Setting a Meeting Spot

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Moses

Excerpt from Enjoying Exodus: The Bible in Rhyme by Marcia Goldlist

God tells Moses that He will speak to him and meet him at the altar in the tent of meeting. 

Discussion Questions:

• Are all meetings important? Explain.
• Are some places more productive for meetings than others?
• What kinds of places are good for listening to someone intently?
• What kinds of places are good for meetings?

Creative Thinking:

• Design a place which would be conducive to having important meetings.
• Is it the people at a meeting or the agenda that make it important?

Activities for Homeschooling and Afterschooling:

• Describe the things that make a place conducive to a good meeting.
• Describe the things that make a place not conducive to a good meeting.
• Do you think that it is a good idea to have a specific place to talk with someone about important things? Why or why not?
• Does having a consistent place for a meeting help produce results? Explain.
• Describe the things that make a meeting go well?
• Why would God pick the altar as His place of meeting?
• What is the difference between a meeting with God and God speaking to someone?
• Many people say that a car is a good place to talk to someone. Why would they say this?

 

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Oil in the Bible

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Moses, oil

Excerpt from Enjoying Exodus: The Bible in Rhyme by Marcia Goldlist

Moses was told to take anointment oil and put it on Aaron’s head before he performed his sacred duty. 

Discussion Questions:

• What exactly is oil? Where does it come from?
• What does it mean to anoint someone?
• What would have been the purpose of the anointment?
• Do you think that you would feel special being anointed by oil? Explain.

Creative Thinking:

• Why do you think that God chose oil for anointing people?
• What do you think is the difference between a ceremony using water and one using oil?
• What do you think is the significance of the oil being poured over the head?

Activities for Homeschooling and Afterschooling:

• Research oil. From what can we make oil? What were its uses throughout history?
• Research who was anointed with oil and the reasons given for its use.
• Write a journal entry for a priest who was just anointed with oil.
• Make some oil. Write down the steps that you took to make it.
• Take different types of oil and pour them into different containers. Mark each oil so that only you know which is which. Ask someone to touch, smell, taste, and feel the various oils. See if they can tell the difference between them.
•  Make a diagram of how oil was made in ancient times and one for how it is made today.
• Make up a song or poem about oil.
• What are the health benefits and hazards to our health of eating oil. Make a chart with at least three different kinds of oil.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Does Being in Awe of God Reduce Sin?

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Children of Israel, God, Moses

Excerpt from Enjoying Exodus: The Bible in Rhyme by Marcia Goldlist

The children of Israel are afraid to listen to God. They did not want God to speak to them directly. They asked Moses to tell them whatever God wanted them to hear. Moses tells them not to be afraid, God wants the children of Israel to be in awe of Him so that they will not sin.

Discuss:

• What does it mean to be in awe of someone?
• What does it mean to be in awe of God?
• What kinds of people are other people in awe of?
  • Why do you think that this happens?
• What does it mean to be elevated?
• What does it mean to sin?

Creative Thinking:

• Make a list of reasons that causes people to sin.
• Make a list of reasons that stops people from sinning.
• Make a list of things which elevate you as a person.

Homeschool Activities:

• Is sinning related to religion? Explain your point of view.
• God was trying to help the children of Israel from sinning. Create a media campaign to help people not sin. Use at least three of the following media:
  • twitter
  • Facebook
  • sermon
  • face-to-face talk
  • flyer
  • brochure
  • emails
  • TV commercial
  • radio commercial
•  Is it a sin to be in awe of another person? Defend your point of view.
• Is it the same thing to be in awe of another person and to be in awe of God? Explain.
• Do you ever want to do something that is considered a sin? Write about what would stop you from sinning.
• The children of Israel were afraid to hear God directly.  They wanted Moses to tell them whatever God wanted to convey. Can you get the same message through a mediator? Explain your position.
• If God wanted to talk to the children of Israel did they have any right to tell Moses that they didn’t want to hear God directly?

Jethro Tells Moses to Get Help Serving the Children of Israel

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Children of Israel, Jethro, Moses

Excerpt from Enjoying Exodus: The Bible in Rhyme (chapter 18) by Marcia Goldlist

Jethro comes to Moses and sees how he is answering all of the questions and disputes from the children of Israel all by himself. Jethro tells Moses that he must not do it all alone as he will get worn out.

Discuss:

• Moses was trying to solve the problems of the children of Israel by himself. How do we know when we should ask for help?
• Jethro tells Moses that he will not be able to solve all the problems by himself. Is it wrong to tell someone that they can’t do something. Should we let people try and decide by themselves if they need help?
• Was Jethro being a friend by telling Moses to get help?

Creative Thinking:

• Think of five constructive ways to tell Moses that he should get help with dealing with the children of Israel.
• Think of five non-constructive ways to tell Moses that he should get help.

Homeschool Activities (for homeschooling, youth groups, English Language Arts, youth ministries, family discussions, etc.):

• Make a list of five things that you can easily do on your own, five things that you can do on your own but are difficult, and five things that you cannot do on your own.
  • What is the main difference between the three categories?
• How do you feel when someone offers you help? Does it depend on any circumstances? If so which?
• Jethro thought that the children of Israel would get tired and upset waiting to get through to Moses. Why is it not good to have to wait a long time to have someone settle your dispute or answer a matter of law?
• Jethro thought that Moses was working too hard. Describe what it feels like to be really tired from working hard.
• Is it easy or hard to ask for help? Explain.
• Is it easy or hard to offer to help someone? Explain
• Is it easier to ask for help or to offer help? Why?
• Do you think that Moses was offended by Jethro telling him that he should get help dealing with the children of Israel? Why or why not?

Motivation

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Children of Israel, Joshua, Moses, motivation

Excerpt from Enjoying Exodus: The Bible in Rhyme by Marcia Goldlist

Joshua led the children of Israel to war against Amalek. When Moses raised his hand, Israel was strong. When Moses lowered his hand the children of Israel were overpowered.

Discuss Motivation:

• What is motivation?
• What motivates you?
• Is inspiration the same as motivation?

Creative Thinking About Motivation:

• Make a step-by-step plan to motivate yourself or someone else to do something.
• Write a speech to motivate people fighting for a cause that you believe in.

Homeshcool Activities:

• Give a motivational speech to your family to get them to do something that you want to do together.
• Do you think that fighting in a war is more of a group of individuals fighting or is it more of a group effort?
• Find out why the children of Israel fought against Amalek.
• Create a TV commercial of no more than one minute to motivate students to do their best.
• What types of things discourage you from doing something.
• Joshua led the children of Israel to fight against the Amalek. Who were the Amaleks?
• Joshua led the children of Israel to fight. What does it take to be a good military leader?
• How could seeing Moses‘ hand in the air motivate the children of Israel that were fighting against the Amalek with Joshua?

Why do People Protest?

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Children of Israel, God, Moses, protest

Excerpt from Enjoying Exodus: The Bible in Rhyme by Marcia Goldlist

The children of Israel protest to  Moses that they are thirsty. Moses asks the children of Israel why they protest against him and why they test God.

Discussion Questions About Quarreling and Protesting:

• What is a quarrel?
• When do people quarrel?
• What does it mean to protest?
• When do people protest?

Creative Thinking About Protesting:

• What do you think makes some protests peaceful and some protests violent?
• Make a list of ten things that you think are worth protesting about.
• Make a list of ten things that people complain about that are not worth protesting about.

Homeschooling Activities which can be used for discussion around the family table, youth groups, English Language Arts, or just to think about:

• In the Bible it is very clear that the water came from God. Why do you think that the children of Israel protested to Moses?
• Write about three recent protests in your country.
• Write about three recent protests in another country.
• Write about a quarrel that you or someone else has with God.
• Create a flyer to give out to the children of Israel before their protest to make sure that it stays peaceful.
• Write out ten rules to give to the police before they go to guard at a protest.
• Create a live broadcast from the scene where the children of Israel were protesting against Moses because they were thirsty.
• Explain in  detail to someone what it is to be thirsty.
• Write a diary entry that God or Moses might write about the children of Israel protesting because they are thirsty.

Moses Warned the Children of Israel

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Children of Israel, manna, Moses

Excerpt from Enjoying Exodus: The Bible in Rhyme by Marcia Goldlist

Moses told the children of Israel not to leave any of the manna over until morning. Not everyone obeyed. Those who left the manna until morning found that the manna had worms and smelled.

Discuss Leaving the Manna Over Until Morning:

• Why would some of the children of Israel leave over food for the next day?
• The manna that was left over got worms and smelled. Was that a just punishment?

Creative Thinking About Obeying Instructions:

• List as many reasons as you can for not obeying Moses’ warning to not leave over any food until the morning.
• Do you think that it is easier to obey instructions or to go against them? Explain.

Homeschool Activities for Homeschooling Bible, Homeschooling without Bible, and Non- Homeschoolers – In Other Words For Everyone:

• Moses got angry at the people who left food until the next day. What is anger?
• What types of things get you angry?
  • Why do these things get you angry?
• Why does food that goes bad smell?
• The manna that was left over until the next day got worms. Research worms.
• The manna that was left over smelled bad. Research how we smell.
• Some things smell good and others smell bad. Describe a good smell and a bad one.
• What would you say to someone who left some of their manna over until the next morning after Moses had told all of the children of Israel not to leave any manna overnight.

God Provides Food From Heaven for the Children of Israel

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Children of Israel, God, Moses

Excerpt from Enjoying Exodus: The Bible in Rhyme (chapter 16) by Marcia Goldlist

The children of Israel complain to Moses that there is no food. Moses confronts God who says that he will rain down food from heaven. But, there is a condition. The people are to go out and gather a day’s portion every day without leaving any left over except on the Sabbath. This is a test from God. 

Discuss:

• God provided food for the children of Israel, but he made rules for gathering and eating the food. When someone gives you something but attaches requirements or rules are you just as happy with the gift?
• What is a test?

Creative Thinking:

• Is God raining down food from heaven any more of a miracle than Him making it appear from the ground? Explain why or why not.

Bible Homeschooling Activities for Everyone – Even if you don’t homeschool:

• What is the benefit of people going out to gather their own food?
• How would life be different today if people had to spend time going out to collect their food? Is this the same as having to go to the supermarket? If not how is it different?
• Why would God connect going out to collect food with testing the people?
• Why do people so often not follow directions?
• How did the refrigerator change people’s lives?
• How do refrigerators work?
• How did the modern oven change people’s lives?
• If you could only eat one kind of food, what would it be? Why? Think of ways that you could vary that food to make it a bit different so that you could have some variety.

The Children of Israel Complain to Moses

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Children of Israel, God, Moses

Excerpt (from chapter 16) Enjoying Exodus: The Bible in Rhyme by Marcia Goldlist

The children of Israel now complain to Moses because they are hungry.

Discuss Complaining About Being Hungry:

• What is the difference between being hungry and starving?
• The children of Israel were taken out of slavery, saved from the Egyptians, given water to drink, and yet they still complain. Did they have a right to complain?

Creative Thinking About Complaining:

• Make a list of things that it is okay to complain about and a list of things it is not okay to complain about.

Bible Homeschoool Activities that Anyone Could Do:

• It is possible that the children of Israel ate until they were full when they were slaves, but it is also possible that they remembered things as being better than they were. We all do this at times. Why do you think that we sometimes remember things in the past as being better than they really were?
• Do you think that it was fair of the children of Israel to say to Moses that he led them into the wilderness to be killed? Explain.
• How much food do people need to eat to stay alive?
• Most people in North America today eat much more than they need to. Why do you think that this occurred?
• Interview one of the children of Israel about why s/he is complaining.
• Why is bread the symbol of all food?
• Follow a recipe and make a loaf of bread. Write a description of how the bread tastes to you.
• Explain why you think the children of Israel complained to Moses and not to God.

A Water Solution

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book of Exodus, Children of Israel, God, Moses

Excerpt (from chapter 15) Enjoying Exodus: The Bible in Rhyme by Marcia Goldlist

After the children of Israel crossed the Sea of Reeds safely they went for three days without finding any water. The children of Israel complained to Moses and Moses asked God what to do. God gave a solution to Moses.

Bible Study Tools

Discuss:

• What happens today when people feel they need something that doesn’t exist?
• We all need water to survive. If you complain because you don’t have something that you really need is it different than complaining that you don’t have something that you just want?

Creative Thinking:

• Many people in the world live without clean water. Do you have a responsibility to help them get clean water? Why or why  not?
• What options did the children of Israel have besides asking God for water to drink?

Homeschool Activities That Everyone Can Use:

• Why do people complain?
• Find out where in the world today people do not have clean drinking water.
• God told Moses to put wood into water to make it taste sweet and good. That is an invention. Research some new inventions that turn unsuitable water into drinking water.
• If the water tasted bitter, but had nothing wrong with it, should the children of Israel have drunk it without rejecting it?
• How much water are people supposed to drink in a day? Why do we need to drink water?
• Think of something that does not exist where you live that you think people would use. Make a plan of how you could create this thing.
• The water that the children of Israel found tasted bitter. After Moses put the wood into the water it tasted sweet and good. Find out how we taste different flavors.

You can buy Enjoying Exodus: The Bible in Rhyme through any Amazon site or the Book Depository.