Quickly, before Pharaoh could change his mind, Moses led the Hebrews out of Egypt.
They hurried out toward the east, headed for the land of Canaan. But not long after they
had started out, old Pharaoh changed his mind again! And he sent his Egyptian army
chasing after the Hebrews. Soon, the Hebrews came upon the Red Sea. They believed
that they would surely die there, for they were trapped between the deep waters of the
Red Sea on one side and the Egyptian army on the other.
But just then, God told Moses to raise his staff above the water of the Red Sea. As
Moses did so, the waters of the Red Sea parted, and the Hebrews passed through the
waters on dry land. But when the Egyptian army was crossing through the waters, God
commanded Moses to drop his arms, and as he did, the waters of the Red Sea came
crashing back in on the Eqyptians, and they were swallowed up by the sea.
The people of God were free at last, and as they looked back at the Red Sea, they knew
that, by the power of the water, God had delivered them and set them free at last.
And the Hebrew people danced for joy. And the waters danced with them! And the
same God who came to the rescue of those people long, long ago still comes to us today,
helping us to provide pure, clean water, bringing freedom from water-borne disease to
God’s people everywhere.
So let all God’s people say, ‘Amen!’
Discussion:
Together, say today’s Bible verse:
“Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea...the waters divided...and the
Israelites went through the sea on dry ground.” (Ex. 14:21-22)
If time permits, talk with the children about the story. You may want to ask leading
questions such as:
Why did the Israelites want to leave Egypt?
What did God do that saved the Israelites from the Egyptian army?
How do you think the Israelites felt as they started across the sea, with a giant
wall of water on either side? If we feel that God is asking us to do something
that seems frightening, what should we do?
As the children leave, ask them to imagine that the room is Egypt, and that the sides of
the doorframe are the walls of water of the Red Sea. As they pass through the waters, ask
them to shout, “Hooray, we’re free! We’ve passed through the water!”
Rev. 1/06