Unit 5: Life of Moses OT5.6 Food and Water in the Desert ... · This is the sixth lesson in Unit 5:...

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OT5.6 Food and Water in the Desert ©Beverly Wilson 2017

Unit 5: Life of Moses OT5.6 Food and Water in the Desert Lesson

Scripture: Exodus15-17

Lesson Goal: God called Moses to lead the children of Israel out of slavery from Egypt. God showed His great power and protection in causing Pharaoh to release the Israelites to go into the desert. Then He opened a path through Red Sea to allow the Israelites safe passage into the wilderness. When Moses asked Him for help God provided food and water for His people in the desert. God also cares about us and will provide for our needs when we ask.

Introduction: This is the sixth lesson in Unit 5: Life of Moses. In this lesson we are going to learn about the time God's people took a trip through the desert and God miraculously provided them food and water. The lesson is found in the second book of the Bible called Exodus. Exodus is in the Old Testament. Exodus is a word that means exit because it tells how Israel left Egypt. Exodus follows the Book of Genesis and is one of the books of Law. The books of the Law are the first five books in the Old Testament. Let's say the books of Law together: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

Attention Getter: “Desert” (Show pictures of a desert. Discuss the weather conditions you would find in a desert.) What do you think a desert is like? The desert is very sandy and hot and dry during the day and at night it can get very cold. Very few plants or animals can live in the desert because there is no food and very little water. If you took a long trip through the desert you would need to take lots of water and some food with you. It would be a very difficult journey. You probably would want to take a hat to protect your head and face from the sun and sand! In our story today we are going to find out about a time when God's people took a trip through the desert and didn't have some of the things they needed. This story is found in the Book of Exodus.

Opening Prayer: "Father, we don’t want to be complaining-type people. Help us whenever we are tempted to grumble, to get our eyes off what we think we don’t have and help us to see all that we do have. Give us thankful hearts this morning for all You have done and all that You promise to do for us. We love You and never want to forgot how wonderful You are to us. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen" Remember "Do not complain...instead ask God to help you!"

Memory Verse: The memory verse is Hebrews 13:5 “Be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you."

Lesson Video: https://youtu.be/qSZWD3Ttdls

We’ve been studying about how God worked many powerful signs and wonders in the lives of the Israelites. The people of Israel were in serious trouble. They were slaves in Egypt and could not get away. How hard they had to work and how sad they were. God heard their prayers and sent them a leader named Moses to rescue them.

https://youtu.be/qSZWD3Ttdls

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But Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt refused to set Israel free. So God had to convince him. God told Aaron to made the Nile River bloody and caused all the fish to die. God sent swarms of bugs to fill the air. He made all the Egyptian animals to die. He sent a zillion frogs to make life awful for Pharaoh He had sent the plagues to the Egyptians. Finally Pharaoh let the people go. Then Pharaoh had a change of mind and chased after the children of Israel. But God parted the Red Sea and they escaped. God caused the walls of the Red Sea to come down on Pharaoh's soldiers and they all drowned. Now Moses and the children of Israel were ready to go to the land that God had promised them. The Israelites had to cross the wilderness to get to the Promised Land. It was very big and totally barren. It was mostly sand and stone but God showed them the direction to go. During the day God set a big cloud to move across the sky in front of them. God wanted the people to know that He was with them on their journey to the Promised Land. At night God sent a pillar of fire to guide them. The fire lighted the camp of the Israelites so even at night they could see their way! They had been so anxious to leave Egypt they hadn’t prepared themselves for just how big and barren it would be out there. After three days in the wilderness without water they began to worry and complain. You would think that after all the ways God had helped them, they would be happy but they weren't. Then, they came to a pool of water. The name of this lake was Marah, which means “bitterness.” This bitterness meant that the water was NOT good to drink. This made the Israelites very angry. You would have thought that after seeing God open the Red Sea, the Israelites would not have doubted that God would take care of their every need. But instead they complained. They said to Moses, "We are stuck out here in the desert and now we are thirsty and hungry. What shall we drink and eat? We wish we were back in Egypt." Complaining is sin. They were really saying that God didn't know how to care for them or meet their needs. Moses was tired of all this complaining so he talked to God. Of course God had heard all the whining too. God said, "Moses, I have heard the people and I will take care of the problem." The Lord then showed Moses a piece of wood. He told Moses, "Throw the wood into the water." Moses threw the wood into the water. The bitter taste disappeared and the water became drinkable. Then Moses told the people, "If you listen and obey God, He will keep you from getting any of the diseases that He brought on the Egyptians. He is the Lord who heals you." The people then traveled through the desert to an oasis called Elim where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees. Here they camped and enjoyed the refreshing water! God had provided just as He said He would! They enjoyed a good rest Then the Israelites traveled on. They set off from Elim and headed towards Mount Sinai through the Desert of Sin. Now the people were about ready to run out of the food they’d brought with them from the land of Egypt. They began to be very hungry and started grumbling to Moses and Aaron again. The children of Israel said to Moses and Aaron, "Oh, that we had died in the land of Egypt. At least there we had pots of meat and could eat as much bread as we wanted! You Moses have brought us out into this desert wilderness to kill us with hunger!" Once again Moses prayed to God and He said, "I have heard the people and I will give you all the food you need. The Lord then told Moses, "I am going to rain bread from heaven for six days each week. On the sixth day people should gather twice as much. On the seventh day there will be no bread from heaven as it is a special day for them to rest. “

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Moses and Aaron announced, "God has heard your grumbling and is sending meat this evening and all the bread you need in the morning. Then you will know that He is the Lord who provides. Who are we? Your grumbling is not against us but God." Aaron told the crowd to come before God. As they looked toward the desert they saw the glory of the Lord appearing in a cloud. Aaron said, "The Lord promised Moses that He was sending meat this evening and bread in the morning." That evening a large flock of birds called quail landed near the camp. The hungry people caught them and ate the delicious meat! The next morning there was a layer of dew on the ground which dried up and became like thin flakes of frost on the ground. "What is it?" the people asked Moses. The Hebrew word for "what is it?" is manna. "This is the bread from heaven that God promised," Moses explained. "Everyone should gather as much as you need. Don't gather more than you need and store it overnight."Everyone started gathering the "what is it?" or manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey. The people could grind it up like flour and make pancakes from it! Moses explained that every day for six days they were to gather just enough food for that day--no more! But on the sixth day and only on the sixth day they were to gather twice more than they needed because there would be no manna on the seventh day. Most people obeyed God and gathered enough food for that day. Some people however were greedy and disobeyed God. They gathered more than they needed and stored it overnight. The next morning it was full of maggots and smelled horrible! Why didn't the people obey? They did not understand the power of God! On the sixth day most people gathered twice as much just as God had told them. On the seventh day the extra manna was still fresh and they could eat it. Some people however went out looking for manna but there was none! "God has declared the seventh day as a special day of rest," warned Moses. "Everyone is to stay where they are and rest." The Israelites travelled on towards Mount Sinai. They ate manna everyday for the next 40 years that they were wandering in the wilderness. God was miraculously providing food for them to eat every morning! Finally the children of Israel came to a place called Rephidim to camp. But a big problem arose! There was no water here to drink. They complained AGAIN and quarreled with Moses demanding, "Give us water to drink!" "Why do you quarrel with me?" Moses asked. "Why do you test God?" So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, ‘What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!’ And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Go out to the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel to the rock at Horeb." Carry your staff with you and strike the rock. As soon as Moses got back to camp he called the leaders from each family. Moses and the leaders walked until they came to a big rock. "Why are we stopping here?" asked one of the leaders. "Moses, there is no water here. Are you sure you know what you are doing?"

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But then before anyone else could even think about complaining, Moses lifted his rod high above his head and swung it toward the rock. Crack!! As soon as that stick hit the rock something AMAZING happened. Water came out of the Rock! God is GREAT! He can do anything! . Everyone drank the water. Moses called the place Massah and Meribar because the people had doubted God by asking, "Is the Lord with us or not?" In Hebrew the word Massah means testing and Meribar means quarrelling. God had kept His promise and provided food and water in the desert. God showed that He loved and cared for the Israelites even when they did a lot of complaining! God knew the people of Israel needed food and water in the desert. He planned all along to provide for their needs. But He wanted them to be content in knowing He would provide everything they needed instead of complaining about what they didn’t have. God also wanted to teach the people some important lessons about the coming of His Son Jesus. Jesus said that He was like the manna. He is the Living Bread of Life and if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever." When we believe in Jesus we are taking part in His bread or Life so we can go to heaven and be with Him. Another lesson God wanted to teach happened when Moses struck the rock and water came forth. This was a picture of what Jesus would come to do many years later. The Bible says that Jesus is like a rock. The water is a picture of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “If anyone is thirsty let him come to me and drink. For the Scriptures declare that rivers of living water shall flow from the inmost being of anyone who believes in me.” He was speaking of the Holy Spirit, who would be given to everyone who believed in him.” Moses’ staff is a picture of the cross of Jesus. When Moses struck the rock it was a picture of Jesus being crucified or ‘struck down’ for the sins of the world to provide everlasting life for all. Another important lesson God is teaching us is to not complain. Have you ever complained? I think most of us have at one time or another. When we complain we are not trusting God to take care of our needs. When you are tempted to complain, think about all the ways God cares for you and say a “thank-You” prayer to Him instead. Ask Him to help you be content. We need to remember that God will always be faithful to us. Our memory verse is Hebrews 13:5 “Be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you." When we have a problem we can tell God about it and ask Him for His help! God cares for us and will never leave us. Let's say our verse again together. Hebrews 13:5 “Be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you." Remember "Do not complain...instead ask God to help you!"

Review Questions: “Journey to the Promised Land” (Grades K-5) Purpose: To review the biblical account by playing a game similar to Candyland. To help students understand the circumstances that the Israelites faced in crossing the desert. The game board will be a large playing area. Preparation: You will need different colors of construction paper and index cards. Number different colored construction papers and place the papers around the room to form a large game board with a starting point and a pathway to the “Promised Land”. (Game board should be similar to Candyland.) Each index card will have a task to complete to move a player to the next space, or it may be something that will make them go backwards; as in the board game Candyland. On the index cards write directions for players such as one of the following: The people ahead of you are moving slowly. Move 1 space ahead; You just passed a slow family. Move 2 spaces ahead; You had to chase your

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brothers and sisters. Move 3 spaces ahead; Jump to the next red square; Go to the nearest green square; Your camel is sick. Move backward 3 spaces; You have blisters on your feet. Rest one turn; You don’t trust in God, take 2 big hops backward; You forgot to pick you your manna this morning. Move one space backward; etc. Stack cards for students to draw from during the game. Procedure: Have students take turns answering the following questions. When they finish answering have them draw one of the index cards from the stack and follow the directions. Return the card to the bottom of the stack. First student to reach the “Promised Land” is the winner. Continue asking questions until the review is complete so other students may have an opportunity to reach the “Promised Land.”

1. What problem did the Israelites have? (They were walking in the desert with nothing to eat or drink.)

2. In this lesson the Israelites complained about three things. What were they? (No water, no food, and no water, again.)

3. After the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea, why did the people panic when they ran out of water? (They had a limited understanding of who God is; they doubted His ability to care for them and meet their needs.)

4. What happened when they go to the waters of Marah? (The water was bitter and the people could not drink it. They panicked and began to complain to God.)

5. What had God promised the Israelites? (God would lead them to the Promised Land. That He would provide for their needs and He would keep them from getting the diseases of the Egyptians.)

6. Does God provide everything you want in life? ( No, but He does provide all that you need.) 7. Why is complaining a sin? (When you complain, you are saying that God doesn’t know how

to care for you or meet your needs.) 8. What did God tell Moses to do about the bitter waters at Marah? (He told Moses to throw a

piece of wood into the bitter waters.) 9. When Moses threw the wood into the bitter water, what was that a picture of? (The wood

was a picture of the cross that Jesus was crucified on. When you believe in Jesus your sin or bitterness is turned to sweetness of the joy of salvation.)

10. What was the second thing that the children of Israel complained about? (They complained about a lack of food.)

11. Why did the people complain and say that they longed to go back to Egypt? (The people were hungry and they remembered all the food and water they had back in Egypt. And they still didn’t understand the power of God nor trust Him to provide for their needs.)

12. When you get intoa tough situation is it best to look for the quickest way out of it? (No, it is best to follow God’s leading which may or may not be the quickest way out; it is just the best way.)

13. Why did they call the bread from heaven, manna? (It means “What is it?” They didn’t know what it was.)

14. What was manna like? (It was like white corlander seed, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.)

15. God promised to meet the people’s need for food, but he decided to test their obedience. What were God’s detailed instructions about the manna? (He told them to only gather enough for each day; no more and no less. They were to eat it all and not save any overnight for the next day. And on the sixth day, gather enough for two days so that they might rest on the seventh.)

16. What happened when some of the people didn’t follow god’s instructions about the manna? (some of them left part of it until morning and it bred worms and stank.)

17. Are we supposed to follow god’s instructions even when we don’t understand them? (Yes) How about our parent’s instructions? (yes)

18. Why did God tell the people to gather enough for two days on the sixth day of the week? (So they could rest on the seventh and spend time worshipping god and meditating on Him and fellowshipping with their friends.)

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19. What happened when some of the people went out on the Sabbath day to gather the manna? (There wasn’t any.)

20. What should you do if you are ever tempted to complain about things? (Think about all the ways God cares for you and say a “thank-you” prayer to Him instead. Ask Him to help you be content. And remember the memory verse.)

21. In this lesson, what was the third thing the people complained about? (No water.) 22. When there was no water what did God tell Moses to do? (Strike the rock and water will

come out of it.) 23. What was striking the rock a picture of? (Jesus who would be struck down for the sins of the

whole world to provide living water for all.)

Bible Memory Verse Activity: “Gathering Manna”

Our memory verse is Hebrews 13:5 “Be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you." Have students look up the verse in scripture and read aloud together several times. Say, “When we have a problem we can tell God about it and ask Him for His help! God cares for us and will never leave us.” Preparation: You will need Bibles and white construction paper and several baskets. Tear the white paper into small pieces making sure the pieces are large enough to write a word on each one. Write each word of the memory verse onto the pieces of paper. Hide the pieces of paper in the classroom. Hide the pretend “manna” so that children do not have to open drawers or cupboards or go behind furniture. There are 22 words (including the reference) or slips of paper to hide. Procedure: Say: “In our lesson we heard about a time that God’s people were very hungry. God miraculously provided food for the children of Israel by sending bread from heaven every morning. This special food was called manna. Manna was like thin, flaky bread. God caused the bread or manna to appear like dew all over the ground. God told the people that they would need to gather the manna every morning in baskets so they would have food to eat for that day. I have written the words to our memory verse on slips of paper. These slips of paper have been hidden around the room. They are going to be our pretend manna. You can see the manna without moving any furniture or opening any drawers. You may find three* pieces of bread and then sit down.” *Divide the 22 slips of paper by the number of students you have. For example for seven students each child may find 3 pieces. Once all the manna has been found, have children work together to fit the words of the verse together correctly to write out the verse. Repeat the verse together several times during the activity. Conclude the activity by saying: “God gave His people food to eat and water to drink because He cared for them. God cares for us, too. What is your favorite kind of food? (Allow children to respond.) God loves us so much that He is glad to give us the food we need. Sometimes though we are not happy with what God supplies and we start to complain. God is not pleased when we complain and grumble. He wants us to be glad for what He has given us. We should thank Him for how He cares for us.” Lead the group in a prayer of thanksgiving.

Group Learning Activity: “Banging and Clanging Pots” (Grades K-4) Preparation: Collect old pots and pans or aluminum pie tins, old wooden spoons, stirring ladles, or metal spoons. Procedure: Pass out the pots and pans and one banging utensil to each child. Say: “In our lesson today the children of Israel complained to God about their lack of food and water in the desert. We are going to play a game that helps us find out what things can turn us into complainers like them. I am going to read a list of things that you might want to complain about. If what I read would make you complain a whole lot, then bang your pot a lot. If you would complain a little bit, just make a little bit of noise. If you don’t think you would complain at all, don’t make any sounds with your pot.”

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Read the following list, and pause between each item so the children have a chance to bang on their pots.

You find out you are having Brussels sprouts for dinner.

Your sister ate the last piece of cake.

Your teacher gave you extra homework.

Your brother is sick and your dad asked you to do his chores on top of your regular ones.

Your mom signs you up for the football team.

Your dad grounds you from video games for a week.

A movie you really want to see is opening today. You stand in line for hours to get a ticket. The person in front of you gets the last ticket. You won’t get to see the movie today.

Your mom signs you up for ballet classes. Collect all the pots and pans and utensils and set them aside. Say: “How is complaining like the sound of pots and pans? (It is very loud and annoying to others.) What should we do when things don’t go our way or we need something that we don/t have? (Be patient and wait quietly. Ask parents to help in a loving and kind way.) Sometimes it’s easy to complain when things aren’t going our way or we need something that we want or need. The children of Israel did a lot of complaining but we can learn a better way than just grumbling. We can ask God to provide for our needs. God loves to take care of our needs. God loves his children. The Israelites didn’t need to complain. God wasn’t about to let them starve. We don’t need to be worried or complain to have our needs met. God promises to provide for our needs. All we have to do is ask. Remember the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray, “Give us today our daily bread.” (Be aware that some children in your class may be from families with true financial needs. God can provide for our needs, but there are Christians who are hungry or who suffer from lack of provisions. Challenge students to consider how God might use them to meet the needs of others in your church, community, or in the world. Children might pray for the needs of others or take tangible action such as having a canned food drive, collecting coats or shoes in the winter, or bringing donations toward other needs.)

Group Learning Activity: “Stick Toss” (Grades K-3) Preparation: Cut a large sheet of blue paper into a rounded shape. Each child will need a craft stick. Procedure: Place the large blue circle of paper on the floor. Have children line up several feet from the paper. Say: “In our lesson why were God’s children so thirsty? (Their water had run out and there was no water in the desert.) What did God tell Moses to do when they came to the lake of bitter water? (God told Moses to throw a piece of wood into the water.) When the people tasted the good water, they were glad. God had miraculously changed the bitter water into better water! It was sweet to drink! Today we are going to pretend that we are throwing wood into the water.” Give each child a craft stick. Take turns trying to toss the craft stick onto the blue paper. Repeat the game several times, adjusting the distance the children stand away from the paper to increase the challenge.

Group Learning Activity: “Escape the Germs” (Grades K-5) Preparation: Create a line across the middle of the playing area with masking tape. If the playing area is large, create side boundaries as well. Procedure: Say: “In our lesson today God showed Moses a piece of wood. He told Moses, "Throw the wood into the water." Moses threw the wood into the water. The bitter taste disappeared and the water became drinkable.

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“Then Moses told the people, "If you listen and obey God, He will keep you from getting any of the diseases that He brought on the Egyptians. He is the Lord who heals you." We are going to play a game to help us remember that God said He would protect the Israelites from the diseases of the Egyptians if they obeyed Him. Choose two or three kids to be “germs.” Have the germ kids stand on the middle line marked with masking tape. The “healthy kids” are to move from one end of the room, avoiding the “germs” on the line to the opposite side. The “germs” will try to tag them. Play until all the healthy kids become germs. Then start over. When finished, talk about ways God provides for us to stay healthy (good food, enough sleep, medicine, clean water, washing our hands, vitamins, etc. Ask children: “What did God ask the people of Israel to do? (He ask them to listen to God and obey Him in everything.) God has power over everything, including the things that make us sick or hurt. God uses medicine to heal us sometimes. But what is most important to God is that we love Him and do what He says.”

Group Learning Activity: “Thankful Hearts” (Grades 3-5) Preparation: Print or cut out a heart from red or pink poster board. Students will need markers or pens. Procedure: Explain that God wants us to have hearts that thank Him for the good things He has done for us. When we grumble and complain it shows that we are ungrateful for His gifts. Encourage the kids to think about the things that God has given them. What gifts (material things, talents, etc.) have they enjoyed from God? Pass out the heart templates and invite the kids to cut them out and write out the things they are thankful to God for. If there’s time, have the kids share what they wrote, then display the hearts on the board.

Craft Learning Activity: “Desert Landscape” (Grades 3-5) Preparation: You will need a large sheet of heavy poster board or corrugated cardboard; PVA craft glue, paintbrushes, colored yarn, spoon and colored sand. (Purchase colored sand from craft supply store or make colored sand) Colored Sand Recipe: To make colored sand you will need: 1 cup clean dried sand; 1 teaspoon food coloring; Paper towels; and a tray or plate for drying the sand. Place sand into a bowl and add food coloring. Using the flat part of a large spoon make large strokes over the sand to blend the color evenly. Stir thoroughly. Add a little more food coloring if needed to achieve desired color. Place the wet sand out onto a paper towel and plate or newspaper. Using a large spoon spread the wet sand out evenly to dry out. Place the wet sand out into a sunny place (not windy) to air dry. If the sand is still wet, gently move the sand around to expose the wetter parts of the sand to dry out. When the sand is dry, gently rub the sand between your fingers to break up any sand that may be stuck together. Colored sand will last for several years if stored correctly in an air-tight container or zip-lock bags. Procedure: Have students make a sand art picture using colored sand. Apply white school glue (PVA craft glue) to a large sheet of drawing paper with a paint brush. Apply it thick. Cut lengths of yarn to create shapes for the landscape and attach to the drawing paper. Apply more glue if needed. Sprinkle

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the different colors of sand using a spoon or fingertips. When the art work is dry shake off any excess sand. Apply more glue and sand if needed. Optional for younger children: Set the scene for younger children by letting them create a picture of what the Israelite camp looked like. Give each child a piece of brown construction paper, and several fabric squares. Let kids glue the squares to the construction paper to represent the Israelites' tents. Next, give kids a handful of dry Israeli couscous, which they can glue on the paper to represent the manna that the Lord provided.

Craft Learning Activity: “Paper Quail” (Grades K-3) Preparation: Assemble the following items: black card stock; brown, blue, orange tissue paper; craft glue; wiggle eyes; scissors; and pencil. Procedure: Fold a piece of cardstock in half. Draw a Quail so that the top of the bird runs along the fold. Cut out the Quail making sure to leave most of the fold so that the Quail can stand up. Cut or tear blue and brown tissue paper glue onto Quail. Cut out a beak using orange tissue paper glue onto Quail. Glue on wiggle eyes. Stand up Quail.

Craft Learning Activity: “Styrofoam Quail” (Grades 3-5) Preparation: Assemble the following items: Styrofoam egg (medium); Styrofoam ball (small); blue, black, brown, orange, purple tissue paper; wiggle eyes; pencil, craft glue; toothpicks; sharp knife; wiggle eyes. Procedure: Cut Styrofoam eggs in half – this needs to be done by an adult. Place half of Styrofoam egg flat side down on table for Quails body. Tear 1 inch pieces of tissue paper in brown, black and purple. Wrap pieces of tissue paper around the end of pencil to shape, then dip into glue and add to Styrofoam until the Quails body is covered. Wrap and glue brown tissue paper on small Styrofoam ball for the head. Cut a beak out of orange tissue paper and glue onto head. Glue on wiggle eyes. Poke toothpick into bottom of head and then poke toothpick into body of Quail.

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Snack Learning Activity: “Manna” (Grades K-4) Preparation: Collect Bibles, measuring utensils, and for every six children the following ingredients: ½ pound softened cream cheese; 1 ½ teaspoon honey; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; bowl; large spoon; pita bread cut into small triangles, plastic knives; napkins; paper cups; water Procedure: Children should take turns stirring honey and cinnamon into the cream cheese. Then spread mixture onto pita bread triangles. Children can eat snack and drink water. Optional: Have children make their own manna to take home. Have the children spread honey on bread. Place the bread in a toaster oven until crisp. Use a sharp knife to cut the bread into croutons for the children. Have the children take their “manna” croutons home in plastic sandwich bags. Optional: Another alternative for the bread is to use saltine crackers and have the children spread them with honey. OR give each child a small sandwich size bag of frosted flake cereal. Before children arrive, spread two large, clean, plastic tablecloths on the floor, and sprinkle sweetened cornflakes on the tablecloths’ outer edges. Let children walk around the tablecloths’ edges and gather the “manna” into paper cups using plastic spoons. Tell children that God gave the Israelites food every day for 40 years. Explain that we can trust God to give us what we need. After each child has gathered a small cupful of manna, set the children’s cups aside. Say: “Manna might have looked and tasted like the bread that we made or this cereal. The Bible says that manna looked like little scales or flakes. Manna tasted sweet like honey. Every morning when we get up, we can get our daily bread by going to the cupboard and pouring ourselves a bowl of cereal. The Israelites got up early while the dew was still on the ground and picked up their daily bread—manna—off the ground. What do you think it would be like to wake up to manna on the ground every day? How does God meet our need for “daily bread”? Why do you think God wants us to ask Him for all of our needs? (It helps us know and understand how much God loves us and how much we need to depend upon Him.) We can ask God to provide for our needs. We don’t need to get worried or grumble. We have a great, loving God who wants to take care of us.” (Teacher should share a time when things were tough for them and God provided for his or her needs. Kids need powerful examples of adults who know how to pray.)

Life Application Challenge: “Bread Dough” Preparation: You will need a small amount of bread dough for each child. (Frozen bread dough rolls are available at local grocery stores. Defrost until soft and pliable; pictures of different shapes of bread such as loaves, crescent rolls, dinner rolls, pretzel shape etc. Procedure: Have children sit in a circle. Give each child a piece of bread dough. Allow children to use the dough as “modeling clay.” Say: “Bread comes in many different sizes and shapes around the world. Here are some pictures of different kinds of bread. See the variety of shapes! (show pictures). You are to mold your bread dough into different shapes of bread. (Give children a few minutes to shape their dough. Have students place their dough shape on a cookie sheet for baking.) Bread is one of the most basic foods that we need. When Jesus taught us to pray He said, “Give us today our daily bread,” He was telling us to ask for the things we need. God doesn’t promise to give us everything that we want, but He will give us what we need. (Discuss several different things that are “wants” and “needs.” Explain the difference.) Pray: “Dear God, thank you that You have promised to supply us with our daily bread. We have many things that you need to provide for us. Thank you for loving us and wanting to provide our needs. Our needs may be more than just food. It might be help for our families or help for us. We will ask you for everything we need. Right now we ask you to provide (pause for a minute for children to pray silently or aloud as they desire. ) Give us today our daily bread. Amen. (Allow students to take their molded dough home as a reminder to ask God for their needs.

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Food and Water in the Desert

Hebrews 13:5

“Be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you."

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Unit 5: Life of Moses OT5.6 Food and Water in the Desert ... · This is the sixth lesson in Unit 5:...

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