God has a way of using our insecurities for His purpose. This lesson on Moses will help your kids see that God often uses our biggest obstacles, mistakes, and flaws to reach those around us… and this school year is no exception. Use this family guide, based on Exodus 1-5, to help your kids to understand that even though things won’t always be easy, they can choose to be faithful to God. Family Guide for Middle School BACK-TO-SCHOOL Bible: Exodus 1:22-2:10, 5:1-9, 5:19-21 Bottom Line: Even though things won't always be easy, you can choose to be faithful to God this school year. OPENING GAME: BRICKS WITHOUT STRAW SUPPLIES • 4 cans of playdough (one per group) • Timer • Ruler or measuring tape (one per group) • Prize or candy for winners Copyright – Ministry to Youth 1 GAME PREP Give each family member a can of play dough. HOW TO PLAY THE GAME The goal of each person is to shape the play dough into tiny bricks (1 in. X 3 in.). Use a ruler to ensure each of the bricks fits the size requirements. The person that can mold the most bricks out of playdough in 3 minutes will win the game. How they accomplish this is up to each player. Whatever process you choose may mean that you have fewer bricks by the time the game is over, or it could mean that you end up with more. You have to decide if this is a risk they are willing to take? Give a prize or candy to the winner! Learn Together Say: Today's lesson is based around several scriptures in Exodus. In fact, the game we just played is a reference to a story about Moses and the Israelites… I will tell you more about that later. You may be wondering what Moses and the Israelites' have to do with you going back to school. Well, let's begin by turning to the Book of Exodus. Watch the Exodus Overview Video Here Read Exodus 1:22 - 2:10. Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, "Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live." Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. Copyright – Ministry to Youth 2 The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a Fine child, she hid him three months. When she could hide him no longer, she took For him a basket made oF bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the riverbank. And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. Now the daughter oF Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it. When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, "This is one oF the Hebrews' children." Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and call you a nurse From the Hebrew women to nurse the child For you?" And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Go." So the girl went and called the child's mother. And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child away and nurse him For me, and I will give you your wages." So the woman took the child and nursed him. When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, "Because," she said, "I drew him out oF the water." In these verses, we learn about two important events surrounding Moses' life: 1. Moses was born at a time when male Israelite babies were being murdered. 2. Instead of what seemed like certain death, Moses was raised by Pharaoh's daughter instead of his mother. It's amazing how God can put His plan into action even when the odds seem impossible. Now, let's consider how God could use what seemed like an obstacle and turn it into an advantage. An Egyptian education was the best around. Copyright – Ministry to Youth 3 Because he grew up in Pharaoh's household, Moses learned about Egyptian music, art, military tactics, history, among many other topics. This means that Moses would have understood, because of his Egyptian noble upbringing, the culture of the Pharaoh that he would one day ask for the Israelites' release from slavery. And yet, Moses definitely was not the most confident man. When it came time for Moses to step into the purpose God had for him, we read that Moses responded with fear and uncertainty. He even pointed out his speech issues to get God to choose someone else for the job. However, God convinced Moses that He was with him, and Moses eventually acted in obedience. But… it didn't go smoothly. Remember our game… "Bricks Without Straw"? Let's take a look at the scripture that this game was based on: Read Exodus 5:1-9 and 19-21. AFter this presentation to Israel’s leaders, Moses and Aaron went and spoke to Pharaoh. They told him, “This is what the Lord, the God oF Israel, says: Let my people go so they may hold a Festival in my honor in the wilderness.” “Is that so?” retorted Pharaoh. “And who is the Lord? Why should I listen to him and let Israel go? I don’t know the Lord, and I will not let Israel go.” But Aaron and Moses persisted. “The God oF the Hebrews has met with us,” they declared. “So let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness so we can oFFer sacriFices to the Lord our God. IF we don’t, he will kill us with a plague or with the sword.” Pharaoh replied, “Moses and Aaron, why are you distracting the people From their tasks? Get back to work! Look, there are many oF your people in the land, and you are stopping them From their work.” Copyright – Ministry to Youth 4 That same day Pharaoh sent this order to the Egyptian slave drivers and the Israelite foremen: “Do not supply any more straw For making bricks. Make the people get it themselves! But still require them to make the same number oF bricks as beFore. Don’t reduce the quota. They are lazy. That’s why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and oFFer sacriFices to our God.’ Load them down with more work. Make them sweat! That will teach them to listen to lies!” Say: In these verses, Moses (and Aaron) obediently and bravely approached Pharaoh to ask for a three-day journey into the wilderness. And instead of receiving a "yes,” Pharaoh made the work more difficult! Don't we often expect things to go easily if what we’re doing is part of God's plan? Imagine how you would feel if you had done such a brave thing only to have the metaphorical door slammed in your face. And in verses 19-21, it gets worse! Read Exodus 5:19-21. The Israelite Foremen could see that they were in serious trouble when they were told, “You must not reduce the number oF bricks you make each day.” As they leFt Pharaoh’s court, they conFronted Moses and Aaron, who were waiting outside for them. The Foremen said to them, “May the Lord judge and punish you For making us stink beFore Pharaoh and his oFFicials. You have put a sword into their hands, an excuse to kill us!” The people that Moses is pleading for turned against him because they couldn’t see past their suffering. Copyright – Ministry to Youth 5 In the end, we're all probably familiar with what happens: eventually, after the plagues and Pharaoh's loss of his son, he summoned Moses and Aaron and tells the Israelites (finally!) to get out of Egypt. So, again, what does this have to do with heading back-to-school? Well, it certainly has nothing to do with school supplies, your new schedule, or even your new classrooms and teachers. It has everything to do with this school year, though. Your purpose, not just this year, but every year, is to serve God. As you enter your middle or high school in the coming week, it may be tempting to follow the crowd and blend in. But, like Moses, even though you'll have obstacles and challenges, and even though things might not go smoothly, your goal can't change. And if your goal is to serve God, how can you do that? Well, let's take a look at the lessons we learned from Moses: 1. When challenges arise in our walk with Christ, it does not mean that God has left us. It's hard to think of anyone who had it more difficult than Moses. And he didn't do everything well either. There were lots of bumps and bruises, but ultimately, Moses trusted that God’s plan would work. Don't make the mistake of quitting when challenges arise, thinking "God must not be in this." American cultural Christianity would tell you that if God "is in it," then things will work out smoothly and quickly. This is a lie.