VERSES: Exodus 15:1-27
MEMORY VERSE: "...and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water."
BOOK TO REMEMBER: Zechariah. Write "Zechariah" on small slips of paper and pass out at the end of class.
REVIEW THE PLAGUES OF EGYPT: Just to keep them fresh in little minds, review the plagues in order. It is good for the teacher as well!
PRAYER: God is the Great Provider! He knows our needs before we even tell Him and He gives us what we need. Thank God for good water!
SPECIAL SONG: Be Patient And Kind (see April - Joseph Meets His Brothers Who Hated Him).
VISUAL AID: Little cups of water. A Bible map, showing Egypt, the Wilderness, of Shur, Marah, and Elim.
LESSON POINTS:
- How exciting our lesson was last time! After so many years, the children of Israel were delivered from slavery and in a miraculous way! Each and every one of the people, young and old, was able to walk through the Red Sea on dry ground and see those waves rolled back on each side! To be able to see and experience those wonders would make a person be in awe of God. God is good. God is Great! He can do all things!
- When the children of Israel crossed over to the other side of the Red Sea, they celebrated their freedom. Do you know what they did? They sang! We sing when we are happy, don't we? That is exactly what Moses and Aaron and their sister, Miriam, and all the people did! They sang a song of praise to God, thanking Him for being their strength and their salvation. God saved the people and they were happy and thankful.
- Soon, after walking for three days in the wilderness of Shur--that's the wilderness' name--they didn't find any water. No water and they were thirsty! They came to a place called Marah. 'Marah' means bitter. All of the water of Marah was bitter and they could not drink it even though they were very thirsty. When we taste our water like the water in these little cups, it tastes good and sweet. That is the kind of water that the Israelites wanted. Good, sweet water. So, guess what the people did? They complained! They talked about Moses and how he had brought them to a wilderness without any water. They asked Moses what they should they drink, and they weren't very polite when they asked because they were complaining.
- Moses prayed to God and the LORD showed him a tree. Moses threw the tree in to the bitter water and what happened? All of the water became sweet and good to drink. Right there and then, a law was made. Moses told the people that if they will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD and do what is right in His sight and keep his commandments, then God would not put any of the diseases that He had put upon the Egyptians upon the children of Israel. God would heal them. God had been good to them and He does not like complaining.
- So this huge group of people traveled on. This group of over 600,000 people walked on towards the Promised Land, the land that flowed with milk and honey. That was their destination, the place where they were going to live, the land that God had promised them.
- Their next stop was in a place called Elim and there were twelve wells of water and 70 palm trees there and they camped there by the waters.
- Can you make a bitter expression? Let's try. That's what the faces of the people looked like when they tried drinking the bitter waters of Marah. Now, let's taste our water to see if it tastes good. (Try a swallow.) Is it good? Mmmm! That is how the water tasted after Moses threw the tree in it. God provided everything the people needed, even water. What a good God we serve!
- The word "awe" is an emotion, something we feel. It means to have a deep respect for something or someone, to reverence, dread, and wonder. This word is used by many people today to describe their shoes or their potato chips, but the word "awe" or "awesome" is a word that is rarely used in the Bible except to describe feelings someone feels after they see a wonder in the Bible or to describe God.
- "Diligent" is another good word that Bible students should know. Diligent means to be very, very careful in carrying out one's jobs or duties. The Bible student should study diligently, meaning when people study, they should study very carefully.
Materials needed: 9" x 12" piece of any color of construction paper, crayons.
- Hand out a piece of the 9" x 12" paper to each student. This is the background.
- Draw faces that have bitter expressions on the background.
- Write "The Bitter Water of Marah" and "Exodus 15:1-27" at the top of the background.
- Turn the paper over.
- Draw happy faces. Perhaps the students can "see through" their paper and trace their original people with happy faces this time.
- .Write "After Moses Threw The Tree In Te Water" at the top of the paper.
