13 - The Danger of Murmuring

In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, One God, Amen

Lesson No. ( 13 )

References: 

Numbers 21. 

Notes for Servants 

i Moses rose the serpent in the desert as God's order so that any person who is bitten from the serpent when he looks at it shall live ...... And God meant with this to turn the sight of all mankind to this holy slaughter which is going to be raised on the stick of the cross, and all who believes in it and look to it with his heart no doubt will live, not the flesh life only but the spiritual life as well "  

i God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believesinHimshould not perish but have everlasting life." 

Objectives 

General: God hates sin. 

Specific: 

The children will be able to ... 

1. Understand God's hatred for sin. 
2. Know that God does not like us to share our hearts with anything else in the world other than Him. 
3. Learn the relation between this lesson and the crucifixion. 

Bible Verse 

“We have sinned, for we have spoken against The Lord and against You.” ( Numbers 21:7 ) 

Teaching Aids 

Felt figure and flannel board. 

Instruction 

(1) Review last week's lesson. 

(2) Who remembers the verse? 

(3) Remind the children about the church occasions for the coming week. 

(4) Draw children's attention to how they benefit from the cross in their practical life.

Story Time 

YouknowhowGod took care of His people in Egypt and how He rescued them from Pharaoh's slavery. The people went out by Moses leadership and Moses struck the sea with his stick so the people crossed on the dry land. God led them in the day by a cloud and by with a pillar of fire. God gave bread from heaven and water from the rock. God also, took care of them spiritually as well and handled to his servant Moses the ten commandments. 

In spite of all this the people murmured (complained) against God and Moses. They complain against the bread from heaven and there was nothing else to eat. God was angry at them and sent deadly serpents on them. The serpents came out and spread everywhere and whoever was bitten by the serpent died. Many people died and the punishment was strong and powerful. The pain was great and the people knew that God is angry. 

They cried to Moses admitting " We have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to The Lord that He takes away the serpents from us. Our evil is great and God won't hear us.” Moses asked them, “Would you repent and stop murmuring?” They said: “We do.” 

Moses went to an empty space and he stood and prayed " O God we sinned, me and the people against You. Forgive me and them. Take away the serpents from them. Glory be to You, Amen". God loved His servant Moses because he was honest and obedient. God told Moses "Make a fiery serpent and set it ona pole, and it shall be that everyone who was bitten, when he looks at it shall live." So, Moses made a bronze serpent and put it on a pole. He gathered the people, told them that God ordered this whoever looks to this serpent with faith he will be healed from the serpent's poison. The people believed. 1 - Did the people appreciate God's favour to them? 

2 - What did they tell Moses about the bread from heaven? 

3 - What was God's punishment to them? 

4 - What does the bronze serpent symbolize in the new testament? 

Discussion 

1 - Follow up the story by talking about it with the children. 

2 - Continue the discussion while they do the activity. 

Learning Activities 

Activity Sheet.