Lesson: Law of God at Pentecost

Goal:

To reinforce to the children that the Law was reissued verbally to Israel at Pentecost and to familiarize the children with the Ten Commandments and apply them to “real life”.

Objectives:

1. Children will understand the “story of the giving of the Law at Pentecost”.
2. Children will identify the Two Great Commandments.
3. Children will identify how many commandments there are.
4. Children will identify at least one blessing or curse that results from keeping or breaking the commandments.
5. Children will work on memorizing the Ten Commandments.
6. Children will be able to identify real-life examples of various actions and behaviours and correlate them to the commandment that is being upheld or broken.
7. Children will have a strategy for dealing with difficult traits that could be contrary to God’s Law rather than breaking the commandments.

Resources:

Moses and the Israelites Move on to Sinai (No. CB40)

The Ten Commandments (No. CB17)

Lesson: Law at our Doorposts (No. CB80)

Relevant Scriptures:

Deuteronomy 5:6-21; Proverbs 3:1-2 (not an inclusive list).

Memory verse:

Exodus 19:8

Suggested activities:

1. Real-life activities as they relate to the Ten Commandments. Draw items out of a dish or basket with real-life examples and place on the commandment chart.
2. Skit with simple role-play per commandment.
3. Older children will write out the Ten Commandments; younger ones will be given a poster of the Ten Commandments to decorate.
4. Bookmarks showing the Ten Commandments will be given as gifts.
5. Children will perform a play depicting the Exodus and Moses giving the Law at Mount Sinai, when people affirmed their faith, then rebelled in less than two months, causing the broken tablets; then the Law being reissued prior to Tabernacles, and now written in our hearts.
6. Cards that individually list the Two Great Commandments and the other Ten Commandments. Have the children put them in the correct order.
7. Magnet words: have the children write out the Ten Commandments at home on the refrigerator door.
8. For the very young children, spell out the words “First Great Commandment” and “Second Great Commandment” using alphabet cereal, and discuss waiting patiently, listening, sharing, etc. while the children are trying to find the needed letters of the alphabet.
9. Ten Commandments’ boat from http://daniellesplace.com
10. Ten Commandment train.

Real-life examples as related to the Ten Commandments’ activity

Supplies  needed:

• Two tag boards or dry-erase boards. On one board, write down the First Great Commandment and under it, list the first four of the Ten Commandments. On the second board, write down the Second Great Commandment and under it list the last six of the Ten Commandments.
•  Examples from a child’s life of various actions and behaviours, printed on 3”x5” cards to be mounted on the tag board.
•  4”x 6” rectangles of red and blue paper, enough for each action and behaviour card, plus some extras.
• Tape/glue sticks.

Format:

• Have the tag board or dry-erase board and cards ready.
• Ask prayer at the beginning of the study.
• Read the entire paper Moses and the Israelites Move on to Sinai (No. CB40) or if time is limited or there is a younger audience, start with the section “At Mount Sinai” from the above-mentioned paper.
• Review basic concepts with the children, starting with the First Great and Second Great Commandments and then the Ten Commandments listed below them.
• Allow the children to give examples of the comments and write them on blank paper.
• On the red paper, mount the 3”x 5” cards whose action or behaviour represents following the great red dragon Satan, and on the blue paper, mount those which represent obeying God and having four blue ribbons on the corner of our garments. Place the example under the correct commandment. Discuss the blessings or curses that follow from breaking or keeping the commandments.
• Allow the poster with the Ten Commandments to remain up during the entire Feast and use it as a reference when doing lessons for reinforcing positive behaviour or correcting negative behaviour.

Activity:

1. Older children copy a set of the Ten Commandments for themselves and then decorate the work; the younger ones are given a copy of the Ten Commandments to colour and decorate.

Closing/ Summary:

1. Ask each child to list what Commandments are the hardest for them to keep and then help them to develop a strategy for keeping those difficult ones.
2. Ask a closing prayer.

Commandment boats and with the wind in your sails.

Lesson/Activity Commandment Boats

Supplies:

• Empty plastic soda or water bottles, markers, straws for the mast, foam for the sails, scissors or knife to cut the bottle before the children arrive, hot glue or water resistant glue to assemble the project.

Lesson:

• Read the entire paper Moses and the Israelites Move on to Sinai (No. CB40) or if time is limited or there is a younger audience start with the section “At Mount Sinai” from the above mentioned paper.
• Review with the children some examples from Scripture where the Holy Spirit is a powerful force that does the work of God while they are assembling their boats.
• Ten Commandment boat from http://daniellesplace.com

This idea can be done with a drawing and each child getting their own colouring- sheet, or it could be constructed 3-D style using soda bottle as boat and floated on the water. Then the concepts of the Holy Spirit and water can be tied in. The analogy could be how the Ten Commandments always keep us afloat and safe and take us to many places we have not been before. The Holy Spirit is what moves us from place to place and keeps us afloat no matter how rough the waters are. Draw a small boat called Honour. Honour is written on the side of the boat, with four bins or boxes on the deck (each bin or box contains a letter B, I, N, S on them) and the letters M, A, S, T on the mast. The boat is sitting in a small cove, with the word covet written on the water.

1. • Point to each of the letters BINS and say:

B is before. You shall have no other GOD BEFORE ME.

I is for idol. You shall not make yourself an IDOL.

N is for name. You shall not take the NAME of the Lord your God in vain.

S is for Sabbath. Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.

1. • Now point to HONOUR on the boat and say:

Honour. HONOUR your father and mother.

1. • Now point to the MAST and say:

M is for Murder. You shall not MURDER.

A is for Adultery. You shall not commit ADULTERY.

S is for Steal. You shall not STEAL.

T is for Testimony or Talk. You shall not give false TESTIMONY or you shall not TALK OR TELL false stories.

1. • Now point to the cove and ask what is cove + it? The answer is COVET, and that is the last commandment, you shall not COVET.

Closing/ Summary:

1. Ask each child to list the times they know they have been protected or helped by God’s Holy Spirit.
2. Ask a closing prayer.