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    • Today's Theme:
    We're never trapped when we follow God.

     

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     Today's Story:

    		The escape from Egypt
    Exodus 11 - 15
    Optional Memory verse: "The Lord will keep you safe.  
    He will keep you from being trapped." 
    Proverbs 3:26
          (International Children's Bible, New Century Version)
    • Materials Needed:
    		Promised Land mat,
    Paper Egypt mat,
    Adult Moses figure,
    Evil Pharaoh figure,
    1 or 2 toy farm animals,
    8 or 10 Fisher Price or similar type figures or some of the play dough figures the children made in previous lessons,
    Flaps for Red Sea crossing made from the following items:
    		blue and brown construction paper,
    scissors,
    glue,
    scotch tape
    instructions are in the  table below
    Votive candle  and matches
    1 or 2 rocks  to be a mountain next to the Red Sea (optional)

     

    • Make construction paper flaps for the Red Sea crossing:

    Following the illustration at the right:

    		Cut a  piece of brown construction paper to cover a portion of the Red Sea.
    		Glue in place. 
    This will be the dry sea bottom.
    Cut a piece of blue construction paper to fit over top of the brown, dry sea bottom .
    		Cut it in half in the middle,
    Tape in place at each end.
    Leave the center flaps loose to roll up for the sea crossing.
    wpe2.jpg (6250 bytes)

    Cover the Red Sea with construction paper flaps as illustrated above.

     

    • Action Game: Into the trap
    		Make a circle of chairs.  This will be a trap.
    Divide the children into 2 groups. 
    One group will be chasers.
    The chasers have to work together to try to chase each of the children in the other group and trap them one at a time.
    They are not allowed to tag them or touch them.
    Once they get a child trapped, that child has to go into the trap of chairs. 
    After every child has been trapped, the groups switch roles and the trapped group gets to be the chasers.

     

    • Closing Discussion:

    • Close in Prayer:  asking God to help us follow him and to trust him to take care of us, even when we feel trapped.

     

    Telling the Story:
    		Have the kids put the Promised Land mat in a far away place in the room.
    		Add paper Egypt mat.
    In today's story God's people felt like they were caught in a trap.
    What does it feel like to be caught in a trap?
    Do you think you can get caught in a trap when you follow God?
    We're never trapped when we follow God.
    Moses' job was to take God's people to the Promised Land.
    		Add Moses and Pharaoh figures.
    Add 4 or 5 figures to represent God's people to one part of Egypt.
    Add 1 or 2 farm animals to the side where God's people are.
    Add 4 or 5 figures to represent Egyptians to another part of Egypt.
    But before Moses can take God's people to the Promised Land, they have to leave Egypt.
    When they do leave Egypt something happens that makes them feel trapped.
    Listen carefully to find out what makes them feel trapped.
    Last week we learned that God told Pharaoh that bad things would happen if he didn't let God's people go.
    What were the bad things that we learned about last week?
    		Review: frogs, gnats, hail, etc.
    God had Moses tell Pharaoh that something even more terrible would happen if he didn't let his people go.
    Moses told Pharaoh that the oldest boy in every house in Egypt would die.
    Do you think Pharaoh obeyed God and let his people go when he heard that?
    No he did not.
    And when it happened, the Egyptians were so upset that they shouted at Moses to take all of God's people and  "Get out of Egypt and never come back!"
    It was in the middle of the night when it happened. 
    God's people got up in the middle of the night, gathered up their animals and started to leave Egypt.
    But it was dark and God's people didn't know which way to go.
    So God led them with a bright  pillar of fire.
    		Light the votive candle.
    With the candle in front, move the candle,  God's people, and their farm animals toward the Red Sea.
    The fire lighted their way and moved in front of them so they could see and know which way to go.
    But then something terrible happened.
    Pharaoh changed his mind.  "We've lost our slaves!" he cried. "We must catch them!"
    Then he and his soldiers got on their horses and chased God's people.
    		Move Pharaoh and the Egyptian figures toward God's people.
    But God's people followed God as He led them in the pillar of fire.
    The pillar of fire led them right to the shores of the sea.
    		Move candle, God's people, and their animals to the Red Sea.
    Add rocks to edge of Red Sea to be hills blocking the way (so the children don't think God's people could just go around the Red Sea).
    Suddenly God's people realized that Pharaoh was chasing them.
    		Move Pharaoh and the Egyptians closer (but not immediately behind God's people).
    God's people became very upset.
    "We're trapped!" they shouted at Moses.
    		Move Pharaoh and the Egyptians a little closer.
    Do you think God's people are trapped?
    No.  They're not trapped.  We're never trapped when we follow God.
    God moved the pillar of fire right behind his people to keep them safe from the Egyptians.
    		Move the candle behind God's people.
    Move Pharaoh and the Egyptians up to the candle.
    The pillar of fire made it light for God's people so they could see.
    But behind the pillar, God made a dark cloud cover the Egyptians.  
    It was so dark that the Egyptians couldn't see a thing.
    Then God made a strong wind blow on the sea.
    The wind was so strong that the water split in half,
    		The kids can blow and wave their arms to be the wind.
    Roll up the construction paper flaps of the Red Sea.
    The wind blew all night and dried up the sea bottom so it wasn't muddy.
    Then God's people walked right through the middle of the sea on dry ground.
    		Let the children move God's people and their animals  through the sea.
    Move the candle through the sea.
    Pharaoh and the Egyptians chased God's people into the sea.
    		Let the children move Pharaoh and the Egyptians into the middle of the sea.
    But God made the waters go back onto the Egyptians.
    		Unroll the flaps and cover up Pharaoh and the Egyptians.
    And the Egyptians all drowned.
    God kept his people safe.
    Were God's people ever trapped when they followed God to the sea?
    No.  We're never trapped when we follow God.
    Discuss times when the children have felt trapped.
    How can we follow God when we feel trapped? (by trusting God to take care of us, by praying to Him).

     

    • Optional Snack 2:

    • Optional Snack: Paper cup traps

    Before class snip around the rim of a paper cup for each child.

    Let each child make a trap out of a cup by:

    putting some animal crackers into the cup,

    making a grid on top of the cup with licorice laces

    Trap a bag of candy or other snack behind something in the room.

    The kids have to free it to eat it.

    wpe5.jpg (4233 bytes)

    Snip the rim of a paper cup. Pictured left

    Let kids make a grid on top with licorice laces.         Pictured right

    Supplemental Bible Readings:
    (Suggested daily readings)

    • Optional Snack:

    • Materials Needed for Next Week:
    		Promised Land mat,
    Paper Egypt mat,
    Moses figure,
    Fisher Price or similar type man to represent Aaron,
    4 or 5 Fisher Price or similar type figures to represent God's people,
    blocks,
    toy cow (Optional: spray paint it gold),
    A rock to be Mt. Sinai (big enough for Moses to stand on),
    masking tape
    scrap of gray construction paper
    graham crackers
    alphabet cereal

    Three weeks from now God's people will follow the priests into the Promised land

    • Two weeks from now we will focus on Joshua, Israel's first Judge.

    		You need:
    		A Joshua figure 
    If using the pattern at this site:
    		use fabrics to represent judges such as grays and blacks.
    You will need:
    		A priest figure (the priest figure will be used numerous times throughout the year).
    If making a priest figure from the pattern at this site:
    		Use white and off white fabrics for the clothes and headpiece,
    Add gold trim to the head piece.

    © 1999 Linda Lawler.  
    Permission granted to copy for personal use only.  Not for resale.

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