Once upon a time there was a man named Moses. God had sent him to lead the people of Israel out of a land called Egypt. In Egypt, the Israelites were not doing well. They had to work hard, and the king, whose name was Pharaoh, was not nice to them.
God said to Moses, “I want to take my people to a beautiful land where they will prosper.” But Pharaoh did not want to let the people go. Then God performed many miracles to show Pharaoh that he was stronger. But Pharaoh still wouldn’t let her go.
Then God said to the Israelites: “Prepare yourselves, tonight you will go away. Smear the doors of your houses with the blood of a sheep, so that I may see your house and protect you.” They did, and that night they were safe. At last Pharaoh let the Israelites go.
So all the people left Egypt. There were many, many people, and everyone gathered to leave. But then Pharaoh changed his mind. He didn’t want the Israelites to be gone, so he sent his soldiers to get them back.
When the Israelites arrived, they were standing by a great sea. The soldiers came closer, and the people were afraid. But Moses said, “Do not be afraid, God will help us!”
God said to Moses, “Lift your stick high above the water.” Then Moses did it, and a miracle happened! The water parted, and a path was created through the middle of the sea! The Israelites walked on the dry ground between the water.
When they were on the other side, Pharaoh wanted to go through the sea with his soldiers. But when they were in the middle, God let the water come back, and the soldiers went down. The sea was back to normal.
The Israelites were safe and free. They were so happy and thanked God for His help. Moses sang a song, and everyone celebrated and praised God.
Message of history
God takes care of us and helps us when we are afraid. He always has a plan to save us. Let us trust him!
Bible passage
Here is the Bible passage about the Exodus from Egypt from Exodus 12-14 in the Schlachter 2000 translation:
*Exodus 12:31-42: “And he called Moses and Aaron in the night, saying, ‘Arise, depart from my people, both you and the children of Israel.’ Go and serve the Lord, as you have said. Take your sheep and your cattle with you, as you have said, and go; and ask your God for a blessing for me. And the Egyptians urged the people to send them out of the country quickly; for they said, “We are all dead!” Then the people carried their still unleavened dough on their shoulders, wrapped in cloths, and their baking bowls. And the children of Israel did as Moses had said, and asked the Egyptians for silver and gold utensils and garments. To this end, the Lord had bestowed grace on the people in the eyes of the Egyptians, so that they granted their request. And so they plundered the Egyptians. So the children of Israel marched from Raëmses to Sukkot, about 600,000 men on foot, the men without the children. There were also many mixed people with them, as well as sheep and cattle, and a great deal of cattle. And they baked flatbreads out of the dough that they had taken with them from Egypt, because it was not leavened; for they had been driven out of Egypt, and could not tarry any longer, nor had they prepared for themselves any provisions. But the time that the children of Israel had lived in Egypt was 430 years. And it came to pass at the end of the 430 years, on that very day, that all the army of the Lord came out of the land of Egypt. This was a night of vigil for the Lord, to bring them out of the land of Egypt; this is this night of watching for the Lord, which all the children of Israel shall keep to the Lord with their generations to come.”
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Genesis 13:17-22: “So when Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them through the land of the Philistines, although he was near; for God said, “The people may repent when they see battle before them, and they may return to Egypt.” That is why God made the people make a detour, the way through the desert to the Sea of Reeds. And the children of Israel came out of the land of Egypt in order. And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him; for he had made the children of Israel swear an oath and said, “God will surely visit you; then lead my bones up with you from here. So they went out from Sukkot and camped in Etam on the edge of the desert. And the Lord went before them, by day in a pillar of cloud to guide them in the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might walk day and night. The pillar of cloud did not depart from the people by day, nor the pillar of fire by night.”
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Genesis 14:21-31: “Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea away all night long by a strong east wind, and made the sea dry land, and the waters parted. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground; and the waters were a wall to them on the right and on the left. And the Egyptians chased after them, and came after them, all of Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen, into the midst of the sea. And it came to pass, in the morning watch, that the Lord looked upon the army of the Egyptians in the pillar of fire and the pillar of cloud, and confused the army of the Egyptians. And He let the wheels run off their chariots, and made it difficult for them to move forward. Then the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from Israel.” For the LORD fights for them against the Egyptians! Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, and the water may come again on the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen.” Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea came into his—”*
