Apr 6-12
Covenant People at Sinai
๐ Exodus 18-20
God Speaks from the Mountain!
After crossing the Red Sea and traveling through the wilderness, the Israelites arrived at a big mountain called Mount Sinai.
God had something very important to tell them. But first, He told Moses to get everyone ready. "Wash your clothes. Be prepared. In three days, I will come down on the mountain."
Thunder, Fire, and a Trumpet
On the third morning, something amazing happened.
Thunder boomed. Lightning flashed. A thick cloud covered the top of the mountain. Then a trumpet sound filled the air โ louder and louder and louder.
The whole mountain shook! Smoke rose from it because God came down in fire.
Everyone in the camp trembled. It was exciting and a little scary. God wanted the people to know: "Pay attention. What I'm about to tell you is very important."
God's Special Rules
Then God spoke from the mountain and gave the people Ten Commandments โ special rules to help them be happy and close to Him.
Here are some of the big ones:
- Love God first. Don't put anything else ahead of Him.
- Keep the Sabbath day holy. One day a week is for resting and remembering God.
- Honor your mom and dad. Respect and listen to your parents.
- Be kind and honest. Don't hurt others, don't steal, and don't lie.
- Be happy with what you have. Don't wish you had someone else's stuff.
These rules are like a path. When we follow them, they lead us closer to Heavenly Father and help us treat other people the way He wants us to.
Jethro's Good Idea
Before the mountain, something else cool happened. Moses' father-in-law, Jethro, came to visit. He watched Moses sit all day long solving problems for the people. Morning to night. Every day.
Jethro said, "Moses, this is too much for one person! You need helpers."
Moses listened! He picked good, honest people to help solve the smaller problems. Moses kept the big ones.
Even Moses needed help sometimes. Asking for help is smart, not weak.
๐ฎ What mountain did God speak from? - Mount Everest [correct: false] - Mount Sinai [correct: true] - Mount Zion [correct: false] - Mount Ararat [correct: false]
๐ฎ What happened on the mountain when God came down? - Flowers bloomed [correct: false] - Thunder, lightning, fire, and a trumpet [correct: true] - It started raining [correct: false] - Nothing โ it was quiet [correct: false]
๐ฎ What are the Ten Commandments? - Ten stories about Moses [correct: false] - Special rules from God to help us be happy and close to Him [correct: true] - Ten plagues God sent to Egypt [correct: false] - Ten miracles in the wilderness [correct: false]
๐ฎ Which commandment tells us to have a special day for God? - Don't steal [correct: false] - Keep the Sabbath day holy [correct: true] - Honor your parents [correct: false] - Don't lie [correct: false]
๐ฎ What did Jethro tell Moses? - To climb the mountain alone [correct: false] - To get helpers so he wouldn't wear out [correct: true] - To go back to Egypt [correct: false] - To stop talking to God [correct: false]
๐ฎ Why did God make the mountain shake with thunder and fire? - To scare the people away [correct: false] - To show that what He was about to say was very important [correct: true] - Because He was angry [correct: false] - To entertain the Israelites [correct: false]
Your Mission This Week: Pick one of the Ten Commandments and try extra hard to follow it all week. Maybe you could focus on being honest, honoring your parents, or keeping the Sabbath day special. At the end of the week, tell your family how it went!
Family Activity: Make a "Ten Commandments" poster together! Write each commandment in your own words and decorate it. Hang it somewhere your family can see it every day. Talk about which commandments are easy and which ones take more work โ and why God gave them to us.