Moses Chooses God's People
(Exodus 2:11-25)
Moses grew up with everything. He lived in Pharaoh's palace, one of the most magnificent buildings in the ancient world. He had fine clothing, the best food, and an education that prepared him to lead. He was known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. From the outside, it looked like Moses had won.
But Moses had not forgotten who he really was. His mother Jochebed had nursed him and taught him about the God of Israel before he went to live in the palace. So when Moses was grown, he went out to see his own people, the Israelites, laboring under the Egyptian sun. What he saw broke his heart.
He watched an Egyptian beating one of his Hebrew brothers. Moses looked left. He looked right. Seeing no one, he struck the Egyptian down and hid his body in the sand. He thought no one had seen. The next day, Moses went out again and saw two Israelite men fighting each other. He stepped in to stop it, and the man causing the trouble turned on Moses: "Who made you prince and judge over us? Are you going to kill me like you killed that Egyptian yesterday?"
The secret was out. Moses was afraid. Pharaoh heard what had happened and wanted Moses executed. Moses had to run for his life. He left the palace, the title, and the comfort, and he fled into the wilderness of Midian.
In Midian, Moses sat down by a well, exhausted and alone. A group of seven sisters came to draw water for their father's sheep, but a band of shepherds pushed them aside. Moses stood up, defended the sisters, and helped them water the flock. When the girls went home and told their father Jethro what happened, Jethro invited Moses to stay. Moses married one of the daughters, Zipporah, and they had a son he named Gershom, a name that means "I have been a stranger in a foreign land."
Moses had gone from prince to shepherd. And while he tended sheep in the middle of nowhere, the groaning of the Israelites in Egypt grew louder. They cried out to God under the weight of their slavery. God heard their groaning. God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God saw the Israelites. God knew.
A Curious Question
Moses had a palace, a title, and power. He gave all of it up to stand with people who were slaves. Why do you think choosing to be with God's people was worth more than all the comfort of Pharaoh's house?
Jesus Connection
Moses' choice is one of the greatest pictures of Jesus in the entire Old Testament. Moses gave up the riches and honor of a royal palace to identify with suffering people who had no way to save themselves. The book of Hebrews actually points to this directly, saying Moses chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin (Hebrews 11:25).
But Moses only gave up an earthly palace. Jesus gave up heaven itself. The Son of God, who created every star and galaxy, stepped down from all that glory and was born in a stable so He could stand with us in our suffering. Moses tried to rescue his people in his own strength and failed, causing one man's death and accomplishing nothing lasting. Jesus did not rely on human strength. He took the full weight of sin and death onto Himself and did what no human effort could ever do: He rose from the dead and opened the door to God's family for all who trust Him. We are not saved by how hard we try. We are saved entirely by what Jesus did for us.
Discussion Questions
- Moses acted in his own strength when he killed the Egyptian, and it did not go the way he planned. Can you think of a time when you tried to fix a problem your own way and it made things worse? What would it have looked like to ask God first?
- Moses spent forty years in the wilderness as a shepherd before God called him. That is a very long wait. Why do you think God sometimes asks His people to wait before He puts them in the place He has prepared for them?
- The last four verses of this chapter say that God heard, God remembered, God saw, and God knew. What does it mean to you that God does not forget His people even when they are suffering and things feel hopeless?
"So What?" What Can I Do?
Moses tried to use his own power to help God's people, and it backfired. This week, before you try to fix a problem or help someone, pause and pray first. It does not have to be a long prayer. Just say: "God, this situation is Yours. Show me what You want me to do." Try this once each day and see what happens when you let God lead instead of running ahead on your own.
Memorize God's Word
Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."
Hand Motions:
- "Trust in the Lord with all your heart": Place both hands over your heart and hold them there firmly.
- "and do not lean on your own understanding": Tilt your body to the side as if leaning, then straighten up and shake your head no.
- "In all your ways acknowledge him": Sweep one arm wide in a circle, then point up.
- "and he will make straight your paths": Run both index fingers straight forward from your chest, like two train tracks heading toward the horizon.
Praying with Kids
Dear Father, thank You that You see every moment, even the ones where we made a mess trying to do things our own way. Thank You for not giving up on us when we run in the wrong direction, just like You did not give up on Moses in the wilderness. Teach us to trust Your timing and Your plan more than we trust our own ideas. And remind us that even in our waiting, You are already working. In Jesus' name, amen.
Craft: Two Paths Bookmark
This simple craft helps children visualize the choice between their own way and God's way, a choice Moses faced and a choice they face every day.
Materials Checklist:
- Draw the Line: Have children draw a vertical line down the center of the cardstock strip to create two columns.
- Label the Columns: On one side write "My Way" and on the other write "God's Way."
- Fill It In: Under "My Way," have them draw or write something that represents acting without asking God first, like a fist, a rushing person, or a question mark. Under "God's Way," have them draw hands folded in prayer or an open Bible.
- Write the Verse: Help them write "Trust in the Lord" (Proverbs 3:5) at the top of the bookmark.
- Finish: Punch a hole at the top and tie a ribbon through it. Encourage children to keep it in their Bible or schoolbook as a daily reminder to pause and pray before acting.
Effective Teaching Techniques
The story of Moses in this passage has two parts that children need to feel distinctly: the quick, impulsive action that led to disaster, and the long, slow waiting in Midian that prepared him for greatness. Use your body language and pacing to communicate both. Move fast and speak with urgency when describing Moses killing the Egyptian. Then slow down, take a breath, and speak quietly when you talk about Moses sitting alone by a well in a foreign land, tending sheep, waiting.
For younger children, focus on the simple truth: "Moses tried to do God's job himself and it didn't work. God's plan was bigger and better." You can act this out by having a child try to pick up a big imaginary box by themselves, then pretending God comes alongside and helps. The point: some things only work when God is the one leading.
For older children, the moral dilemma here is rich. Moses saw something genuinely evil happening to someone who could not defend himself. His instinct to help was not wrong. The problem was the method. Ask: "Can a good desire lead to a sinful choice? How do we tell the difference between acting for God and acting in place of God?" This is a question that will follow them well beyond Sunday School.