Rules from God The 10 Commandments Exodus 20:1-20; 24:3-4, 12-13

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1 Fall 2015 ~ Beginners Lesson #5 Learning Objectives Rules from God The 10 Commandments Exodus 20:1-20; 24:3-4, The children will retell the story of the Ten Commandments. 2. The children will be able to explain why the Ten Commandments are important for us to follow. Memory Verse: Your word is like a lamp that shows me the way. --Psalms 119:105 (NIRV) Getting Started Red Light/Green Light Game The rules of this game are: Children line up in a horizontal line facing you. You will stand at the opposite side of the room and call out "Green Light" or "Red Light." When you say green light the children move towards you, when you call red light they must stop. The first child to reach you wins. A child must go back to the starting line if they continue to move forward once you've called red light. After you play the game, ask the children if the game would have been as fun if there were no rules. Talk together about why rules make the game more fun. Explain that it is much the same in real life, rules and laws make life much better. Tell the children that today we will be learning about Ten rules that God gave us. We call them the commandments. (Continue with the lesson.) OR Rules Keep Us Safe Activity See: Preschool Activities Rules Keep Us Safe Use the pictures from the above website or have pictures representing the following: Touching a hot stove Running across a busy street Jumping on the bed Fire or matches Wearing a seatbelt Look at the pictures and talk about what they all have in common. They all show rules we need to follow. Why? These rules keep us safe. Today we will learn about the rules that God gave to the Israelites and to us as well. There are ten of them, do you know what they are? We call them the Ten Commandments. (Continue with the lesson.) 1

2 Bible Lesson with Discussion Questions Message: The Commandments show us God s way. Exodus 20 ~ God Gives His People the Ten Commandments Here are all of the words God spoke. He said, "I am the Lord your God. I brought you out of Egypt. That is the land where you were slaves. Do not put any other gods in place of me. Do not make statues of gods that look like anything in the sky or on the earth or in the waters. Do not bow down to them or worship them. I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God. I punish the children for the sin of their parents. I punish the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of those who hate me. But for all time to come I show love to all those who love me and keep my commandments. Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will find guilty anyone who misuses his name. Remember to keep the Sabbath day holy. Do all of your work in six days. But the seventh day is a Sabbath in honor of the Lord your God. Do not do any work on that day. The same command applies to your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and your animals. It also applies to any outsiders who live in your cities. In six days I made the heavens and the earth. I made the oceans and everything in them. But I rested on the seventh day. So I blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long time in the land the Lord your God is giving you. Do not commit murder. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not give false witness against your neighbor. Do not long for anything that belongs to your neighbor. Do not long for your neighbor's house, wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey." The people saw the thunder and lightning. They heard the trumpet. They saw the mountain covered with smoke. They trembled with fear and stayed a long way off. They said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself, and then we'll listen. But don't let God speak to us. If he does, we'll die." Moses said to the people, "Don't be afraid. God has come to put you to the test. He wants you to have respect for him. That will keep you from sinning." Exodus 24:3-4, Moses went and told the people all of the Lord's words and laws. They answered with one voice. They said, "We will do everything the Lord has told us to do." Then Moses wrote down everything the Lord had said. Moses got up early the next morning. He built an altar at the foot of the mountain. He set up 12 stone pillars. They stood for the 12 tribes of Israel. The Lord said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain. Stay here. I will give you the stone tablets. They contain the law and commands I have written to teach the people." Then Moses and Joshua, his helper, started out. Moses went up on the mountain of God. Story Summarized for Children God led his people out of slavery in Egypt. Now they were in the desert, and Moses was leading them to the promised land. One day, God told Moses to prepare the people to meet him. He gathered the people at the bottom of Mount Sinai, and smoke covered the mountain, and the people heard God s voice speak. Moses went up to the mountain to get God s rules, which are the ten commandments. This is what they are: (make a list on poster board for the children to see. Use pictures if possible see attached). 1. I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods before me. 2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. 3. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 2

3 Bible Lesson with Discussion Questions continued 4. Honor your father and your mother: that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you. 5. You shall not murder. 6. You shall not commit adultery. 7. You shall not steal. 8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 9. You shall not covet your neighbor s house. 10. You shall not covet your neighbor s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor s. Moses wrote down everything that God said. The people answered together: Everything that God has said, we will do. God wrote the commandments on two stone tablets and He told Moses that He wrote them down so Moses could teach the people. Discussion Questions: 1. How did God help his people, the Israelites? (He brought them out of Egypt as He had promised.) 2. Where did Moses lead the people to? (Mount Sinai.) 3. What did God give to the people that was so special? (Rules to follow.) 4. What are the rules called that God gave to us? (The Ten Commandments.) 5. Are we supposed to follow God s rules? (Yes.) Why or why not? (Discuss.) 6. Who else gives us rules that we have to follow? (Our teachers at school, police in the community, parents at home, etc.discuss with the children.) 7. Why is it important to follow rules? (They keep us safe; they make it fair, so we can get along with each other, etc.) 8. Why should we follow God s rules? (Because God loves us and if we follow His rules He can bless us for believing and trusting in Him.) Application to Real Life Enjoy a healthy snack together and talk with the children. Ask them why they think God gave us the Ten Commandments to follow? Why would God give us rules? (Let the children answer.) Then take them to a dark area. (If possible, turn off the lights in the room you are in, or take them to another room with no windows, maybe a large storage closet or bathroom. If there is no such place, try making a tent with a thicker blanket or quilt. Make sure everyone can sit under the tent in the darkness. Bring a working flashlight with you.) Talk with the children further and help them to understand that when God gave us the Ten Commandments to follow, it is just like giving us a light to follow. Turn on the flashlight and explain when we are in the dark, we sometimes need a nightlight or a flashlight so that we can see where to go. God s word is just like the flashlight. God gave us the Commandments so that we would know what we need to do in order to be safe, healthy and happy. Just like the light helps us to find our way, the Commandments show us God s way, and they show us how God expects us to live our lives. Remind the children of the memory verse ( Your word is like a lamp that shows me the way. ) Pray together with the children and remember to thank God for providing for us by giving us His Commandments so that we could know what rules to follow and be kept safe, happy and healthy. 3

4 Memory Work Suggestions 5 minutes 1. Name the two main parts of the Bible and tell what the difference is. (Old Testament before Jesus, New Testament Jesus & After Jesus) 2. Where is the book of Psalms located? In the Old or New Testament? Practice finding it together. 3. Review the odd commandments that the children know so far. (1, 3, 5) 4. Recite the memory verse. 5. Lead the class in a short prayer about our Love for God and thanking Him for loving us so much to give us the ten commandments to show us the way in our life. Activity Ideas Ten Commandments for Kids Learn the meaning of the 10 commandments in a more kid-friendly language. Give the children everyday examples for each one that they will understand. For example, for number one, ask the children whether they should read my Sunday school lesson or watch a favorite TV program. The following wording is a suggestion you may use to help the children better understand the Ten Commandments: The Ten Commandments for Kids 1. Love God more than you love anything else. Don t make anything in your life more important than God. 2. Always say God s name with love and respect. 3. Honor the Lord by resting on Sunday. 4. Love and respect your mom and dad. 5. Never hurt anyone. 6. Always be faithful to your husband and wife. 7. Don t take anything that isn t yours. 8. Always tell the truth. 9. Be happy with what you have. 10. Don t wish to have other people s things. Ten Commandment Tablet Activity Using large pieces of cardstock, poster board, or another sturdy material, pre-cut (one for each child) sets of ten commandment tablets. The children can paint them, or color them. Use your imagination and be creative! Then, either the children can glue pre-copied sheets of the Ten Commandments (See Appendix B ) onto their tablets OR you can have the commandments precopied and cut apart (one set for each child). As the children learn a new commandment, have them glue the one they learned onto their tablet. (See attached for sheets to copy.) When the entire class gets all 10 glued on their tablets, provide a great reward. Have fun! Tablets look like this shape: 4

5 Activity Ideas Continued Commandment Memory Game Make cards of the ten commandments using pictures (clip art) that represent the commandment to be the match. Play a memory game where you try to match the commandment with the picture it represents. (You may wish to start with first five commandments this time, adding the next five commandments the following Sunday School class time.) (see Appendix A for pictures) #1 picture of heart for loving God #2 picture of someone talking #3 picture of church #4 picture of a mom and dad #5 picture of child hurt #6 picture of wedding, bride/groom, wedding rings #7 picture of stealing, robber #8 picture of person with lie in speech bubble #9 picture of happy face #10 pictures of toys, cars, things Homework Ideas - Read at home with a grown up the lesson titled: Praying Talking to God (Matthew 6:5-15). - Learn the memory verse for next week: Your Father knows what you need even before you ask Him. --Matthew 6:8 (NIRV) - Work on memorizing commandment #. - Complete the Praying Talking to God handout (teachers print attached handout for each child). Return it on Sunday for a sticker. Other Resources Resource Room Search ten commandments. 5

6 Appendix A Commandment Memory Game Love God more than anything else. Don t make anything in your life more important than God. Always be faithful to your husband and wife. God s Name! Always say God s name with love and respect. Don t take anything that isn t yours. Lie Honor the Lord by resting on the seventh day of the week. Always tell the truth. Love and respect your mom and dad. Be happy with what you have. Never hurt anyone. Don t wish to have other people s things. 6

7 Appendix B Ten Commandment Tablet Activity Option 1 Glue the commandment AFTER they have learned it. Option 2 Glue all of the commandments onto the tablet, 5 per side. I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Honor your father and your mother: that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor s house. You shall not covet your neighbor s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor s. 7