The students will be able to describe the miracles that God wrought in the wilderness. They will know that God cares for His people today and will see to their wellbeing.
Introduction: Take an empty child's lunch box and thermos to class. As you begin your session, talk about being hungry and wonder what might be in the lunch box. After discovering that it is empty, discuss how it would feel to be hungry and thirsty, and not have any food or water. Tell your group that today's story is about some times when the Children of Israel felt just that way.
Climax: God miraculously provided food and water for the Children of Israel.
Conclusion: Moses trusted the Lord and as he followed God's instructions, about three million people were given food and drink in the wilderness.
Response: The students will be able to describe the miracles that God wrought in the wilderness. They will know that God cares for His people today and will see to their well-being.
Because the Egyptian army was drowned in the sea, it did not mean that the Children of Israel would have no more tests. They went a three days' journey into the wilderness of Shur and found no water. Then the water of Marah was found, but it was bitter. One would think that the Israelites would have waited to see how God would work out this problem, but they murmured against Moses. God told Moses to cast a certain tree into the water and the water would be made sweet. It wasn't the tree that made the water sweet, but Moses' faith and obedience to God.
The next problem that arose was their diminishing supply of food. Naturally, one wouldn't expect to find food in a desert to feed a multitude of people. But we must remember that God was definitely leading these people by a pillar of fire and a cloud. Though they could all see the visible leading of God, again they murmured against Moses and Aaron. Fortunately, God was very patient with the Israelites and gave them manna in the morning and quail at night. If we follow the leading of God, we do not have to worry about what is going to happen. We simply need to trust God to see us through.
As they continued on their journey they came to a place where there was no water. Instead of remembering how God had supplied water before, they again murmured against Moses. Evidently they were very forceful in their murmurings as Moses cried unto the Lord and said that the people were ready to stone him. The Lord told Moses to take his rod and smite the rock in Horeb and it would bring forth water. Moses did as he was bidden and water came out of the rock in abundance. God did not bring forth water because the people murmured, but because He was merciful. Later on the Lord brought severe judgment upon them because of their murmuring (Numbers 11:1; 1 Corinthians 10:10). The Apostle Paul warns us in Philippians 2:14, "Do all things without murmurings and disputings."
Bring a number of empty food boxes, an empty cereal box, and an empty water pitcher, cup, or bottle. Explain that the Children of Israel had to carry their supplies with them. Ask your group what the children of Israel should have done when they ran out of their supplies. What did they do?
Talk about why we need food and water. Show pictures of ways we use water. Show pictures of various kinds of food. Describe how troubled the Children of Israel were when they found themselves without food.
Review the lesson by playing a game with your group. Divide them into two or more teams. On a chalkboard or large piece of butcher paper, mark off a game path of squares. Write a set of review questions on slips of paper, number them, and write the numbers on each square. (It is not necessary to put the numbers in consecutive order on the game path. You may also wish to include a few squares which say "Complaining! Go back to 1" or ''Took too much manna. Miss a turn." Have a team member spin a spinner indicating whether he should move one, two, three, or four spaces. He must then answer the question which has the same number as the space on which he landed. If he cannot answer the question, or answers incorrectly, his team loses its next turn.