Moses and the Burning Bush

Moses and the Burning Bush

Exodus 3-4

The children will understand:

• The story of Moses and the burning bush.
• That Moses responded to God’s calling with respect.
• That we are called to respect and honor God.

Activity

Supplies:

large container

The children will take off one of their shoes and throw them into a large container, such as a garbage can. Next, the kids will form a large circle. The leader will dump the pile of shoes in the center of the circle. When the leader gives the command to start, the children will run to the pile of shoes and grab oneshoe that is not their own. Without speaking, each child must find the correct owner to the shoe that he grabbed from the pile. When a child has found the correct owner of the shoe he grabbed, and also has his own shoe on, he may race back to his original seat in the circle!

In the Bible account today, we’re going to visit a desert where Moses was instructed by God to take off both of his shoes because he was standing on holy ground! Let’s watch and see an amazing sign from God!

Bible Account

Supplies:

PowerPoint fire slide

shepherd’sclothes

sandals

staff

megaphone

Place an image of a burning bush on a screen or board in the front of the lesson area.

The actor is portraying Moses, dressed in a robe and sandals, holding a staff. A narrator will start the Bible account as Moses walks around herding sheep. A third character will be the voice of God. This person will be near the image of the burning bush, but hidden from the children’s view and speaking through a megaphone.Moses will act while the narrator is reading the Bible account.

Narrator: Moses was out tending a flock of sheep for his father-in-law, Jethro. He led the sheep to the far side of the desert, to the mountain of God. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in flames of fire from within a bush. (Moses will freeze and stare in fear at the bush.)

Moses: Why isn’t that bush burning up? That is so strange… I’m going over there to see what’s going on. (walks near the bush)

Narrator: When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush.

God: Moses! Moses!

Moses: (terrified and shaking) Here I am!

God: Don’t come any closer. Take off your sandals, because the place where you are standing is holy ground. (Moses fumbles and quickly removes his sandals.)

Moses: (frightened)Who, who, who are you?

God: I am God. (Moses immediately hides his face.) I’ve seen how my people, the Israelites, have suffered under the Egyptians. I’ve heard their cries because they are held as slaves. I’m sending you, Moses, to bring my people out of Egypt.

Moses: Me? But, I’m nothing. Why me?

God: Don’t worry, Moses. I will be with you.

Moses: Well, what should I say if the Egyptians ask me who commanded that the Israelites be let go?

God: You tell them I AM sent you.

Narrator: God instructed Moses to go to the elders of Israel and tell them what He had planned for the Israelites—the plan to free the Israelites from the Egyptians.

Moses: But, what if they still don’t believe me?

God: Throw the staff that you’re holding to the ground, Moses.(Moses throws his staff.)

Narrator: As soon as Moses’ staff hit the ground, it turned into a snake. (Moses picks up staff.) And when he picked it back up, it turned back into a staff. God also told Moses to stick his hand into his robe. When Moses pulled his hand out of his robe it was covered with leprosy sores. (Moses will act this out as the narrator is reading.) God told Moses to put his hand back into his robe, and the leprosy was gone. The Lord performed these signs and wonders to show Moses that people will believe that God is going to set His people free.

Moses: But, but, but (stuttering) God, I’m not a good speaker. My words are not smooth or professional.

God: Go Moses! I will help you speak and I’ll teach you what to say!

Moses: Oh God. I’m so scared. Please send someone else!

God: (angry) Enough Moses! I’ll send your brother, Aaron, to go with you! Now go! Lead the Israelites out of Egypt!(Moses quickly leaves the lesson area.)

Narrator: Moses left the burning bush and told his brother, Aaron, what God had said. God told Moses that he would perform many miraculous signs with his staff. God had a plan to set His people free, and He was going to use Moses in a mighty way!

Small Group Time –

1. Break up into two groups.
2. Have snack and water ready and take to your group time.
3. One group can stay inside, the other go out to picnic table. Put most distracted group inside
4. Ask questions below!
5. Take prayer requests using request booklet- Our hands we fold, our heads we bow, so we can talk to God right now!

Game

Supplies:

sandal(s)

Christian music

Seat the kids in circles of about 10. The children will play a game of Hot Potato, only the potato will be a sandal. Each circle of children will pass around a sandal while music is playing. When the music stops, the child holding the sandal in each circle will be given one of the following questions to answer.

• What was Moses doing in the desert?

(taking care of sheep)

• What did Moses notice about the burning bush that was very unusual?

(The bush wasn’t burning up.)

• Who spoke to Moses from the burning bush?

(God)

• What was the first thing God told Moses to do?

(take off his sandals)

• Why did Moses have to take off his sandals?

(He was standing on holy ground.)

• What did God send Moses to do in Egypt?

(to lead the Israelites out of Egypt)

• How did Moses feel about going to Egypt to free the Israelites?

(scared and not good enough)

• What name did God tell Moses to tell the Egyptians when they asked Moses who sent him?

(I AM)

• Who did God say He would send to help Moses?

(Moses’ brother, Aaron)

Craft

Supplies:

white cardstock

copies of bush from end of lesson

newspaper

shoestrings

paints – red, yellow, orange

paper plates

Beforehand, cover tables with newspaper as this craft could get a little messy. Also, each child will need a cardstock copy of the burning bush page found at the end of the lesson.

Squirt red, yellow, and orange paint colors each on a different paper plate. Give each child a piece of shoestring and a burning bush page. They will drag the shoestring through the paint and then drag it across their craft page to create the fire on the bush. Continue letting them paint the fire on their bush using a variety of paint colors. It’s okay for paint to mix; it will all end up different shades of orange!

As the children are working, encourage them to retell the important parts of the story—Moses seeing the bush while tending sheep, taking off his shoes, God talking from within the bush, Moses not feeling qualified enough, God’s name being I AM, Moses wanting someone to help him.

Activity

Supplies:

sandpaper sheets

In our Bible account today, God talked to Moses from within the burning bush. After calling out for Moses, the Bible tells us God said, “Do not come any closer.” God said, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Moses was standing in a desert. I wonder how that felt under his feet? Lead children in taking off their shoes and socks. Give each child a sheet of sandpaper to stand on.

That desert place was not special, or holy, because it was desert ground. It was a bunch of sand and rocks with a few scraggly bushes and just a little bit of grass. That place was special or holy because God was there. God’s presence was very, very real there and He was going to do something amazing there. That’s what made it holy ground.

When a preacher or speaker gets up to lead people in worship, it’s a holy time … a holy place … because God’s presence is real there and God wants to do something amazing in the lives of people. Whenever we are in God’s presence, it’s a holy place, and we should treat Him with great respect.

Know Your Bible

Supplies:

PowerPoint slide - sandals

During the Bible account today, God told Moses to do something that may seem odd to you and me. What was the unusual thing God told Moses to do? God told Moses to take off his sandals, because Moses was standing on holy ground. What do you think that means?

When we salute someone, that shows respect to them. Can you salute? When we stand up when someone older comes in the room, that shows respect to them. In some countries, when you bow, that’s a way to show respect.Can you bow? In the time and culture when God appeared to Moses in the burning bush, taking off your shoes was an act of respect. Moses was about to meet with God, and that was something he should take seriously. Taking off his shoes showed how much Moses respected God. The place where Moses was standing was not considered holy ground because of the sand, a tree, or any rock in the place. The place was holy because God was present … God was right there! Moses knew not to go to God with a lack of respect!

In some cultures around the world today, people remove their shoes before entering someone’s home. Have you ever been to someone’s house and they asked you to take your shoes off before you came in? That’s out of respect for the “things” in their house … to treat them nicely.

In our church today we don’t take off our shoes as we enter the sanctuary. It might not be a bad idea, though, to do something like that to get our attention that the sanctuary is a holy place. So how do we show respect to the Lord when we come to church? (at times we are quiet, we meditate, we know the appropriate times to laugh or giggle, we know when to listen carefully, we respectfully go to communion, our posture during worship)

Activity

Supplies:

variety of shoes

masking tape

paper cross

Tape the shape of a cross on the far wall of the room. Put a pile of shoes at a starting line on the other side of the room. In the middle of the room tape a second line.

In our church today, we may not take off our shoes when we enter church. We may not take off our shoes when we are worshipping God. We may not take off our shoes when we pray for others. BUT we must come to God respectfully during all of these things. We should not be silly, rude, or have a “who cares” attitude when we approach God. We may not take off our shoes, but there are some things that we should take off and lay at the foot of the cross when we go to church, when we worship, and when we pray. There are some things that we should take off when we are standing on holy ground at church! These shoes are going to help us remember that.

Hold up a pair of high heels. These shoes are fancy shoes. When would someone wear these? Maybe for a special dinner? When girls wear high heels, they feel pretty special. These shoes remind me that I can’t think I’m more special than anyone else, and that’s something I need to take off. God sees me for me and not any more or any less special than everyone else. Everyone is special to God, so I need to take off my feeling fancy before I go to God. After you talk about the first pair of shoes, the first child in each line will wear one of the shoes as they walk from the starting to the middle line. Encourage them to walk in a fancy way! At the middle line they will take off their shoe and walk normally as they approach the wall with the cross.

Continue to complete the activity with other types of shoes.

Snow boots – I wear these shoes in the snow. Before I get into my car or go into a house I stomp my feet on the ground to get all of the snow off. It sounds like I am really angry! These shoes remind me that sometimes I have a problem with being angry at others. I need to take off my anger as I go to God.

Tennis shoes – I love my running shoes! When I wear these, I am the fastest runner ever! No one is good enough to run with me because I am so much faster than they are. That reminds me of when I think no one else is good enough to be a friend or to come to church with me. I think I need to take these off as I go to God because He wants me to love everyone.

Old junky shoes – These shoes are so old and yucky I only wear them when I mow the grass or am out in the mud. I really don’t like these shoes. I wish I could be wearing any of my other pairs. Do you ever wish you had what someone else has? That’s something we need to take off when we go to God.

Sports shoes (ballet slippers, cleats) – Have you ever known someone who said they were the best at something and they talked about it all of the time? They go on and on and on about how good they are at their sport. That’s called bragging, and it’s another thing we need to take off as we stand on holy ground.

Activity – Video

Supplies:

YouTube video clip

firewood

pre-burned firewood

Beforehand, download the following YouTube video called “Magic Water Faucet.”

This is a short clip but will get your attention. If you were walking past this faucet, would you stop and look at it closer? Would it get your attention? Why does it get your attention? When something is really unusual, we take an extra look just to make sure that we saw what we thought we saw. The burning bush was something really unusual and it got Moses’ attention.

The Bible says, “Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.” Raise your hand if you’ve ever been to a campfire. To start the campfire, you put logs like thesein a fire pit. Hold up some campfire logs.After the fire has been burning for a while, they look more like these logs. Show the children the partially burned logs.What differences do you notice between the unburned firewood and the burned firewood? Moses knew what burning wood should look like. He used fire for light, heat, cooking, so he knew what should be happening. The wood was NOT burning up, and Moses recognized that this was a special site! God got Moses’ attention in a strange way!

Name some other things that get your attention. How does your mother get your attention? She usually wants to get your attention so she can tell you something that’s important for you to hear or do. So, she may whistle to let you know that the bus is waiting. That’s important. How does your coach get your attention? Your teacher?Your pastor?

It’s important for you to listen when God wants to get your attention. He may get your attention through an illness or through someone new coming into your life (like a missionary or a teacher) or through a book you read. He may try to get your attention when a friend mentions an idea. God has many, many ways of trying to get your attention! He used a burning bush with Moses.

Puppets

Supplies:

trick birthday candles

onepuppet

matches

cupcake

Puppet:Hello Jane!

Jane: Oh, hello there!

Puppet: I heard that today is a pretty special day for you.

Jane: You did, huh? Why is that?

Puppet: I heard it’s your birthday! I made something for you!

Jane: Oh, that was so sweet! (cautiously)I’m a little nervous to see what it is, because I know you like to play tricks on people!

Puppet: No tricks today, Jane. Look what I baked for you. (Jane approaches the puppet and picks up the cupcake that is next to the puppet.)

Jane: Really? You baked this for me? That is so thoughtful of you!

Puppet: Yeah! I even remembered a candle. But my mom told me never to play with matches, so you’ll have to light it.

Jane: Yes, I see. Here, I’ll light the candle for you. This is so kind of you! I’m totally touched by your thoughtfulness!

Puppet: (giggling) Yes, I know, but we can’t celebrate your birthday without singing “Happy Birthday” to you! Come on kids, help me sing “Happy Birthday” to Jane! (sing song)Alright … now for the big moment. Blow out your candle, Jane!