Bible Stories (Noah/Moses)

Habari Mwanafunzi! Let's Explore Great Stories of Faith!

Welcome to our lesson! Have you ever been told to do something that seemed very difficult or even a little strange? Maybe your parents asked you to do a tough chore, or a teacher gave you a challenging project. In the Bible, God gave some people truly giant tasks! Today, we will learn about two incredible heroes of faith, Noah and Moses, who listened to God and did amazing things that changed the world forever.

The Story of Noah: Faith in the Face of the Impossible

Imagine a time when the world had become a very wicked place. People were not following God's ways. But there was one righteous man, Noah, who walked faithfully with God. God was sad about the wickedness and decided to wash the earth clean with a great flood. But He wanted to save Noah, his family, and all the animals.

• God's Command: God gave Noah a huge construction project: build a massive boat, an Ark, on dry land! People must have thought he was crazy, building a ship so far from the sea.
• Building the Ark: Noah obeyed. He, along with his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, built the Ark exactly as God instructed. It was a giant task that required immense faith and hard work.
• The Animals: God then commanded Noah to gather two of every kind of animal—a male and a female—and bring them into the Ark. From the mighty simba (lion) and tembo (elephant) to the smallest insects.
• The Flood and The Rainbow: Rain fell for 40 days and 40 nights, covering the entire Earth. But Noah's family and the animals were safe inside the Ark. When the waters went down, they came out to a fresh, new world. God then placed a rainbow in the sky as a sign of His promise, or covenant, to never again destroy the earth with a flood.

Just how big was this Ark? Let's do some math! God's instructions were in 'cubits'. One cubit is about the length from your elbow to the tip of your middle finger (approx. 0.45 meters).

    --- Calculating the Ark's Size ---

    Instructions (Genesis 6:15):
    - Length: 300 cubits
    - Width:  50 cubits
    - Height: 30 cubits

    Conversion to Meters (1 cubit ≈ 0.45 m):
    - Length: 300 * 0.45 = 135 meters
    - Width:   50 * 0.45 = 22.5 meters
    - Height:  30 * 0.45 = 13.5 meters

    To give you an idea, a standard football pitch is about 105 meters long.
    The Ark was longer than a football pitch!

Here is a simple diagram of what the Ark might have looked like:

           /---------------------------------------\
          /                                       |
         /________________________________________|
        |                                         |
        |      |----|   |----|   |----|            |
        |      |----|   |----|   |----|            |
        |                                         |
        |_________________________________________|
       \_________________________________________/

Image Suggestion: A vibrant digital painting of Noah's Ark resting on a mountain after the flood. A brilliant, multi-colored rainbow stretches across the sky. Diverse African animals like giraffes, zebras, elephants, and lions are peacefully walking down the ramp with Noah and his family, who are looking at the rainbow with awe and gratitude. The style is hopeful and majestic.

The Story of Moses: From a Basket to a Great Leader

Many years after Noah, the descendants of Abraham, the Israelites, were slaves in Egypt. Their lives were very hard. But God had a plan to rescue them, and it started with a baby named Moses.

• A Baby in a Basket: To save her son from the Pharaoh's cruel order to kill all Israelite baby boys, Moses' mother placed him in a basket and hid him in the reeds of the River Nile. He was found by Pharaoh's own daughter and raised as a prince!
• The Burning Bush: As a grown man, Moses fled Egypt after defending an Israelite slave. While he was a shepherd in the desert, God spoke to him from a bush that was on fire but was not burning up. God told Moses to go back to Egypt and lead His people to freedom.
• The 10 Plagues & The Exodus: Moses, with his brother Aaron, confronted the powerful Pharaoh. When Pharaoh refused to let the Israelites go, God sent ten terrible plagues upon Egypt. The final plague convinced Pharaoh to release them. Moses then led the people out of Egypt, and in a great miracle, God parted the Red Sea for them to cross on dry land, saving them from the pursuing Egyptian army.
• The Ten Commandments: In the wilderness, God made a covenant with the Israelites at Mount Sinai. He gave Moses two stone tablets with ten important laws to guide them. These are the Ten Commandments, which are a foundation of Christian and Jewish faith.

Have you ever had to stand up for someone who was being treated unfairly, even if it was scary? Moses was afraid to speak to Pharaoh, but he found courage because he knew God was with him. This is like when a student prefect has to report a case of bullying to the head teacher, even if they are afraid of the bullies. They do it because it is the right thing to do.

The Ten Commandments were given on two stone tablets.

           Tablet 1                     Tablet 2
      (Love for God)             (Love for Others)
    ___________________            ___________________
   /                   \          /                   \
  |    I. No other gods |        |  VI. Do not murder  |
  |   II. No idols      |        | VII. Be faithful    |
  |  III. God's name    |        |VIII. Do not steal   |
  |   IV. Keep Sabbath  |        |  IX. Do not lie     |
  |    V. Honour parents|        |   X. Do not covet   |
   \___________________/          \___________________/

Image Suggestion: A dramatic scene of Moses standing on the shore of the Red Sea. The sea is parted into two massive walls of water, creating a dry path. Moses holds his staff high, and the Israelite people, men, women, and children, are hurrying across with their livestock. The sky is dark and stormy on the Egyptian side but bright and hopeful ahead.

Important Lessons from Noah and Moses

These stories are more than just exciting tales! They teach us very important things about God and about how we should live.

• Faith and Obedience: Both Noah and Moses obeyed God even when the instructions were difficult or scary. True faith is trusting God and doing what He says.
• God's Power: God showed his power over nature with the flood and the parting of the Red Sea. He is more powerful than any earthly king or problem we might face.
• God's Covenants: A covenant is a special, solemn promise. God made a covenant with Noah (the rainbow) and with the Israelites through Moses (the Ten Commandments). God always keeps His promises.
• Leadership and Courage: Moses was a great leader who, with God's help, guided his people through immense challenges. God can use ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

Food for Thought

As you reflect on these stories, ask yourself: In my own life, when is God asking me to be obedient like Noah? When do I need to be brave and stand up for what is right, like Moses? These ancient stories still have powerful messages for us today in Kenya and all over the world. Keep listening, keep trusting, and keep growing in your faith!

Habari Mwanafunzi! Welcome to Today's CRE Lesson!

Have you ever seen a very heavy downpour of rain? The kind that makes you want to stay indoors with a cup of hot chocolate? Or have you ever heard our elders talk about a great leader who helped our people through a difficult time? Today, we are going to dive deep into two of the most powerful stories ever told: the stories of Noah and Moses. These are not just ancient tales; they are stories packed with lessons about faith, courage, and God's amazing power!

The Story of Noah: A Promise in the Sky

Imagine a time when the world had become so full of wickedness that God was deeply saddened. But there was one man, Noah, who was righteous and walked faithfully with God. God decided to wash the world clean with a great flood, but He chose to save Noah and his family.

God gave Noah a very specific, and very big, task: "Build an ark!" This was not a small fishing boat like the ones you see on Lake Victoria. This was a massive ship, big enough to hold his family and two of every kind of animal on Earth! Noah obeyed. He built the ark exactly as God commanded, even when people around him probably thought he was crazy. When the rain started, Noah, his family, and the animals were safe inside.

Image Suggestion: [A vibrant, hopeful painting of Noah's Ark resting on a green mountain under a brilliant rainbow. The ark is made of dark wood. A diverse collection of African animals (giraffes, elephants, zebras, lions) are walking off the ark. Noah and his family are looking up at the sky with thankful expressions. The style should be colourful and inspiring for a young audience.]

After 40 days and 40 nights of rain, and many more days of waiting for the water to go down, the ark finally rested on a mountain. God made a beautiful promise, a covenant, with Noah and all living creatures. He placed a rainbow in the sky as a sign of His promise that He would never again destroy the earth with a flood.

    ---/---\
   /   _   \
  |   (_)   |
  |         |
 /|_________|\
/_____________\
    

Let's Do Some Ark Math!

God gave Noah the dimensions of the ark in 'cubits'. A cubit was an ancient measurement, roughly the length from an adult's elbow to the tip of their middle finger (about 0.5 meters). The ark was to be 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high.

Let's calculate the approximate area of one floor (deck) of the ark in square meters!

Step 1: Convert dimensions to meters.
   - Length: 300 cubits * 0.5 m/cubit = 150 meters
   - Width:  50 cubits * 0.5 m/cubit = 25 meters

Step 2: Calculate the Area (Area = Length x Width).
   - Area = 150 m * 25 m
   - Area = 3750 square meters

Result: That's almost half the size of a football pitch like the one at Kasarani Stadium! And the ark had three floors!

• Key Lesson 1: Obedience. Noah obeyed God completely, even when the task seemed impossible.
• Key Lesson 2: Faith. He had faith that God's plan was the right one.
• Key Lesson 3: God's Grace and Promises. God saved Noah's family and made a lasting promise (covenant) represented by the rainbow.

The Story of Moses: A Leader for the People

Now let's travel to ancient Egypt. The Israelites, God's chosen people, were suffering as slaves. But God had a plan to free them. This plan started with a baby in a basket, floating down the River Nile. That baby was Moses!

Rescued by Pharaoh's daughter, Moses grew up as a prince. But his heart was with his people. After fleeing Egypt, God spoke to him from a miraculous burning bush, choosing him to lead the Israelites to freedom. What a calling!

A Kenyan Connection: The story of Moses leading his people from slavery in Egypt to freedom is a story of liberation. It reminds us of our own Kenyan heroes who led the struggle for Uhuru (freedom) from colonial rule. Like Moses, leaders like Jomo Kenyatta faced great challenges to lead their people to a new beginning.

Moses, with God's power, brought ten plagues upon Egypt until the stubborn Pharaoh finally let the people go. He led them to the edge of the Red Sea, with the Egyptian army chasing them! It seemed like the end. But God performed one of His greatest miracles: Moses lifted his staff, and the waters of the Red Sea parted, creating a dry path for the people to cross safely.

A Diagram of Moses' Journey

(Baby in Basket) ---> (Prince of Egypt) ---> (Fleeing to Midian)
      |                     |                        |
      V                     V                        V
(Burning Bush Call) <---(Shepherd Life)        (The Ten Plagues)
      |
      V
(Exodus & Parting the Red Sea) ---> (Receiving the 10 Commandments)

Image Suggestion: [A dramatic and powerful image of Moses standing on the shore of the Red Sea. He has a wooden staff raised high. The sea is split into two massive walls of water, revealing a dry path. The Israelite people, men, women, and children, are walking through with determination and awe on their faces. The sky is dark and stormy on the Egyptian side but clear on the path ahead.]

On Mount Sinai, God gave Moses a set of laws for the people to live by: The Ten Commandments. These were rules for how to love God and how to love one another, forming the foundation of a new, free nation.

• Key Lesson 1: God uses ordinary people. Moses felt he was not a good speaker, but God equipped him for the mission.
• Key Lesson 2: Liberation. God cares about injustice and sets people free from slavery.
• Key Lesson 3: Leadership and Law. True freedom requires good leadership and laws to guide the community, just like our own Kenyan constitution guides us.

What Do These Great Stories Teach Us Today?

So, mwanafunzi, what can we take away from Noah and Moses? These stories, though ancient, are full of wisdom for our lives here in Kenya.

• Faith in Action: Both Noah and Moses showed their faith not just by believing, but by doing what God asked of them. Building an ark, confronting a Pharaoh—these were huge acts of faith!
• The Importance of Obedience: Following God's instructions led to salvation and freedom.
• God's Unfailing Promises: From the rainbow for Noah to the promised land for the Israelites, we see that God keeps His promises.
• Courageous Leadership: We learn that a good leader is one who listens to God and serves their people bravely.

As you go through your week, think about these two great heroes of faith. How can you show obedience, faith, and courage in your own life, right here in your school, your home, and your community? The same God who guided Noah and Moses is with you today! Keep up the great work in your studies!

Great Heroes of Faith: The Stories of Noah and Moses

Habari Mwanafunzi! Welcome to our lesson today. Have you ever seen heavy rains in Kenya, like during El Niño, where floods cause so much trouble? Or have you ever looked up to a great leader, like our heroes of independence, who led people to freedom? Today, we are going to travel back in time to learn about two amazing men from the Bible, Noah and Moses. Their stories are not just tales; they are powerful lessons about faith, obedience, and God's amazing power. Let's begin!

Part 1: Noah - The Man Who Obeyed God

Imagine a time when the world was full of wickedness. People had forgotten God and were doing wrong things all the time. But in the middle of all this, there was one good man. His name was Noah. The Bible says Noah "walked faithfully with God" (Genesis 6:9).

God's Surprising Instruction

God was very sad about the wickedness on earth and decided to wash it clean with a great flood. But because Noah was a righteous man, God chose to save him and his family. He gave Noah a very big, very strange task: to build a giant boat, called an Ark, on dry land!

Can you imagine what his neighbours thought? They probably laughed at him! "Noah, mbona unajenga mashua kubwa hivi na hakuna bahari?" ("Noah, why are you building such a big boat when there is no sea?"). But Noah's faith was stronger than their laughter. He obeyed God completely.

Let's Do the Math: How Big Was the Ark?

God gave Noah specific measurements for the Ark in a unit called 'cubits'. A cubit was the length from a man's elbow to the tip of his middle finger. Let's calculate its size in meters, a unit we use every day!

**Given:**
- 1 Cubit is approximately 0.45 meters (m).
- God's instructions (Genesis 6:15):
  - Length: 300 cubits
  - Width: 50 cubits
  - Height: 30 cubits

**Step 1: Calculate the Length in Meters**
   300 cubits * 0.45 m/cubit = 135 meters

**Step 2: Calculate the Width in Meters**
   50 cubits * 0.45 m/cubit = 22.5 meters

**Step 3: Calculate the Height in Meters**
   30 cubits * 0.45 m/cubit = 13.5 meters

To put that in perspective, 135 meters is longer than a standard football pitch (which is about 105 meters long)! This wasn't just a small boat; it was a massive ship!

        +-------------------------------------------------+
       /                                                 /|
      /                  NOAH'S ARK                    /  |
     /                                                 /   |
    +-------------------------------------------------+    |
    |                                                 |    |
    |                                                 |    +
    |                                                 |   /
    |                                                 |  /
    |_________________________________________________| /

Image Suggestion: An epic, wide-angle digital painting of Noah's Ark under construction on a grassy plain. In the foreground, Noah, a determined elderly man with grey hair, is directing his sons. In the background, pairs of African animals like giraffes, zebras, elephants, and lions are lining up peacefully, heading towards the completed ramp of the massive wooden ark. The sky is beginning to look dark and stormy.

The Flood and God's Promise

Noah, his family, and two of every kind of animal entered the ark. Then, it rained for 40 days and 40 nights. The whole earth was covered in water. After the flood, when the water went down, God made a special promise, a covenant, with Noah and all living creatures.

Genesis 9:13: "I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth."

So, every time you see a beautiful rainbow (upinde wa mvua) after the rain, remember it is a sign of God's love and his promise to never again destroy the earth with a flood.

Part 2: Moses - The Leader Who Freed His People

Now, let's fast forward many years. The Israelites, God's chosen people, were slaves in Egypt, suffering under a cruel king called Pharaoh. It was a time of great hardship.

A Baby in a Basket

To control the Israelites, Pharaoh ordered all their baby boys to be killed. But one mother, Jochebed, saved her son. She placed him in a waterproof basket and hid him among the reeds of the River Nile. That baby was found by Pharaoh's daughter, who named him Moses, which means "to draw out" of the water.

The Burning Bush: A Call from God

Moses grew up as a prince of Egypt, but he knew he was an Israelite. After fleeing Egypt, 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 him from the bush, telling him to go back to Egypt and lead the Israelites to freedom.

Moses was scared. He asked God, "Who should I say sent me?"

Exodus 3:14: God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'"

The Ten Plagues and the Exodus

Pharaoh's heart was hard. He refused to let the people go. So, God sent ten powerful plagues upon Egypt to show his power. These included:

• The River Nile turning to blood.
• Swarms of frogs and locusts.
• Terrible darkness over the land.

After the tenth plague, a heartbroken Pharaoh finally let them go. But he changed his mind and chased them with his army! The Israelites were trapped at the Red Sea. But Moses, trusting God, lifted his staff, and God performed a mighty miracle: He parted the sea, and the Israelites walked across on dry land! When the Egyptians tried to follow, the waters crashed down on them.

Image Suggestion: A dramatic, cinematic-style image of the parting of the Red Sea. Moses stands on a rock, staff raised high. The sea is split into two towering walls of water. In the corridor of dry land between, crowds of Israelite families are rushing forward, looking back in awe and fear. In the distance, Pharaoh's chariots are beginning their pursuit.

The Ten Commandments

In the wilderness, God gave Moses a set of laws for the people to live by. These are the Ten Commandments, written on two stone tablets. They are the foundation of God's law for his people.

    +-----------------+    +-----------------+
    |   I. No other   |    |  VI. Do not     |
    |      gods       |    |      murder     |
    |                 |    |                 |
    |  II. No idols   |    | VII. Be faithful|
    |                 |    |      in marriage|
    | III. God's Name |    |                 |
    |      in vain    |    | VIII. Do not    |
    |                 |    |       steal     |
    |  IV. The Sabbath|    |                 |
    |                 |    |  IX. Do not     |
    |   V. Honour     |    |      lie        |
    |      parents    |    |                 |
    +-----------------+    |   X. Do not     |
                         |      covet      |
                         +-----------------+

Kenyan Example: Think about the commandment "You shall not steal." In school, this means not taking another student's pen, book, or lunch money. It's about respecting what belongs to others, which helps create a peaceful and trustworthy community, just like God wanted for the Israelites.

Lessons for Us Today

Wow! What powerful stories! What can we, as students in Kenya, learn from Noah and Moses?

• From Noah, we learn about OBEDIENCE and FAITH. He obeyed God even when it seemed foolish to others. We can obey God by listening to our parents, teachers, and religious leaders, and by doing what is right even when it's not popular.
• From Moses, we learn about COURAGE and LEADERSHIP. He was afraid, but he trusted God to help him lead a whole nation to freedom. We can be leaders in our own small way – by standing up for a classmate who is being bullied or by leading a group project honestly.

Both stories show us that God cares for His people, has a plan for our lives, and keeps His promises. Keep these lessons in your heart, and let them guide you in your walk of faith. Safari njema in your studies!