VERSES: Exodus 19:1-25
MEMORY VERSE: Exodus 19:20 "And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain..."
BOOK TO REMEMBER: Review all 39 books of the Old Testament
PRAYER: Pray that we all might live the way God wants us to live, to do the things God wants us to do, and say the things He wants us to say.
SPECIAL SONG: Be Patient And Kind (see April - Joseph Meets His Brothers Who Hated Him on this blog).
VISUAL AID: Make a large example of the Activity (see below)
LESSON POINTS:
- Three months after being delivered by the LORD from slavery in Egypt, the people came to the wilderness of Sinai where there was a huge mountain. The people camped in front of the mountain while Moses went up to talk to God. God called to Moses and told him exactly what to say to the children of Israel. God told Moses to tell the people that they saw what He had done to the Egyptians and how God had lifted the children of Israel up on eagles' wings and brought them to Him. God said if the people would obey Him faithfully, then the people would be more special than all of the people in the whole world. If they obeyed Him in every thing they did, then God would make them a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. This was something very special. God wanted the people to obey Him and serve Him only.
- Moses came down the mountain and called all the elders together. Moses told them all the things that God had said. The people answered all together and said that all the things that God wanted them to do, they would do. God told Moses that He would talk to him in a thick cloud because He wanted the people to hear Him when He talked to Moses because then they would trust Moses. Moses told all these things to the people.
- There were things that the people had to do to get ready before God would come down on the mountain in three days. They needed to set themselves apart and wash their clothes. They needed to be clean. There were boundaries that God set for the people. They could not go up on the mountain. They could not even touch the border of the mountain because whoever touched the mountain would die! Even the animals could not touch the mountain or they would die. God said that when they heard a trumpet play, they should come to the mountain, but not touch it. Moses came down from the mountain and told the people all these things. They had to be ready in three days!
- Sure enough, on the morning of the third day, there was thunder and lightning and a thick cloud over the mountain and the voice of the trumpet was so loud that the people trembled. Moses brought the people out to the mountain and they stood at the lower part of the mountain. The entire mountain was covered with smoke because of the lightning and the whole mountain quaked like an earthquake. When the voice of the trumpet sounded louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him. The LORD came down on the top of the mountain and called Moses up on the mountain. God told Moses to tell the people not to break through to the mountain to see the LORD because they would die. Even the priests had to be careful and not come too close. God then told Moses to go down and get Aaron and come back up the mountain. So Moses went down and told the people. We will see what important words God tells Moses to tell the people next time.
- Many times in the Old Testament, the LORD refers to the eagle as being a strong and powerful bird. An eagle is a symbol of strength and power; a bird who can fly high and for long periods of time. It is a noble and powerful bird. God is telling his people that he had lifted His people up with strength and power. He can do and does that to His people today, too. When we are on the side of Truth, He can lift us up!
Materials needed: A small 8" x 11" piece of cardboard, a paper cone (I used a discarded cone that had yard on it), a little cotton batting, small 1" x 2" multicolored rectangles of paper, one small piece (2" square), a 1/4" x 1/4" piece of tan paper, tape, crayons, marker.
- Color one side of cardboard with a brown crayon. This is the ground around Mount Sinai.
- Fold small rectangles of paper in half, then in half again. These are small tents.
- Unfold small folded rectangles of paper.
- Bend back one section of each rectangle and form into a triangle.
- Tape side of rectangle to secure.
- Tape or glue tents to cardboard.
- Color cone brown. This Mount Sinai.
- Place cone on cardboard. If desired, secure with tape. (I did not tape mine.)
- Make a tiny 'Moses' with rod on tan paper.
- Cut out 'Moses.'
- Tape 'Moses' to mountain.
- Attach cotton to top of mountain. (I did not attach mine. It sits on top of cone.) This is the cloud.
- Cut two 'lightning bolts' out of yellow paper.
- "Stab" bolts into cotton. (My 'lightning bolts' stayed for quite a while.)
- Make many, many 'dots' around the bottom of the mountain. These are the children of Israel.
- Write "Camping At The Bottom Of Mt. Sinai" and "Exodus 19" on the cardboard.
