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Has someone ever asked you to do something that you felt unsure about? How did you respond?
God's people, the Israelites, were slaves in Egypt. God was concerned about them and wanted to rescue them. He wanted to give them their own land. So God asked a man named Moses to represent Him and bring His people out of Egypt. Yet, once the Israelites got into the desert, they had trouble depending upon God.
Now, use your imagination, as we journey back through time to look at the Life Connection Story "Moses Part 3."
(Story adapted from Exodus 15 to 20)
My name is Moses. I am excited to share with you how God worked in my life.
The Israelites were Abraham's descendents through his son Isaac. Isaac's son Israel (also called Jacob) and his family moved to Egypt. Israel had seventy people in his family. But 430 years later, about two million Israelites lived in Egypt! Pharaoh (the king of Egypt) feared that the Israelites might attack the Egyptians and leave the country. So the Egyptians made the Israelites work as slaves. God's people suffered terribly. God had promised to give the Israelites their own land. He always keeps His promises.
I was an Israelite, but I grew up as an Egyptian in Pharaoh's family. When I was about forty years old, I killed an Egyptian who was mistreating one of my people. Pharaoh found out and tried to kill me. I ran away to live in the land of Midian. In Midian, I got married and worked as a shepherd. For forty years, I took care of my father-in-law's sheep.
Then, one day, God asked me to represent Him and bring the people out of Egypt. God said He would be with me. He would give me the words, and my brother Aaron would speak for me. God wanted me to trust Him. His power, not mine, would bring the people out of Egypt.
God led us out of Egypt. He went ahead of us in a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night. Pharaoh's army came after us, but God split the Red Sea, and the Israelites walked across the sea on dry land. The Egyptian army chased us, but God made the waters come over them, and they all drowned. The Israelites saw God's power against the Egyptians, and they trusted God.
Yet, once we got into the desert, the people started complaining. They were hungry. They cried, "It would have been better if God had killed us in Egypt. At least while we were slaves, we had plenty of food! You have brought us out here to die!" They were afraid that God had forgotten about food! God had used His great power against the Egyptians. The Israelites had seen God's power and trusted Him. God had made detailed plans for their rescue. Yet, when the Israelites felt afraid, they forgot the ways that God had taken care of them, and they had trouble depending upon Him.
Each day, God sent bread from the sky and flocks of quail (a kind of bird). We gathered quail in the evening and the bread in the morning six days a week. Some people tried to stock up for the next day, but the food always rotted. God wanted us to depend upon Him to send food each day. The sixth day of each week, we gathered twice as much food. God wanted us to rest on the seventh day, just like He did after creating the world. The food didn't rot on the seventh day. Some people tried to gather food on the seventh day anyway, but God didn't send food that day. God took care of us.
Three months after we crossed the Red Sea, we arrived at Mount Sinai. God gave me some instructions, including the Ten Commandments and other laws. Yet, we discovered that we could not measure up to God's perfect requirements, no matter how hard we tried. God wanted us to depend upon Him instead of upon ourselves. Our "not measuring up" meant "to sin."
God wanted us to sacrifice an animal when we sinned. God chose some people as priests. The priests offered the animal's blood on the altar. We sacrificed animals continually. Only the blood of the Promised Lamb could-once and for all-take away sins. We looked forward to His coming. By trusting in Him, we could have forgiveness for sins and escape eternal death. God would send the Promised Lamb 1,500 years later.
God loved us. He wanted us as His people. He fought to have us. He rescued us. He made plans for us. He took care of us. God still loves and pursues people. He makes good plans for them. He wants them to trust in Him.
Let's thank God for all He has done and for His great love for us. Pray these words of praise to Him:
God, You rescued the Israelites from slavery. You took care of them in the desert. You wanted them to depend upon You. Thank You for loving me. Thank You for making a way for people to have forgiveness for sins and escape eternal death.
Use Exodus 15-20 and the Life Connection Story. They will help you complete your Life Connection Response.
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