The Golden Calf

1/22/2025

God has freed the Israelites from slavery using powerful plagues. He rescued them from the hands of the Egyptians by parting the Red Sea. God had led the people through the wilderness as a cloud and a pillar of fire. God had given the Israelites very clear instructions about how to please Him and promised that if they obeyed him, they would be his very special people.

But, in just 40 days, they began to forget all of that and turned to a God they had formed with their own hands.

Memory Verse

Mark 12:29-31 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

Songs

Books of the Old Testament
The B.I.B.L.E.
He’s Got The Whole World in His Hands
Sons of Jacob Song
Baby Moses
My God is So Big
Pharoah, Pharoah, Let My People Go
Go Down Moses
10 Commandments Song
We Shall Assemble
Humble Yourself in the Sight of the Lord
Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace
Jesus, Lamb of God

Story

Begin Class with Songs, Games, Table Activity, or Sharing Time

Open Class in Prayer

Introducing the Story Ideas
1. Memory Games
Play some games that test the kids memory such as memory, trivia or game Where is the Ball? Isn't it amazing how God made our brains? He gave us a memory! Our memory helps us remember things that make us happy and things that make us sad. We can remember consequences so we can learn from our mistakes. Today, we are going to learn about when the children of Israel forgot about all that God had done for them.

2. What is an Idol?
Remind the children about the 10 Commandments and even more specifically, the first one. Ask the kids, "What does it mean to have other gods?" Do we worship other gods today? Brainstorm some things that we may make into idols. Depending on the age you may say: TV, toys, video games, phones, friends, someone famous, a sports star. An idol is anything that we look to for blessing, or help, or guidance instead of God. Today, our story is about the children of Israel creating and worshipping their own idol--a Golden Calf.

3. Playdough Calf
Give each child a piece of clay or playdough (bonus if its yellow or orange!). Challenge each kid to make their very best statue of a cow. Let each child show and describe their cow statue.

Then lead the children in discussed with questions like, "Do you think the cow you made could protect you?"
"Do you think it could listen to you and help you if needed something?"
"Would you want to bow down and worship this cow?"
"Would you call this cow your God?"

SAY: In todays story, the children of Israel made a cow statue just like we did today. Except, the held a festival and named their cow statue their new God! How do you think that made God feel after everything he had done for them?

Story: In this story, we learn about how the Israelites forgot about all that God had done for them. They forgot about the 10 Commandments that they agreed to follow! Instead they chose to create an idol and worship it instead of the true and living God. They pressured Aaron into going along with their plan. This story gives us a glimpse into how displeased the Lord is when we set idols up in his place.

SHOW the power point Moses and the Golden Calf or read Exodus 32.
EMPHASIZE that: