OT 34 Wandering in the Desert Part 2

Reference: Numbers 11:4-35, 20:1-13, 21:4-9

Story Summary:
     The Israelites wandered the desert for 40 years. As they travelled, they sometimes ran into problems. And when they did, they complained, "We want to go back to Egypt!"
     God gave them a special bread from heaven each day which they called "manna." They soon became tired of it and complained, "We want meat!" Their complaints angered God, who set lots and lots of quail for them to eat. God told them that they'd would eat so much quail, it'd come of out their noses and they'd be sick of it.
     Later, they couldn't find water and complained. God told Moses to speak to a rock and God would make water come out of it. But Moses yelled at the people for their complaining and struck the rock with his staff. God still made water come from the rock, but told Moses that he would no longer enter the promised land because of his sin.
     Again, the people complained about the manna. God sent poisonous snakes among them. After being bit, they begged Moses to ask God to save them. God told Moses to make a snake image. God said whoever looked at the snake would live. Moses did what God said; whoever looked at the snake lived.

Big Idea and Motions: Don’t complain! Be thankful instead.
Don’t - wag your finger “no”
Complain - cross your arms and make a complaining face
Thankful - fold your hands in front of you and bow your head

Verse / Motions: 1 Thessalonians 5:18, ESV - give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Give thanks - fold your hands in front of you and bow your head
All circumstances - gesture your arms in a wide circle
For this - hold a palm facing the ceiling; point your index finger into your palm
Will - form the letter “W” with your fingers
God - point up
Christ Jesus - form a cross with your forearms

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
What did the Israelites want to eat instead of manna? // Meat
When they complained, how did God feel? // Angry
What meat did God send for them to eat? // Lots of quail
How long did God give them quail for? // A whole month, until it came out of their noses
When God sent the plague, what happened? // Some people died
What did God want Moses to do to give them water? // Speak to a rock; water will come out
What wrong thing did Moses do to the rock? // Hit the rock, disobeyed God
What was Moses’ consequence for disobeying? // Couldn’t go into the promised land
What did God send because the people complained about manna? // Sent poisonous snakes
How did the people get better from the snakebites? // Moses put a bronze snake on a pole; they looked at it and lived
Who and what should the snake-on-a-pole remind us of? // Jesus being lifted up on the cross to save us

Google Docs Links:
Lesson - http://goo.gl/q2xEh5
Resources - http://goo.gl/IGl1VK

OT 33 Wandering in the Desert Part 1

Reference: Exodus 15:22 - 16:36

Story Summary:
     The Israelites wandered the desert for 40 years. As they travelled, they weren't able to find water and complained to Moses and against God. When they did find water, it was bitter and the people complained. But God told Moses to throw a stick into the water. When he did, God made the water taste sweet.
     Later, the people complained that they didn't have food to eat. They wished they were back in Egypt, where they were slaves, but at least they had food. But even though the people complained against God, he provided food for them anyways.
     That night, God made lots of quail come, birds for the people to eat. And in the morning, God made a special dew cover the ground. When it dried, it left white flakes that tasted like honey wafers. The people called it "manna" because they said, "What is it?" when they first saw it.
     Each day God made manna appear for the people. If they tried to save it overnight, it would stink and be
filled with maggots. God sent twice as much manna on the sixth day, so they could rest on the Sabbath day and not have to gather manna.

Big Idea and Motions: Don’t complain! God saved you. Of course he’ll take care of you
Don’t complain - cross your arms and make a complaining face
God - point up
Saved you - do the baseball “safe” sign
Of course - do a “duh!” gesture/expression with your hands and face
Take care - give yourself a hug

Verse / Motions: Matthew 6:25, ESV - ...do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on.
Anxious - put your hands on your cheeks and look worried
Life - pause and take a deep breath while “wafting” air towards your face with your hands
Eat - pretend to eat a sandwich
Drink - pretend to drink from a cup
Body - thump your chest
Put on - pretend to pull on pants

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
Where were the Israelites wandering for 40 years? // The desert.
Why did the Israelites complain at first? // They had no water to drink
What was wrong with the water they found? // It was bitter, tasted bad
What did God tell Moses to do with the water? What happened? // Throw a stick in the water, it tasted good
What did the Israelites do when they were hungry in the wilderness? // They complained
What meat did God give them to eat? // Quail.
What bread did God give them to eat in the wilderness? // Bread from heaven, manna
What does the word “manna” mean? // What is it?
What happened to the manna when people tried to save extra? // It smelled and was filled with maggots
Why did they collect double manna on the sixth day? // God wanted them to rest on the Sabbath day

Google Docs Links:
Lesson - http://goo.gl/CyMjcu
Resources - http://goo.gl/LWNvkD

OT 32 Spies in the Promised Land

Reference: Numbers 13-14

Story Summary:
     God told Moses to send men to go and check out the land of Canaan, the land God promised to give the Israelites. Moses select twelve men. He sent them to spy out what the land and the people there were like.
     The spies spent 40 days in Canaan before returning to Moses. They said that the land was a good land, filled with milk and honey. They showed the people the fruit the had brought back from the land, a large cluster of grapes it took two men to carry.
     The 10 spies said the people of Canaan were too powerful and would destroy them. The people of Israel believed the spies, complained, and wished to go back to Egypt. But the other two spies, Joshua and Caleb, told the people to trust in the Lord; God was strong enough to help them.
     Because the people didn't trust him, God told Moses he would destroy them. But Moses asked God to forgive them and he did. Still, God told the people and the 10 spies that they couldn't go into the promised land. Instead, they would wander the desert for 40 years. Only Joshua, Caleb, and the children would eventually go into the promised land.

Big Idea and Motions: Trust in the Lord.
Trust - pretend to grasp a rope in front of you with two hands (the ASL sign for “believe/trust”)
Lord - point up

Verse / Motions: Proverbs 3:4, ESV - Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.
Trust - pretend to grasp a rope in front of you with two hands (the ASL sign for “believe/trust”)
Lord - point up
All - gesture your arms in wide circles
Heart - put your hands over your heart
Lean - fold your arms and lean to the side
Understanding - tap your temple

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
How many men did Moses send into the promised land? // 12
What were the men supposed to do in the promised land? // See what the land was like
How many days were the spies in the promised land? // 40
What good things did the spies say about the promised land? // Filled with milk and honey
What bad things did the 10 spies say about the promised land? // Large cities and scary people
Who were the two spies who trusted God to help them go into the promised land? // Joshua and Caleb
What did the people do after hearing the spies? // Complained, wanted a new leader and go back to Egypt
What did Joshua and Caleb say to the people? // God will help us go into the promised land
What did Moses do when God said he would destroy the people? // Asked God to forgive them
What punishment did the ten spies and the people receive? // Couldn’t go into the promised land, wander the desert for 40 years
Who could go into the promised land? // Joshua and Caleb, the kids

Google Docs Links:
Lesson - http://goo.gl/PyEYoG
Resources - http://goo.gl/sFA3Cu

OT 31 THe Golden Calf

Reference: Exodus 32

Animated Story Video: https://youtu.be/qWfcDabM5eI

Story Summary:
     Moses was on Mount Sinai with God for a long time, receiving the laws God wanted his people to follow. The people were unsure if Moses would ever come back. So, they asked his brother, Aaron, to make a god to lead them.
     Aaron collected all their gold earrings. He melted them down and formed them into a golden calf. When they saw the idol of the golden calf, the people said, "Here is your god, who brought you out of Egypt."
     The next day, the people held a feast. They ate and drank. And they danced wildly in front of the idol of the golden calf.
     God, of course, knew what the people had done. He told Moses, still on the mountain, that he would destroy the people and build a new nation with Moses. But Moses prayed that God would save the people and God listened to Moses' prayer.
     When Moses came down from the mountain, he was angry that the people had made an idol to
worship. He destroyed the idol, ground it into powder, and put it into the people's water to drink. And the Lord punished the people with a plague. 

Big Idea and Motions: Worship your Creator, not the stuff he’s created.
Worship - bow down in worship
Creator - pretend to mold something with your hands
Not - wag your index finger “no”
Stuff he’s created - point to yourself, then someone else

Verse / Motions: Luke 4:8, ESV - You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.
You shall - wag your index finger at someone
Worship - reach your hands up high, then bow down low
Lord your God - point up
Only - wave your hands back and forth
Serve - pretend to hold a gift, then give it to someone

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
Why did the people come talk to Aaron? // They didn’t know if Moses was coming back.
What did they ask Aaron to do? // Make a god to lead them
What did Aaron use to make the idol? // Their gold earrings
What did the idol look like? // A golden calf
What did the people do at their feast for the golden calf? // Ate, drank, danced wildly
What commandment did the people break? // #2 - Don’t make statues of gods and worship them
What did God tell Moses he was going to do? // Destroy the people, start a new nation with Moses
What did Moses ask God? // Not to destroy the people
What did Moses do with the stone tablets of the ten commandments? // He threw them on the ground
What lie did Aaron say about the golden calf? // Threw the gold into the fire, a gold calf popped out
What did Moses do with the idol? // Destroyed it, ground it into water, made the people drink it

Google Docs Links:
Lesson - http://goo.gl/F6kugv
Resources - http://goo.gl/ZbEqqi