VERSES: Exodus 33:1-23
MEMORY VERSE: Exodus 33:20 "...for there shall no man see me, and live."
BOOK TO REMEMBER: Again, review the 39 books of the Old Testament (see March - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #3 on this blog.) The students should know their books pretty well by now! Good job!
PRAYER: Pray that we will always be as close to God as we can be, always reading the Bible which is God's way of talking to us. We need to know what God wants us to do and not to do, so we can please Him.
SPECIAL SONG: Be Careful Little Eyes (see March - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #3 on this blog)
VISUAL AID: Extra large "Moses In The Cleft Of The Rock" (see Activity below)
LESSON POINTS:
- After the children of Israel had sinned a great sin of bowing down to an idol that they had made with their own hands--a golden calf--God told Moses to take all the people to the land that He had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God remembers the promises He makes. We might forget, but God doesn't forget. Even though these people had done such an evil and wicked deed, God was still willing to take them to the Promised Land, a land that flowed with milk and honey, because of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
- God told Moses that He would send an angel to go before them and guide them to this good land. He was going to drive out the people who lived there, the Canaanites, the Amorites and others, so that His people could live in this land of promise. God said that because the people were stubborn and stiffnecked and because of the golden calf, He would not go up in the middle of the people like He had been.
- With God's instructions, the Israelites had made God a sanctuary that was very "elaborate" or made with great care and had many details. It was made exactly the way that God wanted it to be. Because the people traveled and lived in tents, God's own tent, called the Tabernacle, was going to be just outside the camp where the people stayed instead of in the middle of the camp.. The people were very sad and they mourned when they learned that God would not be with them like He had before they sinned. Sin had made a difference in the camp.
- After the tabernacle was set up outside the camp, Moses went out to the tabernacle and all the people stood up and stood by their tents and watched Moses go inside the tabernacle. After Moses went inside, the cloudy pillar came down and stood at the door of the tabernacle and the LORD talked to Moses. When the people saw the cloudy pillar come down, they worshiped God.
- Moses talked to God as we would talk to a friend. He was comfortable talking to God, unlike the people who were afraid. God had said that He knew Moses by name and that Moses had found grace in His sight. When Moses went back to camp, Joshua, a young man, stayed by the tabernacle.
- Moses then asked of God a special favor. he asked to see God's glory. Let's see what God's answer was. Let's turn to Exodus 33:20. (Read verse.) Let's place our bookmarks here. What did God say? God told Moses that no one could see His face and live. God goes on to say that there was a place by Him where Moses could stand on a rock and when God passed by, He would put Moses in a cleft of a rock and cover him with His hand and Moses could see Him as He passed by, but Moses could not see God's face.
- Next time, we will see what God does about those two broken tablets of stone.
- Talk about the consequences of sin. Sin changes our lives and the lives of others. Sometimes it is our own sin that changes the way our lives used to be. Other times, our sin change the lives of the people we have sinned against or even innocent people.
Materials needed: 3' of aluminum foil, 9" x 12" white construction paper, scissors, marker, crayons.
- Pass white paper out to students.
- Student traces their own hand on the paper.
- Cut the hand out with scissors. This is 'God's hand.'
- Draw a small 2" 'Moses with rod' on leftover white paper.
- Color and cut Moses out.
- Crunch aluminum foil, so that there is a little trough in the middle of the foil, resembling a rock with a cleft.
- Place Moses inside cleft.
- Write "Moses In The Cleft Of The Rock" and "Exodus 33:22" on the hand.
- Student can tell story to all that will listen by using this project. Might have them practice if there is time at the end of class.