Intermediate Level, Block 4, Week 37: The Children of Israel—God Feeding His People

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Intermediate Level, Block 4—Egypt to Good Land

Week 37
The Children of Israel—God Feeding His People

Point to Emphasize: In the same way that God cared for the Israelites, he takes care of us.

Reference Reading: Exodus 16

Memory Verse: …Your Father knows the things that you have need of before you ask Him.
(Matthew 6:8)

Story Sample

The children of Israel were on this long journey, travelling so far, and after a while they started to get hungry. Because they were hungry, they started to complain. They remembered how much food they had when they were in Egypt, and they complained to Moses and Aaron. Their complaints went so far, even to saying that they were going to die of hunger out in the wilderness!

But God had a plan to feed them. Even though He wasn’t happy with their complaining, He still had the best plan to care for their needs. God told Moses and Aaron, “I will now rain bread from heaven for you.” (Exodus 16:4). And sure enough, in the morning, the whole ground was covered in dew, and when the dew evaporated, the children of Israel saw fine round flakes on the ground. They were small, white flakes, and they were very mysterious. None of the children of Israel knew what they were. So when they saw the flakes, they said, “Manna?”—which means “what is it?” And that’s how manna got its name. “What is it?” they asked, and Moses told them, “It is the bread which Jehovah has given you to eat” (v. 15).

There were some rules related to this bread, this manna, though: Everyone in a household had to gather a certain amount per person, and they were to finish it that day. They could boil it or bake it, but they had to eat it all; there could be no leftovers. Some of the children of Israel didn’t pay attention to this rule, and their leftover manna rotted—it got worms and stank! Every day, the children of Israel had to gather enough for that one day, but on the sixth day they had to gather enough for two days. The Sabbath Day was for resting, and no manna would fall on that day, so whatever they gathered on the sixth day had to last for another day. This was the only time leftovers stayed fresh.

The Bible tells us that the manna tasted like wafers made of honey—doesn’t that sound delicious? The food that God sent was sweet to the taste. That wasn’t the only food that God sent, either. He also sent quail—a kind of small bird, like a chicken—for them to eat. He gave them water, too. All along this long journey, God was taking care of the children of Israel. Every time they thought they needed something, it ended up that God had already prepared it for them. In fact, He even took care of their clothes and shoes—did you know that? They wandered for forty years, but their clothes and their shoes never wore out! How can that be? It was because God was taking care of them! [Storyteller, insert your own example about God taking care of a need you had.]

The children of Israel complained because they were hungry, but God sent them food. Once they were fed, they were able to stop complaining and keep following Him. Instead of complaining, we can be those who trust that God will take care of everything we need!

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