God Gave the Law

Session 7 Session 7: God Gave the Law

FOR THE God Gave the Law LEADER Exodus 19–20 Through Moses, God had led the people out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and through the wilderness of Sinai, to a mountain where the people camped. The traditional site of this mountain, called Sinai or Horeb in the Bible, is on the peninsula between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba. The peak considered to be Jebel Musa, or the mount of Moses, is one of three peaks in this range. The surrounding landscape is rocky and unforgiving. It was here God called for the people to stop and where God called Moses to the top of the mountain. Moses did as God instructed and climbed the mountain where he talked directly with God Himself. God’s message to Moses was simple: Go down the mountain and tell the people they had seen the great things God had done. There should be no doubt that God is powerful. God had chosen this people as His, and He was to be their God and bless them. Moses returned to the people and announced God’s message. The Israelite leaders agreed to do what God had said and follow Him. Moses called the leaders and the people together and prepared them to meet with God. The people were called to clean themselves, for on the third day they were to meet with God and hear from Him the ways they could live to honor Him. On the third day, God announced His arrival with thunder, lightning, a thick cloud, and the sound of a trumpet. God called Moses up the mountain to give him a warning about the people breaking through the cloud and coming up the mountain. God sent Moses back down the mountain to share God’s commands for the people to follow. The commands God gave defined ways to be in relationship with Him by honoring only God and not creating idols that would distract from worship of Almighty God. God- honoring relationships with others would be possible as well if people loved their neighbors through truthful actions, mutual respect, honoring marriage promises, and a lack of greed for things others have.

SESSION FOCUS BIBLE PASSAGE: Exodus 19–20 MEMORY VERSE: Joshua 22:5 BIBLE VERSE: Exodus 19:5 TEXT TRUTH: God gave His people the law. BIBLE SKILLS SPOTLIGHT: Knows the Bible teaches people how God wants them to live.

BIBLE STUDY APPLY THE TRUTH ACTIVITIES (35 MINUTES) (20 MINUTES) (20 MINUTES) ¨ Jump In: “Ten ¨ Explorer Guides: Bibles, ¨ Bible Skills: “Honor Commandments” and Explorer Guides, pens, God/Love People” and “Text Truth 7” (Slides) “The Gospel” (Printables) “Commandment Hearts” ¨ Examine the Text: ¨ Review: “Review (Poster Pack), tape, Bibles Bibles, “The Gospel” Questions” (Printables), ¨ Move: “Fishing (Printables) gift bag Commandments” (Poster ¨ Play the Video: Explore ¨ Tech Connect Pack), paper clips, round the Bible on Location (Optional): a device with magnets, wooden dowel video the LifeWay for Kids app rod, string, scissors ¨ Memory Verse: ¨ Make: plastic or paper “Joshua 22:5” (Poster cups (brown or green), Pack), trash can or bucket, flower stickers, cotton paper, scissors, marker batting, glue, scissors, ¨ Prayer: Family Cards, “Tablets” (Printables) “The Gospel” (Printables) ¨ Explore: “Nache Photos” (Printables)

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GOD GAVE THE LAW Exodus 19–20 CHRIST IN CONTEXT: The Book of Exodus is the God used Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. The Israelites traveled story of God at work through to Sinai and camped at the bottom of the mountain. Moses went up on Moses to rescue His people the mountain and talked with God. God told Moses to tell the people, “You from bondage. In a greater way, Jesus was sent to have seen all that I have done and how I kept you safe. Now, if you will rescue us from the bondage obey Me, you will be a special nation.” Moses told the people, and they of sin. In Exodus the Passover agreed to obey God. lamb was sacrificed to save the Israelites. Later, Jesus Moses returned to the mountaintop to tell God what the people said. God would sacrifice Himself as told Moses that He would come in a thick cloud. God said to get the people the final Passover lamb, paying for our sin once and ready for Him. for all. Thunder and lightning started, and a thick cloud covered the mountain. The people heard a great trumpet sound. God spoke and the people listened. God told how the people should behave. Do not worship anyone but God. God is the only God. Do not worship anything you have made. Always say God’s name in a nice way. Work on six days. On the seventh day, rest and worship God. Honor and respect your mother and father. Do not kill anyone. Husbands and wives should keep their wedding promises. Do not take something that belongs to someone else. Do not tell lies about other people. Always tell the truth. Do not wish for things that belong to other people.

DON’T FORGET TO SEND HOME THESE FAMILY RESOURCES EACH WEEK: • “Explore the Bible at Home” (Printables) • Explore the Bible: Kids Family Cards

BIBLE STUDY (35 MINUTES) TOOLS: Need an Opening Activity? Choose one of the activities in the Activities • Jump In: “Ten section and adapt it to introduce the session. Commandments” and “Text Truth 7” (Slides) JUMP IN • Examine the Text: Bibles, • Say: “I hope you are all good rule followers because today I have some “The Gospel” (Printables) new rules to share with you.” • Play the Video: Explore the • Give the kids funny rules to follow. (Examples: You must have one hand on Bible on Location video the floor at all times. You aren’t allowed to talk unless you moo for permission • Memory Verse: “Joshua 22:5” (Poster Pack), and I moo back. You must close one eye every time you smile.) trash can or bucket, paper, • Give the kids a few minutes to try to follow all the silly rules. scissors, marker • Ask: “Do any of you have rules to follow at home or at school?” (Allow the • Prayer: Family Cards, “The kids to share some rules they must follow at home or school.) Gospel” (Printables) • Say: “My list of rules was silly and just for fun, but usually rules are put in place to help you. Moms and dads and teachers make rules for your own good, to help you be successful and stay safe.” • Display the “Ten Commandments” slide. • Say: “There is an amazing church in Egypt that is built in a huge cave. The cave has carvings all over it that show different parts of the Bible.” • Ask: “Does anyone think they know what this carving is a picture of?” (The Ten Commandments) • Explain that the Ten Commandments are a list of rules that God gave to His people after He brought them out of Egypt. • Say: “The Ten Commandments is a list of rules that God gave us to show us how to live. His rules aren’t silly—they are designed to help us.” • Display the Text Truth: God gave His people the law. • Explain that the Ten Commandments also help us see how often we disobey God, because no one on earth could ever perfectly keep all of the Ten Commandments—no one except Jesus.

EXAMINE THE TEXT • Guide the kids to open their Bibles to Exodus 19. Explain that Moses wrote all of these things down for us so that we would know what happened after he led the people out of Egypt. • Read Exodus 19:1-5. • Remind the kids that Exodus is one of the first five books of the Bible, which are the books of the Law. • Tell the Bible story in your own words. A Bible story page has been provided for you to use as a guide. • Say: “Following Jesus is not about following rules. But God’s rules do show us the very best way to live. We will never keep the Ten Commandments perfectly, but we can use these rules to help us understand how to honor God with our lives.”

• Use “The Gospel” printable to help the kids understand that the reason Jesus had to come and die for us is because we can’t keep God’s rules perfectly. The Bible tells us that we deserve punishment for our sin, and we needed Jesus to come and perfectly keep the Ten Commandments and all of God’s commands and then take the punishment that we deserved.

PLAY THE VIDEO • Play the Session 7 video. • Ask: “Who did Joel meet today? What did they talk about? Why are God’s rules good?”

MEMORY VERSE ¨ Bible Verse Option: The Memory Verse activity each week is focused on the monthly Memory Verse, Joshua 22:5. If your kids quickly memorize the Memory Verse, you may opt to challenge them to learn an additional weekly Bible Verse. This week’s Bible Verse is Exodus 19:5. ¨ Write out two copies of the Memory Verse and cut apart each word.

• Display the “Joshua 22:5” poster. • Lead the class to read it together. • Say: “We can’t keep God’s commands perfectly, but we can depend on Jesus to help us follow Him and obey God.” • Group the kids into two teams. • Using a trash can or bucket and some paper that is crumpled into a ball, guide the teams to race to make a basket with their crumpled paper. • Each time the team makes a basket, they earn one word of the Memory Verse. Allow the kids to race to see which team is the first to earn all of the words and put them in order.

PRAYER • Review “The Gospel” with boys and girls. Provide a chance for kids to ask questions or speak with another leader individually. • Say: “The Bible tells us that when we don’t follow God’s commands perfectly, we are sinning. Remember, Scripture tells us we all have sinned. When we sin, we can talk to God and ask Him to forgive us.” • Lead the kids in a short time of silent prayer, encouraging them to confess their sins to God and ask for His forgiveness. • Say: “I am so happy that Jesus is perfect when we aren’t. We need Jesus.” • Give the kids Family Cards and encourage them to teach their families about the Ten Commandments.

APPLY THE TRUTH (20 MINUTES) EXPLORER GUIDES TOOLS: • Explorer Guides: Bibles, • Distribute Explorer Guides and help kids locate today’s pages, “The Ten Explorer Guides, pens, “The Commandments.” Gospel” (Printables) • Invite kids to read more about today’s object, “10 Commandments.” • Review: “Review Questions” • Ask a volunteer to read “An 850-Year-Old-Statue!” (Printables), gift bag • Help boys and girls solve the “Ten Commandments Crossword.” • Tech Connect (Optional): a • Read about “Climbing Mt. Sinai.” device with the LifeWay Kids • Lead girls and boys to draw the symbols in the “Gospel Review.” Display app “The Gospel” and discuss each statement with boys and girls as they draw.

REVIEW • Print the “Review Questions” and place them in a gift bag. • Ask the kids to sit in a circle and lead them in a song. • Tell the kids to watch you as they pass the bag around the circle. • When you stop singing, whoever is holding the bag will choose a question from the bag. If they can answer it, they keep it. If not, it goes back in the bag.

TECH CONNECT (OPTIONAL) • Prior to Small Group, download the LifeWay Kids app. Use the activity labeled “Explorer Plus” in the Explore the Bible: Kids section of the app.

ACTIVITIES (20 MINUTES)

• Select one or more of the activities to complete as time allows. MAK EXP MOV IBLE E L E B S O K R I MA L O IBL E L

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E L FISHING FOR S COMMANDMENTS SORTING THE TEN Tools: “Fishing Commandments” (Poster Pack), Tools: “Honor God/Love People” and paper clips, round magnets, wooden dowel rod, “Commandment Hearts” (Poster Pack), tape, string, scissors Bibles ¨ut C out the fish from the “Fishing do Commandments” poster. • Ask: “Which of the Ten Commandments you think is the MOST important?” (Allow the • Say: “God gave His people the law. kids to think it over and guess.) We are was on going to play a game • Say: “Did you know that when Jesus to review part of the very law.” earth, a religious leader asked Him that • Clip a paper clip question?” to each fish and scatter them on the floor. • Guide the kids to open their Bibles to • Using a dowel Matthew 22:36-39. rod with a magnet tied to a string like a fishing • Ask a volunteer to read the verses aloud. pole, lead the kids to fish for commandments. • Say: “Jesus showed us that the Ten in • A s they “catch” Commandments can all be summed up a commandment, ask them to read it and these two ideas: Honor God and love people.” then suggest one loving action they can do to live • Explain that each of the Ten Commandments out that commandment. (For example: Keep your room neat to live out addresses one of these ideas. “Honor and respect your mother and father.”) • D isplay the “Honor God/Love People”

poster. Using the “Commandment Hearts,” the allow the kids to work together to sort

Ten Commandments into one of the two categories. and then • A llow them to do it on their own first, go in discuss why different commandments different categories. The • S ay: “God gave His people the law. to Bible teaches people how God wants them live.”

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E L E L S MOUNT SINAI MODEL THE NACHE FAMILY S Tools: plastic or paper cups (green Tools: “Nache Photos” (Printables) or brown), flower stickers, cotton batting, glue, • Remind scissors, “Tablets” (Printables) kids of the current missions focus on Minnesota. • Display the photos and ask each child a cup and direct them to turn kids to read the • Give captions. the cups upside down. This will be Mount • Say: “Many immigrants from Sinai. Africa come to Minneapolis and St. Paul. Since • Show them how to glue tufts of cotton batting the Naches also came to the United States to the top of the mountain to represent the from Africa, they are uniquely gifted to share cloud of God’s presence. Christ with the immigrants.” • Guide the kids to decorate the bottom part of • A sk kids to look at the photos the mountain with flower stickers. and suggest ways that they might pray for • Ask the kids to cut out the tablets to glue to the Naches and the people they minister to in the top of the mountain. (The tablets will be Minneapolis. • Ask a volunteer to voice a prayer sticking out of the cloud.) for several of the requests mentioned. • As the kids finish their mountains, review the story with them and challenge them to try and remember all of the Ten Commandments. • Review the Text Truth: God gave His people the law.