Single lesson
Moses and the Burning Bush: Listening to God
Exodus 3:1–4:17
God called Moses while he was caring for sheep at Horeb. In this lesson, children trace Moses’ questions and notice how God answered each one with his presence, his name, his signs, and practical help.
Before you teach
Exodus 3:1–4:17 begins with Moses at God’s mountain, Horeb, where he sees a bush burning without being consumed. God speaks from the bush, identifies himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, says he has seen Israel’s suffering in Egypt, and sends Moses to Pharaoh. Moses raises several objections, and God answers each one.
Children will be able to name at least three of Moses’ questions or objections and match each one with God’s response from Exodus 3:1–4:17.
Welcome: Notice the surprising bush
5 minShow a green branch or draw a bush on paper. Ask the children what Moses first noticed. Read Exodus 3:1–4 together and point out the order: Moses was keeping the flock, saw the bush burning, went closer to look, and then God called his name. Explain that today they will listen for Moses’ questions and God’s answers.
Exodus 3:1, Exodus 3:2, Exodus 3:3, Exodus 3:4
Read and explain: God’s call and holy ground
7 minRead Exodus 3:5–10. Explain that holy ground means the place was set apart because God was speaking there. Notice what God says about himself and about his people: he is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and he has seen, heard, and known Israel’s suffering. Then God gives Moses a task: go to Pharaoh and bring Israel out of Egypt.
Exodus 3:5, Exodus 3:6, Exodus 3:7, Exodus 3:8, Exodus 3:9, Exodus 3:10
Discuss: Moses’ first questions and God’s answers
6 minRead Exodus 3:11–15 and ask children to listen for Moses’ questions. Moses asks, “Who am I?” and later asks what he should say if the Israelites ask God’s name. God answers first with his presence, “I will be with you,” and then with his name, “I AM WHO I AM”, and “Yahweh”. Help children see that God does not leave Moses without an answer.
Exodus 3:11, Exodus 3:12, Exodus 3:13, Exodus 3:14, Exodus 3:15
Make and respond: Bush craft with question flames
8 minChildren make a simple bush craft. On paper flames, write or draw Moses’ worries: people may not believe me, I am slow of speech, please send someone else. On green paper leaves, write God’s responses: signs, “I will be with your mouth”, and Aaron will help. As they stick the pieces on, remind them that this craft shows the conversation in the passage, not a new Bible event.
Exodus 4:1, Exodus 4:2, Exodus 4:5, Exodus 4:10, Exodus 4:12, Exodus 4:13, Exodus 4:14, Exodus 4:15, Exodus 4:17
Closing: God answers and sends Moses
4 minRead selected verses from Exodus 4:1–17. Summarise the pattern: Moses keeps raising objections, and God keeps answering with signs, teaching, and Aaron’s help. Finish by asking each child to say one question Moses asked and one answer God gave. This checks the lesson goal clearly and keeps the focus on the text.
Exodus 4:1, Exodus 4:5, Exodus 4:8, Exodus 4:9, Exodus 4:10, Exodus 4:12, Exodus 4:13, Exodus 4:14, Exodus 4:15, Exodus 4:17
Questions to explore
Why did Moses go over to the bush before God called him?
The text says Moses saw that the bush burned with fire and was not consumed, so he went to see this great sight before God called his name.
Exodus 3:2, Exodus 3:3, Exodus 3:4
What did God say when Moses asked, “Who am I?”
Point children to God’s direct answer: not a compliment about Moses, but the promise, “Certainly I will be with you.”
Exodus 3:11, Exodus 3:12
How did God help when Moses said he was slow of speech and asked for someone else?
The passage says God promised to be with Moses’ mouth, and then appointed Aaron to speak with him and receive Moses’ words.
Exodus 4:10, Exodus 4:12, Exodus 4:14, Exodus 4:15, Exodus 4:16
Make, think or respond
Burning Bush Questions and Answers Craft
What you’ll need
- green paper or scrap paper
- orange or red paper
- glue
- textas or pencils
- scissors
Try it together
- Cut or tear green paper into a bush shape and orange or red paper into flame shapes.
- Write or draw Moses’ questions or objections on some flames and God’s answers on others.
- Glue the bush onto a page and place the flames around or above it.
- Read each flame aloud and match it with the verse where it appears.
The craft helps children sort Moses’ objections and God’s responses from Exodus 3:1–4:17.
Adapt for your group
- For younger children, pre-cut the bush and flames and use simple picture prompts such as a mouth, a stick, and two people for Aaron’s help.
- For older or stronger readers, let them look up the verses themselves and label each objection with the matching answer from the text.
An optional closing prayer
You may pray: “God, thank you that you spoke to Moses and answered his questions. Please help us listen carefully to your words and trust your help when a task feels hard. Amen.”
Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic
Exodus 3
1 Now Moses was keeping the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the back of the wilderness, and came to God’s mountain, to Horeb.
2 Yahweh’s angel appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the middle of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
3 Moses said, “I will go now, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.”
4 When Yahweh saw that he came over to see, God called to him out of the middle of the bush, and said, “Moses! Moses!” He said, “Here I am.”
5 He said, “Don’t come close. Take off your sandals, for the place you are standing on is holy ground.”
6 Moreover he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God.
7 Yahweh said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.
8 I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey; to the place of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite.
9 Now, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to me. Moreover I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.
10 Come now therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh, that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”
11 Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”
12 He said, “Certainly I will be with you. This will be the token to you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”
13 Moses said to God, “Behold, when I come to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what should I tell them?”
14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM,” and he said, “You shall tell the children of Israel this: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”
15 God said moreover to Moses, “You shall tell the children of Israel this, ‘Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and this is my memorial to all generations.
16 Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and tell them, ‘Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt.
17 I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, to a land flowing with milk and honey.” ’
18 They will listen to your voice. You shall come, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt, and you shall tell him, ‘Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to Yahweh, our God.’
19 I know that the king of Egypt won’t give you permission to go, no, not by a mighty hand.
20 I will reach out my hand and strike Egypt with all my wonders which I will do among them, and after that he will let you go.
21 I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, and it will happen that when you go, you shall not go empty-handed.
22 But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, and of her who visits her house, jewels of silver, jewels of gold, and clothing. You shall put them on your sons, and on your daughters. You shall plunder the Egyptians.”
Exodus 4
1 Moses answered, “But, behold, they will not believe me, nor listen to my voice; for they will say, ‘Yahweh has not appeared to you.’ ”
2 Yahweh said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.”
3 He said, “Throw it on the ground.” He threw it on the ground, and it became a snake; and Moses ran away from it.
4 Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand, and take it by the tail.” He stretched out his hand, and took hold of it, and it became a rod in his hand.
5 “This is so that they may believe that Yahweh, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”
6 Yahweh said furthermore to him, “Now put your hand inside your cloak.” He put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow.
7 He said, “Put your hand inside your cloak again.” He put his hand inside his cloak again, and when he took it out of his cloak, behold, it had turned again as his other flesh.
8 “It will happen, if they will not believe you or listen to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.
9 It will happen, if they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, that you shall take of the water of the river, and pour it on the dry land. The water which you take out of the river will become blood on the dry land.”
10 Moses said to Yahweh, “O Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before now, nor since you have spoken to your servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.”
11 Yahweh said to him, “Who made man’s mouth? Or who makes one mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Isn’t it I, Yahweh?
12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall speak.”
13 Moses said, “Oh, Lord, please send someone else.”
14 Yahweh’s anger burned against Moses, and he said, “What about Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Also, behold, he is coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.
15 You shall speak to him, and put the words in his mouth. I will be with your mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what you shall do.
16 He will be your spokesman to the people. It will happen that he will be to you a mouth, and you will be to him as God.
17 You shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs.”
World English Bible Classic. Public domain.
Source passages
Something to make together
These activities connect with the passage. Choose one that suits your group and the time you have.
