YEA Lesson Library
Same Song, Second Verse
About This Lesson
This lesson teaches that stubbornness and rebellion against God never turns out well. It didn’t for Pharaoh or for Saul. It won’t for the student who is rebellious against God either.
Scriptures
Exodus 8:1-32
Exodus 9:1-7
1 Samuel 15:1-23
Proverbs 1:24-26
Proverbs 29:1
Words to Know
STUBBORN - unreasonably or perversely unyielding, obstinate, bullheaded, headstrong, mulish, pigheaded, stiff-necked, willful
The Lesson
Seven days passed since the Nile River had turned to blood. Pharaoh may have sighed with relief thinking his visitors wouldn’t return with a message from God. But that didn't happen.
"God said to Moses, 'Go to Pharaoh and tell him “God's Message.” Release my people so they can worship me. If you refuse to release them, I'm warning you, I'll hit the whole country with frogs. The Nile will swarm with frogs - they'll come up into your houses, into your bedrooms and into your beds, into your servants' quarters, among the people, into your ovens and pots and pans. They'll be all over you, all over everyone - frogs everywhere, on and in everything!’
"God said to Moses, Tell Aaron, ‘Wave your staff over the rivers and canals and ponds. Bring up frogs on the land of Egypt.’
"Aaron stretched his staff over the waters of Egypt and a mob of frogs came up and covered the country" (The Message). Can you imagine what it must have been like to have thousands of the hopping critters everywhere you looked?
I'm sure Pharaoh got a certain satisfaction out of his magicians being able to produce frogs in Egypt. But there came a point where Pharaoh had enough frogs. So he called Moses and Aaron and said, "Pray to God to rid us of these frogs. I'll release the people so that they can make their sacrifices and worship God.”
This was agreeable to Moses; he just needed a time when Pharaoh wanted the frogs out. They agreed on the next day. Moses and Aaron left, and Moses prayed to God about the frogs. They died off, were piled in heaps, and stunk like you wouldn't believe.
But all those frogs, dead or alive, stinking or not stinking, didn't improve Pharaoh’s stubborn attitude. And he still held the Israelites captive as slaves. God saw this as a sign to strike again.
This time the dust turned into lice all over Egypt. But this time Pharaoh's magicians couldn't produce lice. They even told him that "this was the finger of God". But that didn't phase Pharaoh. tI was the Same Song, Second Verse. Just as God had said, Pharaoh became stubborn again and wouldn't listen to Moses and Aaron. God told Moses, "Get up early in the morning and confront Pharaoh as he goes down to the water. Tell him, God’s Message: ‘Release my people so they can worship me. If you don't release my people, I'll release swarms of flies on you, your servants, your people, and your homes. The houses of the Egyptians and even the ground under their feet will be thick with flies.'" This time God made a big difference between His people and the Egyptians. He made Goshen, the place where they lived, a sanctuary where there were no flies. But Egypt was absolutely ruined with flies.
Every time things got bad, Pharaoh decided he'd obey God and let the Israelites go to worship Him. This time Pharaoh insisted that they stay in Egypt. Moses told him that wasn't what God had instructed. They couldn't do that because it would be offensive to the Egyptians and they would kill the Israelites. Pharaoh relented, but not for long. As soon as the flies left, Pharaoh became stubborn once again and wouldn't let God's people go.
God simply could not allow this. So again, He sent Moses and Aaron back to Pharaoh with the same message. If he refused to obey this time, the consequences would be on his animals. God would strike them with a severe disease. However, God would draw a very sharp line between the Egyptian cattle and those that belonged to the Israelites. The next day. the plague hit the Egyptian livestock and all of their livestock died while the Israelites' cattle didn't even get sick. But Pharaoh still hadn't learned his lesson and remained stubborn.
Have you ever wondered why it was so bad for Pharaoh to be stubborn? Have you ever stubbornly clung to your own idea or desire and felt that really wasn't so bad? See what you can learn from this story:
Samuel gave God's commands to King Saul to completely destroy the nation of Amalek - men, women, babies, little children, oxen, sheep, camels, and donkeys. Saul mobilized his army. He captured King Agag, but killed everyone else. Then he only destroyed what was worthless or of poor quality. This wasn't at all what God said do. So God became very sorry that He had ever made Saul king of Israel.
When Saul returned, he told Samuel that he had carried out the Lord's commands. Samuel rebuked him by saying. "When you didn't think much of yourself, God made you king of Israel. And He sent you on an errand and told you, 'Go and completely destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, until they are all dead."" Samuel asked why he hadn't obeyed the Lord. He insisted that he had. How could this be when he had brought King Agag back with him alive?
"Samuel replied, 'Has the Lord as much pleasure in your burnt offerings and sacrifices as in your obedience? Obedience is far better than sacrifice. He is much more interested in your listening to him than in your offering the fat of rams to him. For rebellion is as bad as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as bad as worshiping idols'" (I Samuel I5:22-23a TLB).
Always keep this in mind when you're tempted to rebel against God and compromise with His commandments. This was serious business for Pharaoh, for King Saul, and will be for you as well. Remember, "Obedience is far better than sacrifice."
Student Prayer
Great God of Israel,
Thank you for such outstanding lessons. Help me to really consider my life to see how I'm stubborn and help me to rid this sin from it.
In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen.
Daily Devotions
Sunday - Exodus 8: 1-4
Monday - Exodus 8:5-11
Tuesday - Exodus 8:12-15
Wednesday - Exodus 8:16-19
Thursday - Exodus 8:20-23
Friday - Exodus 8:24-32
Saturday - Proverbs 29:1
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
1. Become aware of stubbornness in their own lives and begin working on ridding themselves of it.
2. Explain that repentance grants forgiveness, but consequences are likely to remain.
Topics & Themes
Consequences of Sin
Egypt
Forgiveness
Goshen
Humility
Moses
Pharaoh
Plagues
Repentance
Stubborn
Materials Needed
Bible, YEA Students' and Teacher's books, newsprint pad, markers, tape, attendance and memory verse charts, song book, poster paper, markers, prize, timer
How to Teach This Lesson
Open the class with prayer. Explain that the students will teach this class today with a game called "Sketch the Story." This game is similar to Pictionary. Divide the class into five groups. Depending on the size of the class, either you draw one of the cards after they have drawn, or have the students draw two cards. Each group is to work as a team and illustrate the story on the card they drew. Each group is to use their Bible and YEA book to brainstorm and then "Sketch the Story.” Tell them that the class will guess what they drew, and vote on the best "Sketch the Story.” So it is to their advantage to add as many details as they can to complete the story. Details should include such things as whether Pharaoh's magicians were able to duplicate the plague and what Pharaoh did when God removed the plague. Words can be included when necessary to complete the story. Start the timer and give them about 15 minutes. When the timer rings, call the class back together to sit in a semicircle. Vote on the best "Sketch the Story" and award a prize.
Debrief - Ask: How did you feel about this game as a method of learning the story? What things did you learn from doing this that you didn't learn when you read your lessons? How was this experience like or unlike other things that you've done?
God removes the plague - Ask: Why do you think God removed the plague each time Pharaoh asked Moses to have Him do it?How many of you think God should have removed the plague?What does this tell us about what kind of a God He is? What happened because of Pharaoh's stubbornness?
King Saul's stubbornness - How does your self-esteem compare with tall, handsome King Saul when he began his reign with a brilliant victory over the Ammonites? Have a good reader read the first seven paragraphs under Background about King Saul. Ask: What did King Saul lose because of his stubbornness? (His Kingdom.) How would this be like a President of the United States being impeached? What do you think that would do to his self-esteem?
Teen stubbornness - What are common ways that teenagers are stubborn? How long do you think God will be patient with your stubbornness? How do you see self-esteem involved with your stubbornness? What should self-esteem be replaced with? (Humility.) Ask a student to read Psalm 95:8-11 aloud. Ask: What did the Israelites do wrong? What did their bad actions costs them?
Is God a loving God who will forgive you when you're stubborn and disobedient? What do you have to do to be forgiven? What does forgiveness mean? (It puts you right with God.) Does it mean you won't suffer any consequence for your stubbornness and disobedience? (No, you can live uprightly before God with a clean heart, but you are likely to suffer some consequences for your actions.) What are some examples of consequences that can't be removed? (If you kill a person from driving carelessly, God can forgive you, but he won't bring that person back to life at this time.) Then how are you going to apply today's lesson in your life?
Teacher-Directed Activity
Go over the Activity in the Students' Book with the class.
REACH Activity
Memory Verse Spotlight: Proverbs 1:24-26
Look up the word “spurned.” Write down the Hebrew word and its meaning. Then find three other Scriptures where this word is used. You may also wish to see how it is translated in other Bible translations.
The English Standard Version (ESV) uses “ignored” instead of “spurned.” What do you think? Is one of these two words stronger, in your opinion? Do you think that ignoring God is the same thing as spurning Him? Regardless, neither one is good - verse 26 makes that very clear! How would you like God laughing at your trouble or calamity?
Where in the World? Frogs
Do some research. Does Egypt get an abundance of frogs every spring? Did it used to be a problem that they have fixed somehow? Did you know that the Egyptians worshipped a frog god? You might worship him, but you certainly wouldn’t want him in the mixing bowl where you are making bread! Yuck! Why did the Egyptians think that a frog was worthy of worship? Do you think they still thought they should be worshiped after the plague? What about after all of them died and they raked them up into stinking piles? Would they still want to worship a frog? Write about this in your Bible notebook.
They Did What Back Then? Worshipping the Creation
Romans 1:25 says that some people have worshiped the creation rather than the Creator. Do some research into the gods of Egypt. How many gods were there? What did they worship as gods? Why did they worship these things? Make a list of the main gods of Egypt. Then look at the ten plagues on Egypt. How did each plague show that what they were worshiping was not a god? Write down what you find out in your Bible notebook. Then share it with your family.
Making It Mine: Obedience
God says, “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Do you love God? It’s worth taking a very hard look at. Sometimes we say that we love God because that’s what Christians are supposed to say. But do we live our lives in a way that demonstrates our devotion to God through our obedience to His commandments? Did King Saul obey God? Did Pharaoh do what he agreed to do? Both of them thought more highly of themselves than they should have - and they both paid the consequences for their unwillingness to obey God.
So think about it. Is there something that you know God wants you to do - but you just don’t want to do it? Do you set aside the Sabbath as a day to honor Him? Maybe you go to church, but you’re not listening to the sermon; you’re thinking about what you can do once the sun goes down. That’s going through the outward motions - and God knows exactly what’s going on in your heart. So read your memory verse again. Do you want God’s protection and blessing and guidance? That only happens when you have a true relationship with Him, when you truly love Him and honor Him in your life. It’s a whole lot more than just calling yourself a Christian; it’s living it 24/7. Pray that God will draw you always closer to Himself.
Worldview Collisions: God
Other worldviews claim to worship a god. They are not gods. They are idols made in the image of man. They are capricious, malicious, demanding, and unjust. Think of the Greek and Roman mythology. Jonah 2:8 says, “Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs” (NIV).
A Biblical worldview says that there is one God, the Creator of the Universe. God created and sustains everything (Revelation 4:11). If God willed that everything was destroyed, it would be done. It would be over and we would have absolutely nothing to say about it. But we serve the all-powerful God who is also good.
Write the worldview collision in your Bible notebook and then write a reaction to both sides. Share your thoughts with your family.
Questions
As you’re working through the YEA lesson, Daily Devotionals, doing the activity, or reading the Bible, be sure to write down any questions you have. That way you’ll remember to ask someone. Also remember to share the really interesting things you’re learning with family and friends.
Song
"More Precious Than Silver" is on page 25 of The Group Songbook.
Closing Prayer
Have the class join hands in a circle and ask for a volunteer to lead in prayer thanking God for His forgiveness and asking that He will keep us mindful that there are still consequences even though we are forgiven of our sins.
Printable Pages
