Grade 1
Course ContentBible Stories (Noah/Moses)
Habari Mwanafunzi! Let's Explore Two Giants of Faith!
Have you ever seen the long rains in Kenya? Sometimes the rivers overflow, and it feels like the whole world is covered in water. Or have you ever heard stories of great Kenyan leaders who guided our people to freedom and gave us laws to live by? Today, we are going to dive into the Holy Bible to learn about two incredible stories that are a bit like that, but on an epic scale! We'll meet Noah, who faced the biggest flood ever, and Moses, who led a whole nation to freedom. Let's begin our adventure!
The Story of Noah: God's Promise in the Rain
Imagine a time when people had forgotten about God. They were not kind to each other, and there was a lot of wickedness. In the whole world, there was one man who stood out. His name was Noah. The Bible says Noah was a righteous man, meaning he was a good person who walked with God. He was like that respected Mzee in the village everyone looks up to for his wisdom and integrity.
God saw the wickedness and was sad, but He saw the goodness in Noah and decided to save him and his family. He gave Noah a very big, very strange task.
The Great Task: Building the Ark
God told Noah to build a massive boat, called an Ark. It wasn't a small fishing boat like you see on Lake Victoria; it was huge! It had to be big enough to carry his family and two of every kind of animal. The instructions were very specific.
Image Suggestion: [A digital painting of Noah, an elderly African man with a kind, determined face, directing his sons as they build a massive wooden ark. The sky is partly cloudy, hinting at the coming storm. The setting is a savanna-like environment with acacia trees in the background.]
Let's look at the size of the Ark from Genesis 6:15. This is a great chance to mix CRE with a little bit of Maths!
--- The Ark's Dimensions (Maths Corner!) ---
The Bible says the Ark was:
- Length: 300 cubits
- Width: 50 cubits
- Height: 30 cubits
What is a cubit? It's an ancient measurement, roughly the length from your elbow to the tip of your middle finger.
Let's say 1 cubit is about 0.45 meters.
Calculation for the length:
300 cubits * 0.45 meters/cubit = 135 meters
That's longer than a football pitch! This was a serious project that required immense faith and hard work.
People probably laughed at Noah. Imagine building a huge boat in the middle of dry land, far from any large lake or ocean. It would be like someone building a ferry in the middle of Lodwar! But Noah listened to God, not the crowds.
/ )
/ )
/ )
/_______)
| |
| |
|_______|
\ /
\ /
\ /
---> Noah's Ark (ASCII Art)
The Flood, The Rescue, and The Promise
When the Ark was finished, the animals came, and Noah's family went inside. Then, the rain started. It rained for 40 days and 40 nights. The world was flooded, but inside the Ark, Noah's family and the animals were safe. After many months, the water went down, and they came out onto dry land.
God then made a special promise, a covenant, with Noah and all living creatures. He promised never again to destroy the earth with a flood. As a sign of this promise, He put a rainbow in the sky.
Image Suggestion: [A vibrant, beautiful rainbow arching over the Maasai Mara in Kenya. Below, various African animals like elephants, giraffes, and zebras are peacefully grazing. The scene is full of hope and new beginnings.]
Lessons from Noah
- Obedience: Noah obeyed God completely, even when the instructions seemed strange. -
- Faith: He had faith that God's word was true, even when there was no sign of rain. -
- God's Justice and Mercy: God judges wickedness, but He is also merciful and provides a way for salvation.
The Story of Moses: From a Basket to a Leader
Now, let's travel forward in time to ancient Egypt. The descendants of Abraham, the Israelites, were living there as slaves. The Pharaoh (the king of Egypt) was cruel and ordered that all newborn Israelite boys be killed. But one mother had a plan to save her son.
A Dangerous Start
A woman named Jochebed placed her baby boy in a waterproof basket and set him afloat on the River Nile. The Pharaoh's own daughter found the baby, felt sorry for him, and decided to raise him as her own. She named him Moses.
So, Moses, an Israelite, grew up as a prince in the palace of the very king who wanted to destroy his people! God had a special plan for him.
Real-World Connection: Sometimes, our beginnings don't determine our future. Moses started in a basket in a dangerous river but ended up a great leader. It shows that God can use anyone from any background to do great things.
The Burning Bush and a Big Mission
As an adult, Moses fled Egypt after defending an Israelite slave. He became a shepherd. One day, on Mount Horeb, he saw something incredible: a bush that was on fire but was not burning up! God spoke to Moses from the bush, telling him to go back to Egypt and lead the Israelites out of slavery.
(~)
(~) / \ (~)
(~) | | (~)
\_____/
| |
| |
-----> The Burning Bush (ASCII Art)
Moses was scared and full of excuses. "Who am I to do this?" he asked. But God promised to be with him. This is a powerful reminder that when God calls us, He also equips us.
The Exodus and the Ten Commandments
Moses went back and, with God's help through mighty miracles like the ten plagues and the parting of the Red Sea, he led the Israelites out of Egypt. This great escape is called the Exodus.
Later, on Mount Sinai, God gave Moses a set of rules for the people to live by. These are the famous Ten Commandments, laws about how to love God and how to love other people. They were written on two tablets of stone.
Image Suggestion: [Moses, depicted as a strong, wise African elder with a staff, standing on a rocky mountain. He holds two stone tablets with ancient-style writing on them. The sky behind him is dramatic, with clouds and light, signifying the presence of God.]
_________ _________
/ \ / \
/ I-IV \ / V-X \
| Love God | | Love People|
| | | |
| | | |
\ / \ /
\_______/ \_______/
---> The Ten Commandments Tablets
Lessons from Moses
- God Uses Ordinary People: Moses was a simple shepherd, but God turned him into the leader of a nation.
- Courage: It took great courage to stand up to the mighty Pharaoh. Moses shows us that with God, we can face our biggest fears.
- The Importance of Laws: Just like Kenya has a constitution and our schools have rules, the Ten Commandments provided a guide for the community to live together in peace and order.
What Have We Learned?
The stories of Noah and Moses are more than just amazing tales. They teach us about faith, obedience, and courage. They show us a God who is powerful and just, but also loving, merciful, and always keeps His promises.
Think about it: When has it been difficult for you to obey your parents or a teacher? What gives you the courage to do the right thing, even when it's hard? These stories show us that walking with God gives us the strength to face any flood and the courage to lead people to a better place. Keep these lessons in your heart!
Habari Mwanafunzi! Welcome to a Lesson on Two Giants of Faith!
Have you ever seen the heavy rains in our country, maybe in Nairobi or heard stories of the Tana River flooding? These events can be powerful and even a bit scary. Today, we are going to dive into two incredible stories from the Bible about a great flood and a great leader who faced mighty waters. These are the stories of Noah and Moses. They are more than just amazing tales; they are packed with lessons about faith, obedience, and God's incredible power. Let's begin!
The Story of Noah: Obedience in the Face of a Storm
Long ago, the world had become a very wicked place. People had forgotten God and were unkind to each other. But there was one man, Noah, who was righteous and walked faithfully with God. God was saddened by the wickedness and decided to wash the world clean with a great flood, but He wanted to save Noah, his family, and all the animals.
So, God gave Noah a very big and unusual task: Build a huge boat, an Ark! This was long before anyone had seen rain like that, and his neighbours must have thought he was crazy! Just imagine someone in your village starting to build a massive boat on dry land. People would surely gossip!
Kenyan Example: Think about the courage of people like Wangari Maathai. When she started planting trees, some people did not understand her vision. But she obeyed her conscience and her belief in a better future, just as Noah obeyed God's command, even when it seemed strange.
Calculating the Size of the Ark
God gave Noah specific measurements in a unit called 'cubits'. A cubit was the length from a man's elbow to the tip of his middle finger, about 45 centimetres. Let's see how big the Ark really was!
Step 1: Understand the Dimensions (Genesis 6:15)
- Length: 300 cubits
- Width: 50 cubits
- Height: 30 cubits
Step 2: Convert Cubits to Metres
- 1 cubit ≈ 0.45 metres (45 cm)
Step 3: Do the Math!
- Length: 300 cubits * 0.45 m/cubit = 135 metres
- Width: 50 cubits * 0.45 m/cubit = 22.5 metres
- Height: 30 cubits * 0.45 m/cubit = 13.5 metres
To give you an idea, a standard football pitch is about 105 metres long. So, the Ark was longer than a football pitch! It was a massive vessel, built by faith and obedience.
+-------------------------------------------------+
/ /|
/ / |
/_________________________________________________/ |
| | |
| NOAH'S ARK | |
| | /
|_________________________________________________| /
Image Suggestion: A dramatic, wide-angle painting of Noah's massive wooden ark resting on a grassy plain under a darkening, stormy sky. Two of every animal (elephants, giraffes, lions, birds) are walking in a long line up a ramp into the ark. Noah, with a long grey beard, stands at the entrance, guiding them in.
The Flood and the Covenant
Noah did everything God commanded. He built the ark, gathered his family, and brought two of every kind of animal inside. Then, the rains came for 40 days and 40 nights. After the flood, when the waters went down, God made a promise, a covenant, with Noah and all living creatures. He placed a rainbow in the sky as a sign of His promise to never again destroy the earth with a flood.
- Key Lesson: Faith and obedience to God bring protection and salvation.
- Key Symbol: The Rainbow represents God's promise, faithfulness, and hope.
The Story of Moses: The Leader Who Set His People Free
Now let's travel forward in time to ancient Egypt. The Israelites, God's people, were slaves suffering under a cruel Pharaoh. But God had a plan to rescue them, and His plan started with a baby in a basket, floating down the River Nile. That baby was Moses.
Moses was saved by Pharaoh's daughter and grew up as a prince. But he never forgot he was an Israelite. After fleeing Egypt, God spoke to him from a remarkable sight – a burning bush that was not consumed by the fire! God called Moses to go back to Egypt and lead the Israelites to freedom.
The Plagues and the Exodus
Pharaoh was stubborn. He refused to let the people go. So, God sent ten powerful plagues upon Egypt to show His power and to persuade Pharaoh. These included turning the Nile to blood, swarms of frogs and locusts, and finally, the passing over of the firstborn sons.
After the tenth plague, Pharaoh finally let them go! This great escape is called the Exodus. But Pharaoh changed his mind and chased them with his army to the edge of the Red Sea. The Israelites were trapped!
ISRAELITES |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| EGYPTIAN
(Trapped) | RED SEA | ARMY
-> | (No Escape) | <-
(Moses & God) |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| (Pharaoh)
M O S E S R A I S E S H I S S T A F F
ISRAELITES |~~ DRY ~~| EGYPTIAN
-> |~~ GROUND ~~| ARMY
WALKING |~~ PATH ~~| <-
ACROSS |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| (Stunned)
At this impossible moment, Moses stretched out his hand, and God parted the waters of the Red Sea, creating a path on dry land for the people to cross. Once they were safe, the waters crashed back down on the Egyptian army. God had delivered His people!
Image Suggestion: A powerful scene of Moses standing on the shore of the Red Sea. He has a long staff raised high. The sea is parted into two massive walls of water, creating a dry path through the middle. Hundreds of Israelite families are rushing through the path, looking back in awe and fear. The sky is dark and dramatic.
The Ten Commandments
Later, on Mount Sinai, God gave Moses a set of laws for the people to live by. These are the Ten Commandments, which are the foundation of moral law for both Christians and Jews. They are rules for how to love God and how to love our neighbours.
- Key Lesson: God is a powerful deliverer who fights for the oppressed and calls ordinary people to do extraordinary things.
- Key Symbol: The Passover and the Parting of the Red Sea represent God's ultimate power to save.
Conclusion: Lessons for Us Today
Mwanafunzi, the stories of Noah and Moses are not just for our CRE exams. They teach us powerful truths for our own lives. Noah teaches us to have unwavering faith and obedience, even when the world thinks we are foolish. Moses teaches us about courage, leadership, and that God can use anyone, no matter their past, to achieve His purpose. Both stories show a God who is just, merciful, and a powerful saviour.
Think about it: How can you show obedience like Noah at home or in school this week? In what small way can you be a leader like Moses, standing up for what is right among your friends?
Well done for studying so well today. Keep reflecting on these stories, and you will find they offer wisdom for your entire life. Go in peace!
Bible Stories: Giants of Faith - Noah and Moses
Habari mwanafunzi! Welcome to our CRE lesson. Have you ever seen the heavy rains in places like Kisumu or Mombasa, where the water levels rise and cause floods? Now, imagine it rained all over the world, non-stop, for 40 days and 40 nights! Today, we are going to dive into the incredible stories of two of the most famous people in the Bible: Noah, the man who built a giant boat to save his family, and Moses, the man who led a whole nation to freedom. These are not just old stories; they are powerful lessons about faith, obedience, and courage that are still important for us here in Kenya today.
Noah: Listening to God in a Noisy World
Imagine your school compound. Now, imagine if nearly everyone was breaking the rules, shouting, and not listening to the teachers. But there is one student, just one, who is quiet, obedient, and always does the right thing. In the Bible, the world had become like that noisy school, and Noah was that one obedient person.
God saw that the world was full of wickedness, and He was deeply saddened. He decided to wash the world clean with a great flood, but He wanted to save the righteous Noah, his family, and all the animals. So, God gave Noah a very strange and massive task: build an Ark.
Think about it: Noah's neighbours must have thought he was crazy! Building a huge boat on dry land, far from any large lake or ocean. It would be like someone in the middle of Turkana building a massive dhow. It takes great faith to obey God when nobody else understands.
The Amazing Ark: A Floating Sanctuary
God gave Noah specific instructions for building the Ark. It was to be made of gopherwood and sealed with pitch (like tar) to make it waterproof. Let's look at its size.
The Bible says the Ark was:
- 300 cubits long
- 50 cubits wide
- 30 cubits high
But what is a cubit? A cubit was an ancient measurement, roughly the length from your elbow to the tip of your middle finger. Let's do some math to understand how big that really is!
### How Big Was Noah's Ark? ###
1. **Assumption:** 1 cubit is about 0.45 metres (45 cm).
2. **Length:** 300 cubits * 0.45 m/cubit = 135 metres
(That's longer than a football pitch at Kasarani Stadium!)
3. **Width:** 50 cubits * 0.45 m/cubit = 22.5 metres
(That's wider than a main road with four lanes!)
4. **Height:** 30 cubits * 0.45 m/cubit = 13.5 metres
(That's as tall as a 4-storey building!)
5. **Conclusion:** This was not a small boat; it was a massive vessel!
Into this ark, Noah gathered his family and two of every kind of animal—the lions, the elephants, the giraffes you see at the Nairobi National Park, and even the smallest chameleons. Then, the rains came.
+---------------------------------+
/ /|
/ THE ARK / |
/ / |
+---------------------------------+ |
| .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. | +
| | /
| (Animals Two by Two) | /
+---------------------------------+
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~ THE GREAT FLOOD ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Image Suggestion: An epic, cinematic digital painting of Noah's Ark resting on a mountain after the flood. The sky is clearing, and a vibrant rainbow stretches across it. In the foreground, a diverse range of African animals (elephants, giraffes, zebras, lions) are walking down the ramp, with Noah and his family looking on with gratitude and awe.
After the flood, God made a special promise, a covenant, with Noah and all living creatures. He put a rainbow in the sky as a sign of His promise that He would never again destroy the earth with a flood.
Lessons from Noah:
- Faith and Obedience: Noah trusted God completely, even when the command seemed impossible.
- Courage: It took courage to be different from everyone else and stand for what was right.
- God's Mercy: Even in judgment, God provided a way for salvation and a new beginning.
Moses: From a Basket to a Mighty Leader
Now let's travel forward in time to the land of Egypt. The Israelites (God's people) were slaves, suffering under a cruel Pharaoh. But God had a plan for their freedom, and it started with a baby in a basket.
To save her baby boy from being killed by the Pharaoh's order, a woman named Jochebed placed him in a basket and set him afloat on the River Nile. The Pharaoh's own daughter found him and named him Moses. He grew up as a prince in the palace, but he never forgot he was an Israelite.
The Burning Bush: A Holy Calling
After fleeing Egypt, Moses became a humble shepherd. One day, on Mount Horeb, he saw something incredible: a bush that was on fire but was not burning up! God spoke to Moses from the bush, telling him to go back to Egypt and lead the Israelites to freedom.
... ...
. / \ . . / \ .
. / \ . . / \ .
,' `. ,' `.
/ \ / \
| THE BUSH | IS ON FIRE |
| | |
\ BUT IT IS / \ NOT BURNT /
`._ _,' `._ _,'
`"""` `"""`
(Moses listens to God's voice)
Moses was scared and full of doubt. He told God, "I am not a good speaker!" Does that sound familiar? Sometimes we feel we are not good enough for a task. But God promised to be with him.
Let My People Go!
Moses, with his brother Aaron, confronted the mighty Pharaoh. When Pharaoh refused to free the slaves, God sent ten terrible plagues upon Egypt. These included turning the Nile to blood, swarms of frogs and locusts, and a darkness so thick it could be felt. Finally, after the tenth plague, a heartbroken Pharaoh let the people go.
Image Suggestion: A dramatic scene of the parting of the Red Sea. Moses stands on the shore, staff raised high. The sea is split into two towering walls of water, creating a dry path. The Israelite people, men, women, and children, are hurrying through, looking back in fear and wonder as the Egyptian chariots begin their pursuit.
The Ten Commandments
After their miraculous escape, God gave Moses a set of laws on Mount Sinai to guide the people. These were the Ten Commandments, written on two stone tablets. They are the foundation of a moral life, teaching us how to love God and how to love our neighbours.
+------------------------------+
| THE LAW OF GOD |
+--------------+---------------+
|
+----------+----------+
| |
+-----v-----+ +-----v-----+
| TABLET 1 | | TABLET 2 |
| (Love God)| | (Love |
|-----------| | Neighbour)|
|1.No other | |-----------|
| Gods | |5.Honour |
|2.No idols | | Parents |
|3.God's | |6.Do not.. |
| Name | | ...etc |
|4.Sabbath | +-----------+
+-----------+
Lessons from Moses:
- God Uses the Unlikely: God chose a humble shepherd with a speech problem to be a great leader.
- Leadership and Courage: Moses stood up to the most powerful king on earth to fight for justice.
- Deliverance: God has the power to rescue His people from even the most hopeless situations.
- The Importance of Law: God's rules are not to punish us, but to guide us to live in peace and harmony.
What Do These Stories Mean For Us Today?
The stories of Noah and Moses are more than just amazing tales. They teach us that faith is about trusting God even when things don't make sense, just like Noah did. They teach us that courage means standing up for what is right, even when you are afraid, just like Moses did.
In your life at school, at home, or with your friends, think about how you can show Noah's obedience and Moses' courage. God can use you, right here in Kenya, to do great things too!
Pro Tip
Take your own short notes while going through the topics.
