Children’s Message on Exodus 34 Moses on the Mountain Sinai
Main Objective: We read a lot about Moses in the book of Exodus, but sometimes focus more on his Egypt years and forget the remarkable accounts of how he led God’s people in the wilderness. In this message, consider what happened to Moses after he received God’s law (the second time), and how he was transformed by his encounter with God. The people knew by looking at him that Moses was different, profoundly impacted by the Most High Lord. When people look at us as Christians, they should see something different. We might not have faces that literally shine, but through our actions and attitudes we should uniquely stand out and should shine the light of God’s love.
Law/Gospel Theme: Jesus changes us from the inside out. Sometimes the difference is visible, but more often it’s evidenced by the way that we live. When others look at us, they should see the Lord’s power reflected. And we have even greater hope than the ancient Israelites. They saw God’s power and His covenant given through the Commandments. We have the New Covenant of God’s Son, and see His promises fulfilled in Christ. The shiny face of Moses didn’t last long-term, but we can be a light every day!
Exodus 34:4-10 Children’s Sermon on “Moses Shines”
Optional Materials: Flashlights or headlights, mirror (optional).
Bible Passage: Exodus 34:
Message: (Note: adjust to your particular preferences and needs, as with every suggested message.)
Children’s Sermon “Moses in the Mount Sinai and the New Tablet” Exodus 34:4-10
Greet students, and wear a bright headlamp or shine a flashlight under your face. Use whatever works best for your room and audience, making the light bright but not too much so.
Hello, children of God!
You might have noticed something odd here…It’s a little bright, isn’t it? My face looks kind of shiny. And maybe this light is kind of annoying as it’s glaring in your eyes, too. I can set it aside for now. That light made my face look bright and shiny for a minute, but it was just a flashlight beam, and it didn’t last that long. Today I want to share with you a story of someone who had a bright shiny face for a different reason, and it couldn’t be turned off with a light switch.
This account comes to us from the book of Exodus, and it’s about a man named Moses. Now, there are a lot of stories about Moses in Exodus, but most of them happen while Moses is still in Egypt, where the Israelites lived as slaves. This encounter happened after the people departed for the Promised Land and were living in the wilderness. God brought Moses up onto a special mountain, where Moses got to spend time with the Lord. He received (for the second time, but that’s another story) the Ten Commandments, and God made a special covenant with His people. Moses had the blessing and privilege of being in the very presence of God!
When Moses came back down from the mountain, the people noticed that his face was shining. He didn’t have a flashlight or headlamp or anything. He wasn’t shining with sweat or the wrong kind of makeup. Actually, if anything, he should have looked pale and pasty or dull in his complexion, because he hadn’t eaten anything in quite a while. But he had a special glow about him that everyone could see. Actually, it was so intense that he had to cover his face with a veil so that it wouldn’t be too overwhelming. He was shiny because he had been with God. God’s power and light were reflected in Moses, like a mirror reflects what shines in it (Optional: display mirror to show reflections or the light bouncing from a flashlight). Moses gave God’s law to the people, shining with the power that came just from being near the Almighty.
The amazing thing, though, was that God’s covenant with Moses was just the beginning. God’s promises would find fulfillment in Jesus. In fact, Jesus once went up on a mountain and shone with God’s glory, as He revealed Himself to His disciples as the Lord and Messiah. Moses was shiny for a little while, but Jesus was God always.
We can shine with God’s love, too! It might not be physically visible like the face of Moses was. But people will know that there is something different and special about us as Christians. It might be in our faces, if we demonstrate joy that comes from knowing Jesus. It might also be in our attitudes, actions, and words. We should “shine” and display evidence that we know the Lord. Moses was transformed by his encounter with God, and it showed. We, too, should be transformed by knowing Him, and should demonstrate that in our daily lives. We shine the light of God’s love. When others look at us, they should be able to tell that we love the Lord, and they should want to know His love, too. And if we aren’t sure how to show that love in our lives, we can always ask God to help us! We can go to Him in prayer and ask Him to make us examples of what it means to follow Him.
Why don’t we say a prayer about that now?
Prayer:
(Have kids repeat each line, if desired)
Dear God,
Thank you for your presence among us.
Thank you for shining your love through our lives.
Help us to shine for others, too.
Thank you for your love.
We love you, God!
In His name, Amen!
Bible Verses/story to Reference: Exodus 34:4-10, 27-35
So Moses cut two tablets of stone like the first. And he rose early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and took in his hand two tablets of stone. 5 The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. 6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”8 And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped. 9 And he said, “If now I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, please let the Lord go in the midst of us, for it is a stiff-necked people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.” 10 And he said, “Behold, I am making a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels, such as have not been created in all the earth or in any nation. And all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the Lord, for it is an awesome thing that I will do with you.
And the Lord said to Moses, “Write these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” 28 So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights. He neither ate bread nor drank water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments. 29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. 30 Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. 31 But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them. 32 Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he commanded them all that the Lord had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. 33 And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face.
34 Whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded, 35 the people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face was shining. And Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he went in to speak with him. -Exodus 34:4-10, 27-35
On the Mountain with God (Exodus 24:9-18) Printable Bible Lesson & Sunday School Activities
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🚸 Ages 6-12 Years Old