LESSON OVERVIEW FOR ADULTS
In Exodus 2:11-4:17, we encounter Moses at a pivotal moment in his life’s journey. After growing up in Pharaoh’s palace as an adopted son of Egyptian royalty, Moses witnessed the brutal treatment of his Hebrew people and killed an Egyptian taskmaster who was beating a Hebrew slave. Fearing for his life, Moses fled approximately two hundred miles eastward across the desert to the land of Midian, where he spent the next forty years as a shepherd caring for his father-in-law’s flocks. During this time, Moses married, started a family, and lived a quiet life far removed from the splendor and danger of Egypt. Meanwhile, back in Egypt, the Hebrew people continued to suffer under harsh slavery, crying out to God for deliverance.
God heard the cries of His people and remembered His covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. While Moses was tending sheep near Mount Horeb (also called Mount Sinai), he witnessed an extraordinary sight, a bush ablaze with fire yet not being consumed by the flames. When Moses approached to investigate, God spoke to him from the burning bush, revealing His plan to rescue the Israelites from Egyptian bondage and lead them to a land of their own. Despite God’s clear calling and the promise of His presence and power, Moses offered multiple excuses: he felt inadequate, worried people wouldn’t believe him, claimed he couldn’t speak well, and ultimately asked God to send someone else. God patiently addressed each concern, providing Moses with miraculous signs (a staff that became a snake, a hand that became leprous then healed, water that would turn to blood) and appointing Moses’ brother Aaron to assist with speaking. This passage reveals both God’s sovereignty in choosing unlikely leaders and His faithfulness to equip those He calls, demonstrating that God’s power is greater than our human weaknesses.
OPENING ACTIVITY 6:00-6:15 | Burning Bush Playdoh
Items Needed:
- Burning Bush Playdoh Mats
- Red/orange/yellow PlayDoh
- Small twigs or stick pieces
Children use Playdoh to add red, orange, and yellow playdough “flames” around the bush on the Playdoh mats. They can press small twigs into the playdough to make it more realistic. As they work explain today’s story talks about the miraculous nature of God’s burning bush and a man named Moses.
BIBLE STORY 6:15-6:25
Question 1: Where is this story found in the Bible? Exodus
Question 2: Is this in the Old Testament or New Testament? Old Testament!
Okay, friends! Today we’re going to hear about a man named Moses! Can you say “Moses”? [Wait for response] MOSES! Good job!
Moses had to run far, far away from Egypt. [Stand up] Let’s all run in place! Run, run, run! [Run in place for 5 seconds, then sit back down] Whew! Moses ran all the way to a place called Midian. That’s really far!
When Moses got to Midian, he became a shepherd. Does anyone know what a shepherd does? [Let kids respond] That’s right! A shepherd takes care of sheep! Let’s be sheep! Can you say “Baaaa”? [Kids make sheep sounds] Baaaaa! Baaaaa!
For a long, long time (forty whole years) Moses took care of sheep every single day. He would walk around with his big stick called a staff [Pretend to hold a walking stick] and count his sheep. Let’s count some sheep: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5! [Count on fingers]
One day, Moses was walking in the desert watching the sheep, when he saw something VERY strange! He saw a bush, and the bush was on FIRE!
The bush had bright red, orange, and yellow flames all around it! [Wave hands like flames] Let’s make our hands look like fire! Wiggle them up high! [Wave hands above heads] But you know what was REALLY strange? The bush wasn’t burning up! It just kept burning and burning and burning! That was a miracle!
Moses said, “Wow! I need to go see this!” So he walked closer… and closer… and closer… [Walk fingers across the floor]
And then Moses heard a VOICE! The voice said, “Moses! Moses!” Can you say “Moses! Moses!”? [Kids repeat]
Moses was so surprised!
Moses said, “Here I am!” That means “I’m listening, God!” When we pray, we can tell God “I’m listening!” too!
God said, “Don’t come any closer, Moses. Take off your shoes! You’re standing on HOLY ground!” Do you know what holy means? It means special to God! So Moses took off his shoes!
Then God said, “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I see my people in Egypt. They are sad. They are slaves and they need help.”
God said, “Moses, I want YOU to go help them! I want you to go tell the mean king of Egypt to let My people go!”
But Moses said, “Oh no, God! I can’t do that! I’m nobody important!”
Moses was making excuses. Do you ever make excuses when someone asks you to clean your room or put away your toys? [Let kids respond] Moses made excuses to God!
Moses said, “But God, what if they ask who sent me?”
God said, “Tell them ‘I AM’ sent you! I am God! I will be WITH you, Moses!”
But Moses STILL made excuses! He said, “But God, what if they don’t believe me?”
So God showed Moses some AMAZING mir
Then God said, “Pick it up by the tail!” When Moses picked it up, it turned back into a staff!
God showed Moses another miracle. He told Moses to put his hand right here [Point to chest] inside his robe. When Moses pulled it out, his hand looked sick and yucky! But then God told him to put it back in, and when he pulled it out again, his hand was all better!
God said, “If they still don’t believe you, take water from the river and pour it on the ground. It will turn into BLOOD!”
But Moses STILL made more excuses! He said, “But God, I’m not good at talking!”
God said, “Moses! Who made your mouth? I DID! And I will help you talk!”
Finally Moses said, “Oh God, please send someone else!”
Now God was not happy that Moses kept making excuses. But do you know what God did? He still loved Moses! God said, “Okay, Moses. I’ll let your brother Aaron help you. He can do the talking, and you can be the leader. I will tell you what to say, and Aaron will say it for you!”
You know what, friends? Even though Moses felt like he couldn’t do it, GOD could do it! God is more powerful than anything! Let’s show our strong muscles! God gives us strength!
So Moses listened to God. Even though he was scared and didn’t think he could do it, Moses trusted God and got ready to go back to Egypt to help God’s people!
Let’s all say “Thank you, God!” [Kids repeat] THANK YOU, GOD!
Theological Questions:
- Who was talking to Moses from the burning bush? (God was talking to Moses!)
- Why didn’t the bush burn up? (Because God was there and God can do miracles!)
Life Application Questions:
- When we feel like we can’t do something hard, who can help us? (God can help us! Our parents and teachers too!)
- What should we do when someone asks us to help or do something, even if it seems hard? (We can trust that God will help us do it! We can try our best!)
Prayer:
“Dear God, thank You for calling Moses to help Your people. Help us to listen to You and trust You, even when things seem hard. We know You are more powerful than anything! Amen!”
WORSHIP IN SONG 6:25-6:35
PRAYER 6:35-6:45 p.m.
“Dear God, thank You for this story about Moses and the burning bush. Thank You that even when Moses felt like he couldn’t do what You asked, You gave him everything he needed. Help us to listen to You when You ask us to do things, even when we feel small or scared. Make us brave like Moses! Help us remember that You are always with us and You are more powerful than anything! In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
BIBLE STORY GAME 6:45-6:55 | Shoe Race
All children should place their shoes in a pile on one side of the room. On go, they must race over, find
their own shoes, race back and put them on. Talk about how Moses removed his shoes when he was on Holy Ground.
BIBLE CRAFT 6:55-7:10 | Popsicle Stick Staff with Snake
Items Needed:
- Jumbo popsicle sticks (1 per child)
- Brown paint or markers
- Pipe cleaners (green, black, or brown)
- Optional: tiny googly eyes, hot glue gun
Description: Children color or paint a jumbo popsicle stick brown to make Moses’ staff. Then they wrap a pipe cleaner around the staff in a spiral to create a snake. Children can “transform” their craft by unwrapping the snake or wrapping it back around the staff, acting out God’s miracle!
Remind children that God showed Moses that his staff could turn into a snake! This showed Moses that God is powerful and would be with him!
SNACK TIME & BIBLE STORY VIDEO 7:10-7:25
Pass out snacks and allow kids time to eat their snacks while watching the Bible movie.
BONUS ACTIVITY | FIRE SCIENCE
Items Needed:
- Clear glass jar
- Small candle in a holder
- Matches or lighter (adult use only)
- Safe space away from children
Adult demonstrates while children watch from a safe distance) Light a small candle and show children how it burns brightly. Explain that fire needs air to keep burning. Then place a glass jar over the candle and watch as it goes out when the air runs out. Connect this to the burning bush: “See how this candle went out? But Moses’ bush kept burning and burning and never went out! That’s because God was there making a miracle!” This demonstrates that the burning bush was supernatural, not natural fire.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE | Exodus 2:11-25 ESV
¹¹ One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people. ¹² He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. ¹³ When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together. And he said to the man in the wrong, “Why do you strike your companion?” ¹⁴ He answered, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, and thought, “Surely the thing is known.” ¹⁵ When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well.
¹⁶ Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. ¹⁷ The shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and saved them, and watered their flock. ¹⁸ When they came home to their father Reuel, he said, “How is it that you have come home so soon today?” ¹⁹ They said, “An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds and even drew water for us and watered the flock.” ²⁰ He said to his daughters, “Then where is he? Why have you left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.” ²¹ And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah. ²² She gave birth to a son, and he called his name Gershom, for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.”
²³ During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. ²⁴ And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. ²⁵ God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.
Exodus 3:1-22
¹ Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. ² And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. ³ And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” ⁴ When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” ⁵ Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” ⁶ And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
⁷ Then the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, ⁸ and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. ⁹ And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. ¹⁰ Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” ¹¹ But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” ¹² He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”
¹³ Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” ¹⁴ God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.'” ¹⁵ God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations. ¹⁶ Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt, ¹⁷ and I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.”‘ ¹⁸ And they will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now, please let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’ ¹⁹ But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand. ²⁰ So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders that I will do in it; after that he will let you go. ²¹ And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty, ²² but each woman shall ask of her neighbor, and any woman who lives in her house, for silver and gold jewelry, and for clothing. You shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians.”
Exodus 4:1-17
¹ Then Moses answered, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you.'” ² The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A staff.” ³ And he said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it. ⁴ But the Lord said to Moses, “Put out your hand and catch it by the tail”—so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand— ⁵ “that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” ⁶ Again, the Lord said to him, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” And he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. ⁷ Then God said, “Put your hand back inside your cloak.” So he put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. ⁸ “If they will not believe you,” God said, “or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign. ⁹ If they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you shall take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.”
¹⁰ But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” ¹¹ Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? ¹² Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” ¹³ But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.” ¹⁴ Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and he said, “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. ¹⁵ You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. ¹⁶ He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him. ¹⁷ And take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs.”
PARENT TAKE-HOME SHEET
Today’s Key Takeaway
God’s Power Overcomes Weakness
What I Learned Today
Today I learned about Moses and the burning bush. God spoke to Moses from a bush that was on fire but didn’t burn up! God asked Moses to lead His people out of Egypt, but Moses made many excuses because he felt weak and unable. God showed Moses that He would give him everything he needed—miracles, words to say, and even his brother Aaron to help him. This teaches us that God is more powerful than our weaknesses, and when God asks us to do something, He will help us do it!
Questions to Ask Me
Theological Questions:
- Who spoke to Moses from the burning bush? (God spoke to Moses)
- Why didn’t the bush burn up even though it was on fire? (Because God was there doing a miracle)
- What did God tell Moses to take off his feet? (His shoes/sandals, because he was on holy ground)
- What miracle did God do with Moses’ staff? (God turned Moses’ staff into a snake and then back into a staff)
- Who did God send to help Moses speak to Pharaoh? (God sent Moses’ brother Aaron to help him)
Life Application Questions:
6. What are some excuses Moses made to God? (Moses said he was nobody important, people wouldn’t believe him, he couldn’t speak well, and “send someone else”)
7. When has something seemed too hard for you to do? (Allow child to share personal examples)
8. How can we remember that God is with us when we feel weak or scared? (We can pray, remember Bible stories like this one, trust that God will help us)
9. What should we do when Mom or Dad asks us to do something, even if it seems hard? (We should try our best and ask for help if we need it, not make excuses)
10. How can you be brave like Moses this week? (Trust God, obey even when things are hard, ask God for help, remember that God is powerful)