Open with prayer
Lesson on the 1st Commandment
Activity associated with the lesson.
Close with prayer.
Lesson:
1. Read through the paper The Ten Commandments (No. CB17) unless it is read as a sermonette with the children present.
2. Children’s questions are in bold. This is a general review of the material covered in the lesson.
Q1. What is the first commandment?
A. The first commandment states “you shall have no other gods before me”.
Q2. Does the first commandment fall under the first or second great commandment?
A. The first commandment falls under the first great commandment “thou shall Love your God with all your heart and with all your soul and all your mind. This is the First and Great Commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38) .
Q3. How many of the commandments fall under the First Great Commandment?
A. The first 4 commandments which include: you shall have no gods before me, no idolatry, you shall not take the name of your god in vain, you shall keep the Sabbath day holy. All four of these commandments assist us in knowing how to worship the one true God.
Q4. Who alone always existed?
A. God the Father (Eloah)
alone always existed; therefore nothing else can be before Him. He alone
created something from nothing and it is because of Him we and the world exist.
Q5. What scripture is called “the Shema” and why is this so very important?
A. The word Shema means to hear or listen. The Shema refers to Deut 6:4-5, however the teaching continues through verse 9.
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Deut. 6:4-9 .
We learn that God is One, there are not multiple gods. We learn we should love God with all our heart, mind and strength.
Q6. Does the New Testament make any reference to the One True God?
A. In Mark 12:28-30 we see Jesus
repeating the Shema. The Bible clearly
emphasizes God is One being.
Mark 12:28-30 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, "Which commandment is the first of all?" 29Jesus answered, "The first is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; 30and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' (RSV)
Q7. In the Old Testament is there a word that describes God as one being?
A. The Hebrew word Eloah is a word that is used to refer to God the Father and it is a word that is singular verses a plural word in meaning. Elohim is a word that has plural meaning. At times spiritual beings are referred to as the Elohim.
Q8. What does it mean you shall have no other gods before me?
A. As we just learned there are different words that apply to God the Father and spiritual beings He created. We are not to worship or pray to any being other than the One True God.
Q9. Can we pray to Jesus Christ, why or why not?
A. No, we are to pray only to God the Father in the name of Jesus Christ. Christ repeatedly stated all things came from his Father. Christ always gave all praise and glory to the Father and said he is not due any praise. Those that pray to Christ or saints or Mary are breaking the first commandment.
Q10. Did God the Father want to remain alone?
A. No, He wanted to create a family. God the Father always existed alone until He started to create a family, made of spiritual and physical beings. Eventually the Bible tells us that God will be all in all.
Q11. What
do God and His law share in common?
A. God and His law are holy, righteous, goodness, perfect and true. In our Bible Study lessons we call these the five centralities.
Q12. Why is it so important that God and His Law share these 5 common characteristics?
A. Scriptures throughout the Bible teach us that we are to become holy, righteous, goodness, perfect and truth. It is by developing these 5 centralities that we become part of God's Family. This applies for both the spiritual beings and physical beings.
Q13. Does God want us to obey out of fear?
A. No! We obey God because we love Him, not because we are afraid of Him. Scripture tells us that God and His law are not about creating feelings of anxiety or inadequacy, rather remind us of God’s love for us. God wants each of His created beings to follow His laws so that the individual can receive blessings and have a happy and blessed life.
Q14. Do all people fall short of obeying God the
Father?
A. Yes. All mankind sins and falls short of being perfect and never sinning. That is why God’s forgiveness is so wonderful. When we sin we are to repent and change our ways and try to do better and God forgives us.
Q15. How do we show God we are striving to become
like Him?
A. Through our actions and thoughts. God sees our heart and He knows our intentions. The more we strive to obey and keep His laws, and repent when we make a mistake, the more we become righteous, holy, goodness, perfect and truth.
Q16. Does the first commandant only forbid worshiping spiritual beings other than God the Father?
A. No. Anything we place above our relationship with God breaks the first commandment. This can mean toys, movies, money, anything we place more importance on than God. That is why all the other commandments relate to the first commandment. When we keep the commandments, it helps us to become closer to God.
Q17. Why is the first commandment so important?
A. The first commandment grounds us in who God the Father is and provides the foundation for our worship of the One True God. If you don’t know who the One True God is, all the other things also become confused and distorted.
Q18. Has any man heard God’s voice or seen His face?
A. Scripture tells us no man has heard God’s voice or seen his face. (John 5:27). God uses angels as messengers who speak on His behalf. An example in the New Testament is when Gabriel was sent to speak to Mary before she was pregnant. (Luke 1:26-28).
Q19. Who spoke to Moses in the burning bush and spoke the ten commandments at Mount Sinai?
A. The Angle of Presence or Jesus Christ did both these activities. He was the primary messenger in the Old Testament. Christ had a spiritual existence that he gave up to become a man and pay the price for our sins so we can be reconciled back to the Father. As a man, Jesus Christ came to show us how to live God’s law.
Q20. Do spiritual beings have to keep the commandments
A. Yes all the spiritual beings are to keep God's Laws. Lucifer broke God's laws and that was when his name was changed to Satan or the accuser of the brethren. Both mankind and spiritual beings can sin, repent and be restored back to the Father.
Activity Options:
1. 10 Commandment Poster
Board
Supplies: poster board, markers, construction paper (optional), tape.
Set up a poster board with two columns. Label the column on the left First Great Commandment / Love God. Label the column on the right Second Great Commandment / Love Neighbor. Write each of the commandments (simplified version) on an individual strip of paper or construction paper.
For the next 10 lessons in the commandment series you will add a commandment to the poster board. The first four commandments will go on the left side and the last six commandments will go on the right side. For today, ask the children what is the first commandment. Add it to the poster board.
2. Tree Activity:
Children can create or color a tree with the ideas on the attached coloring sheet. If they are creating the tree, they could recreate the tree using paper, felt, boxes, etc. (Just about any type of material they could use to make the tree). The emphasis is the children will learn the five centralities of God and His law (holy, righteous, goodness, perfect, truth).
3.
Coloring Pages: http://www.ccg.org/gallery/coloring/index.html
4.
Activity book (see below):
Print pages 6-9 for each of the children to have their own activity book to complete together or on their own.
Close with Prayer
WHAT ARE RULES AND WHY ARE THEY IMPORTANT IN SOCIETY?
Q: Imagine you are playing your favourite game with your friends. What would happen if everybody decided to change the rules and no one was playing with the same rules?
Q: What would happen if one person decided not to obey the rules of the game and cheated? How would you feel? Is it fair? Does it bring true happiness to the person who cheated to win?
Q: Can you remember the last time Mum or Dad drove you to school? On the road we see lots of traffic signs that tell Mum when to go, and when to stop. What might happen if someone decided to ignore the traffic signs?
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Can you list 2 rules you have at home?
1. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
2. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Mum and Dad give you rules because they love you and want to protect you. God’s rules work the same way.
God gave us Ten Commandments by which to live our lives. Living our lives according to God’s rules means we will lead productive, meaningful and happy lives.
Disobeying or ignoring rules is a form of selfishness and is harmful.
Rules are there to keep us safe!
GOD’S TEN COMMANDMENTS
God’s Commandments are divided into two groups. The first group of 4 Commandments teaches us how to love God and is called the First Great Commandment. The second group of six Commandments teaches us how to love our neighbour and is called the Second Great Commandment.
There is only One True God. He is the
Almighty and the Creator of the heavens, the Earth and all things (see the
paper Who is God?
(No. CB1)).
HOW TO LOVE GOD
1. You shall have no other gods before me. 2. You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, on earth, or in the waters beneath to worship and serve. 3. You shall not take the Lord’s name in vain. 4. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. |
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HOW TO LOVE OUR NEIGHBOUR
5. Honour your father and mother that your days may be long in the land which the Lord God gives you. 6. You shall not kill. 7. You shall not commit adultery. 8. You shall not steal. 9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour. 10. You shall not covet your neighbour’s house, wife, manservant, maidservant, beast of burden, or anything that belongs to your neighbour. |
Here we are going to
learn about God’s First Commandment.
Exodus 20:2 “I
am the Lord your God who has brought you out of the Egypt out of the land of
bondage. You shall have no other gods
before me.”
Write out God’s First Commandment.
🖉_ I am the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
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When God says we are to have no other gods, He means that we are not to have anything in our life that is more important than He is or that replaces Him.
Nothing is more important than God.
God requires that we pray to Him without ceasing, meditate on Him always, give Him reverence and glory beside none other, and continue to realize that He alone is the most important aspect of our lives.
Luke 18:18 Now
a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher what shall I do to inherit
eternal life?” So Jesus said to him,
“Why do you call me good? No one is good
but One, that is, God. “You know the
commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery’, ‘Do
not murder’, ‘Do not steal’, ‘Do not bear false witness’, ‘Honor your father
and mother’,” And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.” So when Jesus heard these things, He said to
him, “You still lack one thing, sell all that you have and distribute it to the
poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” But when he heard this, he became very
sorrowful, for he was very rich.
Q: Did the young ruler break God’s First Commandment?
🖉Put a in the correct box.
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YES |
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NO |
Q: Circle and name what was more important to the young ruler than God.
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Q: Can you think of a few examples of things we may put before God?
Think of how the pictures below could become
other gods.
“Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they
may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into
the city” (Rev. 22:12-14).
Christ told us that whoever hears his word and obeys is like a wise man who built his house on a rock (Mat. 7:24). The rain came down and the wind blew and beat on the house, but it didn’t fall, for it was founded on the rock (1Cor.10:4).
However, there are people who do not do the things God commands. They are like foolish people who build their house on sand. The rain came down and the wind blew and the house fell over. God wants to be our foundation. He wants us to put Him first in our lives (Mat. 4:10). God wants us to serve Him for our own sake because God knows our needs and wants; He knows everything about us; He knows what makes us happy and sad. He knows that when we put Him first in our lives, we are happier (Prov. 29:18).
Today, we are surrounded by many false gods that are made up by people. Examples are: Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, Buddha, Krishna, even Christ has been made into a god and an idol termed co-equal and co-eternal with the One True God who is the Father (Isa. 2:8; Jn. 17:3).
THESE ARE ALL EXAMPLES OF FALSE SYSTEMS BASED ON FALSE
MAN- MADE GODS!
The Bible has many examples of people who made up other gods in their imagination. God destroyed the people who made up the gods and He destroyed their idols!
Some countries, like Africa, have a lot of false gods. Tourists think it is fun and harmless to take physical representations of these gods home with them. The Bible warns that these gods will be destroyed and so will their owners. Those who make these gods up imagine they have special powers, when in fact they are powerless (Hos. 4:12; Jon. 2:8).
God is the only living God who can help us in times of need. He is the creator and sustainer of all things. God has the power to help us when we need it (Zech. 9:7).
Those who do not keep God’s Commandments and worship false gods instead of the One True God will be destroyed.
We all make mistakes and sin. Sinning is when we break God’s Commandments and we cut ourselves off from God (Isa. 59:2; 1Jn. 3:6). When we sin it is important that we understand what we have done wrong and make an effort to correct our error. We need to tell God that we have done something wrong and that we are sorry. This is called repentance.
Ecclesiastes 10:13
“Let us hear the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His
Commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”