Curriculum
The Ten Commandments
Memory Verse:
“You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3
Bible Background
What Kids Will Learn
Just like rules in the classroom or on a sports team, God gave the Israelites rules to follow each day. While we might not like rules, they are God’s best for us.
Scripture Summary
After more than 400 years of slavery, Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt. They were headed to the Promised Land, the land God chose for His people. Just three months after they had left Egypt, Moses and the Israelites camped in the desert surrounding Mount Sinai. God spoke to Moses and asked him to share a message of hope to the Israelites.
God promised the Israelites they’d be a holy nation. “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession” (Exodus 19:5) And the Israelites committed to doing everything the LORD had said. So, God gave Moses ten commandments for His people.
The first three commandments (v. 3-7) focused on the Israelites’ relationship with God. They had just been in Egypt for generations and were used to idols being created and worshiped for every aspect of life. God wanted the Israelites to see Him as the one and only true God. They were to love, worship, and respect God and His name.
The fourth commandment set aside the Sabbath as a holy day of rest and worship. God Himself took a day of rest after He created the earth, and He knew rest was required. He commanded the Israelites to rest to restore themselves and to live out their trust that God was in control and would provide.
The last six commandments were specific to how the Israelites interacted with each other. Honoring your parents was the first commandment that came with a promise… a long life. God commanded the Israelites to love and respect others: to not murder, commit adultery, steal, lie, or envy. God’s love flowed through the Israelites and impacted how they treated one another.
Why Is This Important
The God who sees us and loves us also wants only what’s best for us. Many times our human desires don’t lead us to God’s best. These rules He gave to the Israelites are still applicable to us today.
Teacher Devotion
Scripture
Who or What Do You Worship?
“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.” (Exodus 20:4)
A dear friend gave me a beautiful book as a gift. As I dove into Beholding and Becoming by Ruth Chou Simons, I was wonderfully presented with the concept of worship. She asked a simple question about worship, and I knew the answer. Of course I worshipped God, right?
Well, Ruth challenged me to take a closer look than my knee-jerk response allowed.
“Take a personal inventory: Look at what you spend the most money on, get the most upset about, or are most willing to sin to acquire. Take an honest look at what holds these places in your heart, and you’ll discover what you worship.”
As I considered my own personal inventory, I saw stress over finances, frustrations at work, sleepless nights, and my own tendency to work harder and harder to protect my reputation. I was especially drawn to what occupied my thoughts. I realized I focused on the same topics while our family played a game, at church, and really much of my waking hours.
My shoulders sank as I realized that I worshipped my reputation. Ouch.
While God had given me incredible giftings of achievement and responsibility, I had become reliant on being seen as achieving and responsible. My focus had shifted from the One who gave me the gifts to the gifts themselves.
God created you, and He created me. He knows that we’re human and have a huge black void in our hearts that only He can fill. When we focus on Him, and Him only, He allows beautiful gifts to flow throughout our lives.
Prayer
Dear God, I’m sorry for worshipping things and people that aren’t You. Please realign my focus on You, the one true God who loves me and provides for me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Bible Memory Verse
You’ll Need: Masking tape
Get Ready: Before class, make a line path around the room with masking tape.
“You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3
SAY: God calls us to obey His commandments. Why? Because He is the Lord and that means He is the boss of all.
Have kids follow these steps:
- Invite the kids to line up, single file, on the masking tape line and march around the room staying on the line.
- Have them repeat the Bible memory verse after you as they march. Start with them just repeating one word, then phrases, and then the whole verse.
SAY: There is only one God! He is Lord and He loves us so much. We are called to obey His commandments and make Him first.
Interactive Bible Experience
You’ll Need: Paper plate - one per child, Markers
Get Ready: Give each child a paper plate and a marker.
- Invite the children to draw a happy face on one side of the paper plate and a sad face on the other side.
- Read through the Ten Commandments aloud and tell children to listen closely so they can try to remember them.
- Explain that you are going to read through a list of commandments, some will be real and some fake.
- If they hear a real commandment, they are to show the smiley face side of the paper plate.
- If they hear a fake commandment, they are to show the frown side of the paper plate.
List of true and false commandments:
- You shall have no other gods before me. (Commandment)
- Do your best. (Not)
- You shall not make idols. (Commandment)
- Honor yourself. (Not)
- Lie only when you have to. (Not)
- Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. (Commandment)
- Coveting is cool. (Not)
- You shall not steal. (Commandment)
- You shall not take the name of the Lord in vain. (Commandment)
- Obey when you feel like it. (Not)
ASK:
- Was it easy or hard for you to tell the real commandments from the fake ones?
SAY: God gives us rules to help us live life like He has planned. It is important for us to know His rules so we can follow them.
Snack
Commandment Snacks
You’ll Need: Unfrosted Pop Tarts two per child, Gel icing, Paper plates, Napkins
SAY: In today’s Bible lesson, we learn about obeying God’s commands. How many commandments did God give Moses? (Allow kids to answer.) The first four commandments are about our relationship with God. The last six commandments are about our relationships with others. Today you get to make your own edible commandment tablets. Let’s get started.
- Give each child a paper plate, a napkin, and two unfrosted Pop Tarts.
- Explain to the kids that they will use the gel icing to write “God” at the top of one Pop Tart and number down 1-4 in the center of the Pop Tart.
- On the other Pop Tart, they will write “Others” at the top and number 5-10 down the center.
- After they finish, let them enjoy the snack.
SAY: God gave us these rules to obey and live by, but remember not one of us is perfect and can stay within the lines all the time. That’s why we need Jesus. He came to pay the price for our sins because we are not perfect.
Game
Obey the Leader
Play this game like “Simon Says” and let children take turns being “Simon” and telling the classmates what to do as they line up against the wall. If “Simon Says” something, the children will obey, but if there is a command without “Simon Says” before it, the children will stand still against the wall. Play several times!
SAY: Sometimes it can be hard for us to obey the leader, can’t it? God gives us rules to follow, but He also helps us. We are not alone. We have God’s help.
Craft
Bible Happy Faces
You’ll Need: “Bible Worksheet” handout - one per child, Red Markers - one per child, Happy Face Stickers or Happy Face, Stamps
To make the Bible Worksheets, have kids follow these steps:
- Trace the line making the Bible shape with a red marker.
- Put smiley face stickers or smiley face stamps on the Bible to show how we look and feel when we obey God’s commands.
Prayer
Line Prayers
Place a masking tape line down the middle of the classroom. Invite the kids to line up on the right side of the line.
SAY: Today we’re going to pray and ask God to help us to live our lives within the lines He has given. We will start on the right side of the line.
PRAY: God, thank You that You love us enough to give us rules. You know these rules are for our best and You know all. You are God and we are not.
Invite kids to step over the line to the left side.
