Moses and Pharaoh Sunday School Lesson for Kids

This free Moses and Pharaoh Sunday school lesson teaches kids that God's power is greater than anything. God sent Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh, and they did as the LORD commanded. Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, "and it became a serpent" (Exodus 7:10). Pharaoh's magicians cast down their rods too, "but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods" (7:12). Even so, Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen (7:13). It comes in four age levels, each a separate printable teacher lesson, plus one take-home sheet for families. Everything is in the order you teach it.

Choose your age level

• Preschool (ages 3–5), 20–30 minutes, 2 pages: a Rod or Serpent? game, a short story with hand motions and repeat-after-me lines, three simple questions, a shortened memory verse ("Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods") with motions, and a rod and a serpent to draw and color.
• Kindergarten to 2nd grade, 45 minutes, 3 pages: a The LORD Commanded listening game, the story in simple words with a stick to show the rod, five recall questions with answers, the Swallow It Up memory verse motions, and God Is Greater.
• 3rd to 5th grade, 45–60 minutes, 3 pages: a Which Is Greater? game, kids look up verses in their own Bibles during a fuller story (the rod at the burning bush, Pharaoh's "Who is the LORD?", Moses at 80 and Aaron at 83, the hard heart), five thinking questions and three recall questions, and a Bible look-up race.
• Preteens (ages 11–12), 45–60 minutes, 3 pages: students read Exodus 5:1–2, 7:1–13 and 4:2–5 out loud themselves, then discuss Pharaoh's question "Who is the LORD?", obeying God exactly, and why a miracle did not change a hard heart. Six discussion questions, a journal page, and two memory verses (Exodus 7:12 and Hebrews 3:15).

Lesson at a glance

• Bible passage: Exodus 7:8–13
• Main point: God's power is greater than anything, and we can obey Him.
• Memory verse: Exodus 7:12 (KJV), with Hebrews 3:15 added for preteens
• Ages: preschool to preteen, in four versions

Lesson outline (the same in every version)

1. Opening game: a short game about obeying God, or about what is greater.
2. Bible story: God tells Moses and Aaron that Pharaoh will say "Shew a miracle" (Exodus 7:9), Aaron casts down his rod before Pharaoh and it becomes a serpent (7:10), the magicians' rods become serpents too (7:11–12), Aaron's rod swallows up their rods (7:12), and Pharaoh's heart is hardened (7:13). Every fact has its verse reference so you can check it.
3. Questions to ask: with answers, at the right level for each age.
4. Memory verse: a game or motion to help kids learn Exodus 7:12.
5. What this means for us: listen to God with a soft heart, the gospel (Acts 2:38), and a challenge for the week.
6. Activity: the word search, crossword, maze, worksheet, the Moses and Pharaoh craft, God Is Greater, a Bible look-up race or a journal page, depending on the age.
7. Prayer.

Tips for teaching Moses and Pharaoh

• Show it with a real stick: hold it up as Aaron's rod and lay it down when it "became a serpent" (Exodus 7:10).
• Explain the old words: cast down means threw down, a serpent is a snake, fourscore is 80 (7:7), and hearkened not means did not listen (7:13).
• The magicians are named only as the Bible names them (7:11). The lesson doesn't explain how they did it, and it has no magic tricks or games. The point is that God was greater (7:12).
• Keep the serpents friendly for little ones, and keep the focus on God's power, not on the snakes.
• Short on time? Do the story, three questions and the memory verse. That is a solid 25-minute lesson.