January
💥 Sabbath, January 4th - Exodus 20:14 "You shall not commit adultery." - Shut De Door
💥 Sabbath, January 11th - Exodus 20:15 "You shall not steal."
💥 Sabbath, January 18th - Exodus 20:16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor." - That's Not True!
💥 Sabbath, January 25th - Exodus 20:17, "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." - What Do You Want?
February
🚗 Sabbath, February 1st - “. . .for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7 - Giving Is Good
🚙 Sabbath, February 8th - Acts 17:28 - “For in him we live and move and have our being... We are his offspring. - The Golden Calf
🚗 Sabbath, February 15th - “Make this Tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.” Exodus 25:9 - The Tabernacle is Built
🚙 Sabbath, February 22nd - “Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” 2 Corinthians 7:1 - The Most Holy Place
March
🕊️ Sabbath, March 1st - "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.” - Ephesians 6:10-11
🕊️ Sabbath, March 8th - “For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.” - 1 Thessalonians 4:7 - What Are You Eating?
🕊️ Sabbath, March 15th - church canceled; no power at the building
🕊️ Sabbath, March 22nd - “Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each one of you is to return to his family property and each to his own clan.” - Leviticus 25:10 - Jubilee!
🕊️ Sabbath, March 29th - “Whenever the ark set out, Moses said, 'Rise up, O LORD! May your enemies be scattered; may your foes flee before you.' Whenever it came to rest, he said, 'Return O LORD, to the countless thousands of Israel.’” - Numbers 10:35-36 - On To The Promised Land
April
🎢Sabbath, April 5th - “What causes fights and quarrels among you?” (James 4:1) - Expect to Respect
🎢Sabbath, April 12th - “The Lord’s Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month” (Leviticus 23:5 NIV). Passover
🎢Monday, April 14th - “Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread . . .” Exodus 12:15 - Timing of Passover Events
🎢Sabbath, April 19th - “. . . on the first day you shall put away leaven out of your houses” (Exodus 12:15)
🎢Sunday, April 20th - “. . . for if anyone eats what is leavened from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel” (Exodus 12:15 RSV).
🎢Sabbath, April 26th - “. . .Only do not rebel against the LORD. . .” Numbers 14:9a
💥 Sabbath, January 4th - Exodus 20:14 "You shall not commit adultery." - Shut De Door
💥 Sabbath, January 11th - Exodus 20:15 "You shall not steal."
💥 Sabbath, January 18th - Exodus 20:16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor." - That's Not True!
💥 Sabbath, January 25th - Exodus 20:17, "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." - What Do You Want?
February
🚗 Sabbath, February 1st - “. . .for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7 - Giving Is Good
🚙 Sabbath, February 8th - Acts 17:28 - “For in him we live and move and have our being... We are his offspring. - The Golden Calf
🚗 Sabbath, February 15th - “Make this Tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.” Exodus 25:9 - The Tabernacle is Built
🚙 Sabbath, February 22nd - “Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” 2 Corinthians 7:1 - The Most Holy Place
March
🕊️ Sabbath, March 1st - "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.” - Ephesians 6:10-11
🕊️ Sabbath, March 8th - “For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.” - 1 Thessalonians 4:7 - What Are You Eating?
🕊️ Sabbath, March 15th - church canceled; no power at the building
🕊️ Sabbath, March 22nd - “Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each one of you is to return to his family property and each to his own clan.” - Leviticus 25:10 - Jubilee!
🕊️ Sabbath, March 29th - “Whenever the ark set out, Moses said, 'Rise up, O LORD! May your enemies be scattered; may your foes flee before you.' Whenever it came to rest, he said, 'Return O LORD, to the countless thousands of Israel.’” - Numbers 10:35-36 - On To The Promised Land
April
🎢Sabbath, April 5th - “What causes fights and quarrels among you?” (James 4:1) - Expect to Respect
🎢Sabbath, April 12th - “The Lord’s Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month” (Leviticus 23:5 NIV). Passover
🎢Monday, April 14th - “Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread . . .” Exodus 12:15 - Timing of Passover Events
🎢Sabbath, April 19th - “. . . on the first day you shall put away leaven out of your houses” (Exodus 12:15)
🎢Sunday, April 20th - “. . . for if anyone eats what is leavened from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel” (Exodus 12:15 RSV).
🎢Sabbath, April 26th - “. . .Only do not rebel against the LORD. . .” Numbers 14:9a
January 4, 2025
Shut De Door
Exodus 20:14 "You shall not commit adultery."
Materials: wedding vows, CEM YEA lesson (YE3I.7)
“Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today, before God and in the sight of these witnesses, to join these two in holy matrimony.”
Does that sound familiar? Many wedding services start just this way. It is legal terminology. There are witnesses to the contract that is about to be signed: God and all of the people attending the ceremony. Two key words in this introduction are “holy” and “matrimony.” Holy means set apart. Matrimony is the state or quality of being married.
These two people are embarking upon a lifelong commitment - covenant - as God is their witness - that they will abide by the terms of the contract. What is that contract? Many of them go like this:
I, Ron, faithfully promise and covenant with God, in the presence of these witnesses, to take Cynthia to be my wife, to love and comfort, to honor and cherish, and to be faithful to her in sickness and in health until death we are parted.
Then then bride states her part of the contract:
I, Cynthia, faithfully promise and covenant with God, in the presence of these witnesses, to take Ron to be my husband, to love and comfort, to honor and cherish, to submit myself to him, and to be faithful to him in sickness and in health until we are parted by death.
The covenant binds this man and this woman together for as long as they both shall live. They each prefer the other over all others. They are loyal and support of each other above all other relationships. In fact, there is no room for another person in this union. This is the promise they each make to the other.
If someone wants to wedge themselves into this relationship, to break that trust, each has the obligation before God to repudiate that advance. Like Joseph, they should get completely away from the situation. In fact, it’s best if they never put themselves into a situation that could potentially break that trust. There are many examples of a pastor (or other leader) refusing to meet with/counsel a woman without his wife present. That’s just wise! They are avoiding even the appearance of evil.
God does not take the marriage covenant lightly. How do we know this? Because the Seventh Commandment says, “You shall not commit adultery.” Breaking this commandment breaks that trust, breaks the promise made to your husband or wife. It’s serious stuff.
Sabbath, January 18th
That's Not True!
Exodus 20:16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.”
Materials needed: candle, matches, buttons with crest/design, YEA lesson YE3I.9 (from CEM)
I remember my grandfather saying that a man was only as good as his word. It makes a lot of sense. In a community where people depended on one another, it was crucial that a person was reliable, that he did what he said he would do.
There’s another saying I associate with Grandad. “If he says he’ll do it, you can take it to the bank.” In other words, if someone agreed to do a task, it was a sure thing; it was as if you had the money in your hand, ready to take it to the bank.
It doesn’t take very long when you’re around people to figure out who you would trust completely and whose word isn’t worth a plug nickel.
Individually and collectively, when you can’t trust what people say, there are serious consequences. Not keeping your word covers all sorts of things - from relatively unimportant, like saying that you’ll do the dishes after supper to testifying in court. Truth is so important in court cases - because you’re dealing with people’s lives - that before you give your testimony you are required to swear that you will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God. That’s a very serious oath - and it needs to be because your words literally could mean the difference between life and death in some cases.
For many years, important documents had a seal applied, to verify their authenticity. (We still do this today; it’s called a notary.) A small amount of sealing wax was melted and allowed to drip onto a document. Then a ring with a family or monarch’s crest was pushed down into the wax. That way, if you received a document, you knew exactly who it was from and if it had been tampered with. Sometimes the seal was applied to the end of the document; sometimes it was applied after the document had been folded.
Telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth is a problem today. It was a problem back when sealing wax was used. It was a problem in Biblical times. God was very clear that it was a transgression of His law to bear false witness, to not tell the truth. God’s consequence was effective. Deuteronomy 19:18-19 says, “The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is a false witness and he has accused his brother falsely, then you shall do to him just as he had intended to do to his brother. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you.” So, if you lie to get your brother in trouble, whatever punishment he would have received, you will get instead!
Proverbs 19:9 says, “A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will perish.” Our God expects us to tell the truth! We would expect nothing less from the One who says He is the Way and the Truth and the Life! So you won’t be surprised to find that in the New Heavens and the New Earth, Revelation 21:8, here’s what it says, “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
All liars are included in this list of those who will not be part of God’s kingdom. God means it when He says, “You shall not bear false witness.”
Sabbath, January 25th
What Do You Want?
Exodus 20:17, "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."
Materials Needed: miscellaneous trinkets, YEA lesson (YE3I.10), dry erase board, markers, cards with Biblical characters on them
Do you have a list of things you really want? Are the things you listed material possessions, time-related, people-related, or something else? What is most important to you? Is wanting things bad? Wanting things is not bad; really, really wanting something can provide motivation to strive and persevere. It’s when you want things that other people have, things that are not yours, that you are breaking the Tenth Commandment. What do I mean? Well, let’s use some Bible examples:
Gehazi - This was Elisha’s servant. And the story to which I’m referring is found in 2 Kings 5; it’s the story of Naaman. What did Gehazi want that didn’t belong to him? He wanted the reward that Naaman was offering to Elisha, which Elisha completely disregarded. Gehazi didn’t earn it; it didn’t belong to him. So what did he do? He lied. How did he think his actions weren’t going to be discovered? The consequence? He contracted leprosy.
David - This was the greatest king in ancient Israel. But what did David want that didn’t belong to him? He wanted Bathsheba. So what did he do? He took her - and ended up murdering her husband to cover up his sin.
Solomon - The wisest man who ever lived wanted something too. What was it? Women! He had 700 wives and 300 concubines. What did God’s law say? From the very beginning (Genesis 2:24), God ordained marriage to be one man and one woman. Jesus reaffirms this in Matthew 19. Deuteronomy 17:17 specifically says that the king shall not have many wives, lest they turn his heart away from following God. What did Solomon end up doing? Turning away from following God with his whole heart - and the kingdom would be divided due to his sin.
Shadrach, Meshack, and Abedngo - The three young men who were thrown into the fiery furnace wanted something. What was it? They wanted to be found faithful to God - even if it meant they died in the fiery furnace. What does this example show us? There are things that you can really, really want - even if it means you lose your life - that are very pleasing to God.
It’s important to spend some time thinking about what you really want. Gehazi, if he’d thought about it, should have realized that he wanted the favor of God and Elisha more than a few sets of clothing. David, if he had really thought about it, should have realized that he wanted the relationship with God more than he wanted a relationship with Bathsheba. Solomon, if he had really thought about it, should have followed God’s law to maintain the relationship he had with God - the one where God loved him enough to tell him to ask for anything. What would that be worth to you - to have God tell you that you could ask for anything?!
Don’t spend time looking at what someone else has and wishing that it was yours. Do what God has given you to do and trust Him to provide what you truly need. Obeying this commandment, like obeying all of the others, can keep you out of a lot of trouble!
February
Sabbath, February 1st
Giving is Good
" . . . for God loves a cheerful giver." 2 Corinthians 9:7
Why? Why does God love a cheerful giver? It shows an acute awareness that God is the One who blesses you with what you have; you are merely giving as an expression of gratitude.
Gratitude. This attitude is a natural remedy to coveting what others have. You are content with what you have. You focus on your blessings instead of focusing on what you think would make you happy.
Trusting. Additionally, it shows that you trust Him. Let’s say you have something that someone else needs. When you are willing to give to fulfill that need, you are trusting that God will provide for your future needs. This attitude reinforces your gratitude. You are thankful for what God has already done, for what He is doing, and for what He has promised in the future. It refocuses your eyes on His plan instead of yourself.
Attitude. A third reason that God loves a cheerful giver is the effect your attitude has on the people to whom you are giving. Being cheerful is a lot different than giving begrudgingly. The “I-don’t-really-want-to-give-it-but-I-know-I-have-to attitude is offensive to the One who has given you all things. And it’s felt by the recipient of your gift. It makes them feel bad. If you are cheerful in your giving, it builds bridges and strengthens your relationship.
When you have a positive perspective on giving (cheerful), you are more willing to give your best. You may have things that you want to get rid of. Someone else may really benefit from those things. Those things are easy to give. But it’s when you give something that you value, and you give it cheerfully, that’s when it is pleasing to God.
So what do you have that you value that you are cheerfully willing to give to others . . . out of gratitude to God . . . to show that you trust Him in all areas of your life? It doesn’t have to be a physical gift. It can be your time. It can be your prayers. It can be your friendship (because that takes time and effort).
One final thought: our God has given so much. If we want to be like Him, we need to develop a natural willingness to give in order to advance the kingdom and because it’s a good thing to do. I would hope that we would be like the Israelites when there was a need to build the tabernacle. They gave and gave until finally they had to be told to stop. It was enough. That’s the kind of giving attitude I would hope that we all have.
Sabbath, February 8th
The Golden Calf
Acts 17:28 - “For in him we live and move and have our being... We are his offspring.
Materials Needed: pie pan, water, salt, pepper, dish soap, towel, YEA lesson (YE3J.2)
Suppose I put some water into a pie pan and sprinkle some pepper on the surface. Would sprinkling some salt on it affect the pepper at all? What would happen if I put a drop of dish soap in the pan? The pepper moves all the way to the edge - immediately. That’s because pepper doesn’t like dish soap right? No. Pepper is not sentient. The pepper moves because the water’s surface tension was broken. But if you didn’t know anything about surface tension, you might attribute the phenomenon to pepper not liking dish soap.
Well, even if you were wrong about pepper and dish soap not getting along, it’s not the end of the world. But it is a much bigger deal when we’re talking about God. God is very particular about how He is treated. He is holy. And He deserves our reverence and humility before Him. Let me give you an example of what I’m talking about.
Can you imagine how insulting it was for the Israelites to so quickly do what God had just told them not to do: create an idol to worship?! And then, to make matters worse, Aaron told the people that this golden calf was the god who brought them out of Egypt. What in the world!?! This heap of molten metal that had recently been the earrings in their ears was the god who was responsible for all of the plagues and for parting the Red Sea and for delivering the Israelites from Pharaoh and Egypt?!? Had Aaron lost his mind?! This golden calf that could not move on its own, had no more intelligence than a box of rocks, and could not think - that was the god who delivered them from Egypt! In actuality, the Israelites were probably not so stupid as to think the golden calf was actually the god who saved them; they likely thought it was just a depiction of God. But again, this is in direct conflict with God’s commandment not to make an idol in the likeness of anything to worship - even if they were thinking it was a representation of Jehovah.
Our Great God was so angry that He was ready to wipe out all of the Israelites and start over with Moses. That’s how big a deal this was!
But, we don’t do that kind of thing today, do we? We don’t attribute actions to God that He didn’t really do. And we don’t take credit for the things that He really did do, do we?
Ecclesiastes 5:2 says that God is in heaven and we are here on earth, so I will let my words be few. He is God and He is great. And we should spend more time considering how we’re treating our Great God. For, as you learned in your memory verse, in Him we live and move and have our being. Even though this verse in Acts is Paul quoting a pagan philosopher, the fact remains that God is our Creator and Sustainer. And sometimes, maybe actually, most of the time, we don’t treat Him with the reverent fear that we should.
Sabbath, February 15th
The Tabernacle is Built
Make this Tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.” Exodus 25:9
Materials Needed: paper, pencils, clipboards, YEA lesson from CEM (YE3J.3)
Suppose I give you a piece of paper and tell you to draw exactly what I describe. How good would you be at following the directions:
Start by making a small square at the top right of your paper. Make a circle underneath it, touching the bottom of the square with the same diameter as one side of the square. Now draw a horizontal line touching the bottom of the circle and extending to the left hand side of your paper. In the middle of the paper, draw a medium-sized triangle. From each of the two bottom corners, draw a rectangle. Each rectangle will be long vertically and narrow horizontally. Now, in between the two long rectangles, draw an oval large enough to touch both rectangles. Inside the oval write your name.
How do you think you did? Look at what your neighbor did. Do your drawings look the same? I didn’t give you the incredible detail that God gave Moses for building the Tabernacle. Moses had dimensions, specific lengths and weights for all of the elements. Each of the furnishings was described in detail and had a specified place within the Tabernacle. One might ask why.
Well, here’s a possible explanation. We are the temple of the living God (1 Corinthians 3:16). He is using the lively stones of man to build His house (1 Peter 2:5). God is molding us (Isaiah 64:8), forming us into the image of Jesus Christ (Galatians 4:19-20). Is it possible that God wants the same attention to detail from us as was required in constructing the Tabernacle?
God is building His house. God is forming Christ in us. God, who began a good work in each of us, will bring it to completion (Philippians 1:6). But we have a part in that. We have to respond to His molding. We have to act according to what God is doing. Paul says, “Walk worthy of the calling you have received” (Ephesians 4:1). Peter exhorts us to “make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love” (2 Peter 1:5-7). Paul says in Romans 12:1 that we should be a living sacrifice, seeking to do God’s will. That doesn’t sound like we can just sit on the couch and wait until Christ is formed in us. It sounds like we get busy doing whatever God has given us to do - but we do it with His direction and guidance.
How do we get that direction and guidance? By studying the Bible, memorizing scripture, singing songs of praise, going to church, fellowshipping with believers, talking about God, thinking about God, fasting, keeping His commandments . . . We diligently put God in the forefront of our thoughts, seeking Him and His direction as we go through our daily tasks.
Think about it: If God was so incredibly detailed about the construction of the Tabernacle, don’t you think He would also give detailed instructions about how the Temple of the living God would be formed. And if we have these detailed instructions, He expects us to follow them.
Sabbath, February 22nd
The Most Holy Place
2 Corinthians 7:1 - “Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”
Materials Needed: dry erase board, markers, diagram of the tabernacle, tape measure, YEA lesson (YE3J.4)
We have been talking about the tabernacle in the wilderness a lot lately. Do you have an idea of what it might have looked like?
The outer courtyard was 150 feet long and 75 feet wide. Inside this enclosure was first the bronze altar. Then the bronze laver was between the altar and the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle was 45 feet long and 15 feet wide. The first section was called the Holy Place and was 30 feet long and 15 feet wide. On the north side of the Holy Place, to your right as you walked it, you would have seen the Table for the Showbread. On the south side of the Holy Place, to your left, you would have seen the Lampstand. Directly in front of you would have been the altar of incense, in front of the veil leading into the Most Holy Place. You would never have gone into the Most Holy Place because only the High Priest was allowed to go in - once a year on the Day of Atonement. The Most Holy Place was a perfect cube: 15 feet long by 15 feet wide by 15 feet high. In the Most Holy Place was the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat.
In the Holy Place, the priests would have daily duties - keeping oil in the lampstand and changing out the bread each week. Do you think they would have approached this Holy Place with a casual attitude or dirty clothes? No way! Similarly, the high priest, going into the Most Holy Place on the Day of Atonement, would have washed carefully and dressed in his priestly garments before taking the incense and the blood in to make atonement. There is no way he would have been casual or unkempt carrying out his duties.
Why? Why was this such a big deal? Our God is holy - absolutely, wonderfully, fearfully holy. You would never think of appearing before the king of England in flip-flops and shorts! How much more respect should you show to the King of the Universe?! And you know what happened when Nadab and Abihu didn’t approach God in the manner He required! They were instantly consumed by fire.
O.K. so this is all very interesting, but what does it have to do with us today? One of the lessons we learn is that we need to be very careful about our attitude when approaching God. He is holy and He demands that we conduct ourselves in a way that expresses our recognition of His holiness. It’s how we talk about Him. It’s the song we choose to sing to Him in our worship services. It’s the attitude we have towards all of the things of God - His commandments, His people, His word.
But there’s another lesson: We are the temple of the living God, if indeed He dwells in us through the Holy Spirit. We need to be very careful what we allow into our minds. There are things in this world that God would not want in His presence (tv shows, social media content, music, books). There are also thoughts which we must not entertain - including grumbling about what’s happening to us. Grumbling is tantamount to telling God that He’s not doing it right. Not a good idea! We also must resist taking the credit for something God did - think Nebuchadnezzar’s seven year punishment.
As your memory verse from 2 Corinthians 7:1 says, “Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”
Sabbath, March 8th
What Are You Eating?
1 Thessalonians 4:7 - “For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.”
Materials needed: animal books, CEM YEA lesson (YE3J.6), activity sheet
Have you ever noticed how many different kinds of animals there are in our world? What are your favorites? Which ones did God say are edible - good for food?
The mammals have to have a split hoof and chew the cud. It’s not good enough to just chew the cud like the kangaroo. And it’s not good enough to have a split hoof like the pig. They have to do both. What kinds of mammals fit that category of being edible? deer, moose, elk, cattle, sheep, goats
God was very specific about the birds that cannot be eaten: eagles, vultures, owls, gulls, cormorants, storks. So which ones are ok? Chickens, turkeys, grouse, partridge
God specified that the animals in the water had to have scales and fins. That eliminates sharks (they don’t really have scales), whales, dolphins, squid, eels . . . The ones that are good to eat are trout, salmon, walleye.
God said that insects that hop on the ground with jointed legs, like crickets, grasshoppers, and locusts, are clean to eat, if you want to. But we shouldn’t eat other kinds of bugs.
And the animals that swarm and crawl on the ground? Yeah, don’t eat those! Animals like mice and squirrels, snakes and turtles, bats and salamanders, shrimp and scallops.
Why is this important? God, as Creator, knows exactly how you are made and what is good for you to eat. This is not about the Levitical regulations; it was this way from the time Noah took the animals on the ark. And it’s still in effect today.
But it’s about more than what you eat physically. It’s also about what you take into your mind. Avoid those things that will pull you away from serving God and following Him with all of your heart.
Sabbath, March 22nd
Jubilee!
Leviticus 25:10 - “Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each one of you is to return to his family property and each to his own clan."
Materials Needed: bells, YE3J.7 (CEM/YEA) lesson
Bells are wonderful! Do you like bells? What do bells mean to you? Sometimes farmers put cowbells on their cows so they could find them. Sometimes people put bells on their cats so the birds are warned before they become dinner for the cat. There were even bells worn on the hem of the high priest’s robe. But what do bells mean to you?
I think of bells calling us all to dinner. Grandma had a big bell over her gate and when she rang that bell, we knew we were supposed to stop what we were doing and head for the house. I had a fun bell on my bicycle growing up - it was used as a warning to someone that I was coming up behind them. It was much more friendly than the horn!
Bells were often used by churches. They announced when church services were starting. They called the community together during emergencies. They tolled to signal someone’s death.
The United States also had a bell. They called it the Liberty Bell. It was cast in 1752, commissioned by the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly. It was cast with the lettering “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof” - a reference to Leviticus 25:10.
Liberty is good. I like the freedom to do things. But the liberty that is referred to in Leviticus 25 was more about freedom from debt. During the sabbath year, people were released from their personal financial debts. During the fiftieth year, the jubilee year, their land was returned to them. Free from physical debt is a very good thing. But there’s an interesting thing about the jubilee year - it was proclaimed on the Day of Atonement. What was special about the Day of Atonement? It was the day when the congregation of Israel was freed from their sin debt and reconciled to God. This is an important day!
For the Christian, our Jubilee is in Jesus Christ. We don’t have to wait until the Day of Atonement each fall to be freed from our debt. We can go to God, confess our sins, ask for forgiveness and resolve to be and do better. When you know that God has forgiven you for what you have done and you know that you are reconciled to Him, you celebrate!! It’s a fantastic feeling. You might even ring a few bells.
Sabbath, March 29th
On to the Promised Land
“Whenever the ark set out, Moses said, 'Rise up, O LORD! May your enemies be scattered; may your foes flee before you.' Whenever it came to rest, he said, 'Return O LORD, to the countless thousands of Israel.’” - Numbers 10:35-36
Materials: Various organization items (pen holder, CD holder, tennis ball container, pouches, boxes; CEM/YEA lesson YE3J.8
Exodus 12:37 says that 600,000 men left Egypt. Potentially, then, counting men, women, and children, there could have been between two and three million people leaving Egypt. That’s a lot of people! If you have ever been to Busch Stadium for a Cardinals game, that’s 40,000. If we’re talking about 2 million people, that 50 Busch Stadiums full of people. The super dome in New Orleans holds 83,000 people. But with 2 million Israelites, that’s still 24 Superdomes of people!
When you’re talking about those kinds of numbers, what problems might you have? Food. Water. People going every which direction.
Organization would definitely be of major importance. Have you ever left a sporting event or concert? How long did it take to get out of the parking lot? I remember my first Feast of Tabernacles at the Lake of the Ozarks, MO. There were 10,000 people all leaving on one, one-lane road. It took a while to get out. I can only imagine 200 times that many people! So when it was time to move, the cloud lifted over the tabernacle and the ark set out. The tribes followed in order.
When you think about God providing food for all of those people, that’s also very impressive! And when you think about the water necessary for all of those people, especially when you’re wandering in the desert where there isn’t a lot of water, God’s provision of water was nothing short of miraculous for 40 years!
One miracle after another occurred for the Israelites from the time God decided to rescue them from Egypt. And one miracle after another occurs in our lives too. God provides a way when there seems to be no way. God heals. God opens doors. God organizes events in our lives for our good. We’re soon going to be talking about Passover; we’re going to be thinking about Jesus as our Passover Lamb. He lay down His life to pay for our sins - so that we could be reconciled to the Father and have eternal life in His kingdom.
When I think about the enormous number of people who left Egypt, I have to remember that it’s just a drop in the bucket of the number of people who will have life because of what Jesus did. God provided more than water and food; He provided life for as many as will accept Jesus as their Savior. What an incredible miracle we’ve each been given!! Now, what are we going to do with it?
Sabbath, April 5th
Expect to Respect
James 4:1 - “What causes fights and quarrels among you?
Materials Needed: toy cars, CEM/YEA lesson YE3J.9
If you’re going to argue with someone, who is it most likely to be? Probably those close to you. We tend to be on our best behavior for strangers - unless they are doing something that keeps us from getting what we want. We might also behave for people that we see occasionally. But those people we live with - those people that we are close to - those people we’re supposed to love the most, they are the ones we’re most likely to argue and fight with. Why is that? They are the ones who either inhibit us from doing what we want - or they have something we want.
That was the case with Moses, leading the Israelites out of Egypt. Remember, Moses really argued with God about going back to Egypt and speaking to Pharaoh. So God said that He would send Aaron to help Moses. Well, eventually, as the people were wandering in the wilderness, Aaron and Miriam (remember the sister who watched Moses in the Nile River when he was a baby?) decided that they were as important as Moses. They thought Moses was making too much of himself. God was also using them. They thought they should get more recognition.
They got recognition all right. Only it wasn’t exactly what they had wanted! God heard them speaking against Moses. And He took care of it. The whole story is recorded in Numbers 12. Here we learn that Moses was meek, “more than all people who were on the face of the earth” (vs. 3). He wasn’t arrogant and looking for recognition. He was simply doing the job God had given him to do. God was angry at Aaron and Miriam, and when God finished rebuking them, Miriam was leprous. This was a very serious thing. People with leprosy were kept outside the camp. They were quarantined away from others. Moses cried out to God to heal Miriam. God allowed the leprosy to remain for seven days.
So why do you get upset with the people around you? Are they hurting you? Or do they have something you want? Maybe it’s your parents; they have told you to eat your peas. Or they’ve told you to brush your teeth and go to bed. Children typically resist all of these things. They don’t want to eat things that are good for them; they’d rather eat candy. And they resist going to bed, even though they are tired.
Or maybe you argue and fight with your siblings. Why would you do that? Oh the normal thing: "Mom, he’s looking at me.” Or “he’s breathing my air.” You might be arguing just because you are tired. Maybe you’re bored. Maybe you want something they have. I remember as a very young child being very upset that my older brother had two dump trucks and I had none. We were playing in the sand box and he had graciously allowed me to use one of his trucks. But when I tried to appropriate it, he resisted. I appealed to Mom. Both of those dump trucks had been given to my brother - and no matter how much I wanted them, they belonged to him. How much do we do that? Moses had been given the leadership responsibilities by God! God talked with Moses face to face and worked miracles through him. No matter how much Aaron and Miriam wanted that position, God had given it to Moses.
The next time you are upset with someone because of something they have, you had better stop and consider why they have that thing. Who gave it to them? Did they earn it? What right do you have to it? God is sovereign. He can give whatever He wants to whomever He wills. So show some respect. God expects it.
Sabbath, April 12th
Passover
“The Lord’s Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month” (Leviticus 23:5 NIV).
Materials Needed: ten index cards with plagues listed (one on each)
Sometimes we gloss over the events leading up to Passover. There were ten plagues. Pharaoh eventually let the Israelites leave Egypt. But this was actually a very big event. Egypt was a powerful nation at that time and its influence spread over the known world at that time. Remember, Joseph had stored up grain during the seven years of plenty. So that when the years of famine came, people from that whole region would have come to Egypt for food. And Egypt just continued to get stronger and more powerful.
There’s a phrase: Power corrupts (humans) and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The more powerful Egypt became, the more corrupt and cruel the Pharaoh at that time became. He even believed he was a god; the people of Egypt worshipped him as such. He believed he had the right to treat people any way he wanted to. Pharaoh feared the Hebrew people might become too strong, so he made them slaves. Then he began killing the baby boys; that was happening when Moses was born. Moses was 40 years old when he left Egypt, and he spent the next 40 years as a shepherd. During this time, Pharaoh’s mistreatment of the Hebrew slaves became even more severe, and they cried out to God for relief.
God sent Moses to Egypt to tell Pharaoh to let the people go. The plagues were a result. But they didn’t happen all at once. How do we know that? The 5th plague was on the Egyptian livestock. The Bible says all the Egyptian livestock died (Exodus 9:6). But then the 6th plague was boils - on man and beast (Exodus 9:9). Now this could be dogs and cats. But the 7th plague was hail and the Bible specifically says that any of the livestock in the field would die (Exodus 9:19). The Egyptians would have had to have time to get livestock again from the Hebrews, upon whom these plagues were not falling!
Then this seventh plague of hail destroyed even the trees. So we know there was time for things to start growing again before the eighth plague of locusts. They wouldn’t have had anything to eat if they had arrived right after the hail.
What lessons do we apply to ourselves from these events?
Shut De Door
Exodus 20:14 "You shall not commit adultery."
Materials: wedding vows, CEM YEA lesson (YE3I.7)
“Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today, before God and in the sight of these witnesses, to join these two in holy matrimony.”
Does that sound familiar? Many wedding services start just this way. It is legal terminology. There are witnesses to the contract that is about to be signed: God and all of the people attending the ceremony. Two key words in this introduction are “holy” and “matrimony.” Holy means set apart. Matrimony is the state or quality of being married.
These two people are embarking upon a lifelong commitment - covenant - as God is their witness - that they will abide by the terms of the contract. What is that contract? Many of them go like this:
I, Ron, faithfully promise and covenant with God, in the presence of these witnesses, to take Cynthia to be my wife, to love and comfort, to honor and cherish, and to be faithful to her in sickness and in health until death we are parted.
Then then bride states her part of the contract:
I, Cynthia, faithfully promise and covenant with God, in the presence of these witnesses, to take Ron to be my husband, to love and comfort, to honor and cherish, to submit myself to him, and to be faithful to him in sickness and in health until we are parted by death.
The covenant binds this man and this woman together for as long as they both shall live. They each prefer the other over all others. They are loyal and support of each other above all other relationships. In fact, there is no room for another person in this union. This is the promise they each make to the other.
If someone wants to wedge themselves into this relationship, to break that trust, each has the obligation before God to repudiate that advance. Like Joseph, they should get completely away from the situation. In fact, it’s best if they never put themselves into a situation that could potentially break that trust. There are many examples of a pastor (or other leader) refusing to meet with/counsel a woman without his wife present. That’s just wise! They are avoiding even the appearance of evil.
God does not take the marriage covenant lightly. How do we know this? Because the Seventh Commandment says, “You shall not commit adultery.” Breaking this commandment breaks that trust, breaks the promise made to your husband or wife. It’s serious stuff.
Sabbath, January 18th
That's Not True!
Exodus 20:16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.”
Materials needed: candle, matches, buttons with crest/design, YEA lesson YE3I.9 (from CEM)
I remember my grandfather saying that a man was only as good as his word. It makes a lot of sense. In a community where people depended on one another, it was crucial that a person was reliable, that he did what he said he would do.
There’s another saying I associate with Grandad. “If he says he’ll do it, you can take it to the bank.” In other words, if someone agreed to do a task, it was a sure thing; it was as if you had the money in your hand, ready to take it to the bank.
It doesn’t take very long when you’re around people to figure out who you would trust completely and whose word isn’t worth a plug nickel.
Individually and collectively, when you can’t trust what people say, there are serious consequences. Not keeping your word covers all sorts of things - from relatively unimportant, like saying that you’ll do the dishes after supper to testifying in court. Truth is so important in court cases - because you’re dealing with people’s lives - that before you give your testimony you are required to swear that you will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God. That’s a very serious oath - and it needs to be because your words literally could mean the difference between life and death in some cases.
For many years, important documents had a seal applied, to verify their authenticity. (We still do this today; it’s called a notary.) A small amount of sealing wax was melted and allowed to drip onto a document. Then a ring with a family or monarch’s crest was pushed down into the wax. That way, if you received a document, you knew exactly who it was from and if it had been tampered with. Sometimes the seal was applied to the end of the document; sometimes it was applied after the document had been folded.
Telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth is a problem today. It was a problem back when sealing wax was used. It was a problem in Biblical times. God was very clear that it was a transgression of His law to bear false witness, to not tell the truth. God’s consequence was effective. Deuteronomy 19:18-19 says, “The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is a false witness and he has accused his brother falsely, then you shall do to him just as he had intended to do to his brother. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you.” So, if you lie to get your brother in trouble, whatever punishment he would have received, you will get instead!
Proverbs 19:9 says, “A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will perish.” Our God expects us to tell the truth! We would expect nothing less from the One who says He is the Way and the Truth and the Life! So you won’t be surprised to find that in the New Heavens and the New Earth, Revelation 21:8, here’s what it says, “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
All liars are included in this list of those who will not be part of God’s kingdom. God means it when He says, “You shall not bear false witness.”
Sabbath, January 25th
What Do You Want?
Exodus 20:17, "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."
Materials Needed: miscellaneous trinkets, YEA lesson (YE3I.10), dry erase board, markers, cards with Biblical characters on them
Do you have a list of things you really want? Are the things you listed material possessions, time-related, people-related, or something else? What is most important to you? Is wanting things bad? Wanting things is not bad; really, really wanting something can provide motivation to strive and persevere. It’s when you want things that other people have, things that are not yours, that you are breaking the Tenth Commandment. What do I mean? Well, let’s use some Bible examples:
Gehazi - This was Elisha’s servant. And the story to which I’m referring is found in 2 Kings 5; it’s the story of Naaman. What did Gehazi want that didn’t belong to him? He wanted the reward that Naaman was offering to Elisha, which Elisha completely disregarded. Gehazi didn’t earn it; it didn’t belong to him. So what did he do? He lied. How did he think his actions weren’t going to be discovered? The consequence? He contracted leprosy.
David - This was the greatest king in ancient Israel. But what did David want that didn’t belong to him? He wanted Bathsheba. So what did he do? He took her - and ended up murdering her husband to cover up his sin.
Solomon - The wisest man who ever lived wanted something too. What was it? Women! He had 700 wives and 300 concubines. What did God’s law say? From the very beginning (Genesis 2:24), God ordained marriage to be one man and one woman. Jesus reaffirms this in Matthew 19. Deuteronomy 17:17 specifically says that the king shall not have many wives, lest they turn his heart away from following God. What did Solomon end up doing? Turning away from following God with his whole heart - and the kingdom would be divided due to his sin.
Shadrach, Meshack, and Abedngo - The three young men who were thrown into the fiery furnace wanted something. What was it? They wanted to be found faithful to God - even if it meant they died in the fiery furnace. What does this example show us? There are things that you can really, really want - even if it means you lose your life - that are very pleasing to God.
It’s important to spend some time thinking about what you really want. Gehazi, if he’d thought about it, should have realized that he wanted the favor of God and Elisha more than a few sets of clothing. David, if he had really thought about it, should have realized that he wanted the relationship with God more than he wanted a relationship with Bathsheba. Solomon, if he had really thought about it, should have followed God’s law to maintain the relationship he had with God - the one where God loved him enough to tell him to ask for anything. What would that be worth to you - to have God tell you that you could ask for anything?!
Don’t spend time looking at what someone else has and wishing that it was yours. Do what God has given you to do and trust Him to provide what you truly need. Obeying this commandment, like obeying all of the others, can keep you out of a lot of trouble!
February
Sabbath, February 1st
Giving is Good
" . . . for God loves a cheerful giver." 2 Corinthians 9:7
Why? Why does God love a cheerful giver? It shows an acute awareness that God is the One who blesses you with what you have; you are merely giving as an expression of gratitude.
Gratitude. This attitude is a natural remedy to coveting what others have. You are content with what you have. You focus on your blessings instead of focusing on what you think would make you happy.
Trusting. Additionally, it shows that you trust Him. Let’s say you have something that someone else needs. When you are willing to give to fulfill that need, you are trusting that God will provide for your future needs. This attitude reinforces your gratitude. You are thankful for what God has already done, for what He is doing, and for what He has promised in the future. It refocuses your eyes on His plan instead of yourself.
Attitude. A third reason that God loves a cheerful giver is the effect your attitude has on the people to whom you are giving. Being cheerful is a lot different than giving begrudgingly. The “I-don’t-really-want-to-give-it-but-I-know-I-have-to attitude is offensive to the One who has given you all things. And it’s felt by the recipient of your gift. It makes them feel bad. If you are cheerful in your giving, it builds bridges and strengthens your relationship.
When you have a positive perspective on giving (cheerful), you are more willing to give your best. You may have things that you want to get rid of. Someone else may really benefit from those things. Those things are easy to give. But it’s when you give something that you value, and you give it cheerfully, that’s when it is pleasing to God.
So what do you have that you value that you are cheerfully willing to give to others . . . out of gratitude to God . . . to show that you trust Him in all areas of your life? It doesn’t have to be a physical gift. It can be your time. It can be your prayers. It can be your friendship (because that takes time and effort).
One final thought: our God has given so much. If we want to be like Him, we need to develop a natural willingness to give in order to advance the kingdom and because it’s a good thing to do. I would hope that we would be like the Israelites when there was a need to build the tabernacle. They gave and gave until finally they had to be told to stop. It was enough. That’s the kind of giving attitude I would hope that we all have.
Sabbath, February 8th
The Golden Calf
Acts 17:28 - “For in him we live and move and have our being... We are his offspring.
Materials Needed: pie pan, water, salt, pepper, dish soap, towel, YEA lesson (YE3J.2)
Suppose I put some water into a pie pan and sprinkle some pepper on the surface. Would sprinkling some salt on it affect the pepper at all? What would happen if I put a drop of dish soap in the pan? The pepper moves all the way to the edge - immediately. That’s because pepper doesn’t like dish soap right? No. Pepper is not sentient. The pepper moves because the water’s surface tension was broken. But if you didn’t know anything about surface tension, you might attribute the phenomenon to pepper not liking dish soap.
Well, even if you were wrong about pepper and dish soap not getting along, it’s not the end of the world. But it is a much bigger deal when we’re talking about God. God is very particular about how He is treated. He is holy. And He deserves our reverence and humility before Him. Let me give you an example of what I’m talking about.
Can you imagine how insulting it was for the Israelites to so quickly do what God had just told them not to do: create an idol to worship?! And then, to make matters worse, Aaron told the people that this golden calf was the god who brought them out of Egypt. What in the world!?! This heap of molten metal that had recently been the earrings in their ears was the god who was responsible for all of the plagues and for parting the Red Sea and for delivering the Israelites from Pharaoh and Egypt?!? Had Aaron lost his mind?! This golden calf that could not move on its own, had no more intelligence than a box of rocks, and could not think - that was the god who delivered them from Egypt! In actuality, the Israelites were probably not so stupid as to think the golden calf was actually the god who saved them; they likely thought it was just a depiction of God. But again, this is in direct conflict with God’s commandment not to make an idol in the likeness of anything to worship - even if they were thinking it was a representation of Jehovah.
Our Great God was so angry that He was ready to wipe out all of the Israelites and start over with Moses. That’s how big a deal this was!
But, we don’t do that kind of thing today, do we? We don’t attribute actions to God that He didn’t really do. And we don’t take credit for the things that He really did do, do we?
Ecclesiastes 5:2 says that God is in heaven and we are here on earth, so I will let my words be few. He is God and He is great. And we should spend more time considering how we’re treating our Great God. For, as you learned in your memory verse, in Him we live and move and have our being. Even though this verse in Acts is Paul quoting a pagan philosopher, the fact remains that God is our Creator and Sustainer. And sometimes, maybe actually, most of the time, we don’t treat Him with the reverent fear that we should.
Sabbath, February 15th
The Tabernacle is Built
Make this Tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.” Exodus 25:9
Materials Needed: paper, pencils, clipboards, YEA lesson from CEM (YE3J.3)
Suppose I give you a piece of paper and tell you to draw exactly what I describe. How good would you be at following the directions:
Start by making a small square at the top right of your paper. Make a circle underneath it, touching the bottom of the square with the same diameter as one side of the square. Now draw a horizontal line touching the bottom of the circle and extending to the left hand side of your paper. In the middle of the paper, draw a medium-sized triangle. From each of the two bottom corners, draw a rectangle. Each rectangle will be long vertically and narrow horizontally. Now, in between the two long rectangles, draw an oval large enough to touch both rectangles. Inside the oval write your name.
How do you think you did? Look at what your neighbor did. Do your drawings look the same? I didn’t give you the incredible detail that God gave Moses for building the Tabernacle. Moses had dimensions, specific lengths and weights for all of the elements. Each of the furnishings was described in detail and had a specified place within the Tabernacle. One might ask why.
Well, here’s a possible explanation. We are the temple of the living God (1 Corinthians 3:16). He is using the lively stones of man to build His house (1 Peter 2:5). God is molding us (Isaiah 64:8), forming us into the image of Jesus Christ (Galatians 4:19-20). Is it possible that God wants the same attention to detail from us as was required in constructing the Tabernacle?
God is building His house. God is forming Christ in us. God, who began a good work in each of us, will bring it to completion (Philippians 1:6). But we have a part in that. We have to respond to His molding. We have to act according to what God is doing. Paul says, “Walk worthy of the calling you have received” (Ephesians 4:1). Peter exhorts us to “make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love” (2 Peter 1:5-7). Paul says in Romans 12:1 that we should be a living sacrifice, seeking to do God’s will. That doesn’t sound like we can just sit on the couch and wait until Christ is formed in us. It sounds like we get busy doing whatever God has given us to do - but we do it with His direction and guidance.
How do we get that direction and guidance? By studying the Bible, memorizing scripture, singing songs of praise, going to church, fellowshipping with believers, talking about God, thinking about God, fasting, keeping His commandments . . . We diligently put God in the forefront of our thoughts, seeking Him and His direction as we go through our daily tasks.
Think about it: If God was so incredibly detailed about the construction of the Tabernacle, don’t you think He would also give detailed instructions about how the Temple of the living God would be formed. And if we have these detailed instructions, He expects us to follow them.
Sabbath, February 22nd
The Most Holy Place
2 Corinthians 7:1 - “Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”
Materials Needed: dry erase board, markers, diagram of the tabernacle, tape measure, YEA lesson (YE3J.4)
We have been talking about the tabernacle in the wilderness a lot lately. Do you have an idea of what it might have looked like?
The outer courtyard was 150 feet long and 75 feet wide. Inside this enclosure was first the bronze altar. Then the bronze laver was between the altar and the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle was 45 feet long and 15 feet wide. The first section was called the Holy Place and was 30 feet long and 15 feet wide. On the north side of the Holy Place, to your right as you walked it, you would have seen the Table for the Showbread. On the south side of the Holy Place, to your left, you would have seen the Lampstand. Directly in front of you would have been the altar of incense, in front of the veil leading into the Most Holy Place. You would never have gone into the Most Holy Place because only the High Priest was allowed to go in - once a year on the Day of Atonement. The Most Holy Place was a perfect cube: 15 feet long by 15 feet wide by 15 feet high. In the Most Holy Place was the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat.
In the Holy Place, the priests would have daily duties - keeping oil in the lampstand and changing out the bread each week. Do you think they would have approached this Holy Place with a casual attitude or dirty clothes? No way! Similarly, the high priest, going into the Most Holy Place on the Day of Atonement, would have washed carefully and dressed in his priestly garments before taking the incense and the blood in to make atonement. There is no way he would have been casual or unkempt carrying out his duties.
Why? Why was this such a big deal? Our God is holy - absolutely, wonderfully, fearfully holy. You would never think of appearing before the king of England in flip-flops and shorts! How much more respect should you show to the King of the Universe?! And you know what happened when Nadab and Abihu didn’t approach God in the manner He required! They were instantly consumed by fire.
O.K. so this is all very interesting, but what does it have to do with us today? One of the lessons we learn is that we need to be very careful about our attitude when approaching God. He is holy and He demands that we conduct ourselves in a way that expresses our recognition of His holiness. It’s how we talk about Him. It’s the song we choose to sing to Him in our worship services. It’s the attitude we have towards all of the things of God - His commandments, His people, His word.
But there’s another lesson: We are the temple of the living God, if indeed He dwells in us through the Holy Spirit. We need to be very careful what we allow into our minds. There are things in this world that God would not want in His presence (tv shows, social media content, music, books). There are also thoughts which we must not entertain - including grumbling about what’s happening to us. Grumbling is tantamount to telling God that He’s not doing it right. Not a good idea! We also must resist taking the credit for something God did - think Nebuchadnezzar’s seven year punishment.
As your memory verse from 2 Corinthians 7:1 says, “Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”
Sabbath, March 8th
What Are You Eating?
1 Thessalonians 4:7 - “For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.”
Materials needed: animal books, CEM YEA lesson (YE3J.6), activity sheet
Have you ever noticed how many different kinds of animals there are in our world? What are your favorites? Which ones did God say are edible - good for food?
The mammals have to have a split hoof and chew the cud. It’s not good enough to just chew the cud like the kangaroo. And it’s not good enough to have a split hoof like the pig. They have to do both. What kinds of mammals fit that category of being edible? deer, moose, elk, cattle, sheep, goats
God was very specific about the birds that cannot be eaten: eagles, vultures, owls, gulls, cormorants, storks. So which ones are ok? Chickens, turkeys, grouse, partridge
God specified that the animals in the water had to have scales and fins. That eliminates sharks (they don’t really have scales), whales, dolphins, squid, eels . . . The ones that are good to eat are trout, salmon, walleye.
God said that insects that hop on the ground with jointed legs, like crickets, grasshoppers, and locusts, are clean to eat, if you want to. But we shouldn’t eat other kinds of bugs.
And the animals that swarm and crawl on the ground? Yeah, don’t eat those! Animals like mice and squirrels, snakes and turtles, bats and salamanders, shrimp and scallops.
Why is this important? God, as Creator, knows exactly how you are made and what is good for you to eat. This is not about the Levitical regulations; it was this way from the time Noah took the animals on the ark. And it’s still in effect today.
But it’s about more than what you eat physically. It’s also about what you take into your mind. Avoid those things that will pull you away from serving God and following Him with all of your heart.
Sabbath, March 22nd
Jubilee!
Leviticus 25:10 - “Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each one of you is to return to his family property and each to his own clan."
Materials Needed: bells, YE3J.7 (CEM/YEA) lesson
Bells are wonderful! Do you like bells? What do bells mean to you? Sometimes farmers put cowbells on their cows so they could find them. Sometimes people put bells on their cats so the birds are warned before they become dinner for the cat. There were even bells worn on the hem of the high priest’s robe. But what do bells mean to you?
I think of bells calling us all to dinner. Grandma had a big bell over her gate and when she rang that bell, we knew we were supposed to stop what we were doing and head for the house. I had a fun bell on my bicycle growing up - it was used as a warning to someone that I was coming up behind them. It was much more friendly than the horn!
Bells were often used by churches. They announced when church services were starting. They called the community together during emergencies. They tolled to signal someone’s death.
The United States also had a bell. They called it the Liberty Bell. It was cast in 1752, commissioned by the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly. It was cast with the lettering “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof” - a reference to Leviticus 25:10.
Liberty is good. I like the freedom to do things. But the liberty that is referred to in Leviticus 25 was more about freedom from debt. During the sabbath year, people were released from their personal financial debts. During the fiftieth year, the jubilee year, their land was returned to them. Free from physical debt is a very good thing. But there’s an interesting thing about the jubilee year - it was proclaimed on the Day of Atonement. What was special about the Day of Atonement? It was the day when the congregation of Israel was freed from their sin debt and reconciled to God. This is an important day!
For the Christian, our Jubilee is in Jesus Christ. We don’t have to wait until the Day of Atonement each fall to be freed from our debt. We can go to God, confess our sins, ask for forgiveness and resolve to be and do better. When you know that God has forgiven you for what you have done and you know that you are reconciled to Him, you celebrate!! It’s a fantastic feeling. You might even ring a few bells.
Sabbath, March 29th
On to the Promised Land
“Whenever the ark set out, Moses said, 'Rise up, O LORD! May your enemies be scattered; may your foes flee before you.' Whenever it came to rest, he said, 'Return O LORD, to the countless thousands of Israel.’” - Numbers 10:35-36
Materials: Various organization items (pen holder, CD holder, tennis ball container, pouches, boxes; CEM/YEA lesson YE3J.8
Exodus 12:37 says that 600,000 men left Egypt. Potentially, then, counting men, women, and children, there could have been between two and three million people leaving Egypt. That’s a lot of people! If you have ever been to Busch Stadium for a Cardinals game, that’s 40,000. If we’re talking about 2 million people, that 50 Busch Stadiums full of people. The super dome in New Orleans holds 83,000 people. But with 2 million Israelites, that’s still 24 Superdomes of people!
When you’re talking about those kinds of numbers, what problems might you have? Food. Water. People going every which direction.
Organization would definitely be of major importance. Have you ever left a sporting event or concert? How long did it take to get out of the parking lot? I remember my first Feast of Tabernacles at the Lake of the Ozarks, MO. There were 10,000 people all leaving on one, one-lane road. It took a while to get out. I can only imagine 200 times that many people! So when it was time to move, the cloud lifted over the tabernacle and the ark set out. The tribes followed in order.
When you think about God providing food for all of those people, that’s also very impressive! And when you think about the water necessary for all of those people, especially when you’re wandering in the desert where there isn’t a lot of water, God’s provision of water was nothing short of miraculous for 40 years!
One miracle after another occurred for the Israelites from the time God decided to rescue them from Egypt. And one miracle after another occurs in our lives too. God provides a way when there seems to be no way. God heals. God opens doors. God organizes events in our lives for our good. We’re soon going to be talking about Passover; we’re going to be thinking about Jesus as our Passover Lamb. He lay down His life to pay for our sins - so that we could be reconciled to the Father and have eternal life in His kingdom.
When I think about the enormous number of people who left Egypt, I have to remember that it’s just a drop in the bucket of the number of people who will have life because of what Jesus did. God provided more than water and food; He provided life for as many as will accept Jesus as their Savior. What an incredible miracle we’ve each been given!! Now, what are we going to do with it?
Sabbath, April 5th
Expect to Respect
James 4:1 - “What causes fights and quarrels among you?
Materials Needed: toy cars, CEM/YEA lesson YE3J.9
If you’re going to argue with someone, who is it most likely to be? Probably those close to you. We tend to be on our best behavior for strangers - unless they are doing something that keeps us from getting what we want. We might also behave for people that we see occasionally. But those people we live with - those people that we are close to - those people we’re supposed to love the most, they are the ones we’re most likely to argue and fight with. Why is that? They are the ones who either inhibit us from doing what we want - or they have something we want.
That was the case with Moses, leading the Israelites out of Egypt. Remember, Moses really argued with God about going back to Egypt and speaking to Pharaoh. So God said that He would send Aaron to help Moses. Well, eventually, as the people were wandering in the wilderness, Aaron and Miriam (remember the sister who watched Moses in the Nile River when he was a baby?) decided that they were as important as Moses. They thought Moses was making too much of himself. God was also using them. They thought they should get more recognition.
They got recognition all right. Only it wasn’t exactly what they had wanted! God heard them speaking against Moses. And He took care of it. The whole story is recorded in Numbers 12. Here we learn that Moses was meek, “more than all people who were on the face of the earth” (vs. 3). He wasn’t arrogant and looking for recognition. He was simply doing the job God had given him to do. God was angry at Aaron and Miriam, and when God finished rebuking them, Miriam was leprous. This was a very serious thing. People with leprosy were kept outside the camp. They were quarantined away from others. Moses cried out to God to heal Miriam. God allowed the leprosy to remain for seven days.
So why do you get upset with the people around you? Are they hurting you? Or do they have something you want? Maybe it’s your parents; they have told you to eat your peas. Or they’ve told you to brush your teeth and go to bed. Children typically resist all of these things. They don’t want to eat things that are good for them; they’d rather eat candy. And they resist going to bed, even though they are tired.
Or maybe you argue and fight with your siblings. Why would you do that? Oh the normal thing: "Mom, he’s looking at me.” Or “he’s breathing my air.” You might be arguing just because you are tired. Maybe you’re bored. Maybe you want something they have. I remember as a very young child being very upset that my older brother had two dump trucks and I had none. We were playing in the sand box and he had graciously allowed me to use one of his trucks. But when I tried to appropriate it, he resisted. I appealed to Mom. Both of those dump trucks had been given to my brother - and no matter how much I wanted them, they belonged to him. How much do we do that? Moses had been given the leadership responsibilities by God! God talked with Moses face to face and worked miracles through him. No matter how much Aaron and Miriam wanted that position, God had given it to Moses.
The next time you are upset with someone because of something they have, you had better stop and consider why they have that thing. Who gave it to them? Did they earn it? What right do you have to it? God is sovereign. He can give whatever He wants to whomever He wills. So show some respect. God expects it.
Sabbath, April 12th
Passover
“The Lord’s Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month” (Leviticus 23:5 NIV).
Materials Needed: ten index cards with plagues listed (one on each)
Sometimes we gloss over the events leading up to Passover. There were ten plagues. Pharaoh eventually let the Israelites leave Egypt. But this was actually a very big event. Egypt was a powerful nation at that time and its influence spread over the known world at that time. Remember, Joseph had stored up grain during the seven years of plenty. So that when the years of famine came, people from that whole region would have come to Egypt for food. And Egypt just continued to get stronger and more powerful.
There’s a phrase: Power corrupts (humans) and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The more powerful Egypt became, the more corrupt and cruel the Pharaoh at that time became. He even believed he was a god; the people of Egypt worshipped him as such. He believed he had the right to treat people any way he wanted to. Pharaoh feared the Hebrew people might become too strong, so he made them slaves. Then he began killing the baby boys; that was happening when Moses was born. Moses was 40 years old when he left Egypt, and he spent the next 40 years as a shepherd. During this time, Pharaoh’s mistreatment of the Hebrew slaves became even more severe, and they cried out to God for relief.
God sent Moses to Egypt to tell Pharaoh to let the people go. The plagues were a result. But they didn’t happen all at once. How do we know that? The 5th plague was on the Egyptian livestock. The Bible says all the Egyptian livestock died (Exodus 9:6). But then the 6th plague was boils - on man and beast (Exodus 9:9). Now this could be dogs and cats. But the 7th plague was hail and the Bible specifically says that any of the livestock in the field would die (Exodus 9:19). The Egyptians would have had to have time to get livestock again from the Hebrews, upon whom these plagues were not falling!
Then this seventh plague of hail destroyed even the trees. So we know there was time for things to start growing again before the eighth plague of locusts. They wouldn’t have had anything to eat if they had arrived right after the hail.
What lessons do we apply to ourselves from these events?
- Just as the Israelites were slaves to Egypt, we are slaves to sin. We cannot save ourselves. It takes the mighty power of God to save each of us.
- There is no god like our Great God. What our God wants to do He will accomplish. We cannot make deals with God to save us from calamity and then go back to living exactly as we want to - like Pharaoh tried to renege each time he got relief from the plagues.
- It took time for the Israelites to get relief. When we are facing calamity, we have to continue to trust God for the outcome. It might take awhile, but God is sovereign and works all things out for our good.
- The story of the Exodus is an allegory. Egypt represents the power of sin over us; the Passover lamb represents Jesus Christ. Hebrews 9:22 says that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. The Death Angel killed the firstborn in every house where there was no blood. But when he saw the blood, he passed over the house. Similarly, God delivers us from sin through the blood of Jesus. We no longer have to pay the penalty for our sins; Jesus paid it all. But we can’t live in sin. We have to get out of Egypt. We need to live our lives loving God for what He has done for us.
First Day of Unleavened Bread, April 14th
Timing of Passover Events
Memory Verse: “Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread . . .” Exodus 12:15
Do you ever get confused about the timing of everything during the Days of Unleavened Bread?
When you understand the timing of the events, you can see the continuation from the Old Testament to the New Testament. It’s another witness to the fact that God is sovereign; events unfold according to His plans. That’s a comforting understanding to have: there’s nothing in your life of which God is not aware. There’s nothing which catches Him by surprise. He is sovereign and He has will work all things (as the apostle Paul stated) for good for those who are called according to God’s purpose. What is that worth to you - to know that God is working all things together for good? If you know God, or rather are known by God and loved by God, what an incredible blessing! What an insignificant thing to eat unleavened bread for seven days - in loving obedience to Him! Don’t just avoid leaven; diligently eat unleavened bread.
Why? Because Jesus said He is that unleavened bread. We want to take Him fully into our lives, to be fully conformed to His image, to be ever closer in our relationship to Him. Have you eaten your bread today?
Timing of Passover Events
Memory Verse: “Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread . . .” Exodus 12:15
Do you ever get confused about the timing of everything during the Days of Unleavened Bread?
- When was it that the Death Angel passed over the houses?
- When was it that the Israelites left Egypt?
- When did Jesus eagerly desire to eat the Passover with His disciples?
- When was Jesus killed?
- How could Jesus eat the Passover and be the Passover Lamb?
- He had to be in the tomb before the Sabbath - that’s why the soldiers came to break the legs of the others, but seeing Jesus already dead, they pierced His side. What Sabbath was that?
- Jesus said the only sign He would give would be the sign of Jonah - Jesus would be in the grave three days and three nights. We know that it was at the end of the Sabbath, dawning towards the first day of the weeks when the women went to the tomb.
When you understand the timing of the events, you can see the continuation from the Old Testament to the New Testament. It’s another witness to the fact that God is sovereign; events unfold according to His plans. That’s a comforting understanding to have: there’s nothing in your life of which God is not aware. There’s nothing which catches Him by surprise. He is sovereign and He has will work all things (as the apostle Paul stated) for good for those who are called according to God’s purpose. What is that worth to you - to know that God is working all things together for good? If you know God, or rather are known by God and loved by God, what an incredible blessing! What an insignificant thing to eat unleavened bread for seven days - in loving obedience to Him! Don’t just avoid leaven; diligently eat unleavened bread.
Why? Because Jesus said He is that unleavened bread. We want to take Him fully into our lives, to be fully conformed to His image, to be ever closer in our relationship to Him. Have you eaten your bread today?
