Moses and His Two Helpers

 LESSON – MOSES AND HIS TWO HELPERS

by Marty Donnellan    © 2010

Open in prayer.

Say:  Today we’re going to read a short and somewhat strange story about Moses and a battle. Can anyone tell me who Moses was? Locate on timeline. What is he most famous for? Floating down the Nile in a basket; encountering God in the Burning Bush; receiving the Ten Commandments from God; parting the Red Sea; and leading the Israelites out of Egypt.

This story happens sometime after Moses had led the children of Israel across the Red Sea. Now they are camped out in the wilderness. There are around 400,000 of them. Some bad guys named the Amalekites have attacked them. God really did not like the Amalekites. Do you know why?

Deuteronomy 25:17-19 tells us.  “Remember what the Amalekites did to you along the way when you came out of Egypt. When you were weary and worn out, they met you on your journey and cut off all who were lagging behind; they had no fear of God. When the LORD your God gives you rest from all the enemies around you in the land he is giving you to possess as an inheritance, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget!”

Say:  The Amalekites were both cruel and cowardly. Have you ever seen a nature show about coyotes, jackals or wild dogs attacking a herd of impalas? They single out the stragglers in the herd – the weak, the young and the elderly. The Amalikites were like that. They didn’t fight fair. God was so angry at this cowardly cruelty that He promised to do battle with the Amalikites for generations. He even promised to someday erase their memory from the earth.

Ask: Are there any Amalikites now? No. Are there any children of Israel? Yes, there are between 12 and 14 million Jews in the world today. God is faithful to His promises!

Say:  Let’s get back to the story. Joshua, who was Moses’ general, is down in the valley with his soldiers fighting the down-and-dirty Amalikites.

Exodus 17:10-13:  “So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill.  (Aaron was Moses’ brother; Hur was a helper.) As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites started to win.  When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.”

Ask:   What do you think Moses having his arms up or down had to do with anything? Wait for answers.  Was it magic? Did it have a psychological aspect? One explanation is, that when Moses’ arms were up, the soldiers down in the valley remembered that they were depending on God for help, and that God had promised to help them. When Moses’ arms were down, maybe they thought he had become discouraged because they were losing! And when they thought that, maybe they lost their confidence and really did start to lose! Remember, if you’re ever a leader of anything – a team, a club, etc. – the people you are leading are watching you, to see how you respond to problems and challenges. If you show that you are discouraged, they may become discouraged, too. If you are conflicted, they will know it. If you are confident, they also will feel secure and confident. This is especially true of those of us who are parents; we know that our children are watching our every move!

Activity:  How long can you hold your arms straight out and perpendicular to your body? Not too long? Now you see why Moses needed some help!

Activity:  Measure each child from head to toe, then from the end of one outstretched hand to the other. Ask: Do you think the measurements will be the same, or different? The measurements, give or take an inch or two, should be roughly the same!

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Science Experiment:  Can popcorn float on bubbles? Into a tall plastic pitcher, mix ½ cup water and ¼ cup baking soda. Add 14 unpopped popcorn kernels (raisins work, too). Then add 3 or 4 cups vinegar. When the vinegar mixes with the soda, bubbles of carbon dioxide are formed. They attach to the kernels and help them rise to the surface. After a while the bubbles pop and the kernels sink. But other bubbles are always forming at the bottom, ready to help them rise again!

Say:  In the same way, Moses’ friends helped him to keep his arms up and do what God wanted him to do. Today, God gives us family and friends to help lift us up.

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Science Experiment:   Can the gases from yeast inflate a balloon? Blow up a balloon, then let the air out. Empty and rinse out a small plastic drink bottle. Using a funnel, combine 2 tbs. sugar, 1 tbs. yeast and ½ cup lukewarm water into the bottle. Swirl gently to mix. Stretch the mouth of the balloon over the top of the bottle. Put in a warm room and let sit for several hours. As the yeast produces carbon dioxide gas, the balloon will slowly begin to expand.

Tell the children to discuss the following “Yeast” verses at home: Matthew 13:33 and Galatians 5:9.

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Craft:  Using watercolors, paint the artwork for “Moses and His Helpers” (or you can use crayons) (download from link).

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Game:  Each child will draw a scene from the Bible (example: Jonah and the fish). The other children try to guess  who it is. This is a great way to review and reinforce Bible facts!