🔥Chapter 1 -Oppression to Strength

40 mins:   [🔥]

Bible Passage: Exodus 1
Bible Event: Pharoah bullies Israelites

Context:

About 70 of Jacob’s descendants moved and settled in Egypt. They grew in numbers and became very powerful. They were happy and comfortable in their new home.

A little more than 300 years had passed.

A king who did not know Joseph or what he had done to save Egypt and the world, started ruling Egypt. Historians say that in about 1540 BC, a new Dynasty of rulers began to rule Egypt (Egypt’s 18th Dynasty). They were suspicious of any Semites (Hisorically, it refered to the group of people who spoke Proto-Semitic language which includes Jews and Arabs), including the Israelites, who remained in the country.

Acting Challenge

• Divide the children into two groups.
• Each group will have to choose a King (also called Pharoah), rest of them will be the people.
• As a group they should enact out Exodus 1: 9-11.
• At the end of the act, they should answer the question, “Why did Pharoah bully Israelites?” (Answer: He was jealous, insecure, afraid, etc)
• Give the groups some time to discuss and practice and then present it in front of the class.

Story Continues

The Egyptians bullied Israelites. They treated them badly. They turned them into slaves and put brutal slave drivers over them. They were hoping to wear them down with crushing labour. Israelites were forced to build the cities of Pithom and Rameses as supply centers for the king.

Here’s a beautiful life lesson we learn – Can anyone read Exodus 1:12.
“But the more the Egyptians oppressed them, the more the Israelites multiplied and spread, and the more alarmed the Egyptians became.”

When you are bullied at school or playground, it seems unfair. But in the end, you will grow strong, the bully will become weaker and weaker. So don’t be afraid of the bullies. They may hurt you for a while but the more they hurt, the more weaker they are getting.

Strong people do not bully others. Only weak people do.

Also remember to share such matters to someone you can trust – your parents/ school teacher/ Sunday school teacher / Pastor. The Israelites were together as a group when they were bullied. They must have supported each other. You cannot fight your bullies yourself. God has given good people around you who can help you. They can only help you if you share the situation with them.

Back to the story

Seeing the Israelites grow stronger, panicked the Egyptians even more. They worked the people of Israel mercilessly. They made ruthless demands to make their lives even bitter. They forced them to mix mortar and make bricks and do all the work in the fields.

Pharoah King of Egypt did not stop at that. He called Shiphrah and Puah, the Hebrew midwives (nurses who help during pregnancy) and ordered them to kill the newborn baby if it was a boy and let the girl babies live. But the midwives feared God and they would not obey such an evil order. So, they protected the babies. God saw this and protected them.

When Pharoah saw that it was not working, he gave this order to all his people, “Throw every newborn Hebrew boy into the Nile river. But you may let the girls live”.

Conclusion

Can you imagine how cruel this bully was? I can’t wait to tell you the end of the story, so you can see that bullies always lose in the end. Strong people are kind. Weak people hurt others. Which one are you?

15 mins:   [🔥]

Things Needed

• One 5 × 15 cm bookmark cut from cardstock or chart paper for each child
• Colored paper
• Satin ribbon
• Markers
• Glue
• Hole punch

Preparation

Crumple the colored paper tightly with your hands, then tear it into small pieces. Each piece should be small enough to fit comfortably on the bookmark.

Method

1. Give each child a bookmark and ask them to choose one piece of the crumpled paper.
2. Glue the crumpled paper near the top of the bookmark.
3. Write “Be Kind – Ephesians 4:32” on the bookmark and decorate it with markers.
4. Punch a hole at the top and thread a satin ribbon through it to make a loop.

Message

What will happen to the crushed paper if I place this bookmark with a crushed paper inside a book for sometime? It will no longer be crushed. Over time, the paper will become flatter because it has been kept inside the book.

You might feel like you are crushed because someone else is treating you badly. But continue living your life (just like the bookmark), you will get stronger. If you curve in (stop being a bookmark) you will get weak. God also has placed people around you to help you (just like the thick cardstock under the crushed paper/ the book itself). Ask God for help and reach out to someone He shows you. You will become strong.

5 mins:   [🔥]

HOMEWORK

Complete the homework sheet by answering the following questions.

1. The Bible tells us that the Israelites were bullied and oppressed for about 80 years. What do you think God was doing during that time? Do you think He had forgotten them? Explain your answer.
2. Have you ever been bullied or treated unkindly at school? Have you shared it with a trusted adult—such as your parents, teacher, or another person who can help you? If not, who could you talk to this week?