VERSES: Exodus 7:14-25
MEMORY VERSE: Exodus 7:20 "...and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood."
BOOK TO REMEMBER: Joel. Wrote "Joel" on slips of paper and hand out to students at the end of class.
PRAYER: Thank God for being an all-powerful God who is capable of great, magnificent things! Be thankful that we are His children.
SPECIAL SONG: The B-I-B-L-E (see March - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #3)
LESSON POINTS:
- God knows things in advance and He knew that Pharaoh was not going to let the children of Israel go into the wilderness to worship God, so He told Moses that Pharaoh's heart was hardened and was not going to let the people go. He told Moses to go out to the river the next morning because Pharaoh would be there. God told Moses to stand by the river's edge and wait for Pharaoh. Then Moses was to take the rod that had turned into a snake and to tell Pharaoh, "The LORD God of the Hebrews sent me to you and said to let His people go, but you would not listen. Now you will know that I am the LORD God." God told Moses to take his rod and hit the water with it and all the water in the river would turn to...blood! God said all the fish in the river would die and then it would stink! He said the Egyptians would hate to drink the water that had turned to blood.
- God told Moses to tell Aaron to take his rod and stretch his hand out over the waters of Egypt, upon their rivers, upon their streams, upon their ponds, upon their pools of water, that all the water would be turned to blood, even the water that was in containers of wood and stone.
- Moses and Aaron did everything that God said and it happened just like God said! While Pharaoh and all his servants were watching, he stretched out his hand and rod and hit the water and all the water turned to blood! The fish died and the river smelled terrible. The Egyptians could not drink the water because all the water had turned to blood throughout all the land of Egypt. The Bible says the magicians did the same thing with their enchantments and, just like God had said, Pharaoh did not listen to them. Pharaoh went back to his house and did not let the people go.
- The Egyptians dug all around the river for water because they could not drink the water in the river. The water stayed turned to blood for seven days (Ex. 7:25).
"Older Student" Tips:
- Talk about the difference in a "hard heart" and a "tender heart." Which kind of heart should His children have?
- Discuss how the smell of dead fish smells terrible. Imagine the Egyptians not being able to get away form that smell. Because of the leader (Pharaoh) of the country's actions and decisions, the people (Egyptians) had to suffer, too. Sometimes, it is like that in our country, too.
ACTIVITY: Water Turned To Blood
Materials needed: Yellow 9" x 12" construction paper, two green 4.5" x 12" construction paper, one 4.5" x 12" blue construction paper, one 4.5" x 12" shiny red paper (I used foil poster board available at school supply stores, one 4.5" x 6 " orange construction paper, scissors, glue, crayon.
- Pass out yellow construction paper. This is the background.
- Glue blue paper to bottom of yellow background.
- Turn yellow paper over to back.
- Glue shiny red paper to bottom of construction paper.
- Cut two green papers into "grass" by cutting triangles on one edge.
- Glue one green paper onto blue paper at the bottom edge.
- Turn yellow paper over.
- Glue one green paper onto red paper at the bottom edge.
- Cut small fish out of orange paper.
- Glue three or four fish to blue "water."
- Turn yellow paper over.
- Glue rest of fish on the green grass by the red "blood." (See picture on top).
- Draw "x"s for eyes on dead fish ("red" side).
- Write "The Water Turns To..." on the blue water side.
- Draw two arms with one arm holding the rod but does not touch the blue water on the blue side. Color.
- Write "Blood!" and "Exodus 7:17-19" on the red blood side.
- Draw two arms with one arm holding the rod, touching the blood on the red side.
- The student tells the story by turning the paper over and over!
