In Exodus 5, Moses and Aaron ask Pharaoh to let God’s people go, and things get much harder before they get better. Children learn that God is with us even when a situation seems to get worse. This lesson works well for ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes.
Big Idea
God keeps His promises, even when it feels like nothing is going right. We can keep trusting Him and talking to Him.
Memory Verse
Exodus 5:1
Afterward Moses and Aaron came, and said to Pharaoh, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’”
(WEB)
Stand up tall with your arms stretched out like a messenger carrying a big message. Then slowly lower your hands to your heart and say the words together. Doing the motion each time helps children remember that Moses went to Pharaoh with a message from God.
The Story: Exodus 5 for Kids
Moses and his brother Aaron went to see Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. They told him that God, the God of Israel, said, “Let my people go so they can hold a feast for me in the wilderness.” Pharaoh did not know the LORD, and he did not want to let the people go. He said, “Why should I listen to your God? Get back to your work!”
Pharaoh was angry, and he decided to make the people’s work even harder. The people of Israel had been making bricks for Pharaoh’s building projects. Before, the workers had been given straw to mix into the mud for the bricks. Now Pharaoh told them to find their own straw, but they still had to make the same number of bricks every day.
The workers spread out all over Egypt, looking for bits of straw in the fields. It was hard, tiring work, and they could not make as many bricks as before. The officers the Egyptians had put in charge of the Israelites were punished and beaten for not finishing their quotas. They went to Pharaoh and asked him why he was treating them this way.
Pharaoh told them they were lazy and that they still had to make the same number of bricks. The officers were in trouble. When they saw Moses and Aaron waiting for them, they blamed them for making things worse. Moses was sad and went back to God. He said, “Lord, why have you brought trouble on these people? Things are worse since I came to Pharaoh.”
Read It Together
Exodus 5:2
Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD, that I should listen to his voice to let Israel go? I don’t know the LORD, and moreover I will not let Israel go.”
(WEB)
Point out that Pharaoh said he did not know the LORD and would not listen. Ask children what it feels like when someone refuses to listen to a message that matters. Remind them that God still had a plan even when the king did not want to hear it.
Exodus 5:7-8
7 “You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick, as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 The number of the bricks, which they made before, you require from them. You shall not diminish anything of it, for they are idle; therefore they cry, saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’
(WEB)
Show children how the workers were told to find their own straw but still make the same number of bricks. Help them see that the job got much harder for the people. Explain that God saw their hard work and their troubles, even when no one else seemed to.
Exodus 5:22-23
22 Moses returned to the LORD, and said, “Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Why is it that you have sent me? 23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people; and you have not rescued your people at all.”
(WEB)
Point out that Moses took his worries straight to the LORD and asked honest questions. Tell children that talking to God about our hard days is always a good thing to do. Explain that Moses could bring his feelings to God because God cares for His people.
Talk About It
- How do you think the workers felt when Pharaoh made their job harder?
- What is something hard you have had to do that felt unfair?
- What did Moses do when things got worse, and what can we learn from him?
- Why do you think God wanted Moses to go back to Pharaoh even after it went badly?
- Who can you talk to when you feel worried or discouraged?
Activity Ideas
Mud Brick Craft
You will need clay or play dough, small sticks or straw pieces, and a small paper tray. Let children mix a little straw into the clay and press it into brick shapes. As they work, talk about how the straw helped the bricks hold together. Then talk about how God helps us stay strong when our work feels hard.
Pharaoh Says Freeze Game
Ask children to line up on one side of the room while you stand as Pharaoh on the other. Call out a command, like “Make bricks!” or “Find straw!”, and have them move quickly toward you. Each time you say “Freeze,” they must stop. Use the game to talk about how the people kept trying even when the rules kept changing.
Take-Home Trust Card
Give each child an index card and some markers. Ask them to draw a small picture of something hard they face and write “God is with me” at the bottom. Encourage them to place the card somewhere they will see it each morning. This helps them remember that God is with them on the tough days.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that obeying God does not always bring immediate relief. Moses did what God asked, yet the people suffered more at first, and Moses felt confused and discouraged. The passage honestly records that feeling and still places the story in God’s larger plan.
With children, avoid suggesting that faithful people will always see their problems solved quickly. Keep the focus on God’s presence and faithfulness rather than promising a particular outcome. Let children know that God hears them and cares, even when the answer takes time.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank You that You are with us when things are hard. Help us trust You even when we do not understand what is happening. Thank You that we can bring our questions and worries to You. Help us remember that You always keep Your promises. Amen.
