Table of Contents A guide to Ford-y Explorers: Buckle Your Seatbelts!

● Introduction ● How to use this packet ● Pitstop​: Helping Your Fellow Explorers ● Day One​- We’re Going on a Road trip: Let’s Go to Egypt! ○ Plan: Activities and Crafts ○ Lesson ● Day Two​- Detour: Goes to Midian ○ Plan: Activities and Crafts ○ Lesson ○ Scavenger Hunt ● Day Three​- The Long Road to the Promised Land: Are We There Yet? ○ Plan: Activities and Crafts ○ Lesson ● Scenic Route​: a Bonus Lesson for Eager Explorers ○ Lesson

Introduction Ford-y Explorers: Buckle Your Seatbelts!

Hello everyone!

We are sad not to experience summer VBS with you this year but we believe this project is a great way to have a shared experience, not only within your family but perhaps with friends and neighbors too!

This year, our three-day VBS (could we call it Virtual Bible School??) is centered on God’s leadership and provision for Moses and the Israelites in the book of Exodus.

When our team began brainstorming about a take-home style VBS, we thought about quarantine and the fact that it originated in a time when isolation was imposed if authorities suspected ships and their cargo arriving in a port were carrying some contagious disease. The original length of time for this isolation? 40 days!

This made us think of all the 40’s (Ford-y Explorers—see what we did there??) we find in the Bible and its significance as a number. Cue the life of Moses, whose life can easily be divided into three, 40 year segments: from the time he is born until he flees to Midian; from when his time in Midian begins until he sees the burning bush and from his journey back to Egypt to challenge Pharaoh until his death at age 120.

His journey is a fascinating one and it’s hard to pick just the highlights—but we wanted to give kids a taste of the long road Moses walked with God. We’ve chosen a road trip theme (any road trip is better than wandering in the desert for 40 years!) and we’re hoping you’ll enjoy the ride!

As you work through this project, our hope is that your study of God’s Word and His faithfulness will be an encouragement to you in this very unique season in which we find ourselves. Just as Moses set out, not knowing how God would lead or how long it would take, we pray you hear God’s voice leading you too, helping you grow in faith toward Him.

How to use this packet Suggestions for your take home VBS

Dear friends!

We’re so glad you’ve joined us for our summer road trip! We have three jam-packed days of fun for you. Hopefully, you’ll also learn some great things about God’s faithfulness to Moses and His people in the Bible.

We begin in the book of Exodus and end in Numbers, but we’re really just scratching the surface! The story of Moses and God’s people are among some of the most famous of all the stories—and some of the most important ones we could study. These stories can be challenging to retell to children (babies being thrown into the Nile, a murder, etc. —and​ that’s all just on the first day!​). However, God’s Word does not shy away from the truth of our deep need for redemption. The story of Moses and the Israelites helps us see our own urgent need for God’s saving grace.

We have included each day as a whole segment, plus an interesting and lesser-known bonus story for eager learners. We would suggest that before you even begin the plan for the day, start with prayer. Pray for and with the children you are teaching. Pray that God would speak clearly and help you draw closer to Him as you study His Word together.

For each day, there is a Scripture reference that you can read to help you prepare. This would also be appropriate for older children who are strong readers to read on their own, in addition to listening to the lesson. Each day has a written lesson with 3-5 discussion questions and a video narration with some illustrations to spur the imagination. (For younger children, you might want to preview the video just in case some of the images bring about more questions!) Some of the activities are crafty and some are active, but pick and choose whichever elements might appeal to your children or add your own! You’re the best judge of the interests and abilities of the children you’re leading.

We want this project to be a blessing to your family and to anyone else who might enjoy learning with us—so feel free to share the link through email or social media. We are grateful that you desire to disciple your children this summer.

Come along for the ride!

In Christ, The SHINE children’s ministry staff of First Presbyterian Church of Orlando

Recommended resources:

We love reading bible story books to children and these are some of our favorites—you can find the retelling of Moses’ story in each of these!

The Big Picture Story Bible​ by Helm ESV Seek and Find Bible​ published by Crossway The Storybook Bible​ by Sally Lloyd-Jones The Child’s Story Bible​ by Catherine Vos Any ESV, NIV, or CSB translation of the Bible

Kids on Mission Pitstop: Helping Your Fellow Explorers

Hi Friends!

The first thing we want to consider when joining together for our trip is how to help our fellow explorers.

You might imagine that the Corona Virus has impacted others even more than yourself. You probably have a home, and family to care for you during this season. But some families may be struggling.

That’s why we’ve put together some suggestions on how your family might be able to help others in this time. Below are three organizations that seek to help those who may have hit a speed bump along the journey. We’d love for your family to pray and think about how you might serve others for God’s glory. Check them out below!

These are local Orlando groups so if you live somewhere else, ask your church leadership or other friends for suggestions on how to serve your fellow travelers.

Conway Cares Conway Cares organizes and delivers take-home bags of food for children at Lake George Elementary School (in the Conway area) who might not have enough to eat over the weekend. This is a great hands-on project for kids and there is a ​list of items​ that we would suggest including. A plastic grocery store bag is the best way to pack and transport them. Most grocery stores will gladly give you unused bags for your project. The shopping list also includes your next step in what to do with your bags once you’ve packed them.

Harbor House Harbor House is a non-profit that provides safe shelter, a 24-hour confidential crisis hotline, counseling, emotional support, and legal advocacy for survivors of domestic abuse and their children. You can learn more about them ​here​ (harborhousefl.com). Any monetary donations given by you for our take-home VBS bags will be donated to Harbor House.

Coalition for the Homeless Coalition for the Homeless is a low-barrier residential shelter with a focus on housing, emergency services, and diversion. They help families and individuals return to stable, permanent homes as quickly as possible. You can learn more about them ​here​ and what they are doing during the COVID crisis.

Shopping List for Conway Cares

The​ easiest way to pack bags is to set up an assembly line with some of the following items, usually one ​ of each item per bag. Children love this project and we have done this project together at VBS the last couple of years. They can pack more than you think! Don’t feel obligated to include all the items—just do what you can. You can email Kris Leveille (​[email protected]​) to arrange a convenient drop-off time and location.

● Unused plastic grocery bags ● Individual packets of oatmeal ● Individual serving bowls of applesauce ● Granola bars ● Individual packets of Cheez-its ● Individual packets of fruit strips or similar item ● Individual servings of beef or turkey jerky ● Handmade note, card or bookmark—with a note or favorite Scripture

Day One We’re Going on a Road Trip: Let’s Go to Egypt!

PRAY

Ice breaker activities Ice breakers are helpful in being a clear start for your time in the word. We picked out these activities because they are fun and will help prepare your child for the rest of the days activities.

2nd Grade and older Baby Moses Dot to Dot

3 year old and older Baby Moses Coloring Sheet

Music We’ve selected three “official” VBS songs for your take home VBS. You can find those videos at www.vimeo.com/fpcoshine​. Here are some other fun songs to learn and listen to.

Baby Moses Song- https://bit.ly/babymosessong​

Lesson You can find the video lesson at https://bit.ly/fordyexplorers1 ​ Activity

Sink or Float- Moses’s mother had to carefully construct a basket that would keep her baby safe in the Nile. Your goal is to make your own “basket” that will float!

Materials: foil, paper, glue, parchment paper, paper plate, cup, other household items that could be made into a boat.

1. Gather materials and construct your basket(s) using different materials. 2. Once the basket is created take it to a sink, tub, or pool. Put it in the water and see if it floats.

Craft

Foldable Nile River Craft- https://bit.ly/nilerivercraft​

Materials: crayons, colored pencils, scissors.

1. Print out the craft and color it with markers, crayons, colored pencils, etc. 2. Once paper is colored, cut out the areas that are marked with lines and a scissors icon. 3. Fold the paper into thirds,using the lines on either side of the scripture as your guide. This should cover baby Moses, reminding children of how Jochebed put her baby in the reeds to protect him. Bible Puzzle Baby Moses Dot-to-Dot

Moses’ mother Jochebed protected him from the people who wanted to hurt him.

Connect the dots to see where she put him.

How does God protect you?

Bible Puzzle from Shirley McKinstry at ministry-to-children.com

Day One We’re Going on a Road Trip: Let’s Go to Egypt!

Scripture​: Exodus 1-2:14, Acts 7:22, Hebrews 11:24-26

A Retelling of the story from Exodus 1-2:14 Hi friends! I have a question for you. How many of you have a baby brother or sister or can remember when your brother or sister was a baby? What was it like? Did they eat a lot? Did they cry a lot? What if you and your family had to hide your baby brother or sister for three months? I think that would be pretty hard! Babies can be sort of noisy!

This week we are going to learn about a baby who grew into a man, who would be a shepherd, husband, father, and leader. We will learn about how God always watched over him and always protected him, throughout his whole life even when he was a tiny little baby. This baby’s name is Moses.

Now long before Moses was born, there was a man named Joseph who was able to help Pharaoh, the King of Egypt, by telling him what his dreams meant. Joseph was an Israelite (Israelites were also called Hebrews) and because he was so helpful to Pharaoh he became his right hand man. Pharaoh made sure to treat the Israelites with kindness and provided for them.

Let’s fast forward 300 hundred years! Now a lot can happen in 300 years! During those 300 years the Israelites had grown in number; the Lord blessed them and families continued to grow. There were so many Israelites, Pharaoh believed these people were a threat to him. He thought they might become a great army and overtake his country, so he enslaved them and ordered all baby boys to be killed. God had a purpose for the Israelites, however, to be HIS people, so no challenge could prevent His will from being done. SO the Israelites continued to grow in number. This really made Pharaoh angry so he ordered all the baby boys to be thrown into the Nile River, which runs through Egypt.

Moses was one of those baby boys born during that time. Moses’s mom was very brave and hid her child. If you keep reading in the book of Exodus you will learn her name is Jochebed. Try saying that name! Jochebed trusted the Lord and she had faith that God would protect her baby. When Moses was three months old, she could no longer hide him. She gathered materials to make a basket and placed her baby in the reeds, which is like tall grass that grows in the water.

Imagine taking something or someone you loved very dearly and having to give that away. Jochebed took her most precious thing, her tiny baby, and surrendered him to God. She trusted that God would protect him. I don’t know about you but that would’ve been scary for !

But God did in fact have a plan for her baby and protected him! The reeds that grew on the river bank grew as tall as sixteen feet, so baby Moses was well protected from any weather or people who would hurt him. His older sister, Miriam, also watched over him.

God then used someone very surprising: Pharaoh’s daughter. While she was down in the river bathing, she heard a baby crying and sent her servant to go find it. God softened her heart and when she saw that it was a Hebrew baby, she took him as her son. She named him Moses, meaning ‘I drew him out of the water’, a fitting name if you ask me!

Miriam, who had been watching from a distance, saw all that happened. God gave her courage and she boldly approached Pharaoh’s daughter asking if she needed someone to help care for and nurse the baby. She said “Yes!” and Miriam went to go get her mother.

God provided a way for Jochebed to be with her baby. He reunited them! She had trusted that the Lord would take care of her baby, and God kept His promise, like He always does, especially because He had a purpose for this special baby!

Moses was now a member of the royal family. Quite a difference in what his life would have been as a Hebrew slave. We learn all the way in the in Acts 7:22 that “Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds.” Moses was given the opportunity to learn and was being prepared to become Pharaoh.

But even through all of this, Moses was still aware of his heritage. He knew he was a Hebrew and cared for his people. He grew into a man and we learn that he chose to go live where the Israelites were. “By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.” (Hebrews 11:24-26)

He saw the suffering that the Israelites were feeling. One day Moses saw one of his people, an Israelite, being beaten. Moses grew very angry. He was tired of seeing his people mistreated. Moses made the decision to kill the man who had hurt the Israelite. Moses knew that the decision was wrong and tried to make sure he was not caught. He was caught though. Some Israelites had seen him kill the Egyptian and were unhappy with Moses. Pharaoh found out about what Moses had done also and went out to find Moses and kill him. Moses had no choice but to flee to the desert.

God did not leave Moses during this time. He did not stop loving Moses just because he made a poor choice. When I think of Moses I am reminded of Jesus. God had a plan for the tiny baby in the river, just like He had a plan for the tiny baby in the manger, Jesus. Moses, the prince of Egypt, and Jesus, the Prince of Peace, were sent as a baby to save their people, the Israelites. Moses left the life of luxury as a prince to live with his people, just like Jesus left heaven to become man. Moses, a Hebrew, was an outcast, just like Jesus who was mocked. God was preparing the way for Jesus long before he arrived, even through

Moses’s life! In the next few days you’ll learn even more about the life of Moses and how God uses him, grows him, and protects him.

Let’s pray together to finish up! Dear Lord, thank you for sending Moses to save the Israelites like you sent your Son to save your people. Thank you for always protecting us because you love us. Lord, help us to trust you with our lives and loved ones like Moses’s mom trusted you. We love you Jesus! Amen!

Questions for the Road (additional questions for older kids in italics) 1. How much time passed between the life of Joseph and the life of baby Moses? 2. Why was Pharaoh so cruel to the Israelites? 3. Who was Moses’s Mom and where did she put baby Moses? Who​ was sent to watch over baby Moses in the river? 4. Is it easy to trust God with people or things you love? What​ are some ways you remind yourself to trust God? 5. Who found baby Moses? How​ did God prepare Pharaoh’s daughter to find baby Moses? 6. In what ways was Moses’s life different, growing up as a prince, than the Hebrew people? 7. How did God protect and provide for Moses? How does God protect and provide for you?

Day Two Detour: Moses Goes to Midian

PRAY!

Ice breaker activities Ice breakers are helpful in being a clear start for your time in the Word. We picked out these activities because they are fun and will help prepare your child for the rest of the day's activities.

Moses in the Desert Scavenger Hunt

Materials: Clipboard, pencil, checklist

1. Search around your home for the items. 2. Keep them near to you as you listen to the lesson. What items go with each part of Mrs. Leigh’s lesson?

Music We’ve selected three “official” VBS songs for your take home VBS. You can find those videos at www.vimeo.com/fpcoshine​. Here are some other fun songs to learn and listen to.

Go Down Moses (Let My People Go)- https://bit.ly/vbsgodownmoses​

Lesson You can find the video lesson at https://bit.ly/fordyexplorers2

Activity

Where’s Your ? Grab your pet and pretend to be a shepherd!

Materials: your dog, cat, pet (if you don’t have a pet use a stuffed animal!), t-shirt

1. Tie the t-shirt around your head to pretend to be a shepherd. 2. Grab your “sheep” and go outside (if your pet is able to go outside) 3. Pretend to be a shepherd like Moses. Protect your flock from a wolf, comfort them when they’re scared, find them grass to eat, and then shepherd them back inside.

Craft

Watercolor Shepherd Craft

Materials: two pieces of black construction paper (one with a shepherd silhouette), coffee filter, watercolor paints, a paintbrush, and glue (not provided)

1. Paint the coffee filter using watercolor paints. We used sunset colors to create a beautiful, bright backdrop. The filter will naturally flatten out as it’s painted. Let it dry for a few minutes on a paper towel. 2. Glue the coffee filter to the center of the square piece of construction paper. 3. Take the shepherd and sheep silhouette and glue over your “sunset” coffee filter. 4. Older children may write Joshua 1:5 “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you.” on their paper with a white crayon. 5. Hint: for an even brighter sunset, cut out an 8” round piece of white paper and glue on the back of the coffee filter before you glue it on the black square.

Day Two Detour: Moses Goes to Midian

Scripture​: Exodus 2:15-3, Acts 7:22, 31

A Retelling of the story from Exodus 2:15- chapter 3 We start today’s story with Moses gripped with fear as he learns that people know he killed the Egyptian. He knows Pharaoh will put him to death and he flees to Midian, a desert region of the Middle East.

Moses was raised as an Egyptian prince. He would have been highly educated and accomplished. (Acts 7:22) We don’t know how Moses learned he was Hebrew, but the Bible tells us that he knew. He had a heart for his people, the Israelites. He may have been aware of the brutal treatment of the Israelite slaves by the Egyptians. Perhaps he’d even seen the man he killed abusing his people before. We don’t know, but it makes sense that the beating he witnessed was “the last straw” for him.

Was Moses right to be upset when he saw one of the Hebrew slaves being beaten? (yes)

Was he right to kill the Egyptian? (no)

What did he do that shows us he knew it was wrong to murder the Egyptian? (He looked both ways to see if anyone was watching and then hid the body in the sand. Exodus 2:12)

Moses may have looked both ways, but he forgot to look up! God had given him power and privilege, but Moses took action himself instead of looking to God. Sometimes it’s easy for us to forget to “look up” too, and that can lead us to doing wrong just as Moses did. Moses’ action showed God he wasn’t ready for all that God had planned for him.

Moses fled Egypt and the Bible tells us he was sitting at a well in Midian when seven girls, sisters, came to draw water. As Moses watched, some shepherds came and drove the sisters away from the well.

Once again Moses was in a place to witness an injustice, a wrong, and once again his compassionate heart was moved to act. He didn’t kill anyone this time, but he did drive the shepherds away and protect the girls, helping them collect the water they needed. Remember he had just left Egypt so everything about the way he looked and dressed showed both the sisters and shepherds that he was a powerful, intimidating Egyptian. He successfully scared the shepherds away, and he probably even scared the sisters! We know they rushed home to their father, a Midian named Jethro, sooner than expected. They told him about the Egyptian who delivered them from the men who meant them harm. (Be listening for those words “he delivered them” because Moses isn’t finished delivering his people, and God isn’t finished providing a deliverer for us either!)

Jethro brought Moses back to his home to feed and thank him, and a relationship was formed. Soon, Moses and Jethro’s daughter Zipporah were married. With that wedding, Moses begins his 40 years in the desert. In that 40 years, the king of Egypt, Pharaoh will die (another Pharaoh will rise to power, but the ruler who wanted to kill Moses dies) and the children of Israel cry out to God to rescue them from their slavery. Moses doesn’t know it, but his 40 years in the desert is the way God is preparing him to be their deliverer.

Moses needed that 40 years to become the leader God created him to be. But do you know what he did during those years? Do you think he went to a special school or camp to learn to be a leader? No! He became a husband, a father, and a shepherd. He took care of the sheep and that belonged to his wife’s father. Moses may have felt like he was doing nothing with his life, but God was busy.

Growing up as the strong, smart, powerful son of Pharaoh wasn’t enough for him to do what God had planned. Only a man of strong, wise character could lead the Israelites in the wilderness for 40 years!

So how could being a lowly shepherd help him save Israel? Let’s look at how he changed on the outside and the inside.

On the outside, Moses spent most of his time alone in the desert with the sheep and goats. They relied on him for their survival. He had to learn to find water, food, shelter, and he had to stay safe among the wildlife of the harsh desert land. He had no phone, TV, radio, books, or anything that we might pass time with. He had the sheep, the goats, and time to think and pray.

On the inside, Moses had to learn to put the welfare and wellbeing of the animals above his own. It was his job to keep them safe from anything that wanted to hurt them. He had to be humble and put them first. One day he would do the same for the Israelites as he led them through the desert.

Moses had to be strong, bold, and brave in the presence of predators (animals that wanted to harm, or steal and eat his flock). One day the Lord would ask him to boldly, bravely go before the most powerful man of that time and tell him to do something he definitely would not want to do!

Being a shepherd takes patience. He couldn’t say, “Hey all you sheep and goats, turn left at the rock ahead!” Sheep are timid, skittish animals who are easily spooked. They are not known to be reasonable and obedient! They regularly got themselves into predicaments and dangers. Moses had to tenderly care for them, even when they weren’t cooperating. One day he would have to be just as patient and kind to deal with the complaining, shortsightedness, and criticism of his own people.

We all have times when we feel like we’re “in the desert”. Times when life feels harder and God seems far away. Looking at the life of Moses shows us that even if God seems far away, he’s not. He may just be getting us ready for the most exciting time of our life!

After 40 years, when Moses was 80 years old, he was in the desert with his flock as usual. But it wasn’t a usual day! He sees a bush that’s on fire, something that may not have been too unusual in the hot, dry desert. But there’s something very unusual about this bush - though this bush is covered in flames, it isn’t burning up! He decides to go investigate, and when God sees that he is looking and walking toward the bush (Acts 7:31), God calls to him, “Moses! Moses!”

Did you notice that God didn’t just call out to Moses as he walked by? He waited until Moses stopped and focused on the bush. Often, God’s word doesn’t speak to us unless we give it our attention!

The Bible tells us that God appeared to Moses as “an angel of the Lord”. That’s one of many times in the Old Testament when those same words are used, and they refer to the Son of God (Genesis 16:7-14, 22:11-18, 31:11-13, 48:15-16; Exodus 14:19; Judges 2:1-4, 6:11-21, 13:3-5; 2 Samuel 24:1-17; Zechariah 1:7-20). So, it’s Jesus who is speaking to Moses! And now that he has Moses’s attention, God calls out to him by name. “Moses! Moses!” Moses probably had felt abandoned, unseen, unheard by God, but right there in the desert that “forgotten” shepherd was reminded how important he was to God. God knew his name, he knew his heart, and he had not forgotten him.

The Lord filled Moses in on his plan telling him he had heard the cries of his people, he has come to “deliver” them out of slavery to a good land flowing with milk and honey, AND that he’s going to use Moses to do it. God doesn’t have to use Moses. He doesn’t have to use any of us, but he wants to! And we know this is what Moses always wanted too! When he was the son of Pharaoh, his heart hurt to see the children of Israel mistreated, so much so that he inappropriately took matters into his own hands. So, he must have been excited to finally get his marching orders, right? The answer is a big, fat no!

There may have been a time when Moses would have puffed out his chest and said, “Bring it on!” But after 40 years in the dry, barren desert Moses could only humbly say, “Who am I to go to Pharaoh and save the children of Israel?”

Think about that question. Who was Moses thinking about when he asked that? He was thinking about himself. God needed to shift Moses’s focus from self to where it should be, where all of our focus should be - on God. “Who am I?” wasn’t the right question. God assures Moses that he will be with him, and Moses’s question changes to “Who are you?” And the answer is “I AM”. You may remember that Jesus often calls himself I AM. (John 6:47-50 John 8:58, John 14:6, John 15:5, Revelation 1:8, Revelation 21:6)

Moses still has a hard time accepting the call from God, and God does a series of fascinating things (Go back and look at Exodus 3 and 4!) to prove to Moses that he doesn’t have to worry about his own failures or shortcomings because God goes before him. That’s an important thing for us to remember too! In fact, God tells Moses how it’s all going to go - he even gives away the miraculous ending! Tomorrow you’ll hear about the amazing twists and exciting turns in the next 40 years. But for now, Moses finally accepts the call and he and his brother, Aaron, head back to Egypt to warn Pharaoh that he has a choice to make, and that choice has one right answer!

God knew when he saved Moses from death as a baby that he had a very important job for him, and now after 40 years as a prince, and another 40 years as a shepherd, it was time.

Questions for the Road (additional questions for older kids in italics) 1. Why did Moses leave his life in Egypt? What​ did he do that shows us he knew his actions were wrong? 2. How long was Moses a shepherd in the desert? 3. At the burning bush, what did God wait for Moses to do before he spoke to him? Why​ was it important that God called him by name? 4. What was God’s answer to Moses’s question, “Who are you?” When​ in the Bible will we hear that name again? 5. Is Moses excited and happy when he first learns God’s plan and his own part in it? Why​ or why not?

SEARCH FOR THESE ITEMS AROUND YOUR HOME. THEY MIGHT COME IN HANDY WHILE YOU'RE IN THE A stick {this will represent Moses's DESERTI staff.)

Cotton balls {this will represent the sheep)

Grass and water for the sheep

Leaves {this will represent the Burning Bush)

Something orange {to represent the burning bush)

Sandals {this will represent Holy Ground)

Sand or Pebbles {to represent the desert)

Milk AND Honey {this will represent the Promised Land)

Bonus points: a dog or snake {to represent predators)

Day Three The Long Road to the Promised Land: Are We There Yet?

PRAY!

Ice breaker activities Ice breakers are helpful in being a clear start for your time in God’s Word. We picked out these activities because they are fun and will help prepare your child for the rest of the day's activities.

Playdoh Plagues

Materials: Play-doh

1. Using the play-doh create the following- ● A frog (plague of frogs) ● Bugs (plague of flies and locust) ● A person (plague of boils) ● The Moon (plague of darkness)

Music We’ve selected three “official” VBS songs for your take home VBS. You can find those videos at www.vimeo.com/fpcoshine​. Here are some other fun songs to learn and listen to.

Song of Moses by Aaron Keyes- https://bit.ly/vbssongofmoses​ Let My People Go by Matt Redman- https://bit.ly/vbsletmypeoplego​

Lesson You can find the video lesson at https://bit.ly/fordyexplorers3 Activities

Moses and the Red Sea

Materials: Shallow baking dish, straws, water

1. Fill the baking dish with water. 2. Using the straw, ask your child to try and part the water by blowing on the water through the straw. 3. Children can try multiple straws, blowing from different angles, etc. to try and get the water to part. 4. Reflect on how hard it is to part the water and how powerful God must be to have parted the entire Red Sea 5. You can see pictures by clicking https://bit.ly/redseacraft​​ .

“Painting” the Door Frame

Materials: bucket, water, paintbrushes

1. Fill the bucket with water and take it outside. 2. Dip your paint brush in the water and paint the door frame of your house like the Israelites did with the blood of the lamb 3. Remind your children that God provided a way for His people to escape judgement in Exodus and again on the cross by providing another Sacrifice, the Lamb of God. Day Three The Long Road to the Promised Land: Are We There Yet?

Scripture​: Exodus 2-14, John 1:29, Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:14-20

A Retelling of the story from Exodus, chapters 4-14

Hello friends! Welcome back to Ford-y Explorers, our study on the life of Moses. Do you remember what happened with Moses in our previous lessons?

We’ve learned a lot! We remember that Moses was put into a basket in the Nile River as a baby (Ex. 2:1) and then he was rescued and adopted by the daughter of Pharaoh. He became a prince in Egypt. But then he got into trouble. Do you remember why?

He witnessed an Egyptian beating a Hebrew (Ex. 2:11-22). Remember: the Hebrews are God’s people and He loves them very, very much. Moses became so angry that he killed the Egyptian. He had to flee from Pharaoh because he knew Pharaoh would punish him greatly.

He left Egypt and went to Midian, where he found a new family. He got married and had sons and became a shepherd—FOR A VERY LONG TIME—about forty years!

He learned lots of things while he was a shepherd: he learned to love and protect; he learned to lead others; he learned to be on the lookout for dangerous animals who might try to harm his sheep and goats.

Many years later, when Moses was about EIGHTY YEARS OLD, God spoke to him and called him through a burning bush in the desert (Ex. 3:1-4:17). God gave him a very big job: Moses was to return to Egypt to help his Hebrew family escape from their slavery. (Do you know what slavery is? Slavery is when you cannot choose to do anything on your own. You must work very hard but you don’t get paid at all. You must always obey your master, whatever he or she says. Slavery is very, very hard.)

What was Moses’ Hebrew family like? Well, how many people do you have in your​​ family? Three? Five? Maybe more? The Bible tells us that Moses’ Hebrew family had grown very large—into a great nation. There were more than one million Hebrew slaves living in Egypt! And God sent Moses to rescue them from the very cruel Pharaoh.

You can imagine that this was not going to be easy. Pharaoh did not want to allow the Hebrew slaves to leave Egypt. The slaves worked long days and worked very hard to make life easy for Pharaoh. For free!

When Moses came to Pharaoh’s palace and told Pharaoh that God said to let his people go, Pharaoh was not happy about it. As a matter of fact, no matter what Moses said to Pharaoh, Pharaoh would not let the slaves go. Even though Moses showed Pharoah great signs and wonders—because God had given Moses special ability to do incredible things—Pharoah still would not listen to Moses. As a matter of fact, Pharaoh became angry with Moses! (Ex. 5)

Time after time, ten​​ times in all, Moses came to Pharaoh (Ex. 7-10) to warn him that God was going to destroy Egypt if Pharaoh did not let His people go. Each time Moses went to Pharaoh, he said NO! I will NOT let your people go! Try that with me: when I say ‘Let my people go!’ You respond by shouting ‘NO!’ Ready? Let’s try it: (three times)

I’m going to tell you some​​ of the warnings that God gave. These warnings are called plagues. A plague is a disease or disaster that happens to everybody in the land. A plague is very, very bad. Are you ready? 1. God sent a plague of frogs. There were frogs EVERYWHERE. You couldn’t get rid of them! Imagine them in your bed or your kitchen! 2. God sent a plague of flies. There were flies everywhere! You couldn’t get rid of them. Imagine them crawling and flying in your face all the time! 3. God sent boils to every single person and animal. Boils are very painful sores that cover your entire body. Ouch! 4. God sent a plague of locusts. Locusts are giant grasshoppers that eat all of the plants that the people used for food, which means that the people would get very hungry without them! 5. God sent a plague of darkness. Back then, they did not have lights in their houses like we do now. Only the sun could give daylight to people. God made it completely dark for three whole days. That’s a LONG time to be in total darkness.

The tenth and final plague is very, very sad (Ex. 11). It is the saddest of all the plagues. Do you know why? Because Pharaoh was so stubborn and refused to let God’s people go, God did something to show Pharaoh who the real king was. God was going to show Pharaoh that he was not really in charge; God was.

God told Moses His plan (Ex. 12). At midnight, God would move over the entire land and destroy every firstborn son in every household. How many of you are the oldest child in your family?

This destruction would be God’s judgment for the sin of the people in the land of Egypt. Every family in Egypt would face this judgment. But here is the good news: God told Moses the plan for all the Hebrew children to be safe. God was going to provide a way for the Israelite families to escape judgment. Do you know what He said?

Tell every family to take their very best lamb, a perfect lamb. They were to bring it inside their home and kill it. They were to take some of the lamb’s blood and paint it on the door frame of their house. When God came to the house and saw the blood painted on the door, he would ‘pass over’ their house and not allow the first born child to die. This makes us very sad to think of the lambs but just imagine how sad we would be if all the Hebrew first-born children died!

God allowed that lamb to suffer and die instead of the children. In this way, He made a way for the children to live instead. Many, many years later, John the Baptist saw Jesus, God’s own Son, and exclaimed: “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) John’s words were a prophecy about Jesus. In the same way that the lambs died in Egypt for the sins of the people, Jesus would die on the cross for the sin of everyone who would believe in Him. (Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:14-20)

This story is very sad for the Egyptians who did not believe God (Ex.12:29-32). Because they did not kill a lamb and paint its blood over the door, the first born children of the Egyptians died. Even the Pharaoh’s son died! How very, very sad. Only in this way could Pharaoh learn that he was not the true king, only God was.

You would think that after all of this, Pharaoh would beg Moses to leave—and he did. Moses and one million people left in the middle of the night to escape from their slavery.

However, not long after Moses and the people left, Pharaoh changed his mind (Ex. 14). He gathered His army —all his chariots and horses too—and chased after Moses and the Hebrews.

They came to the Red Sea—water that was too deep and too wide to swim to the other side. With the Pharaoh’s army behind them and the water in front of them, they were trapped! How could they escape? They had to think of something fast—or Pharaoh’s army would kill them all!

But God was not surprised by this; He had another miracle planned. First He sent a huge cloud to come between His people and the Egyptians. Because of the cloud, the Egyptians couldn’t see where the Hebrews were—they were actually hidden behind the cloud.

Then He told Moses to raise his staff, his shepherd’s stick—maybe it was the same one he used a long time ago when he was a shepherd in the desert. God told Moses to stretch out his staff—hold it high over his head and toward the Red Sea.

And then do you know what happened? The Bible says that God sent an east wind, to push the waters out of their way. And while the huge cloud was still hiding them, they crossed over—at the very bottom of it—on dry ground. The water was like a huge wall on either side as they crossed through the water all night long.

Then, when the cloud lifted, the Egyptians immediately chased after the Hebrews. But the ground was too muddy for their chariots and their wheels got stuck in the mud. They started to panic—because they realized that God was fighting for the Hebrews!

Then God commanded Moses again—“Stretch out your staff over the sea!” And when he did, the water came crashing down on top of them! All of them! Even the chariots and horses were overpowered by all the water and every one of them died. God was victorious—the Bible says that God saved the Hebrews that day and they worshiped Him because He brought them out of their slavery. (Exodus 14:31) He also had many more adventures planned for them with Moses as their leader. (Exodus15-Deuteronomy)

You’ll have to keep reading in your bibles to learn all about the final forty years of Moses’ life! The important thing to remember about Moses is that even though he was an incredible leader and faithful servant of God, he was a sinner just like us. He was not perfect. But God is.

There are many, many other stories you can read that tell of God’s faithfulness to His people and their shepherd-leader, the man Moses.

Questions for the Road (additional questions for older kids in italics) 1. How old was Moses when God called to him from the burning bush? How​ do you think God might have prepared Moses for the job He gave him to do? 2. Do you think Moses was afraid to go back to Egypt? Why or why not? How​ did God give him courage? (Read Ex. 4:1-17) 3. What were some of the warnings God gave to Pharaoh? Which one would you be most bothered by? 4. What did God tell Moses and the people to do for the tenth plague? How is this similar to what Jesus does for us? 5. Why do you think Pharaoh took so long to let God’s people go? 6. What happened when the people got to the Red Sea? Why​ do you think God allowed the people to get trapped? 7. What you think is the most special (​or miraculous​) part of this story? Scenic Route A Bonus Lesson for Eager Explorers

Scripture​: Numbers 21, John 3:14-15

A Retelling of the story from Numbers 21:4-9 You can find the video lesson at https://bit.ly/fordyexplorersscenicroute

Hi, boys and girls. I am so glad to be with you today as we wrap up our Ford-y Explorers study of the life of Moses. Moses’ life sometimes reads like an action-adventure book, but you need to know that Moses’ story is not fiction. It isn’t a fairytale. It is true, and you can read it in the Bible with a parent or for yourself. I am excited because I get to share a story with you that not even many adults know. Before we get into the story, let’s take a look at the main characters. First, there is God. God is always the main character in Bible stories and in our story. What have you learned this week about God? By studying the life of Moses, I have learned that God is faithful; He is always present and true. God is powerful; He rules over life and death and commands all of nature. God is just; He is always right and fair. Lastly, God saves His people. He is ready to save anyone who looks to Him. Of course, Moses is a character. What have you learned about Moses this week? First, we learned that God used Moses’ experience as a prince, husband, father, and shepherd to shape him into the leader God needed him to be. Second, we saw how God used Moses’ leadership and shepherding skills to confront Pharaoh and lead the Hebrews out of Egypt. Thirdly, we know Moses wasn’t perfect. He sinned. Guess what? We sin. BUT, like Moses, God has a plan for His people. Despite our imperfections, He wants to use us for His good. The third character is a group of people, the Israelites. Who were the Israelites? They were God’s people, descendants of , Isaac, and . When Moses led them out of Egypt there were millions of them—like 2-3 million people. Yikes! No wonder why God needed a good leader to lead them! Like us, they had good qualities and bad. Like us, they were happy and thankful when things went THEIR way, and they were unhappy and grumpy when things do not go THEIR way. I have a question for you. During these last few weeks of staying at home, have you ever been cranky? Cranky because you couldn’t see your friends, cranky because you were bored, or maybe you were cranky because the toilet paper was getting low, and your mom said the store was completely sold out. Cranky or not, like the Israelites, God loves us and has a plan for us. Today’s story takes place in a desert. You see, once they miraculously crossed the Red Sea on dry land, they set out for the land God promised to Abraham, the Promised Land. The only way to the Promised Land was through a huge desert. Have you ever been in a desert? What is the desert like? A desert is hot and dry. Sand and rocks are everywhere in a desert. What kinds of animals live in a desert? Foxes, birds, antelopes, lizards, spiders, and snakes are just some of the types of animals that live in the desert. Once they escaped Pharaoh, the Israelites went about living their life of freedom in the desert. In miraculous ways God provided water (Exodus 17:6) and food (Exodus 16) for His people. He gave them the Ten Commandments to bring order to their community and life with God (Exodus 20). The Israelites knew God was with them because His pillars of cloud and fire followed them wherever they went (Exodus 13:22). You would think they would be grateful for their new life of freedom. But, guess what? Not long into their journey they got cranky. Ugh! Moses really had his hands full with the Israelites. Some days they were obedient to God, and some days they were rebellious and grumbling. God loved His people and was patient with them, but because He is just, He could not tolerate their ungrateful behavior and sin. Because God is just, he had to discipline them. Instead of heading straight for the Promised Land, God put them in “time out.” He made them stay in the desert for 40 years! When you disobey your parents, is there a consequence? Consequences are given to help get us back on the right path. Let’s see what happens with the Israelites. It was a bad day in the desert. The Israelites’ whining and complaining was getting worse. “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food” (Numbers 21:5)! God had had enough! Talk about consequences! As a punishment, God sent poisonous snakes (Snakes! Poisonous Snakes!) into the Israelite camp. Many people were bitten, poisoned, and died. It was obvious that the snakes were a punishment for their sin. Guilt ridden, the people ran to Moses, confessed their sin, and begged Moses to talk to God. So, Moses asked God, and God answered, “’Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live’” (Numbers 21:8). Following God’s command, Moses made a snake from bronze metal, and everyone who looked UP at it was saved. Again, everyone who looked up, everyone who looked UP to God, was saved. God provided healing and salvation from a deadly snake bite and proved that He alone can save. Did you know that the bronze snake symbol shows up in our world today? Look at this picture. Does it look familiar? Where have you seen it before? It is called the Star of Life. It is commonly found on ambulances and on paramedic gear. Is that coincidence? I don’t think so. When Jesus was a boy, He learned the story of the bronze snake. In fact, every Hebrew boy learned this story in Hebrew school. While discussing God’s plan for salvation with Nicodemus, Jesus mentions this story. (John 3:15) Jesus explains that the bronze snake on a pole was a symbol of the salvation God would provide through His own son being lifted high to save His people from sin. In fact, Jesus, God’s Son, was crucified on a cross that was lifted high so everyone could see. Everyone who believes in Jesus for their salvation is saved. God wants everyone to look UP, to Him, to Jesus, and be saved from sin and have eternal life. My dear friends, God is faithful, powerful, just, and the only one who can save us from sin and death. Moses was just a man, like us, but He was willing to follow God and do what God said. As a result, Moses saw God do amazing things. God used Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery and into a life of freedom. God used Moses to point the people to God. Like Moses, God has a plan for you. Keep looking UP to God. Follow Him, and you will see Him do amazing things in your life too. Questions​ for the Road (additional questions for older kids in italics)

1. What was Moses like? What​ roles did he play in his community and family? 2. What four attributes of God did Mrs. Cheli highlight? 3. What did God send to remind the Israelites He was always with them? 4. Did the Israelites enjoy their new life of freedom? How did they respond? How​ did God respond to their disobedience? 5. What did God command Moses to create out of bronze? What​ did the bronze snake remind the Israelites to do?