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Ten Plagues Against Egypt

Exodus 7:14 – 12:30

Talk about an awesome display of the power of God! The chronicles of the plagues of Egypt brings tingles up one’s spine! To actually place oneself in the shoes of an everyday Egyptian during those dreadful days would bring to light the enormity of what took place.

1. Water to blood,
2. countless frogs that enveloped the land,
3. gnats that covered men and animals,
4. swarms of flies that ruined the land,
5. death to all livestock of the Egyptians,
6. festering boils on men and animals,
7. a deadly hail storm that killed all those not under shelter,
8. all-devouring locusts which turned the land black,
9. darkness that was so dark that it could be felt,
10. and the death of all the firstborn who did not have the blood of a lamb on their doorpost to deter the angel of death,

…were the ten plagues of Egypt.

Curriculum y1_w26 – Ten Plagues Against Egypt [241kb, PDF]
Graphic y1_w26 – Ten Plagues Against Egypt [810kb, JPG]
Coloring Sheet Ten-Plagues-Against-Egypt [51kb, PDF]

Year 1, Week 26 Bible story from the Main Street Curriculum

Teachings

source YouTube

Moses Confronts Pharaoh

Exodus 4:18 – 7:13

After the infamous encounter with Yahweh on Mount Horeb, Moses returned to his father-in-law Jethro to secure permission for him to leave for Egypt (remember when Jacob did not secure blessing from Laban, his wife’s father, to leave?). After receiving Jethro’s blessing, Moses packed up his family and left for Egypt.

The Lord speaks to Moses on the way, saying:

“When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son, and I told you, “Let my son go, so he may worship me.” But your refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son’”  (Exodus 4:21-23).

This pronouncement from the Lord foreshadows what will happen to Egypt and to its Pharaoh.

Moses and Aaron hook up in the desert at the mountain of God, and Moses fills Aaron in on all that God told him to do. When they arrived in Egypt they brought together all the elders of the Israelites and they told them everything that the Lord had told Moses. The miraculous signs were performed and they believed and worshiped Yahweh as a result.

Moses and Aaron make their debut performance with the King of Egypt—Pharaoh. They relayed the message the Lord gave them to say and Pharaoh balked. He said, “Who is the Lord? I don’t know him. I’m not going to let you go. No way!” (Exodus 5:2). Moses and Aaron repeated their request with the warning that plagues are coming. Pharaoh balked for a second time stating, “You are keeping the people from their work. No.”

Curriculum y1_w25 – Moses Confronts Pharaoh [274kb, PDF]
Graphic y1_w25 – Moses Confronts Pharaoh [957kb, JPG]
Coloring Sheet Moses-Confronts-Pharaoh [55kb, PDF]

Year 1, Week 25 Bible story from the Main Street Curriculum

Teachings

source YouTube

The Burning Bush

Exodus 3:1 – 4:17

Moses was faithfully tending the flocks of his father-in-law on the far side of the desert. He came to a mountain, which is referred to as the mountain of God. It was there on this mountain that God called to Moses out of a burning bush. The text tells us: “that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up” (Exodus 3:3). And even more specifically, “there the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush” (Exodus 3:2 emphasis mine). Moses’ curiosity drew him to this strange phenomenon.

Curriculum y1_w24 – The Burning Bush [308kb, PDF]
Graphic y1_w24 – The Burning Bush [995kb, JPG]
Coloring Sheet The-Burning-Bush [62kb, PDF]

Year 1, Week 24 Bible story from the Main Street Curriculum

Teachings

source YouTube

Moses is Exiled

Exodus 2:11-25

From Moses’ growing up years till now, he has been a resident and quite possibly a “prince” in the land of Egypt living in the household of Pharaoh (much of these years are subject to conjecture on behalf of storytellers, but some of it can be held to be assumed). Because he was the son of the daughter of Pharaoh (Exod 2:10), he possibly had privileges and rights and education and culture and authority. But, nonetheless, the story opens up with the statement that Moses had grown up (Exod 2:11).

Now he was out watching the Hebrews perform their hard labor and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave. He quite possibly had seen this before and took no notice of it, but the text divulges a significant reason why Moses reacted the way we will see in moment. For some reason, he now knew he was a Hebrew himself. Whether this was a new revelation to him or an old one, is not known. But Moses knew who he was—a Hebrew. And he probably sympathized with his fellow people and their status as slaves.

Curriculum y1_w23 – Moses is Exiled [228kb, PDF]
Graphic y1_w23 – Moses is Exiled [644kb, JPG]
Coloring Sheet Moses-is-Exiled [48kb, PDF]

Year 1, Week 23 Bible story from the Main Street Curriculum

Teachings

source YouTube

Birth of Moses

Exodus 2:1-10

The backdrop for this story occurs in the chapter preceding (obviously). The king of Egypt has issued a decree that all Hebrew boys upon birth are to be thrown into the Nile River (Exod 1:22). The Israelites are doing all they can to prevent such a tragedy to their children, however, the Egyptians exert powerful influence and dominion over them. And yet, even in spite of this cruel and barbaric command, the Israelites are continuing to multiply and increase in number. The Egyptians still cannot suppress the rapid reproduction rate of the Hebrews. However, there is still much to fear.

The story opens with a pregnant mother giving birth to a fine male child. She succeeded in hiding him for three months, but was unable to hide him any longer. So she built a basket, placed the child in it, and set it afloat along the banks of the Nile (ironic that this is where the Egyptians were commanded to toss any Hebrew male child). The child’s sister was assigned to watch the fate of the basket and its contents.

Curriculum y1_w22 – Birth of Moses [279kb, PDF]
Graphic y1_w22 – Birth of Moses [764kb, JPG]
Coloring Sheet Birth-of-Moses [55kb, PDF]

Year 1, Week 22 Bible story from the Main Street Curriculum

Teachings

coming soon…

source YouTube

Israelites in Slavery in Egypt

Exodus 1:1-22

The book of Exodus opens up after some 400 years since the close of the book of Genesis. During the time and rule of Joseph alongside of Pharaoh king of Egypt, Jacob (otherwise known as “Israel”), came to Egypt to live during the extreme famine of the day. The family of Jacob, or Israel, settled in the land of Goshen—the finest and most fertile land in all of Egypt. They numbered around seventy in all (Exod 1:5). So the coming nation of Israel is currently living in the land of Egypt, enjoying the protection of the Pharaoh, and the blessing of God.

What we see in the opening chapter of Exodus paints us a disturbing picture of the treatment of the “Israelites” in the land of Egypt…

Curriculum y1_w21 – Israelites in Slavery in Egypt [253kb, PDF]
Graphic y1_w21 – Israelites in Slavery in Egypt [569kb, JPG]
Coloring Sheet Israelites-in-Slavery-in-Egypt [54kb, PDF]

Year 1, Week 21 Bible story from the Main Street Curriculum

Teachings

source YouTube

Joseph’s Family Comes to Egypt

Genesis 42:1—46:7

Joseph is second-in-charge of Egypt—Vice-Pharaoh. The land had just recently undergone seven years of great abundance and was now just a little into the seven years of severe famine. The Lord had warned the Pharaoh of Egypt of the abundance and famine in a dream which Joseph interpreted. Therefore, the government of Egypt was prepared for the famine because it had stockpiled, under the leadership and direction of Joseph, enough food in anticipation of seven bad years.

Meanwhile, back on the old home-front of Joseph back in the land of Canaan, Jacob, or Israel, heard that there was grain in Egypt, sent his sons to get some. So the ten brothers, minus the youngest, Benjamin, embarked on the long, arduous journey to Egypt. “So when Joseph’s brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them” (Gen 42:6-7). His brothers, however, did not recognize Joseph. Joseph remembered the dreams he had as a young boy!

Now, I imagine, Joseph was faced with a quandary: What should he do? Should he repay evil for evil? Should he make them suffer as he did? Or should he administer grace and mercy? After all he had the power to do whatever he wanted…

Curriculum y1_w20 – Josephs Family Comes to Egypt [263kb, PDF]
Graphic y1_w20 – Josephs Family Comes to Egypt [1mb, JPG]
Coloring Sheet Josephs-Family-Comes-to-Egypt [58kb, PDF]

Year 1, Week 20 Bible story from the Main Street Curriculum

Teachings

source YouTube

Joseph’s Slavery Ends

Genesis 41:1-57

Joseph’s life has been a wild roller coaster ride—up and down, up and down, loopy loop. Will things ever work out for the man the Lord has favor on? Two full years pass since the cup-bearer and the baker had their dreams come true. The cup-bearer is still in his position of honor right next to Pharaoh.

And one evening, Pharaoh has a dream…

Curriculum y1_w19 – Josephs Slavery Ends [269kb, PDF]
Graphic y1_w19 – Josephs Slavery Ends [698kb, JPG]
Coloring Sheet Josephs-Slavery-Ends [59kb, PDF]

Year 1, Week 19 Bible story from the Main Street Curriculum

Teachings

source YouTube

Joseph’s Slavery in Jail

Genesis 39:20—40:23

Joseph just cannot catch a break! His brothers threw him in a well and sold him as a slave, was elevated to “head” slave only to be demoted to bottom-of-the-totem-pole prisoner after a completely false accusation was leveled against him.

Could Joseph’s life get any worse?!

Curriculum y1_w18 – Josephs Slavery Continues in Jail [300kb, PDF]
Graphic y1_w18 – Josephs Slavery at Jail [760kb, JPG]
Coloring Sheet Josephs-Slavery-in-Jail [65kb, PDF]

Year 1, Week 18 Bible story from the Main Street Curriculum

Teachings

source YouTube

Joseph’s Slavery at Potiphar’s House

Genesis 39:1-20

Joseph is stuck in slavery. How would you be feeling? Your brothers hated you so much that they threw you into a pit and sold you off to some traveling merchants heading to Egypt. Would you be upset? Would you be complaining? Perhaps.

Joseph ended up being passed off to the captain of the guard for Pharaoh in Egypt. What was Joseph’s attitude like? Well, interestingly enough, “the Lord was with Joseph and he prospered … when his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did … Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned” (Gen 39:2-4).

With Joseph in charge of the house, Potiphar did not concern himself with anything because he knew that everything would be taken care of. Potiphar trusted Joseph, a slave, with everything.

Curriculum y1_w17 – Josephs Slavery at Potiphars House [282kb, PDF]
Graphic y1_w17 – Josephs Slavery at Potiphars House [358kb, JPG]
Coloring Sheet Josephs-Slavery-at-Potiphars-House [57kb, PDF]

Year 1, Week 17 Bible story from the Main Street Curriculum

Teachings

source YouTube

Joseph’s Journey to Slavery

Genesis 37:1-36

Jacob was third in line from the promise of God. The first was Abraham who the Lord told would have descendants as many as the sand on the seashore and as the stars in the heavens. Isaac was the second. The promise was passed on to him because he was the promised son of God to his father. Jacob is next. Of course the promise was passed on to him as well. During Jacob’s life, the Lord changed his name to Israel. Jacob had twelve sons, which would become the twelve tribes of Israel. Joseph was one of those sons.

Joseph was almost the youngest boy in the family. You can imagine how the older brothers treated their much beloved brother. When Joseph was seventeen he told on his brothers to his father. It didn’t help that his dad, Israel, “loved Joseph more than any of his other sons…” (Gen 37:3). He even made a very special, very expensive, multi-colored robe for Joseph. “When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him” (Gen 37:4).

One night Joseph had a dream in which his sheave of grain in a field rose up and the other sheaves bowed down to his. Of course Joseph’s brothers interpreted this dream to mean that they would eventually one day bow down to their brother. “And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he said” (Gen 37:8).

Curriculum y1_w16 – Josephs Journey to Slavery [278kb, PDF]
Graphic y1_w16 – Josephs Journey to Slavery [887kb, JPG]
Coloring Sheet Josephs-Journey-to-Slavery [56kb, PDF]

Year 1, Week 16 Bible story from the Main Street Curriculum

Teachings

source YouTube

Jacob Goes Back to the Land and Wrestles

Genesis 31:1—33:20; 35:1-15

I wonder if deception is a theme in the life of Jacob? It seems to crop up a lot in the biblical stories about him. He deceived his brother Esau, his father Isaac, and now in the following story he continues this cunning practice.

Curriculum y1_w15 – Jacob Goes Back to the Land and Wrestles [350kb, PDF]
Graphic y1_w15 – Jacob Goes Back to the Land and Wrestles [911kb, JPG]
Coloring Sheet Jacob-Goes-Back-to-the-Land-and-Wrestles [69kb, PDF]

Year 1, Week 15 Bible story from the Main Street Curriculum

Teachings

source YouTube