We're so excited to have as our special guest today, Moses, from Midian, born in Egypt, hidden in the reeds of the Nile River until Pharaoh's daughter, the princess found and adopted him.  Let's welcome Moses!  Hello, Moses! I'm so glad you could be our guest today. 
How are you?

Well, I'm dead, but I'm good.  You know, I was 120 years old when I died.

A Class Act of the 'Life of Moses'
North Leach Church of Christ
Watonga, Oklahoma
March 8th, 2009

I heard that even though you were adopted by Pharaoh's daughter, you were able to live with your mom and dad for your first two years.

Yes, that is true.  It was because of my sister, Miriam.  She hid close by where I was hidden and when the Princess found me, Miriam came up to her and offered to find a nurse maid for me.  The Princess agreed, not knowing Miriam intended it to be my mother.  My sister was very clever!
   
So, you were raised in Pharaoh's house, getting the best education and fabulous clothes.  Tell us then, why did you run away?

I always knew I was an Israelite because my mother taught me.  When I was 40, I killed an Egyptian while trying to protect a fellow Israelite.


this is just a tumble weed sprayed green with about 12 crimson flames fastened to it made out of red cellophane.


I put the golf ball
(that we told the kids represented Moses)
in the bottom of a quart jar and as we poured rice into the jar, we talked about how Moses was dumped on by Pharaoh as he ridiculed Moses' God and by the Israelites as they moaned and groaned.  Then we shook the quart jar while I talked about Moses' prayers for the people and his continual begging to God for their survival.  The golf ball makes it way to the top of the jar.  I took the golf ball out and showed the kids that Moses 'rose above' all those bad things.  We can too, with much prayer and Bible reading.
We have a special treat for Moses today.  We have re-created 'the burning bush'.  Could you step over there by 'the burning bush' and tell us the story of when God called you to lead his people out of Egypt and slavery?

I would be glad to!  I was 80 years old when God spoke to me through 'the burning bush'.  God told me that he had chosen me to lead His People out of Egypt and slavery and into a land that He promised would be ours

Did you ever ask yourself, "Why me?"

Of course I did.  I even argued with God and tried to get out of it.  I asked God "Who am I to go before Pharaoh?" 

We had set up a microphone in the back room and we had the speakers hidden behind the burning bush so somebody could be God's voice yet we couldn't see him.  We all sang 'Holy Ground' out of the hymnals during this section.

God's voice: I will be with you.

But God, I don't even know Your name.

God's voice: Tell Pharaoh that I AM sent you.

I then asked what if they don't believe me?

God's voice: I will give you signs to show to Pharaoh.  Take your staff and throw it down on the ground and it will become a serpeant.  Next, put your hand inside your cloak and pull it out, it will be rotten, put it back into your cloak and pull it out and you will be clean again.  Finally, if they do not believe the first two signs then take some water from the Nile River and pour it on the ground.  It will be come blood.

Well, as you know from the book, I went and God went with me.  We are all called to do service for God.  We just have to figure out what that service is.  If we listen to God through His word, the Bible and prayer, He will help us to discover where our service lies.
 

 
 
So, you went to Pharaoh and demanded that he let the People go and he did.  That's great!  Good for you!

It wasn't as easy as you make it sound.  God had to curse Egypt with 10 terrible curses first before Pharaoh would let the People go.  These 10 plagues stood for the false gods that the Egyptians worshiped and showed that they really had no power.  Through these plagues God virtually destroyed Egypt.

Which each 'curse' that we served, we told about the
Egyptian god that the one true God was proving unreal.
1. River to Blood - we put the dry Kool-Aid in the bottom of the cup and gave it to each child - then we poured water in the cup so it would turn to the red color before their eyes.

2. Frogs - we served up chicken strips but called them frog legs.

3. Lice - dirty rice

4. Flies - oatmeal cookies with raisins on top

5. Dead Livestock - cocktail wieners with toothpicks to make them look like a cow

6. Boils - Nettie made little pastries with cherry filling in the middle.

7. Hail - we poured marshmallows from high above their plates.

8. Locusts - Nutter Butter cookies with fruit roll-ups for wings and small candies for eyes.

9. Darkness - brownies

10. Death of the Firstborn - Deviled Eggs

Madison has the best seat in the house!		  
We built Mt. Sinai using the frame of our 12 foot wooden ladder.  We used a skit from Steven James' "Old Testament 30 Quick Skits for Kids"

We watched one scene from the movie, "Ten Commandments".		  
Wade and Cameron climbing out of the puppet box.  They did great!
Debbie fastened some rocks on a board and cut a hole in one rock where a water hose was behind it attached to the sink.  When Moses struck the rock, it sprayed water.  Some of the kids had to take a closer look.



 

I hate to ask you Moses, because I know that this must be painful, but why didn't you get to go into the Promised Land?

I myself didn't honor God as I should have.  The People were complaining about not having any water and God instructed me to speak to this rock and it would produce water.  But I was angry at the People and I struck the rock with my staff and said, "Must we produce water for you?"  I placed myself equal with God and then didn't do as he told me.  So not going into the Promised Land was my punishment.  God did take me to a high place where I could see the Promised Land.