MANNA AND QUAIL

2011, October - wk 5(Grade 3)

Quick reminder why we do not Halloween (imitate evil), instead we celebrate the lives of the Saints - Halleluiah party

Review of the Pillar of cloud & Fire Lesson (previous wk)

Play acting:children will be told to go to sleep & wake up to collect “manna” (some objects). Some children will tend to collect more than 1 item, show them that some Israelites disobeyed God and collected more than they needed.

  • God did an amazing thing for His people … He rescued them from slavery, helped them get across the Red Sea – they were thankful!
  • After escaping from Egypt, God asked Moses to lead them in the desert to test their faith.
  • Even though the Israelites werebeaten & oppressed as slaves in Egypt, they used to sit & eat pots of meat.
  • Now they are hungry & thirsty in the desert so they complainedagain: “… you brought us into this desert to kill this whole assembly with hunger”.
  • God said to Moses: “I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God“
  • Moses told the people: “The Lord’s glory shall be seen when He gives you meat to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread to the full”.
  • The rules were: 1) Collect only what they needed, 2)Eat all of it before morning, 3) Collect twice as much on the 6th day (so they can rest on the 7th day).
  • So in the evening, flocks & flocks of quail came to the camp to feed the Israelites.
  • Morning came, they found a white powdery substance on the ground (like frost) … it tasted like wafers made with honey!
  • Some didn’t obey, they left some until morning … it stank & was filled with worms! Some went out to collect on the 7th day but found nothing on the ground!
  • The Lord commanded: “Fill an omer with the manna to be kept for your generations, so they may see the bread you ate in the desert when the Lord led you out of the land of Egypt”.
  • God provided food for the Israelites for 40 yrs in the desert!

Verse of lesson

“I am the bread of life” (John 6:35)

Discussions

1)How did the Israelitesfeelwhen they were hungry & thirsty in the desert? FEARFUL/SCARED that they were going to die. What did they do again that was wrong? They COMPLAINED!

2)Lessons learned …

  1. What is the symbol of Manna?
  1. It is our Lord Jesus Christ in the New Testament; He came down from HEAVEN to feed us, like the manna & quail. “Behold, I will rain bread out of heaven for you … “
  2. Our Lord gives us His body to eat through Communion every Sunday during the Liturgy. Jesus said: “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35).
  3. This new “food” (our Lord’s body), gives us everlasting life with Him, not like the manna that fed the Israelites for only 40 yrs.
  4. When we pray OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN … “Give us this day our daily bread”, we ask our Lord Jesus to take care of us & provide for us.

3)What can FEAR do? A lot of bad things …

  1. Doubtful – The people forgot about God: “Would we had died, smitten by the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and ate bread to the full.”
  1. Complain – The people became unthankful: “For you brought us into this desert to kill this whole assembly with hunger”.
  1. Selfish– The people became greedy, the Israelites gathered more than they needed & disobeyed God’s instructions.

When you are AFRAID or FEARFUL, instead of COMPLAINNING …

  1. Call on God for help – Pray always … Jesus prayer, Prime & Terce, before meals
  1. Be thankful – for your family, what you have …
  1. Repent & Confess – Let go of your sins & change your ways, Spiritual Notebook

Don’t be afraid, God is always with us to protect & help us. He provided for 2 million Israelites for 40 yrs in the desert, He can provide for you!