TEXT: Exodus 5:1-2; 6:1-2; 7:20; 8:6-7, 24; 9:6,10, 23; 10:13, 22; 12:29-32
What an exciting time it is! All the Children of Israel have left Egypt at once. We are camping in a place called Etham, and there are so many of us that crowds of people are everywhere I look! Everybody is excited and talking about the journey we have begun. So many things have happened lately. I am going to write about how God delivered us from the Egyptians so that I’ll always remember it. Most kids my age can’t write, but my dad is a scribe, and he taught me how.
First of all, God sent that great man Moses and his brother Aaron to talk to Pharaoh. They told him that God had said, “Let my people go.” God wanted Pharaoh to let the Israelites leave Egypt. But Pharaoh just got angry.
Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh again. He asked them to do a miracle to prove that God had sent them. Aaron threw his rod to the ground and it turned into a snake! But Pharaoh’s magicians did the same thing. Not even when Aaron’s snake swallowed all of their snakes was Pharaoh impressed. It was then that God started sending the plagues.
Moses and Aaron went down to the river where Pharaoh was. Aaron took his rod and hit the water and it turned to blood! And the river wasn’t the only water to turn to blood. The streams and the ponds and even water that was stored in pots also changed into blood! Pharaoh’s magicians did the same thing, and Pharaoh wouldn’t let us go.
Next, God sent the frogs. There were frogs everywhere! The magicians did the same thing. Pharaoh was not happy and said he would let the people go if Moses would get rid of the frogs. But when God made the frogs leave, Pharaoh changed his mind. After that, God turned the dust into lice that bit the people. This time, the magicians couldn’t copy what Moses and Aaron did. The magicians told Pharaoh that, for sure, it was God who sent the lice. Still, Pharaoh wouldn’t listen.
The next plague was swarms of flies. God didn’t allow the flies to enter Goshen, where our people lived. What a miracle! But Pharaoh still wouldn’t listen. So God sent a disease that killed all the Egyptians’ cattle. None of ours died! After that, God put painful sores, called boils, on the Egyptians.
The hailstorm that followed was the worst that had ever happened in Egypt. Then millions of locusts came and ate up every green plant in the land. Next came a plague of darkness for three days. Still Pharaoh wouldn’t let us go!
The tenth and last plague was the worst of all. In one night, the firstborn child in every Egyptian family died. Pharaoh finally let us go.
Tomorrow we head into the wilderness toward the Red Sea. I am glad I serve the true God. He will always help me, no matter what I face!
PARENT’S CORNER
God’s judgments upon the people of Egypt are the subject of next week’s lesson. When Moses appeared before Pharaoh and, as directed by God, asked that his people be freed, Pharaoh refused. God sent ten plagues upon the land of Egypt, but in spite of the suffering and trouble, Pharaoh would not let the people go until the final plague brought death throughout the land.
Our focus will be that God allowed these things to happen in order to bring deliverance for His people. God has promised to deliver us from our troubles also. It might be interesting to collect objects symbolizing some of the plagues to help your child visualize the various events.
Objects could include: frog, fly swatter, grasshopper, bandaid, water colored red, picture of baby.
FAMILY DEVOTIONS
SUNDAY: Psalm 37:40
MONDAY: Hebrews 13:6
TUESDAY: Isaiah 41:10
WEDNESDAY: Psalm 37:7
THURSDAY: Psalm 18:17
FRIDAY: Psalm 34:4
SATURDAY: Jeremiah 1:8