NBC Sunday School Manual For September 29, 2024 : Topic – MOSES AND MIRIAM LEAD THE PEOPLE IN PRAISE.

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SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON FOR YOUR PREPARATION

NBC SUNDAY SCHOOL OUTLINE

Theme for the Month:

"LEADERS SET WORSHIP EXAMPLE."

DATE: SUNDAY, 29TH SEPTEMBER, 2024.

TOPIC: MOSES AND MIRIAM LEAD THE PEOPLE IN PRAISE.

Devotional Reading: Psalm 104:1-9.

Background Scripture: Exodus 14:21-31; 15:1-21.

Lesson Scripture: Exodus 15:1-3, 11-13, 17-18, 20-21.

GOLDEN TEXT:

"Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her, with tambourines and dancing." Exodus 15:20.

Objectives:

By the end of the lesson, class members should be able to:

● Mention the attributes of God, according to Moses in the passage;

● State ways Christians should respond to the amazing victory of God over their adversaries;

● Make commitments to always praise and celebrate God's faithfulness with dancing.

INTRODUCTION

God's command to Moses and Aaron to lead the Israelites from the land of Egypt was not an easy task. Their encounter with Pharaoh, though tough, was a demonstration of God's invincible power, as he refused to let the Israelites go. His refusal led to the nine different plagues (disasters) inflicted on the Egyptians. The last and tenth plague - the death of the firstborn sons of all the Egyptians as well as the firstborn of their livestock devastated them and finally forced Pharaoh to release them. The release necessitated the celebration of the Passover Feast to commemorate their deliverance from slavery in the land of Egypt. Again, God demonstrated His absolute power when He allowed the Israelites to pass through the Red Sea safely and then drowned all the Egyptian forces. When the Israelites saw the great power of God and how He defeated the Egyptians, they stood in awe and had faith in the God of Moses (Exodus 14:30-31). In response to the great deliverance, Moses, Miriam and the Israelites praised God and sang songs of victory.

Today's lesson is centred on Moses' song of victory in celebration of the event from which this book got its name: "the Exodus" from the land of Egypt. If ever a victory deserves to be recorded for posterity, it is Moses' song of triumph. Moses and Miriam led the people of Israel to sing songs of praise to God in appreciation of their miraculous deliverance from slavery in Egypt; and the defeat of Pharaoh's chariots and army in the Red Sea. The people sang and danced for joy. Even today, whenever people experience unexpected miracles, there is always a spontaneous outburst of songs of praise to God. The victory song of Moses and Miriam is replicated by the writer of the book of Revelation as being sung in heaven by the victorious people of God. Even in the face of challenges, Christians should know that victory is imminent as we praise God.

THE LESSON EXPLAINED

A. A SONG OF VICTORY AND ADORATION

[Exodus 15:1-3, 11-13]

One of the outstanding miracles in the Bible is the miracle of the parting of the Red Sea. God displayed His absolute power by allowing the Israelites to walk on dry ground, in safety, and then drowned the Egyptian forces who wanted to attack them, and probably take them back to Egypt as slaves. When the Israelites saw the miraculous acts of God against the Egyptians, they feared the Lord and put their trust in Him (Exodus 14:29-31). The miracle caused Moses and the Israelites to sing songs of praise and thanksgiving to God. In verse 1, they sang: "I will sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea." Moses affirmed that God has become his strength, defence, salvation and warrior; so, he will praise Him. His desire to praise God is based on the fact that He has no equal. He is majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, and faithful in keeping His promises and works wonders.

The God of Israel is incomparable in power, wisdom and might, unlike the gods of other nations (Psalm 89:6-8). His absolute power was displayed right from the time He called Moses to the noble task of leading the Israelites out of the land of Egypt, under Pharaoh. Nevertheless, the parting of the Red Sea, which was witnessed by Moses made him confident that the Lord is a Warrior. When Moses and the Israelites saw the awesome power by which God defeated their enemies, they declared, "The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name." (v. 3) Prophet Isaiah also said, "The LORD will march out like a champion, like a warrior he will stir up his zeal; with a shout he will raise the battle cry and will triumph over his enemies." (Isaiah 42:13) As the horse and the rider were thrown into the sea in the days of Moses, Jesus has also defeated the Devil and his cohorts on the cross of Calvary. Therefore, the world and the Devil have no power over believers in Christ. This should provoke praise and thanksgiving because the Devil and his agents have been defeated and the children of God are liberated from sin and oppression.

DISCUSSION TIME:

1. Is it good for believers in Christ to celebrate the death of their so-called enemies?

2. Explain how Christians can rest assured that God will fight their battles.

B. GOD IS EXTOLLED FOR VICTORY

[Exodus 15:17-18, 20-21]

As Moses continued to eulogise God for the victory of His people, he confirmed God's plan of restoration in verse 17 saying, "You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of your inheritance the place, LORD, you made for your dwelling, the sanctuary, Lord, your hands established." Miriam, the sister of Moses was also fascinated by the miracle of the parting of the Red Sea that she led the other women in singing praises to God and dancing. She admonished the women saying, "Sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea." (v. 21) The song was in appreciation of the faithfulness of God and His wonderful deeds. The Israelites walked through the Red Sea on dry ground but Pharaoh's horses, chariots and horsemen drowned in the sea. The Israelites moved from the Red Sea towards the Desert of Shur.

Noteworthy in the passage is the fact that Moses did not arrogate the glory to himself, even though he was the instrument God used to perform the miracle. Instead, he attributed the glory to God. He acknowledged that God will lead His people and guide them to their dwelling place (the Promised Land), and He will reign forever (vv. 17-18). The miracle of the parting of the Red Sea should serve as a reminder to believers in Christ that God is able to fight their battles if they put their trust in Him. Therefore, Christians should trust in God always, affirm His faithfulness and praise Him with all kinds of musical instruments for the battles He has fought and those He is yet to fight on their behalf. More importantly, as Christians, our songs should be filled with the hope of salvation, victory over sin and Satan, and must point people to God.

DISCUSSION TIME:

1. Discuss other ways Christians can celebrate God's daily victory over sin, Satan and death.

2. Mention the lessons derived from the lyrics of the songs of Moses and Miriam.

Fellowship and Ministry Building Activity:

Compose songs of praise and thanksgiving in different languages and encourage class members to cultivate the habit of praising God with every available musical instrument, as families as well as in the church.

Take Home:

Write down three lessons you are taking home from today's lesson?

● __________

Commitment:

● Based on today's lesson, make a personal and sincere commitment to always sing, dance and praise God, irrespective of the circumstance you may find yourself.

REVIEW FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER

We thank God for bringing us to the end of the third quarter of the year. It has been a wonderful experience, teaching and learning God's Word. Therefore, we want to know some facts about your understanding of the lessons so far:

● Did you gain any new insight into peaceful ways of resolving conflicts?

● What are the new things you learned about the beautiful temple built by Solomon?

● What were some of your struggles concerning Hezekiah's style of prayer for deliverance?

● How did the attitude of Miriam and Moses challenge you to cultivate the habit of praising God, especially for your victory?

Happy Sunday in Advance.

🌨 Remain Inspired & Be Lifted!