Lesson 33 - Elementary

Memory Verse

"The Lord is my helper"  (Hebrews 13:6).

Notes

Our Kind God

Moses and his people had been on the march for about three months and God had taken very good care of them all the time. To guide them and perhaps protect them God gave them a cloud by day. At night He led them with a light. When there was no water He even made it come out of a rock. If the water was not good where they were camping, He told them how to make it good. He gave them manna from Heaven, and they were never hungry. He made their clothes last a long time. He kept them strong and well to travel. But even though God was so very kind to them, they often complained. When they were sorry and asked God to forgive them, God forgave them and went on helping them as a kind father helps his children. But God is the kindest of all fathers, and we should be thankful to Him and love Him always.

God - The Teacher

The time came when the people should go to God's school and learn what He wanted them to do, and how to worship Him in the right way. God told Moses, and Moses told the people. Moses loved and obeyed God and God often talked to him.

They reached a good place to camp, and here was a mountain that God had chosen to come down upon when He spoke to the people. God called Moses up into the mountain, and told Moses that if the people would obey Him He would give them many good things, and make them happy. When Moses told the people what God had said, they answered: "All that the LORD had spoken we will do.” But they soon forgot their promise. Sometimes people make promises to God when they are sick or are in need of God's help; and when God heals them and helps them, they forget the promises they made to Him.

Clean People

God wants people to have clean hearts, and He told Moses to tell the people to make themselves clean for the third day when He would talk to them through Moses.

God said that He would come down to the mountain, but that the people must not try to come up to see Him. They must not even touch the mountain. Not even the cattle were to be permitted to touch the mountain. It had become a marvelous place because God was there. Moses knew what to tell the people to do to make themselves clean.

Our Wonderful God

On the day set by God there was thunder and lightning from the mountain, and the mountain shook. God came down to the top of the mountain. He called Moses up to Him. Moses would never have dared to go up there if God had not told him to come.

God knew what the people would likely do, so He warned them not to come near the mountain; if they touched the mountain they would surely die. God told Moses and Aaron what He wanted them to teach the people; and what they learned then is a help to us today. He taught them to fear God, obey Him, love Him, and trust Him. When they did as God told them to do, they were happy. When we do what God tells us to do, we too are happy and we may look forward to being with God in Heaven forever.

Questions

1. How did Moses keep the people from getting too near the mountain? [EXO:19:12].

2. What would have happened if anyone had touched the mountain? [EXO:19:12].

3. How did the people prepare for the day that the Lord would talk to them? [EXO:19:14].

4. What happened to the mountain when the Lord came down? [EXO:19:18].

5. Whom did the Lord call up into the mountain? [EXO:19:20-24].