LESSON OVERVIEW FOR ADULTS
In Exodus 11-12, we witness the climax of God’s deliverance of His people from Egyptian slavery. After nine devastating plagues failed to soften Pharaoh’s heart, God announced a final and terrible judgment: death would sweep through Egypt, taking the firstborn of every household and animal. However, God provided a way of protection for His people through specific instructions that required their obedience and trust in Him.
God commanded the Israelites to prepare a special meal and mark their doorposts with the blood of a perfect lamb. When the angel of death passed through Egypt that night, it would “pass over” any home marked with the blood, sparing those inside. The Israelites were to eat the meal dressed and ready to leave, with unleavened bread because there would be no time to let dough rise. When the people obeyed God’s instructions exactly as He commanded, their firstborn were saved, and Pharaoh finally released them from 430 years of bondage. This event became known as Passover and points forward to Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God, whose blood saves all who trust and obey Him.
OPENING ACTIVITY 6:00-6:15 | Doorpost Painting
Items Needed:
- Red paint
- Paintbrushes
- Smocks
- Popsicle Sticks
- Glue
- Paper
Children should glue popsicle sticks to make a door frame on paper. Then they should use red paint to “paint” the doorframe just like the Israelites painted blood on their doors. As they paint, remind them that God told His people exactly what to do, and when they obeyed, they were safe.
BIBLE STORY 6:15-6:25
Question 1: Where is this found in the Bible? Answer: Exodus (the second book of the Bible!)
Question 2: Is this in the Old Testament or New Testament? Answer: Old Testament
THE FIRST PASSOVER MEAL
Items Needed:
Boys and girls, do you see this bread? Feel how flat it is! [Let children touch it if possible]
This bread is FLAT because it didn’t have time to get fluffy and rise. Today we’re going to learn about a very special night when God’s people had to eat flat bread because they were in a BIG hurry!
Do you remember God’s people, the Israelites? Can you say “Israelites”? [Wait for children to repeat: “Israelites!”]
The Israelites were living in a place called Egypt, and they were very, very sad. [Make a sad face] Can you show me a sad face? [Let children make sad faces]
They were sad because they had to work SO hard every single day, and they weren’t allowed to leave. A mean king called Pharaoh made them work and work and work! [Pretend to wipe sweat from forehead] Whew! Let’s pretend we’re working hard—push, push, push those heavy bricks! [Do pushing motions with children]
But guess what? GOD saw His people, and God had a plan! Can you say “God had a plan”? [Wait for response: “God had a plan!”]
God told Moses that He was going to do something VERY big. After this one last thing, Pharaoh would FINALLY let God’s people go FREE! [Throw hands up in the air] Let’s all throw our hands up and say “FREE!” [Children respond: “FREE!”]
But God’s people had to do something very important. They had to OBEY. Can you say “obey”? [Wait: “Obey!”]
Obey means doing exactly what someone tells you to do. When Mommy says, “Put on your shoes,” and you put on your shoes, that’s obeying! When Daddy says, “Time for bed,” and you go to bed, that’s obeying!
God had VERY special instructions for His people. Let’s learn what God told them to do!
INSTRUCTION NUMBER ONE: [Hold up one finger]
God said, “Get a perfect little lamb.” [Make your hands into a little lamb shape] Can you say “Baaaa” like a lamb? [Wait: “Baaaa!”]
INSTRUCTION NUMBER TWO: [Hold up two fingers]
God said, “Put the lamb’s blood on the top and sides of your door.” [Use your finger to trace a doorframe in the air—top, then sides] Let’s pretend to paint our doors! Paint the top… paint this side… paint that side! [Do painting motions together]
This was SO important! The blood on the door was like a special sign that said, “God’s people live here! Keep them safe!”
INSTRUCTION NUMBER THREE: [Hold up three fingers]
God said, “Make a special dinner and eat it FAST!”
They made lamb to eat, and they made flat bread. Remember our flat bread? [Hold up cracker again] They couldn’t wait for fluffy bread because they had to be ready to GO!
INSTRUCTION NUMBER FOUR: [Hold up four fingers]
God said, “Eat your dinner with your shoes ON and your coat ready!”
Let’s all stand up and pretend to put on our shoes! [Stand and mime putting on shoes] Now pretend to put on your coat! [Mime putting on coat] Now let’s sit back down and pretend to eat really fast! [Sit and mime eating quickly]
NOM NOM NOM! [Encourage children to make eating sounds]
That night, something very sad happened in Egypt. But do you know what? [Whisper] The people who had blood on their doors… [Normal voice] …were SAFE!
Death PASSED OVER their houses! That’s why we call this night PASSOVER! Can you say “Passover”? [Wait: “Passover!”]
The people who OBEYED God were safe and sound!
Then, in the middle of the night— [Whisper] Shhhh… it was very dark… [Normal voice]
Pharaoh called for Moses! And do you know what Pharaoh said?
He said, “GO! Take your people and GO!” [Point toward the door]
FINALLY, God’s people could leave Egypt!
The Israelites grabbed their flat bread, their belongings, and they LEFT Egypt that very night! [March in place] Let’s march like we’re leaving Egypt! March, march, march!
God’s people were FREE because they OBEYED God’s instructions!
Boys and girls, the people were safe because they DID what God said. They obeyed!
[Hold up the flat bread again]
Every year after that, God’s people would eat this special meal to remember the night God saved them. They would eat flat bread and remember how they had to hurry. They would remember that when they OBEYED God, He kept them safe!
And you know what? We can obey God too! When we obey God, we show Him that we love Him and trust Him!
Let’s all say it together: “I can OBEY God!” [Wait: “I can obey God!”]
Theological Questions:
- Who kept the Israelites safe that night? (God kept them safe!)
- What did the people have to do to be safe? (They had to obey God and put blood on their doors)
Life Application Questions:
- What is one way YOU can obey God? (Listen to parents, be kind, tell the truth, share, etc.)
- How do you feel when you obey your mommy and daddy? (Happy, proud, loved, safe, etc.)
Closing Prayer:
“Dear God, thank You for keeping Your people safe when they obeyed You. Help us to obey You and trust You every day. We love You! Amen!”
[Encourage children] Can everyone say “AMEN!” really loud? “AMEN!”
WORSHIP IN SONG 6:25-6:35
PRAYER 6:35-6:45 p.m.
Transition kids to the floor for prayer time. Pray for hearts that want to obey God and trust that His ways are always best for us.
BIBLE VERSE GAME 6:45-6:55 | Follow the Leader
Items Needed: None
HOW TO PLAY
- Have children stand in a clear space
- Teacher says: “Moses says…” followed by the action
- Demonstrate the action while children copy
- Start slow, then speed up as children learn the actions
- Mix up the order to keep them engaged
- End with #10 (Marching Out of Egypt) and lead a parade around the room!
1. Paint the Door
“Let’s paint blood on our doors! Paint the top… paint this side… paint that side!” [Reach up high and swipe across, then swipe down each side]
2. Pet the Lamb
“Let’s pet our soft, fluffy lamb! So gentle…” [Pretend to pet a lamb and say “Baaaa!”]
3. Eat the Flat Bread
“Time to eat our flat bread really fast! Nom nom nom!” [Pretend to grab bread and chomp quickly]
4. Put On Your Sandals
“God said wear your sandals! Let’s put them on!” [Bend down and pretend to strap on sandals]
5. Put On Your Coat
“Grab your coat and put it on! We have to be ready to GO!” [Pretend to pull on a coat or robe]
6. Grab Your Walking Staff
“Pick up your walking stick! Hold it tight!” [Pretend to grab and hold a tall staff]
7. Eat the Bitter Herbs
“Take a bite of the bitter herbs! Oh, it’s SOUR! Make a sour face!” [Pretend to eat and make a scrunched-up sour face]
8. Pack Your Bag Quickly
“Hurry! Pack your things in your bag! Stuff, stuff, stuff!” [Pretend to frantically stuff items into a bag]
9. Stay Inside and Wait
“Shhh… we have to stay inside and be very quiet and still…” [Crouch down low, put finger to lips, freeze in place]
10. March Out of Egypt
“Pharaoh said GO! March, march, march out of Egypt! We’re FREE!” [March in place with knees high, arms swinging, big smiles]
BIBLE CRAFT 6:55-7:10 | Ready to Go Travel Pouch
Items Needed:
- Brown paper lunch bags
- Hole punch
- Yarn or ribbon, crayons
- Small crackers (in a sealed baggie)
- Lamb stickers or cotton ball
- Cutouts for Bag
- Glue
Children decorate their brown paper bag with crayons and cutouts. Teacher punches two holes at the top and threads yarn through to create a “travel pouch” the children can wear over their shoulder. Place a small baggie of crackers (flat bread) and a cotton ball lamb inside. Children can “march out of Egypt” wearing their pouches, remembering that the Israelites had to pack quickly and be ready to leave right away when God said go!
SNACK TIME & BIBLE STORY VIDEO 7:10-7:25
Pass out snacks and allow kids time to eat snacks while watching a video.
BONUS ACTIVITY | Musical Chairs – Exodus Style
Items Needed:
- Chairs (one fewer than children)
- Music
Play musical chairs, but call it “Leaving Egypt!” When the music stops, everyone must find a “home” (chair) to be safe. The child without a chair gets to answer a question about the story before sitting out.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV)
Exodus 11:1-10; 12:1-14, 21-32
¹ The LORD said to Moses, “Yet one plague more I will bring upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt. Afterward he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will drive you away completely. ² Speak now in the hearing of the people, that they ask, every man of his neighbor and every woman of her neighbor, for silver and gold jewelry.” ³ And the LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight of the people.
⁴ So Moses said, “Thus says the LORD: ‘About midnight I will go out in the midst of Egypt, ⁵ and every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the cattle. ⁶ There shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there has never been, nor ever will be again. ⁷ But not a dog shall growl against any of the people of Israel, either man or beast, that you may know that the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.’ ⁸ And all these your servants shall come down to me and bow down to me, saying, ‘Get out, you and all the people who follow you.’ And after that I will go out.” And he went out from Pharaoh in hot anger. ⁹ Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen to you, that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.” ¹⁰ Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, and the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the people of Israel go out of his land.
Exodus 12:1-14
¹ The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, ² “This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. ³ Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household. ⁴ And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. ⁵ Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, ⁶ and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.
⁷ “Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. ⁸ They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. ⁹ Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts. ¹⁰ And you shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. ¹¹ In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD’s Passover. ¹² For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD. ¹³ The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.
¹⁴ “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast.”
Exodus 12:21-32
²¹ Then Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go and select lambs for yourselves according to your clans, and kill the Passover lamb. ²² Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. None of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning. ²³ For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you. ²⁴ You shall observe this rite as a statute for you and for your sons forever. ²⁵ And when you come to the land that the LORD will give you, as he has promised, you shall keep this service. ²⁶ And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ ²⁷ you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the LORD’s Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.'” And the people bowed their heads and worshiped.
²⁸ Then the people of Israel went and did so; as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.
²⁹ At midnight the LORD struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock. ³⁰ And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians. And there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where someone was not dead. ³¹ Then he summoned Moses and Aaron by night and said, “Up, go out from among my people, both you and the people of Israel; and go, serve the LORD, as you have said. ³² Take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone, and bless me also!”
COLORING PAGE PROMPT
PARENT TAKE HOME SHEET
THE FIRST PASSOVER MEAL
Exodus 11-12 | Preschool
TODAY’S KEY TAKEAWAY: Obey God’s Instructions
WHAT I LEARNED TODAY: Today I learned that God’s people were slaves in Egypt, but God had a plan to set them free! God gave them special instructions to put blood on their doors and eat a special meal, and when they obeyed, God kept them safe. When I obey God, I can trust that He knows what is best for me!
MEMORY VERSE: “Love the Lord your God. Obey his orders, rules, laws and commands.” — Deuteronomy 11:1 (ICB)
QUESTIONS TO ASK ME:
Theological Questions:
- Who gave Moses the special instructions for Passover? (God)
- What did the people put on their doors to stay safe? (Blood from a lamb)
- Why did death “pass over” the Israelites’ homes? (Because they obeyed God and put blood on their doors)
- Who kept God’s people safe that night? (God)
- What kind of bread did the Israelites eat, and why? (Flat/unleavened bread, because they had to leave quickly and didn’t have time for it to rise)
Life Application Questions:
- What does it mean to obey? (To do what someone tells you to do)
- Can you think of one way you obey Mommy or Daddy? (Answers will vary: cleaning up toys, going to bed, eating dinner, etc.)
- How do you feel when you obey? (Happy, proud, safe, loved, etc.)
- Why do you think God wants us to obey Him? (Because He loves us and knows what is best for us)
- What is one way you can obey God this week? (Be kind, share, tell the truth, listen to parents, help others, etc.)
FAMILY ACTIVITY IDEA: Make flat bread (crackers or tortillas) together as a family and talk about how the Israelites had to eat quickly and be ready to leave Egypt. Practice “packing quickly” and marching around the house like the Israelites leaving Egypt!