Curriculum

Baby Moses By the River

Baby-moses Go to Curriculum multi-week pack

Bible Background

What Kids Will Learn

God sees each of us and what happens each day that makes us happy or really sad. Each day, He cares for us and protects us.

Scripture Summary

Well after Joseph had died, the Egyptian Pharaoh and his leaders were terribly corrupt. He was afraid of the Israelites and how they were growing in numbers. Pharaoh realized they could quickly organize and overthrow his government. In order to control the Israelites, Pharaoh and his leaders oppressed them. They made the Israelites into slaves, attempting to break their will.

The Israelite slaves served in mud pits, as carpenters, and even as builders of the great pyramids. The Egyptian leaders worked the slaves as hard as possible–exhausting them both physically and emotionally. With a great belief in God, the Israelites continued to grow in strength and numbers. So Pharaoh ordered all newborn Hebrew boys to be killed.

God had a plan as He always does. Moses, even as a small baby, was chosen by God to help rescue His people, the Israelites, from slavery and the corrupt Egyptian rulers. Moses’ mother hid him as long as she could, and then waterproofed a basket for him to float on the Nile River. Pharaoh’s daughter found him, and Moses’ sister asked if she should find a Hebrew to nurse the small boy.

The family was reunited for a time and free from hiding Moses. As Moses grew older, his mother took him to Pharaoh’s daughter to finish raising him. This was all part of God’s great rescue plan to deliver the Israelite people from the Egyptians.

Why Is This Important

While leaders here on Earth may use their authority for good or evil, we can trust God as the ultimate authority to care for and protect us.

Teacher Devotion

Scripture

Tossed Into Turmoil or to Turn the Tide?

“Then his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, ‘Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?’” (Exodus 2:7)

“Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity.” (Colossians 4:5)

While the Egyptians were afraid of the Hebrews’ growing strength, they oppressed the Hebrews into slavery in attempts to avoid a hostile takeover. Pharaoh ordered every Hebrew newborn boy to be killed.

While God wants us to respect those in authority over us, He doesn’t expect us to obey when laws go against His will.

I think of Miriam, Moses’ sister. She was safe within Pharaoh’s decree, but her brother was in grave danger. She had a choice, and I’m glad she chose to not only watch over Moses in the basket but also to approach Pharaoh’s daughter with a creative solution to reunite the family.

When faced with hardships, even oppression, it’s good for us to seek out appropriate ways to stand against it. For one life. For a group of people. The key is to trust God—the One who loves and the One who is in control—to use our efforts in the war against evil. Watch for and take full advantage of the opportunities God provides, and find ways to work with those in leadership for creative solutions.

This was all part of God’s rescue mission for social justice—for rescuing His people from Egypt. Things seemed impossible for Moses and the Hebrews, and sometimes circumstances seem impossible to me. When I focus my attention (my thoughts, prayers, and efforts) on God, I find that He’s the God of the impossible.

Prayer

Dear God, give me a heart like Yours to see ways to stand against evil for the sake of others. I pray for Your care and protection for those who are leading in our community, our country, and our world. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Get the full Sunday school lesson plan

  • Bible Memory Verse
  • Interactive Bible Experience
  • Animated video with companion questions

Bible Memory Verse

You’ll Need: Two Baskets, Bean bags

Place the baskets in the middle of the room. Have kids follow these steps.

  • Allow two kids to go at a time.
  • Say a phrase from the Bible memory verse and have them repeat the phrases back to you as they toss the bean bags into the basket.
  • Allow each child a turn to repeat and toss their bean bag in the basket.

Invite the children to repeat the Bible memory verse together.

Interactive Bible Experience

You’ll Need: Hand cut outs with Isaiah 41:10 written on them - one for each child, Bible

Get Ready: Hide the hands around the room.

Have kids follow these steps.

  • Find a hidden hand.
  • Once they find a hand, invite them to sit in a wide circle on the floor.

SAY: Let’s look up the Bible verse found on your handprints. When you hear the word “hand” in your verse, I want you to wave your hand in the air. Isaiah 41:10 says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

ASK:

  • Raise your hand in the air if you are ever scared.
  • Wave your hand in the air if you ever need God’s help.
  • Hold your hand to your heart if you know God cares for you.

SAY: This Bible verse tells us that we don’t have to be afraid because God cares for us. Next time you are afraid, pray to God.

Snack

Baby Bear Basket Snack

You’ll Need: Cupcake/muffin wrapper - one per child, Pretzel sticks, Fruit snack strip - one per child, Teddy bear graham, crackers, Napkins

SAY: For our snack today we are going to wrap up our bear like baby Moses and place him in a basket.

Have kids follow these steps to make their Baby Bear Basket.

  • Fill a cupcake/muffin wrapper with pretzel sticks going in different directions to look like a basket.
  • Wrap your fruit strip snack around your teddy bear.
  • Lay the wrapped bear in your pretzel basket.
  • Enjoy.

Game

Who’s Crying? Game

You’ll Need: A blindfold

Get Ready: Gather children to sit 6 feet apart in a circle.

Play the game as follows:

  • Ask for a child to be blindfolded in the middle of the circle.
  • Then the children will take turns “crying like a baby” for the blindfolded person to guess who is crying.
  • Let all the children have a chance to cry for a blindfolded person.
  • If the blindfolded person guesses who was crying, then they will change places and continue to play as time allows.

ASK:

  • Why do babies cry sometimes?
  • Why would baby Moses cry when he was in the basket?

SAY: We aren’t babies anymore, but we still feel hungry or sad or afraid. Anytime we feel those things, we can go to God for care and protection.

Craft

Care Hands Craft

You’ll Need: “Baby Moses” handout, Markers, Construction paper, Scissors, Glue sticks

SAY: Today we learned how God took care of Moses when he was in the basket. Let’s talk about this: How does God take care of you?

Allow kids to think about how God takes care of them. Help kids follow these steps to make their “Care Hands.”

  • Trace your hands on the construction paper.
  • Cut out your hand prints
  • Write on the hand print how God takes care of you.
  • Color and cut out their baby Moses.
  • Glue your baby Moses to the middle of another piece of construction paper.
  • Then glue their hand prints underneath baby Moses.

Encourage children to take their “Care Hands” home to remember that God cares for them and protects them.

Prayer

Handy Prayers

You’ll Need: Completed “Care Hands”

SAY: Encourage children to take their “Care Hands” home to remember that God cares for them and protects them.

Walk around and pray for each child, according to what’s written on their hands.

CLOSE IN PRAYER: Great big God, we saw today how You protected and cared for baby Moses. Help us to remember that even though life can be hard, You care for us. In Jesus’ name, amen.