unit 5: life of moses ot5.15 moses and the serpent lesson...god has told us in his word, the bible,...

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OT5.15 Moses and the Serpent ©Beverly Wilson 2017

Unit 5: Life of Moses OT5.15 Moses and the Serpent Lesson

Scripture: Numbers 20-21

Lesson Goal: When the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness God provided for them by giving them food and water. He also gave them a way to be healed if they would trust in Him. In this lesson we will see how this provision was a picture of how our sins are to be forgiven.

Introduction: This is the fifteenth lesson in Unit 5: Life of Moses. God brought the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and took them to the Promised Land. Because of their lack of faith and trust in Him, they wandered in the wilderness for forty years. When the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness God provided for them by giving them food and water. He also gave them a way to be healed if they would trust in Him. In this lesson we will see how this provision was a picture of how our sins are to be forgiven. This lesson is found in the book of Numbers. Numbers was written by Moses and tells the story of how Israel was prepared by God to enter the Promised Land. It is fourth book of Law. The books of Law are the first five books in the Old Testament. Let’s say the first five books of Law together: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

Attention Getter: “Following Directions” What if your bike broke down and you had no one to help you, what could you do? You could get out the manual that came with your bike and see what it says about fixing the problem with your bike. You would have to follow the directions in the manual to fix the bike, wouldn't you? When we are at school, the teacher often gives us directions about how to do our school work. She may even write the directions for us to follow on the board. Learning to follow the directions is important if we want to get good grades in school. Suppose you were going on a trip to someplace you had never been before. Someone who know how to get there gives you very simple instructions. "It's not hard! Just follow the rod and look for the sign. You can't miss it!" But what if you think, "I don't know if I want to believe this! After all it sounds much too easy! I'm sure there must be another way." And so you decide to go your own way, taking many different roads and then you become completely lost. Does that sound like a foolish thing to do? God has told us in His Word, the Bible, that there is only one way to get to heaven to have eternal life with Him. "Jesus is the Way the Truth and the Life." But many people hear what that way is and they say, "Oh, that can't be right. It's too easy. Surely there must be some other way." And so they live their whole lives trying to get to God some other way and they end being lost from God forever! How sad! God has made His way clear and simple for us to follow. In this lesson we are going to learn about something very unusual that happened to the children of Israel in the wilderness. It will help us understand God's way for us to have eternal life. . This story is found in the book of Numbers.

Opening Prayer: Father, thank You that you have made a way for us to live with you forever in heaven. We look forward to that day that we can see you face-to-face. While we wait for that day, help us to always want to trust and obey You no matter what You ask us to do. Even when it seems silly to us, remind us by the power of the Holy Spirit that Your way is always right. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Memory Verse: The memory verse is John 3:14. "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life."

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Lesson Video: https://youtu.be/AqSsNHC-zvI The people of Israel were leaving the land of Egypt. God has set them free from a life of slavery and was leading them to a new land He had promised. Moses had been chosen by the Lord to lead the people. God had also promised to take care of all their needs along the way. If they obeyed God He would bless them but disobedience would bring troubles. When they came to Kadesh in the Desert of Paran they pitched their tents. Then they did something that would cost them 40 years of delay and wandering in the wilderness. God told Moses to send twelve men into the Promised Land to spy out the land. The spies were gone 40 days exploring the land from the valleys to the cities in the hills. They came back with fruit--some figs and pomegranates and a bunch of grapes so large that it took two men to carry it! Indeed the Promised Land was a beautiful as God had said. It was the truly the "land of milk and honey." But instead of trusting God to give them the land as He had promised ten of the spies came back with a discouraging report about how tall the people. "They are as big as giants and we are like grasshoppers to them." "The cities have walls all around them. The walls are too tall for us to climb!" These ten spies were very afraid! They convinced most of the people of Israel they could not conquer the land. Only two spies--Caleb and Joshua--returned with a positive report. They said, "God has promised to give us the land. We can take it with God's help." When the children of Israel heard reports of how hard it would be to take the Promised Land of Canaan they would not trust God's promise to help them. They refused to go on to the Promised Land. They even threatened to choose another leader and go back to Egypt. The Lord became very angry at the children of Israel for not obeying Him. So because of their unbelief God told Moses to come into the Tent of Meeting. There the Lord said to Moses, "These men who have seen my glory and my miracles will not enter the Promised Land but their children will. They will wander one year for every day the spies were gone. So God would punish Israel by making them wander for forty years. All the older people would die in the wilderness. Only the children age 20 and under would enter the Promised Land." For almost forty years thousands of Israelites had been wandering in the wilderness. They should have been in the new land many years ago. They weren't in the new land because they did not trust and obey God. Turning their backs on God caused all kinds of problems for the people of Israel. They could not find water and they and their animals became very thirsty. They did not learn from their mistakes. They kept forgetting God's punishment for doubting Him and not trusting Him. All they did was grumble and complain. Soon they were grumbling to Moses and Aaron, "Why did you ever make us leave Egypt. We would rather be dead than in this terrible place. Moses became very frustrated at their constant complaining! Once again Moses spoke to the Lord about their complaints. God said, "Gather all the people together. Take the rod of Aaron your brother and speak to the rock in the wilderness. The rock will then open up and pour out water for you. There will be enough water for everyone--even the animals will drink." Notice God said to speak to the rock! Let's see if Moses did what God told him to do. Moses got the rod and went back to the people. He called them to come together at the rock outside the camp. But he was very, very angry. He was upset at the people for complaining so much. When you are angry you don't always think straight. Moses said, "You rebels! Must we bring you water out of this rock!"

https://youtu.be/AqSsNHC-zvI

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Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff." Moses was so angry that he didn't speak to the rock as God had told him. Instead he struck the rock with the rod not once but twice! Water gushed out and everyone drank! Even the livestock--cattle, goats, and sheep--all had plenty to drink! God had loved the people so much that he made the water gush out of the rock but Moses had disobeyed Him! Then the Lord said to Moses, "Because you did not believe Me and obey me you will not bring the children of Israel into the Promised Land which I have given them." Moses must have wept many tears. How sorry he must have been for not obeying God. God still loved Moses and He did forgive Him but there are still consequences for sin. Moses was never allowed to go into the Promised Land. God brought him to the top of a mountain so he could see the Promised Land but he never entered it. Finally the forty years that the children of Israel were to roam in the wilderness were almost over. They were getting really close to the time they could finally enter the Promised Land. Moses was planning the way for them to take and the shortest way to get there was through Edom. Ahead of them was the land of the Edomities who lived in the hill country. They were a very strong people who had many fierce warriors who swooped down on anyone who came near. Moses sent messengers to the King of Edom to ask permission to travel along the Kings Highway through their land. "We will not go through your fields or drink water from your wells," they promised. The King of Edom prided himself on his power not his mercy. His answer was clear. "You may not pass through." He would NOT allow the children of Israel to come through his country. "If you dare step on my land I will attack you with the sword. I will send my strongest warriors after you!" The Edomites were not people to be messed with! So Moses led the people away from Edom until they came to Mount Horeb. Then they faced an even greater danger. This time the Canaanite army swarmed towards them. Helpless against such a mighty army the people turned to God in their need and God was ready to help. A terrible battle was fought and God gave Israel a tremendous victory. Yet in spite of all God's help and goodness, these people would not trust their lives to God's care. As they continued their journey around the kingdom of Edom they began to grumble. They complained about how tired they were of traveling and how fed up they were of searching for water. They even complained about the manna, the daily food God sent them. Not only did they say mean things about Moses but they spoke out against God. So He decided to teach them that rebellion is sin and must be punished. Suddenly serpents or snakes swarmed in from the desert among the terrified Israelites. People tried to run away but the snakes were everywhere. There was no escape. Many Israelites were dying from the deadly snake bites. They came running to Moses for help. The people came to Moses and said, "We have disobeyed God and spoken against Him. Please ask God to take the snakes away." So Moses prayed and the Lord told him what to do. God told him to do a strange thing to get rid of the snakes. He said, "Make a snake of brass and put it on a pole. Everyone who has been bitten who looks at the brass snake will live." It happened just as God said. Those who trusted God and looked at the brass serpent lived. Those who refused to look all died. Even though the people had sinned God still loved them and wanted to forgive and heal them.

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God made a really simple way for them to be healed. All they had to do was look at the brass snake and believe in God. But some of the people said, "I don't see how looking at a brass snake could make me well." But if they didn't look, they died. They had to trust and obey God even if it didn't make sense to them. God made it really simple for them to be healed and live! As God provided a way for the Israelites to be free of the penalty of their sins so God has provided a way for us to be forgiven too. The bronze serpent was a picture of what God would do years later in providing the only way for our sins to be forgiven. If you look up at the Lord Jesus who willingly died on the cross for our sins to be forgiven, you will be saved from a life of spiritual death. When Jesus died on the cross the meaning of the brass serpent became clear. Jesus said, "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:14. This is our memory verse. Let's say it again together. John 3:14. "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life." How glad the Israelites must have been that God had provided a way for them to be healed and that He had made that way so simple that even the children were able to look at the serpent of bronze and live! God’s way for your sin to be forgiven is simple, too. You need to admit to God that you have sinned and that your sin keeps you apart from Him. You need to believe that the Lord Jesus took the punishment for your sin when He died on the cross. It’s the only way God has given you to be healed of the poison of sin. Let's pray. Father, Thank You that you have made a way for us to live with you forever in heaven. We look forward to that day that we can see you face-to-face. While we wait for that day, help us to always want to trust and obey You no matter what You ask us to do. Even when it seems silly to us, remind us by the power of the Holy Spirit that Your way is always right. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Remember Follow God's way. Trusting Him will lead you to heaven.

Review Questions: “Snaky Answers” Preparation: Cut snakes from red card stock, add eyes, mouths and using a different shade of red or orange, make spots on them. On the back, put a review question on the head end and the answer to it on the tail end. Cut the snakes in two and put heads in one envelope, tails in another. Make one snake for every two children in class. Procedure: Give each child a part of a snake and have them try to find the other child with the right answer. If smaller children cannot read well, give the questions to the older children. When all have been put together have them share with the rest of the class or you scramble the pieces and do it again a few times depending on time. 1. Who did Moses send into the Promised Land to find out what it was like? (He sent twelve spies.) 2. Who were the faithful spies? (Only Joshua and Caleb brought back a good report about trusing

God to give them the Promised Land.) 3. Why did the children of Israel have to wander in the wilderness for 40 years? (They didn’t trust

and obey God.) 4. Who was not allowed to enter the Promised Land? (Moses, Aaron, and all the adults over 20

years old were not allowed to enter the Promised Land. Only Joshua and Caleb could go.) 5. Why was Moses not allowed to go into the Promised Land? (He did not obey God and struck the

rock with the rod two times in order to get water.)

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6. Why did Moses want to take the people through the land of Edom? (It was the shortest way into the Promised Land.)

7. When the king of Edom wouldn’t let them cross through his land, what did the Israelites do? (They started to grumble and complain.)

8. How did the Israelites feel when they had to go around the Promised Land? discouraged 9. How can a person not be discouraged? What is the opposite of discouragement? Have faith in

God. 10. What did the people complain about? (The food and water.) 11. Do you ever complain about the meals that you are given at home? What does God want you to

do instead of complaining? (To be grateful that you have something to eat.) 12. What did God do to punish the people for complaining? (He sent poisonous snakes that bit the

people.) 13. Did God tell Moses how to get rid of the snakes? What did God tell Moses to do? (God told

Moses to make a brass serpent and put it on a pole.) 14. If you had been one of those people getting bitten by all those snakes what would you have

thought when you heard Moses tell you to look at the brass serpent on a pole? 15. What does that brass serpent on a pole remind you of? Why? (Jesus hung on a cross.) 16. What is the only way you can be healed of the poison of sin in your life? (By believing in what

Jesus did on the cross.) 17. Who did Jesus teach about the meaning of the serpent in wilderness? Nicodemus 18. What is the serpent in the wilderness like in the New Testament? Jesus dying on the cross 19. What happens when we look to Jesus' death on the cross? We will be saved and live eternally. 20. What happened to people who refused to look at the bronze serpent that God told Moses to

make? they died 21. What happens to people who refuse to believe in Jesus? They die and go to a place of

punishment forever and ever.

Bible Memory Verse Activity: “Snake in the Camp” Tents

Have students locate the memory verse in scripture and read aloud several times. John 3:14. "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life." Say: “The bronze serpent that God told Moses to raise up in the wilderness was a picture of how Jesus was to die on the cross. It took faith to believe that by looking at the serpent that a person would be healed of a snake bite just like it takes faith in the death of Jesus on the cross to save us.” Preparation: You will need brown construction paper, colored markers and tape for each child to make a tent. Each child will need a sheet of tan or light green construction paper on which to mount their tent. Say: What responses might the people of Israel had to the serpent that Moses put on the pole? Read the following responses that five different people could have shown when they were faced with the plague of the serpent. Read the verse beside each quote to discover their error. These quotations are similar to responses that people today have about the cross of Jesus and his offer of salvation.

Mrs. Good Works is trying to invent her own way to be saved. She says, “I’m sure that these bandages will be much better than whatever Moses’ snake can do.” Ephesians 2:8-9

Mrs. Too Busy needs to see that “now” is the day of salvation. She says, “I’m pretty busy now so I think I’ll look for the serpent later.” 2 Corinthians 6:2

Mr. Self-Righteous thinks that his state isn’t as bad as other people. He says, “I was only bitten one time. I know of other people who need to be saved more than I do!” Romans 3:10

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Mr. Skeptic can’t trust God for a matter that is out of his hands. He says, “Just look to the brass snake? That’s much too simple. I think I’ll wait to get better on my own.” 1 Corinthians 1:18

Mr. Believer simply trusts God’s Word and is saved. He says, “There! See the serpent in the middle of the camp? Look there and God says He will heal you.” Acts 16:31

Let’s make tents to represent the homes of these people. Have students make paper tents by folding a sheet of construction paper to a tent opening. See illustration. On each tent opening have students write the memory verse John 3:14.

Group Learning Activity: “Thanksgiving” Collage (Grades K-5) Purpose: To help students to learn to be thankful for what God has given them. Students will make a collage of pictures of things that the Lord has blessed them. Preparation: Large poster board sheet for each student; magazines with pictures; drawing colored markers; scissors; glue Procedure: Give each student a large poster board sheet for mounting pictures. Provide a stack of magazines with lots of pictures. Have students find pictures of things or objects that illustrate things that they are thankful for. Cut out the pictures and glue them to the poster board. Students are to make a collage with pictures of things that the Lord has blessed them with. Examples include: Home, family, clothes, food, games, school, etc. Say: What are some ways or things that people give us? (providing daily food our mothers cook, clothes our parents buy, protecting us from danger, bringing us to church, teaching us how to do things, providing clean clothes, caring for us when we are sick, giving us birthday and Christmas gifts, etc.) “What are some ways that we can show gratitude for the things that people give us? (Write notes of thanks; not complain or desire even more; by being content with what we already have; say “thank you” often; do kind things in return for the love that others have shown us.) Have students practice learning to say “thank you” by naming the gift and addressing the person who gave us the gift correctly and being specific with our compliments. Ex. (Thank you Mom for cooking dinner. I really liked the macaroni and cheese.” Use the same exercise for birthday and Christmas gifts. Close the activity by saying a chain prayer thanking the Lord for the things He has given us. . Group Learning Activity: “Contentment” Bible Study (Grades 3-5) Purpose: To help students to learn not to complain or be discontent. Instead they should learn be thankful. Procedure: Have students locate Numbers 21:1-9 in scripture. Read verses aloud. Say: “Every day the Israelites were getting closer and closer to the time when they could enter the land that God had promised to them. The Lord always took care of them and gave them delicious manna and quail to eat. He wanted them to be happy. Some of the people became very impatient. They were tired of waiting. They started complaining to Moses. They didn’t like the food. They wanted more water. Then they started complaining about God.

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They said that He didn’t give them good bread to eat. They said that He gave them miserable food. The Israelites said that they wished that they were back in Egypt! The Lord was upset with His people. He had given them good food to eat and provided them with water. He always took care of them and protected them from the wild animals and snakes in the desert. They should be content. What does the word “content” mean? (“Content” means being happy with the things you have or the way your life is without always being unhappy and thinking that you should have more.) How did the Israelites show that they were discontent? (The Israelites were not content. The people did not thank Him for what He did. They always thought they should have more!) Have students look up Philippians 4:11-12 and read aloud. “

11 I am not saying this because I am in

need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” Say: “How would you put these verses in your own words? (Paul says that we should choose to be content no matter what our circumstances are. Happiness or contentment is not based on what you have or do not have. It is how we look at our situation and whether we choose to trust God to fulfill His promise to meet our needs.” “The Lord decided to teach the Israelites that He was the only one that could save them. What did God send into the camp? (He sent poisonous snakes into the camp. The snakes bit the people and many of them got sick and died.) Now the people knew that they needed the Lord to protect them. They knew that they had been wrong to complain about the way the Lord took care of them. They told Moses that they were very sorry for all of their complaining.” “Moses prayed to the Lord about the snakes. He told the Lord how sorry the people were. The Lord answered Moses’ prayer. He Lord did not take the poisonous snakes away from the camp but He did something that would help the Israelites remember that they should always look to Him for help. How were the people healed from the snake bites? God told Moses to make a snake out of a shiny metal called “bronze”. Moses was to put the bronze snake on a pole so all the people could see it. If anyone was bitten by a poisonous snake, they could look at the bronze snake and be made well. This would help them remember that God would take care of them. Who was the only one who could make them well? (God) “Many of the Israelites who had been bitten by the snakes looked at the bronze snake on the pole and were made well. They remembered that God takes care of His people. Only God could make them well. They learned to be happy and content with the things the Lord gave them. They learned not to complain about the Lord’s gifts!”

“In John 3:14 Jesus later parallels himself to the bronze serpent on a pole. Just as the serpent was lifted up on the pole, Jesus would be lifted up on a cross. Anyone who “looks to Him” will be saved. “Another note of interest is that many modern medical associations use the symbol of a serpent on a pole to symbolize healing.”

Group Learning Activity: “Humility Charades” (Grades 2-5) Purpose: To teach children to be humble and thankful in several different scenarios by acting out different responses. Preparation: You will need index cards, Bibles, whiteboard, and markers. Write the following scenarios on individual index cards to make Discussion Cards. Shuffle the cards and place the cards face down in a stack in the center of the class.

A person who talks during an entire meal, not giving others a chance to talk.

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A brother who says to his younger sister, “That’s a good idea; I wouldn’t have thought of that.”

A person who says, “Okay, I need help; it’s harder to pound nails straight than I thought it would be.”

A person who insists that his room is clean and who refuses to clean it even after his parents tell him that they have noticed dust and dirt.

A person who loses a tennis match and honestly says to the winner, “Thanks for the game. You are a good player.”

A person in school who thinks, “I don’t need to listen; I already know all this stuff.”

A sister who helps a younger brother play a simple game, even though she would rather play something else.

A Primary teacher who says, “I don’t know the answer to that question; I’ll have to study more and pray for understanding.”

A person who says, “I don’t need to go to church. I can be a good person without any help from God.”

A person who brags about her possessions and refuses to play with children who do not dress as nicely as she does.

A person who takes credit for everything good that happens to him.

A person who, when asked to give a talk, says, “Yes, I’ll do it. It is hard for me, but I’ll prepare and do my best.”

Say: “In this lesson the people of Israel were not willing to humble themselves before God or to be thankful for all that God had done for them in bringing them out of slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land. God provided for all their needs in the wilderness and yet they were constantly complaining. They would not listen to what Moses their leader told them. They acted in a proud and arrogant manner. We are going to read some scripture about being humble and thankful. (Have students read the following scripture references.) Explain meaning of verses.

Ephesians 4:2 “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. (God has chosen us to be His representatives on earth. We are to live worthy of His calling. People are watching us. Can they see Christ in us?”

1 Peter 5:5-6 “In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” (God says that the we all should learn from one another. Pride causes young people to not be willing to learn from older adults and older adults should learn to listen to younger people.)

“We are going to play a game that we help us learn what it means to be humble and express thankfulness to others.” Procedure: Divide the class into two teams. Have each team take turns drawing a card from the stack and reading the scenario on the card out loud. Discuss different ways that students could respond to the situation. Help students understand that being grateful means that we act in a humble or thankful way toward others. We do not take people for granted or try to be overbearing. Optional: If the class size is small then have individual students take turns drawing the cards and then act out a correct response. Write the following principles of humility on the whiteboard as a summary of the discussion:

Not dominating the conversation is a form of humility and showing respect to others.

A willingness to give others credit for what they think or do is showing humility and respect for others.

Taking turns and doing what others want is being unselfish and shows humility.

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Not bragging about your own accomplishments or possessions shows that you are concerned about the feelings of others. You are acting humbly.

A willingness to learn and take directions shows humility and respect.

Group Learning Activity: Wilderness Obstacle Course (Grades K-3) Preparation: You will need masking tape, classroom furniture, jump rope, and a timer (optional) Using masking tape and furniture in your classroom make an obstacle course for kids to complete. Set up three stations along the path of the obstacle course.

Station 1: Kids will knock on the seat of a chair or on a table to represent Moses striking the rock Option: Retell or review the Bible story Station 2: Kids will walk around a table or chair three times to represent the Israelites walking around Edom. Station 3: Kids will jump over the “snake” (jump rope) on the ground. Line up the kids and give the start signal for them to complete the obstacle course one at a time. You may also choose to time the kids to see who can complete the obstacle course the fastest.

Say: “The Israelites faced many obstacles because they disobeyed God. They did not trust God. Whom can we trust? We can always trust God to take care of us!” Craft Learning Activity: “Serpent on a Stick” (Grades K-3) Purpose: To provide a reminder that God told Moses to make a bronze serpent in the wilderness and all who looked at the serpent were healed. Preparation: You will need large craft sticks or pencils, bronze colored pipe cleaners, squiggly eyes, and colored markers. Procedure: Have students write “Numbers 21:4-9” on a craft stick with a marker. Demonstrate how to wrap a chenille wire (pipe cleaner) around the stick as a snake. OR wrap pipe cleaners around pencils and attach squiggly eyes to the end of the pipe cleaner. Say: “God told Moses to make a bronze serpent and place it on a tall pole in the center of the camp of Israel. Everyone who looked up the serpent in faith were healed from the snake bite. The bronze serpent that God told Moses to raise up in the wilderness was a picture of how Jesus was to die on the cross. It took faith to believe that by looking at the serpent that a person would be healed of a snake bite just like it takes faith in the death of Jesus on the cross to save us.”

Craft Learning Activity: Paper Plate Snake (Grades K-4) Materials: paper plate for each child, scissors, green poster paint for finger painting Procedure: Pour a small amount of poster paint onto a glass plate. Let children dip their fingers in the paint and make green dots all over the white paper plate. Let dry for about 20 minutes. (Alternative: Use green paper plates and let students draw green dots with a colored marking pen onto the plate.) After painting or using the marking pen to decorate the plate, start cutting a spiral shape into the plate. Leave a rounded "head" at the end of the spiral. See pictures. Glue on two googly eyes, any size you want and cut a red ribbon about 1-2 inches long to make the snake's tongue.

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Say: “God told Moses to make a bronze serpent and place it on a tall pole in the center of the camp of Israel. Everyone who looked up the serpent in faith were healed from the snake bite. The bronze serpent that God told Moses to raise up in the wilderness was a picture of how Jesus was to die on the cross. It took faith to believe that by looking at the serpent that a person would be healed of a snake bite just like it takes faith in the death of Jesus on the cross to save us.”

Craft Learning Activity: Sock Puppet Snake (Grades K-5) Materials: long stripped sock for each child; white, black, blue, red felt pieces to cut eyes and tongue; red fringe balls for eyes and to make ridges going down the snake's back. Procedure: Give a stripped sock for each child. Child should fit the sock over the hand as shown. Push the sock back between the fingers and thumb to make a mouth. Have students cut a mouth or tongue to glue to the mouth of the puppet. (Teacher may use hot glue gun but NOT students.) Let students choose color and make tongue out of strips of colored felt. Glue fringe balls for eyes and ridges.

Say: “God told Moses to make a bronze serpent and place it on a tall pole in the center of the camp of Israel. Everyone who looked up the serpent in faith were healed from the snake bite. The bronze serpent that God told Moses to raise up in the wilderness was a picture of how Jesus was to die on the cross. It took faith to believe that by looking at the serpent that a person would be healed of a snake bite just like it takes faith in the death of Jesus on the cross to save us.”

Craft Learning Activity: “Snake Paper Chain” (Grades K-2) Purpose: To provide a reminder that God told Moses to make a bronze serpent in the wilderness and all who looked at the serpent were healed. Preparation: You will need several sheets of green construction paper cut into 1” strips crosswise for each child. You will also need a short strip of red construction paper to make the snake’s tongue and some squiggly eyes to attach to the head. Procedure: Have students make a green paper chain using glue or a stapler to attach the strips together. Attach red construction paper tongue and glue squiggly eyes to the head. Say: “God told Moses to make a bronze serpent and place it on a tall pole in the center of the camp of Israel. Everyone who looked up the serpent in faith were healed from the snake bite. The bronze serpent that God told Moses to raise up in the wilderness was a picture of how Jesus was to die on the cross. It took faith to believe that by looking at the serpent that a person would be healed of a snake bite just like it takes faith in the death of Jesus on the cross to save us.”

Craft Learning Activity: “Wooden Spoon Snakes” (Grades 2-5) Purpose: To provide a reminder that God told Moses to make a bronze serpent in the wilderness and all who looked at the serpent were healed. Preparation: You will need a large wooden spoon for each child; acrylic or poster paint; brushes; paint shirts, and newspaper.

Procedure: Distribute wooden spoons to each child. Have students paint one side of the spoon like a serpent or snake and then leave the other side brown for the rod. Encourage children to be creative with their snakes!

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Life Application Challenge: “Thankfulness” Acrostic Poem Preparation: Distribute each child’s journal (spiral notebook) and some pens or pencils OR print the template below for each child. Procedure: Instruct the kids to write THANKFUL in large letters along the side of their journal page as an acrostic. Invite kids to think of something they can be thankful for that begins with each letter in the word thankful. Kids may draw pictures if they prefer. Example: T—truth; H—heaven, A—armor of God, N—neighbors, K—kindness, F—forgiveness, U—ultimate sacrifice, and L—love. Example: T—turkey; H—having fun, A—always being together, N—neighbors, K—kindness, F—family, U—uncles, and L—love. Say: Let’s review our big picture question again: Whom can we trust? We can trust God to take care of us. When we think about all the good things God has done for us and given us, we know we can trust that He will continue to take care of us. Keep the journals in the classroom so they will be available every week or as often as you wish to use them. OR send acrostic poems home for students to share with their parents. Ask for prayer requests. Pray, thanking God for making a way for the Israelites to be healed by looking at the bronze snake. Thank God for sending His Son, Jesus, to make a way for us to be forgiven of our sin when we trust in Him. Pray that each child trusts in Jesus. Also pray for any friends and family members who need to trust in Jesus.

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Moses and the Serpent Numbers 20-21

John 3:14

"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life."

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Moses and the Serpent

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Moses and the Serpent

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unit 5: life of moses ot5.15 moses and the serpent lesson...god has told us in his word, the bible,...

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