MEMORY VERSE: Leviticus 19:2 "...Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy."
BOOK TO REMEMBER: We will begin learning the books of the New Testament. It is a good idea to spend a little time and help the students find the page that usually says "New Testament" in the middle of the Bible. You can hold up your Bible to this page and physically show them which Testament comes first in the Bible, which is the larger Testament, and it will be easier for the students to remember these facts. "Matthew" is the first book of the New Testament and the one to be learned as a Book To Remember for next time.
PRAYER: Thank God for giving us His Word, so that we know how to worship God and how to live a life pleasing to Him.
SPECIAL SONG: The Books Of The New Testament. Try a new song, "The Books Of The New Testament," found on this blog under March - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #3. (Click on the white arrow in the orange circle for the tune to the song.)
VISUAL AID: The Bible (Hold up the Bible to Leviticus, as you tell the lesson.) Draw a picture of people falling on their faces and worshiping God on the whiteboard or chalkboard.
LESSON POINTS:
- The book of Leviticus is the third book of the Old Testament. Leviticus is filled with laws and rules that told the children of Israel how to worship God and how to live their lives in a way that was pleasing to God. They were God's People and they lived differently that the other nations. They were to be holy like God was holy. God told them in this book how to live. Today, Christians are God's people and must live differently than the world around them. Today, the New Testament tells Christians how to live and how to worship God. Christians, too, are to be holy like God. (Ephesians 1:4)
- This book is filled with different sacrifices that the Israelites offered to the LORD God, the laws and specific ways in which these offerings were offered, and how often they were to offered. The first seven chapters in this book of Leviticus told the people how to offer sacrifices to God. There were burnt offerings, will offerings, meat offerings, offerings of the firstfruits, peace offerings, sin offerings, wave offerings, and trespass offerings. God also made special provisions for the poor, so they had special rules as well.
- In chapters eight and nine, it tells how Aaron and his sons had special jobs. They were the priests from the tribe of Levi who had special clothes and performed the sacrifices and offerings for the people, but the LORD still only talked to Moses.
- When Moses had told all the people everything that the LORD wanted done and how He wanted it done, Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle. When they came out of the tabernacle, the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people. There was fire that came from God and consumed or burnt up the offering that was on the altar. Let's turn to Leviticus 9:23, 24 and read what the people did after the fire burned up the offering on the altar. (Read verses.) Let's leave our bookmarks right here. What did the people do? That's right! All of the people saw God's glory and fell on their faces and worshiped Him.
- Looking through the first seven or eight chapters of this book, it is interesting to note that many times, the phrase "a sweet savour" is used. This means that the offering pleased God. Because it is a short lesson and if there is time, suggest that the students count how many times they can find this phrase in the first eight chapters.
- Interesting, too, is that in Leviticus 7:23-27, there were grave consequences for those who ate of the fat and the blood of the sacrifices.
ACTIVITY: Book
Materials needed: 9" x 12" any color of construction paper, two sheets of 8.5" x 11" white bond paper, staples, stapler, crayons.
- Hand out construction paper.
- Fold paper in half.
- Write "The Book Of Leviticus" on the outside of paper.
- Fold two sheets of white paper in half like a book.
- Stuff white folded papers into folded construction paper.
- Staple papers together like a book. Three staples should do it.
- Open to first white paper.
- On the first folded white paper, write "Leviticus told God's people how to worship God and".
- Turn the page.
- On the left side, write "how to live to please God."
- One the right side, write "The Israelites were God's people."
- Turn the page.
- On the left side, write "They were to live differently than other nations."
- On the right side, write "Today, Christians are God's people."
- Turn the page.
- On the left side, write "Christians must live differently than the world."
- On the right side, write "Today, the New Testament tells Christians how to live"
- Turn the page.
- On last white page, write "and how to worship God."
- Decorate outside cover, time permitting. Numbering pages, optional.
- If you believe that there too many words for your students to write, simply type up the words, copy them off, have the students cut them out and glue them to the white papers.
