God’s laws for living properly
key words
biblical reference
Exodus 19:1-20
memory verse
“Teach me to do your will, for you are my God” (Psalm 143:10a, NIV*).
lesson objective
To help children want to obey God in everything in order to live righteously.
prepare yourself to teach
When God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, he promised them they could go to Mount Sinai to worship him (Exodus 3:12). Three months after they left, they reached the foot of the mountain. This visit had two purposes. The first was so that the people could receive the law of God, which gave them instructions to live properly; and second was for the people to become a nation.
The valley was at the base of the mountain and it was a good place for the large group of Hebrews to establish their camp. There was plenty of grass for the sheep, land for tents and drinking water. This was the place that God had chosen to make a special covenant with his people.
There are two types of covenants. The first type of covenant is one in which the two sides are equal in responsibilities and privileges; each party may act independently of each other, as in business or political parties. In the second type of covenant, the parties are not equal; there is one party that is more powerful than the other who guides the other party, for example, a king and his people.
This second type of covenant was what God planned for the people of Israel. He promised them a powerful nation and that he would always protect them. Freeing the Israelites from slavery in Egypt fulfilled the first part of that promise. In return, the people were to obey God completely and honor him, they were to put their trust and faith in him alone and obey his laws.
The Ten Commandments were the basis of this special covenant.
It is easier if young children learn to live properly while they are young than it is to try to fix bad habits that they may acquire as they get older during the course of their lifetime. That is why it is so important to work with these young minds, and ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit to direct their hearts to Christ’s feet. Teachers, remember that we are a people of prayer engaged in God’s Word making Christlike disciples.
adaptation
Teaching your children to obey the commandments of God will develop a respect for God and respect for the rights of others. At the same time, a foundation will be laid down so that your children will be able to live happier lives in obedience to the will of the Lord.
The Ten Commandments are a guide to help us in our relationships with our Creator and other people.
introduce the lesson
Welcome the students and let them introduce themselves. For the development of this lesson, write the Ten Commandments on a large poster board or piece of cardboard. For the activity “Is it Right or Is it Wrong?” have two bags or boxes and some small cards, crayons, blank paper, and a ball or other small object.
Before starting the Bible story, start a discussion with your children about what would happen if there were no laws to guide what people are to do and not do. For example: What if there were no road signs? What if there were no safety signs in schools and hospitals? What if there were no laws to govern a country? Allow some time for the class to participate in this discussion; then help your children come to a conclusion that emphasizes that all these laws help us to enjoy a more simple and safer life. God has also made laws to help his people to live properly. Ask your children to pay close attention during the Bible story.
teach the lesson
Study Exodus 19:1-20 before the session. Be prepared to tell the story in your own words.
Talk to your children about laws. Let them know that there are laws that govern the behavior of people everywhere. There are laws in the country where we live, at school, at work, and even within our own families.
These laws are rules that help us coexist in a harmonious way and avoid many problems.
Mention that God gave his people very special laws when they were in the wilderness that we too must obey, because we are a part of God’s family.
Make a poster with the Ten Commandments written on it (Exodus 20:1-17). You may wish to decorate it to look like the stone tablets that God gave Moses.
Show it to the children and tell the Bible story. Take a break after each commandment and allow children to give examples of what that commandment means.
Emphasize that God chose to speak to Moses because he was an obedient servant and he had a lot of faith. These commands helped the people to live in harmony and obey the will of God.
connect the lesson
Can you complete this verse?
What does it say? Help the group find the Bible verse in Student Activity Sheet #110-B by using the code. Encourage them to say the verse several times individually.
I want to love and obey God
Give the children Student Activity Sheet #110-A and colored pencils or crayons. Ask them to draw two pictures of how they can obey God this week. When they have finished, help them cut the instruction strip off the bottom and punch out or cut out the black circles at the top. Then insert yarn or a ribbon in the holes, so they can hang it in a visible place in their home.
Remind them to color in a star each day that they do what they promised.
“Is this right or is this wrong?”
Use empty boxes or bags and several note-cards or small pieces of paper, and write on them the following phrases:
Saying bad words when I’m angry.Taking my friend’s toy, because I like it.Not obeying my mom when she tells me to do something.Hitting my friends when they do not want to play the same game as me.Doing my homework without being reminded.Helping my family with housework.Crying when my friends do not do what I say.Sharing my toys with my friends.Always saying “please” and “thank you”.Telling lies so I do not get in trouble.Being grateful for what I have.Arriving home early when my mom asks me to.
You can make as many cards as you wish. In one of the boxes or bags write the word “Right” and another “Wrong.” Place the cards upside down on a table and have children take turns reading them. After reading the sentence, they must state whether it is “Right” or “Wrong” and place it in the appropriate box.
practice the memory verse
Write the memory verse on a chalkboard and say it aloud with your children. Erase some of the words, and let the children say it again. Repeat this action until all the words are erased and the children can say it by memory.
Ask your children what they learned in class today; you can do this by playing this game: Throw a ball or other light object to one of them. When they catch the ball they get to tell the class something that they learned from today’s story. Then, that child can throw the ball to another classmate, and so on until everyone has had a chance to participate.
wrap-up
Pray
It is very important that you do not forget to pray before you end the class. Your children need to have the opportunity to thank God for allowing them to be in class again today. Ask them if they have any prayer requests and pray for them.
Encourage
Encourage the children to obey God in everything in order to live righteously.
Invite
Remind the group that this is the last lesson in this unit. Challenge them to invite their friends to attend the next session to begin a new unit of lessons.
* Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™