Opening Activity

• Talk with the child about rules to be obeyed and the consequences of disobedience, maybe in school situations or in wider society.

Bible Story

• Now the time had come for Moses and Aaron to ask Pharaoh to let the Israelites leave Egypt so they could worship God in the desert. Ask the child to predict his response. Explain his refusal and the outcome which made things worse than before. Help the child see that Pharaoh was disobeying God. What would you have thought about Moses if you’d been an Israelite? (Exodus 5: 1 – 21) Moses could not understand why God had allowed this to happen. He asked God about it. God made them a promise that He would show His mighty power and although Pharaoh initially would not obey, eventually God would make him do what He asked. Remind the child that we make promises and forget them, or can’t keep them, but God’s promises will always happen.
• God said to go back to Pharaoh again and demand that he let the Israelite slaves go! (Exodus 5: 22 – 7:5)
• This time, Pharaoh asked for a miracle and Aaron’s stick became a snake. Pharaoh’s magicians did the same but Aaron’s snake ate all the magician’s snakes. What did this show about God? Still Pharaoh would not obey God. (Exodus 7: 6-12)
• Then God told Moses and Aaron to meet Pharaoh by the River Nile. God’s command was given again. If Pharaoh did not obey, the River Nile would be turned into blood, and there would be no clean water and all the fish would die. Pharaoh refused to listen. The Bible says that he turned and went into his house. Discuss Pharaoh’s attitude – what words describe it? Explain that the Bible describes him as having a hard heart. (Exodus 7: 14-19)
• So all the Egyptians dug all around the river for water to drink, because they could not drink the water of the river. This was the first plague and it lasted for 7 days. (Exodus 7: 24-25)
• Moses and Aaron did exactly what God told them to do, obeying in every detail. This is what we should always try and do. The Bible says that God takes delight in our obedience! Pharaoh disobeyed God and refused to listen to Him and that always ends with trouble and God’s punishment. Discuss the sort of things God commands us to do in our daily lives.