WATER FROM THE ROCK

Exodus 17:1-7 (also Psalm 95, John 4:1-24, 1 Cor. 10:1-13)

Cast: Teacher, Bumblemonkey, Rock, Israelite, Moses, Superhero/Scientist/Dowser, 3

Israelite students
Props: Moses’ Staff, Paper Sack, Superhero Cape/accessories, Scientist glasses/lab
coat/accessories, divining rod, rubber worm lures, Pirate hat/accessories, 2-3 Bible robes

Teacher: (enters and talks to kids from podium stage right) Good evening, kids. My
name is (your name) and I’m here to tell you tonight’s Bible story! But first we need to
review.

Can any of you preschoolers tell me your key verse from the last few weeks? (wait for
answer). That’s right! “God gives me everything I need.” Tonight God is going to give
the Israelites everything they need… again.

How about you older kids? Can anyone remember the key verse about trusting God when
you’re afraid? (wait for answer). That’s right! “I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”

Can anyone remember the key verse about discovering what God gives us? (wait for
answer). That’s right! “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You
anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”

Bumblemonkey: (entering quietly, on tip toe, and whispering) Arrrrgggghh.

Teacher: Hi, Andrew.

Bumblemonkey: (still whispering) I be Captain Andrew Bumblemonkey.

Teacher: Why are you whispering, Captain Andrew?

Bumblemonkey: (still whispering) Bumblemonkey. Because like we talked about, Mrs.

Storyteller, Ma’am. I don’t want to be mean or scary anymore, bursting through that door
like chainshot out of a cannon.

Teacher: That’s kind of sweet, Andrew.

Bumblemonkey: (still whispering) Thank you, Ma’am. Now that I know Jesus, I’ve got
to be pure and sure holy.

Teacher: Andrew, you can be holy and still be yourself.

Bumblemonkey: (suddenly animated) Is that so, Ma’am? Ye sprogs, if I’m me ol’ coat
stripey self ye won’t be too scared?

Teacher: You can’t take anyone captive, though.

Bumblemonkey: Captain Andrew Bumblemonkey takes no captives! (quieter) Er, I
mean, I be Jesus’ captive, Ma’am.

Teacher: Good, then you should listen to the Bible story.

Bumblemonkey: Aye, ma’am. The Bible is great, grand compass for flying the sheets.

Teacher: That’s right. (Andrew stands over her shoulder) Andrew?

Bumblemonkey: Captain Andrew Bumblemonkey, Ma’am!

Teacher: Could you at least stand over there.

Bumblemonkey: Oh, aye, Ma’am. (He goes to stage left.)

Teacher: Now, last week the Israelites were still on their way to the Promised Land.
(Israelite and Moses enter. Israelite goes to front center)

Israelite: Hi, I’m the Israelites.

Bumblemonkey: But there’s only one of you!

Israelite: Just pretend I’m two million people.

Bumblemonkey: (counting on his fingers) Reef and riggin’! That’s as many as 100
Kerrvilles!

Moses: Don’t I know it. You try leading them.

Bumblemonkey: (to Israelite) Ye need some of the young sprogs to add to your
numbers. Would three volunteers be willing to sign on and increase our verisimilitude?
(Bumblemonkey leads three pre-selected volunteers up to the stage.)

Teacher: (Wait until the kids are on the stage) So the Israelites traveled from place to
place as the Lord commanded. (They march around the stage in a circle following
Moses.)

Israelite: (Whining to Moses) Are we there yet?

Moses: (Throwing hands up in the air) Why do you quarrel with me?

Israelite Students: We’re thirsty.

Israelite: Is the LORD among us or not?

Moses: (They stop circling. Moses is stage right, Israelite is stage left, Israelite students
are center stage. Moses turns to face Israelites.) Why do you put the LORD to the test?

Israelite: We just want to find water!

Teacher: And the Israelites grew very very angry.

Israelite Student 1: Moses is a terrible leader. He doesn’t know where we’re going.

Israelite Student 2: We were better off in Egypt when we were slaves.

Israelite Student 3: I think we should pick up these dry, dusty stones and kill him.

Bumblemonkey: Heave to, there young sprog, or I’ll clap ye in irons meself.

Teacher: And so Moses cried out to the LORD.

Moses: (Moves to front center and kneels) What am I to do with these people? They are
almost ready to stone me.

Teacher: And the LORD answered Moses, “Walk on ahead of the people. Take with you
some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the
Nile, and go. I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb.” (Rock enters)

Rock: (Enters and stands far stage left; wears a bag over his/her head that says “Rock”)
I’m the Rock at Horeb.

Teacher: And the LORD said to Moses, “Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for
the people to drink.”

Israelite: You are going to hit a rock with a stick?

Rock: Hey, that’s not going to be fun.

Moses: It’s what God said to do.

Bumblemonkey: It doesn’t make much sense, though, do it?

Water Girl: (Dressed like a superhero, runs around the stage) Never fear! “Water Girl”
is here.

Israelite: Water Girl?

Water Girl: I’m a superhero. (Pushes Moses out of the way as she approaches Rock.) I
squeeze water out of rocks by the strength of my incredible muscles. (Grabs Rock and
shakes him/her.)
Rock: Hey.

Moses: (Moving to front center) God doesn’t want us to rely on super strength. He just
wants us to have faith in him. (Water Girl stops shaking Rock)

Water Girl: You don’t even need a little super strength?

Moses: (To Water Girl) God is our strength.

Water Girl: Dude, I can’t compete with that. (Water Girl leaves)

Israelite: (Stepping forward and whining to Moses) But he was going to squeeze water
from the Rock.

Moses: (Throwing hands up in the air) Why do you quarrel with me?

Student Israelites: We’re thirsty.

Israelite: Is the LORD among us or not?

Moses: Why do you put the LORD to the test?

Doctor: (Wearing glasses and a white lab coat) Tests? I can run tests for you. I’m Dr.
Willomina Anfinsonstein, the smartest scientific mind in the world

Israelite: Dr. – (to the student Israelites) what was her name? (Wait for response.)

Doctor: Willomina Anfinsonstein. My modern scientific mind has tapped into the
incredible power of leeches. (Pulls out a handful of rubber worm lures and jiggles them
over Rock’s head.)

Rock: I don’t like the sound of that.

Moses: (Moving to front center) God doesn’t want us to rely on your modern scientific
mind. He just wants us to have faith in him.

Doctor: You don’t trust in leeches? (Jiggles the rubber worms at Moses)

Moses: (To Doctor) We trust in God. He is our strength.

Doctor: I can’t help you then. (Doctor leaves)

Israelite: (Stepping forward and whining to Moses) But her leeches were going to suck
water from the Rock.
Rock: Ewwwww.

Moses: (Throwing hands up in the air) Why do you quarrel with me?

Student Israelites: We’re thirsty.

Israelite: Is the LORD among us or not?

Moses: Why do you put the LORD to the test?

Israelite: We just want to find water!

Dowser: (Carrying a willow wand. Enters and crosses to stage right.) Somebody looking
fer water? I’m a dowser, and I can find water with my divining rod.

Israelite: You’re a dowser?

Dowser: Yup. And when I nears the water (crosses back to Rock stage left), my stick
goes like this. (He makes the stick jiggle in his hands)

Rock: This is getting weirder and weirder.

Moses: (Stepping to front center) God doesn’t want us to rely on our strength or our
minds or your stick. He just wants us to have faith in him.

Dowser: You don’t trust my stick? (He makes the stick jiggle.)

Bumblemonkey: Ye squiffy! You’re doing that with yer thumbs.

Moses: (To kids) Kids, who do we trust? (wait for response) And who is our strength?
(wait for response)

Dowser: Ok, then, I got an appointment with KPUB (or your local water company)
anyway. (Dowser leaves)

Israelite: (Stepping forward and whining to Moses) But his stick was going to find the
water.

Moses: God already told us where the water is!

Rock: I got your water right here.

Israelite: He had a fancy stick and everything.

Moses: (Turning away and moving upstage) Why do you quarrel with me?
Student Israelites: We’re thirsty.

Israelite: (Stepping upstage toward Moses) Is the LORD among us or not?

Moses: Why do you put the LORD to the test?

Teacher: (Delivered as if getting the entire procession to move on past all of this
silliness) So Moses obeyed the LORD in the sight of the elders of Israel.

Israelites: (To the students) Oops. You’d better go sit down now since you aren’t elders.
(Bumblemonkey helps them back to their places)

Teacher: (Wait until kids are seated.) And the LORD said to Moses, “Strike the rock, and
water will come out of it for the people to drink.”

Moses: (Moses raises staff) So I did.

Rock: (Nervous) Gently. Gently. (Moses is gentle.)

Moses: Did that hurt?

Rock: No, that was pretty gentle. Let me get your water. (Rock gives water to Moses and
the Israelites.)

Israelite: (Takes a drink) Ah! That tastes good. Now I trust in God.

Moses: You had already seen God do so much! And yet you quarreled with me and tested
God.

Teacher: And Moses named the place Massa and Meribah, which means testing and
quarreling.

Bumblemonkey: You Israelites are a tough bunch.

Israelite: It’s easy to get in a habit of complaining and testing God, though.

Teacher: These things happened to the Israelites as a warning.

Israelite: (To the audience) So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you
don't fall!

Teacher: The Israelites drank the same spiritual drink from the rock that we do, and that
rock is Christ.

Bumblemonkey: He’s the rock I drink from now, too!

Moses: That’s right, Andrew. Jesus gives us living water.

Israelites: Whoever drinks of this water (takes a drink) will thirst again.

Water Girl/Doctor/Dowser: (enters and goes to front stage right) But whoever drinks of
the water that Jesus gives will never thirst again.

Bumblemonkey: (Joins her at front center) The super hero and the scientist and the
other squiffy, they won’t ever be able to find water.

Water Girl/Doctor/Dowser: (enters) Heroes and scientists aren’t all bad, Andrew. It’s
good when people use their strength and their minds to help each other.

Moses (Joins them at front stage left): But we should never trust in our strength or our
minds instead of God.

Teacher: We trust in Jesus. Scriptures say he will become in us a fountain of water

springing up into everlasting life.

Bumblemonkey: Arrrgggghhh! That’s a great grand promise from a great grand Creator.
And don’t you forget it, kids! Goodnight, now. (Exit all except the teacher.)

Teacher: Kids, we hope you enjoyed the story of Moses and the water from the rock. You
know, we do have a great grand Creator. So let’s not test him or each other. Let’s not
complain about him or each other. Be thankful for God’s patience. And when we are
thankful for his patience with us, maybe we can remember to be patient with each other.
Good night!
 Student Script

Moses: Why do you quarrel with me?

Israelite Students: We’re thirsty.

Israelite: Is the LORD among us or not?

Moses: Why do you put the LORD to the test?

Israelite: We just want to find water!

Teacher: And the Israelites grew very very angry.

Israelite Student 1: Moses is a terrible leader. He doesn’t know where we’re going.

Israelite Student 2: We were better off in Egypt when we were slaves.

Israelite Student 3: I think we should pick up these dry, dusty stones and kill him.

Student Script

Moses: Why do you quarrel with me?

Israelite Students: We’re thirsty.

Israelite: Is the LORD among us or not?

Moses: Why do you put the LORD to the test?

Israelite: We just want to find water!

Teacher: And the Israelites grew very very angry.

Israelite Student 1: Moses is a terrible leader. He doesn’t know where we’re going.

Israelite Student 2: We were better off in Egypt when we were slaves.

Israelite Student 3: I think we should pick up these dry, dusty stones and kill him.
 FRONT CENTER STAGE

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