Remembering what God has done

There are several times in the old Testament where God commands us to remember what He has done.  Of ten after those times the Israelites set up an Ebenezer, a place to remember what God had done.  After they crossed the Jordan River Joshua told them to gather 12 rocks from the bottom of the River to remember how they walked across on dry land.

 

After acting out the story we made our own rocks of rememberance so we can remember what God has done for us.  I wrote down my boys, because I had a miscarriage before having them and there were some problems with the pregnancy.  Their birthday is coming up, so I’m feeling sentimental about them.  I also wrote down I’m thankful that God brought Jeff into my life.  We first met at a dance our church had and we both had about 3 other things we were supposed to go to that night, but both felt we were supposed to be there.

 

Batman colored a rock yellow to remember God keeping our family safe.  Princess didn’t quite understand and she colored a lady bug.

 

Other stories to use this for: Call of Abraham, Crossing the Red Sea, after the Flood

Creating the tabernacle

Moses came down the mountain and told all of the Israelites God had given instructions on how to build HIS church.  It was to be a special tent and they were to do their best work on it.

 

God went through and named each person who was to build the pieces for the tabernacle.  He didn’t pick the most popular or the most handsome, but the person He had created to do that job.  Some were metal workers, some could weave gorgeous fabrics, and some were good at sewing.

 

Here is what God said they needed to build the tabernacle:

The ark of the covenant, inside they were to put things to help them remember all God had done and was going to do for them.  God told them to put in some mana to remember He fed them in the desert, and to put in the Law, to remember that God had set them apart and given them special rules, and they were to put in Aaron’s staff that had flowered, to remember God had chosen Aaron and his family to lead them.

 

In front of the Ark they were to put a curtain to keep the Ark and all that was by it separate and holy, because God is holy.  When Jesus died that curtain ripped in half because we no longer need something to protect us from God’s holiness.  Jesus’ death on the cross took care of that.

 

Next came the table for the grain offering, and it was to be kept there for the priests.  One day in the future King David would eat this bread, even though he was not a priest

 

Next to the table is a bowl of water for cleaning yourself to be pure and set apart before you enter God’s presence.

 

Finally there is the altar for the offering of burnt sacrifices.  Because we sin, we cannot be in God’s presence, and we needed to offer a sacrifice for our sins.  God told the Israelites to offer their best lamb for a sacrifice for their sins.  Later Jesus would come and be the final sacrifice for our sins.

 

We talked about the temple and why God created all of the different parts and how we don’t have to be a great speaker to serve God or a great teacher, but can just be good at drawing or building.  Afterwards the kids played with the figures and acted out the different parts.

 

The printables for the tabernacle can be found at Gospel Hall.

God gives the Ten Commandments and the Israelites make a BIG mistake

Moses called all of the Israelites together and made an announcement, “We are going to meet with God!  To get ready you all need to wash your clothes and take a bath, so you are clean and ready to meet with God.”

 

So the Israelites all took some time to wash their clothes and take baths.  God came to them as a terrible storm.

 

Moses went up the mountain and spent 40 days talking with God.  God told Moses all about how He wanted His people to live.  He gave laws about what to do with strangers and friends.

Finally after they’d been talking for 40 days, God carved out two stone tablets and wrote the Ten Commandments on them.  Then God warned Moses what the Israelites were doing, and said, “You must stop them before I do.”

 

While God and Moses were talking the Israelites came to Aaron and demanded, “You will make us a new god, because Moses has been gone a long time and obviously he’s dead!”

So Aaron said to them, “Bring me your jewelry and I will make you a God.”

 

Aaron took all of that jewelry and made them a golden calf, “Here Israel is your god who brought you out of Egypt."

And all of Israel bowed down before the statue and worshipped this pretend god.

 

Moses came down and he saw what they were doing and he threw down the tablets God had made and destroyed the statue.  He turned to them with sad eyes and said, “God will no longer lead us, He is too angry to stay with us right now.  Instead an angel will lead us to the Promised Land.”

 

The people realized what they had done and were very sad.

Ten Commandments activity

I’d seen this idea as a much more expensive wooden version, and loved it, but couldn’t spend $80 on it.  So, I made one out of foam core board, mod podge, and some scrapbook paper and tissue paper.

 

Then I made a version for my Sunday school students to make:

10 Commandments Hearts

 

 

My kids loved making this!

Here’s the finished version, aren’t they cute?

Israel Complains

 

Moses and all of the Israelites set out from Egypt.  God led them by day with a giant cloud, at night he led them as a pillar of fire.

 

 

After they had set out the people came to Pharaoh and said, “Who will do our work now?  We have no slaves!”  So Pharaoh took 600 of his best chariots and set out after the Israelites.

 

 

The Israelites looked back and saw Pharaoh and his men behind them, and they saw the Red Sea in front of them and they panicked.  They turned on Moses demanding, “Why did you bring us out here to die!  We could have done that in Egypt.”

 

Moses stopped and asked God what to do, and God told him to hold his staff out over the water.

 

 

When he did the waters split, and there was a place for all of Israel to walk across on dry land.

 

 

Pharaoh and all of his men saw the Israelites cross on dry land so they went to follow, but God told Moses to hold his staff up again and the waters closed over Pharaoh and all of his men.

The Israelites traveled on and it was hot and they were tired and they went to Moses and said “They were thirsty.”  Ahead of them they saw a river and they eagerly ran to drink from it, but the water was bad.  Moses prayed to God asking what to do.  God said, “Take your staff and throw it in the water.”  Moses did as God said and they were able to drink the water, it now tasted sweet.

 

The Israelites traveled some more and it had now been about 3 months.  They were starting to run out of food and they were hungry.  One of the men came to Moses and Aaron and said, “Why did you lead us out here to die?  There was enough food in Egypt, but now we’re going to starve to death.”  Moses went and asked God what to do.  God explained that He would send mana for the people to eat

The Israelites gathered mana just like God said, for five days they gathered enough for the day and on the sixth day they gathered enough for two days.

 

On the seventh day they rested just like God told them to do, some forgot there would be no mana that day so they went hungry.

 

They traveled some more and were out of water again.  They complained to Moses again and said, “Why did you lead us out here to die!”

 

Moses went to God and said, “What should I do?”  God told him to hit the rock with his staff and water would burst forth.

Moses did as God said and just as God said water burst forth.  The Israelites drank the water and were happy.