Moses: Manna & Quail to Eat!

We are studying Moses and today we will discuss God continuing to take care of the Israelites after they leave Egypt. I set up an area with felt for the ground and tossed oyster crackers on it for the kids to pick up. The printable project for today is a discussion starter and can be used for just about any lesson.

Review: Last week we learned about Moses and how God sent the 10 plagues to show His power and to force Pharaoh to let the people leave Egypt. There were 600,000 men + women + children + animals!  

Do you remember how the Israelites knew where to go? God led them! During the day, He went in front of them in a pillar of cloud, and to lead the way at night, He went in a pillar of fire to give them light. 

Pharaoh gathered up 600 of his best chariots and the chariots with captains and he chased after the Israelites.  The Israelites were really scared when they saw Pharaoh’s army coming after them, but Moses said that God would fight for them.

Moses stretched out his hand over the Red Sea and God sent a very strong wind from the east. The water rose up and divided! The Israelites walked across the Red Sea on dry land. There was a wall of water on each side of them as they crossed!

All the Egyptians followed them, but God wanted to slow them down and all their chariot wheels were caught (bound or fell off [translation?]) and they had trouble driving them! Moses stretched his hand back over the water and the water went back down. The Red Sea covered all the Egyptian men and chariots! Every single one of them!

Today's lesson is found in Exodus 15-17. Three days after the people had crossed the Red Sea, they couldn't find water in the wilderness. They came to a place called Marah, which means bitter, and they couldn't drink the water that was there.  The people are complaining because they were thirsty and really wanted something to drink. The Lord showed Moses a tree, and Moses threw it into the water. It made the water sweet!

As the people traveled, they complained about food. They complained that they could have had food in Egypt, and why did Moses bring them from Egypt, just to die of hunger in the wilderness?

God said He was going to "rain bread from heaven for them."  God would feed them, but He was going to test them also!

I took in these Coriander Seeds to show them what we THINK the manna was like.

In the morning, there would be dew all around the camp. When the dew lifted, it was small, round like a coriander seed the people called manna. The people ground it up to make small cakes then baked them. (Wikipedia) The manna was white and tasted like a wafer made with honey. 

For five days, the people were only allowed to pick up 1 Omer per person in their tent. On the sixth day, they were to pick up enough for two days. God would provide it every day, except for the seventh day, which was the Sabbath Day, a day of rest. (I had the kids 'pick up manna' now)

If they saved any extra manna, it stank and had worms coming from it! The people gathered their portion, and when the sun became hot, what was left on the ground, melted away.

 God sent quail every evening for them to eat and they covered the ground!

This is what the people ate for 40 years while they were wandering in the wilderness.

In the next lesson, we will continue with Moses and the people as they travel. God will keep providing for them and He will protect them.

This is today's take home project that I used for a discussion starter. Fill in the blanks on different ways that God takes care of us. You can cut off the last panel to use for any lesson. This is on 2 sheets. After printing, cut them out leaving the panels together. On the second sheet, you will see on the far left a tab that you do not cut off so you can glue the 2 panels together and fold like an accordion. You can print it in color or black & white.
Click here to print in color.

Click here to print in color in Spanish.

Click here to print in B/W.

Click here to print in B/W in Spanish.

(I handed out these containers with Gummi Worms and manna, as seen a lot on Pinterest, manna recipe below.)

This manna recipe is from my niece Christina Barkley. Thanks for sharing!

Manna Cookies

1/2 cup butter

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 cups flour

2 tsp. honey

Cream butter and sugar; add eggs and mix well. Add honey and vanilla.

Add flour slowly. Drop by half spoonsful onto cookie sheet and bake @ 400 degrees for 8 min. Watch, these will burn quickly. Click here to print it. (Original recipe owner unknown)

You can print the above signs here.

Click here to print the worksheet.

Click here to download the updated visuals.

Visuals are for Exodus 17. Not all are shown.

Click here to download the pictures to color.
(These are the same as the visuals but are black & white.)

This is today's cut & glue picture to color. I print the backgrounds on different color cardstock, and the pictures for the students to cut are on regular paper. You can print it here.

You can see all the Moses cut & glue pictures to color here.

We marked our Moses map for his travels. You can find more information here.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.

Used by permission.