Memorizing the Map: Before you take off on the road trip of a lifetime, take a good look at the map! Use the table of contents in your Bible. These are the stops we’ll be making on our journey. Memorizing them in order will help you find verses and stories in the Bible in the same way that memorizing the alphabet helps you find things in a dictionary or an encyclopedia.
Souvenir Scrapbook: We will be referencing the scrapbook all along our journey through the Bible. Keeping a scrapbook is a wonderful way for children to respond to the road trip in a personal way. They can include activities and projects, as well as their own thoughts and ideas, artwork, and poetry. I can’t wait to see everyone’s scrapbooks when we are done with our journey!!
Exodus – Old Testament: The Law
- Author: Moses
- Time Line: 1445 B.C. – 1400 B.C.
- Purpose: Exodus records the deliverance of God’s people from Egypt and how He developed the Israelites as a nation.
- Key People: Moses, Miriam, Aaron, Pharaoh, the Children of Israel
- Key Verses: Exodus 20: 2-3
- Trip Tip: There are more miracles recorded in Exodus than any other Old Testament book. Exodus means departure or escape.
Travel Guide: This trip through Exodus is anything but a peaceful afternoon drive! The Israelites have grown into a nation of over two million, and yet the Pharaoh of Egypt forces them into slavery for more than 400 years. God rescues the Israelites from slavery and begins to shape them into a new nation. As God’s people journey along His road of redemption, suspense builds in an intense duel between God and Pharaoh, followed by a high-speed chase and then, a detour that will leave you holding onto your seat! But that is only the beginning. The 40-year trek to the Promised Land is filled with breakdowns and pit stops that require more of God’s powerful miracles and loving repair work.
Getting Ready: Use these warm-up questions to see what your children already know and to prepare them for their trip.
- How did God’s people end up in Egypt? (Joseph – see Genesis 45-47)
- Who did God send to lead His people out of Egypt? (Moses)
- What are the names of Moses’ brother and sister? (Aaron and Miriam)
- What was the name of the river where Pharaoh’s daughter found baby Moses? (the Nile River)
Road Map:
- Exodus 2: 1-8 – Birth of Moses
- Exodus 3 – God Calls Moses
- Exodus 7-11 – The Plagues
- Exodus 12 – The Passover
- Exodus 12: 31-42 – The Exodus
- Exodus 20 – The Ten Commandments
Trip Begins:
- Distribute the Souvenir Scrapbooks, pencils or markers, and glue sticks. Direct your children to find Exodus on their Route 66 maps and write the number ‘2’ in the space provided.
- Use the Travel Guide (above) to introduce the book of Exodus to your children.
- Write the Key Verse (Exodus 20: 2-3) in their Souvenir Scrapbooks.
Fuel Up: It’s time to “fuel up.” Use your Bible to answer these questions about the book of Exodus – Stop 2 on our road trip!
- How many chapters are in the book of Exodus?
- Why did Pharaoh make the Israelites his slaves in Egypt? (Exodus 1: 6-10)
- What was the name of the baby hidden in a basket in the Nile? (Exodus 2: 1-10)
- Why did Moses run away to Midian? (Exodus 2: 11-15)
- How did God first appear to Moses? (Exodus 3: 1-6)
- What mission did God give Moses? (Exodus 3: 7-10)
- Who did God say would help Moses speak to Pharaoh? (Exodus 4: 14-17)
- List the ten plagues that God used to show His power to the Egyptians. (Exodus 7: 14-11:9)
- What special ceremony did God tell the Children of Israel to celebrate, in honor of their deliverance from slavery in Egypt? (Exodus 12: 1-29)
- How did the Children of Israel escape from Pharaoh once and for all? (Exodus 14: 5-31)
Mile Marker: At first, Moses didn’t want to accept the mission God gave him. He didn’t think he could do it. It seemed too difficult to him. (See Exodus 3: 11-12, 4: 1-12) Have you ever felt that way about something you were asked to do? What did Moses learn that helped him? How can Moses’ story help you? Write about it in your Souvenir Scrapbook.
The Ten Commandments: In the book of Exodus, God gave Moses the Ten Commandments – special laws for His people to follow. If you know them by heart, go ahead and write them down. If you need help, look them up in Exodus 20: 3-17. You don’t have to copy the explanation of the law, just the ‘you shall’ or ‘you shall not’ part. Add these to your Souvenir Scrapbook.
Fill in the number of the commandment that matches the description below:
- Which commandment tells us to honor God with a day of rest?
- Which commandment tells us not to lie?
- Which commandment tells us there is only one God?
- Which commandment tells us not to be jealous of what others have?
- Which commandment tells us to be faithful to the person we marry?
- Which commandment tells us to show respect to our parents?
- Which commandment tells us not to use God’s name as a swear word?
- Which commandment tells us not to worship idols?
- Which commandment tells us not to take things that don’t belong to us?
Looking for more? Check out these YouTube videos:
Closing Prayer: Lord, your word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Thank you that we can live in Your light and walk in Your truth. May the things that you have revealed and thoughts that we have shared dwell in our hearts and stir us to action. We ask all this in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.