📖 Exodus Unit 1: God's Plan to Rescue Israel
A 7-Week Chronological Study of Exodus Chapters 1 through 7
Welcome to the first Exodus unit from The Gospel Resources Hub. These seven lessons walk children through one of the most dramatic rescue stories in all of Scripture. From Pharaoh's cruel plan to silence God's people, to the blazing bush in the wilderness, to the first sign of power before Egypt's throne, every story in this unit reveals the same magnificent truth: God always keeps His promises, and no human power can stop His plan.
Pharaoh's Cruel Plan
A new king arises in Egypt who did not know Joseph. Terrified by Israel's growth, Pharaoh enslaves God's people and commands the murder of every Hebrew baby boy. Yet the more he oppresses them, the more they multiply.
Start Here View Lesson 1Baby Moses
in the Basket
A mother's fierce love and courageous faith places her baby in a basket on the Nile. God orchestrates every detail, and Moses is drawn out of the water by Pharaoh's own daughter.
View Lesson 2Moses Chooses
God's People
Grown up in the palace, Moses faces a defining choice. He gives up his Egyptian privilege, flees to Midian, and waits forty years for God's timing while Israel cries out in slavery.
View Lesson 3Moses and
the Burning Bush
God appears to Moses in a bush that burns but is not consumed. He reveals His name, "I AM WHO I AM," commissions Moses as His deliverer, and promises to be with him every step.
View Lesson 4Moses Confronts
Pharaoh
Moses and Aaron stand before the most powerful man on earth. Pharaoh refuses and makes Israel's burden worse. Moses is shaken, but God reassures him that His plan is unstoppable.
View Lesson 5God Renews
His Promise
When Moses and the people are at their lowest, God speaks again. He reminds Moses of His covenant name, renews His promise to redeem Israel, and declares He will take them as His own people.
View Lesson 6Aaron's Rod
Becomes a Serpent
Back before Pharaoh, Aaron throws down his rod and it becomes a serpent. Egypt's magicians copy the sign, but Aaron's serpent swallows theirs. God's power is in a category all its own.
View Lesson 7Exodus Unit 1 Series Objectives
The primary goal of this unit is to help children see that God is a covenant-keeping God who never forgets His people, even when circumstances look hopeless. The stories of Exodus 1 through 7 establish the foundation for understanding God's rescue of Israel, which the whole Bible points to as a picture of our rescue through Jesus Christ.
Establish God's Sovereignty Over All Nations: From the very first lesson, children will see that Pharaoh's cruelty could not outwit God's unstoppable plan. The more Egypt tried to destroy Israel, the more God caused them to multiply. No earthly power, no matter how great, can thwart what God has promised.
Understand Grace, Not Human Effort: Moses is repeatedly shown to be inadequate in his own strength. He murders an Egyptian, flees in fear, makes excuses at the burning bush, and despairs when his first mission makes things worse. God's answer is never "try harder." His answer is always "I will be with you." Salvation comes from God's grace, not human effort.
Trace the Thread to Jesus: Every lesson in this unit connects to Christ. Moses is drawn from the water to become a rescuer, just as Jesus was protected as an infant and rose from death. God calls Himself "I AM," the same name Jesus claims in the Gospel of John. The deliverer is being prepared, and he is a picture of the ultimate Deliverer who was to come.
Foster a Response of Trust and Worship: Through our "So What" applications, children are equipped with one concrete step to live out the truth of each lesson. The goal is not just knowing about God's power but trusting it in daily life, just as the midwives, Moses' mother, and Moses himself were each called to trust when trust was hard.