Before watching the video Ask the children, Is there a special day to celebrate the freedom of our country? What day is it? Do you know why we celebrate that day? What was it like in our country before we were free? What activities are traditional ways to celebrate Independence Day or the day in which our country celebrates it s freedom? Have you ever had a parade to celebrate the freedom that we have in Jesus? Let s watch the video Tell the children they are going to watch God Delivers His People for the last time today. They should pay attention to the struggle the Israelites went through to gain their freedom and how the people celebrated after they were free. Let s talk about what we saw Divide the children up into small groups based on their ages and ask, Who mistreated the Israelites in this video? 32

33 God Delivers His People Lesson 5 How were they mistreated? They were made to work for the Egyptians and their baby boys were killed. Who fought to free them? If the children answer Moses, ask them who sent Moses? God! How did the Israelites feel when they were finally free to leave Egypt? Tell the children that just as God sent Moses to free the Israelites from Egypt, he sent Jesus to save us from the bondage of sin and to set us free. Now we are going to have a parade to honor Jesus for what he did. Worksheet for the smaller children The following supplies are needed for the worksheet: ü Copies of the worksheet ü Crayons, and tape or glue Today s worksheet will be rolled up to form a megaphone or trumpet. The children should color it, roll it into a cone shape and glue or tape it. Read the verse that says: If the Son gives you freedom, you are free! John 8:36 Activity for the older children The older children can make other instruments to use in the parade as well. Give them cans, buckets or fry pans to make into drums. Help the children to decorate their instruments and attach a carrying string to them. They can also prepare flags or banners with the verse that says: If the Son gives you freedom, you are free! John 8:36 Activity: Liberty parade When the younger children have finished making their trumpets and the older children have their drums and flags ready, all the children should line up. Take them to the place you have chosen for the parade. While they march in the parade, they can also sing the song from the video or other songs that they know. You should lead them so that they keep in step to the rhythm. After the parade, go back to the classroom and end with something to eat and drink. Let s talk with God to end the class God thank you for sending Jesus to free us. We celebrate our freedom! Amen. 33

34 Instructions: Roll the worksheet into a cone shape to form a trumpet. (This part should be rolled inside so it doesn t show.) God Delivers His People Lesson 5

35 Song: The Lord Has Shown His Power From the video God Liberates His People from the Deditos series 2013 // Let s celebrate! Tell everyone! We re finally on our way. The Lord has shown his power. We are free! Tell it to your children and their children again. The Lord has shown his power. We are free! // The blood has made us free! We had suffered for so long in slavery And then the miracles flowed from above. The destroyer had to pass us over When he saw the crimson blood. Song: The Lord Has Shown His Power From the video God Liberates His People from the Deditos series 2013 // Let s celebrate! Tell everyone! We re finally on our way. The Lord has shown his power. We are free! Tell it to your children and their children again. The Lord has shown his power. We are free! // The blood has made us free! We had suffered for so long in slavery And then the miracles flowed from above. The destroyer had to pass us over When he saw the crimson blood. 35

36 God Delivers His People 2012, 2016, Asociación Viña Lessons designed to be used with the video Dios libera a su pueblo 2011 From the Deditos Bible story series These lessons can be reproduced for use with the video, but without altering the content. Resale in whole or in part for profit is prohibited. The Biblical references were taken from the Contemporary English Version 1995 (The American Bible Society) For more information, or to translate this material into another language, contact: Viña Studios dubdeditos@deditos.org 9a Av. B, 7-19 Zona 2, Sololá, Guatemala