The Biblical Path of Life

Tag: Old Testament

  • Secrets

    “That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.”
    Matthew 13:35

    Have you ever been told a secret? Did you want to keep it a secret or tell someone else? Secrets are hard to keep, yet the most important “secret” ever is not shared nearly enough. God had secrets, and He told many of them to His people. We can know those secrets today if we will just read His Word.

    The prophets of God revealed secrets that had been “kept secret from the foundation of the world.” “That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 13:35). It is important to know about the prophets from the Old Testament, and become familiar with what they had to say. The Old Testament prophets were important then, and they are still important today. If you have ever read any of the books of the prophets from the Old Testament, they are full of strange events and tellings that, to the common person, make no sense. They seem like mysteries or secrets.

    Although the Bible is full of mysteries, God wants us to understand the mysteries, or secrets, of the Old Testament. He wants us to realize that it all centered on the coming of Jesus, God’s Son. “25. Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, 26. But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith” (Romans 16:25-26). Once we have Jesus in our heart and read God’s Word daily, we can understand those mysteries. We do not need prophets today because we have the prophets’ words written in the Bible. Our job is to know God’s Word so we can share this “secret” that has been revealed to the world. The books of the Old Testament are very important.

    Jesus told of a Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31. The Rich Man died without trusting in Jesus. Lazarus, a very poor man on earth, died trusting in Jesus. When the Rich Man was in hell, being in torments, he could see Lazarus in the bosom of Abraham. The Rich Man cried out for some water to cool his tongue. However, he was told that there was a great gulf fixed between the two that could not be crossed. The Rich Man then asked for someone to be sent back to warn his five brothers, lest they too end up in hell. Read Abraham’s response to him: “30. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead” (Luke 16:30-31). Everything they needed to hear to be warned about that place had been recorded in the words of Moses and the Prophets. Remember, the mystery of the Gospel message of Jesus Christ was revealed in the Old Testament “by the scriptures of the prophets” and it was “made known to all nations” according to Romans 16:25-26.

    Just as Jesus told of the Rich Man and Lazarus, the Law and the Prophets had the words that could have saved the Rich Man’s soul for eternity if he had only believed them. It is very important to understand that without Jesus in our hearts, it is never enough. Many of the prophet’s words were warnings to the people.

    Are there any words of warning we need to share with our friends or family?

    Also published at Lighthouse Gospel Beacon.

  • Remembering the History

    “Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent …”
    Revelation 3:3a

    Do you remember anything you have learned from the Bible? It is important to daily read God’s Word. If you do not read it, you will not remember it. Remember is the key word. If we do not remember and hold fast to what we learn from God’s Word, we will never grow in Christ. The more we learn about God’s Word, the more we will want to be like Him. By learning the history in the Bible, we will understand the significance of why things happened. God had a plan, which is hard to understand unless you learn the Old Testament history. While it was happening, men did not fully understand what that plan was, but through faith, they believed. The more we learn, the more pieces of the puzzle we can fit together. Each piece helps us become better students of God’s Word, which helps us become better Christians.

    For instance, remember the book of Judges. The dominant theme within the book is this: “In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). Notice that it doesn’t say they did wrong, men thought what they were doing was right. But also notice this: “And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves” (Judges 3:7). Although it didn’t appear wrong to them, it was wrong in God’s eyes. They did not obey the commands God had given them.

    There was a vicious cycle that occurred in Judges:

    • The people forsook God.
    • God allowed the enemy to oppress the people.
    • The people cried out to God.
    • God sent a deliverer (a judge) to end the oppression.

    In Judges, the people as a whole rejected God.

    But then we remember the book of Ruth. It is a breath of fresh air in a time of turmoil in the nation of Israel, for it is a picture of redemption. Ruth was a Gentile (a Moabitess) who lived in a pagan land. She did not know the true God. When an Israelite family moved to Moab because of a drought in Israel, Ruth married into this family and heard of God. When her husband, father-in-law, and brother-in-law died, she returned with her mother-in-law to the land of Israel. Because she had recognized a light in her dark world, she wanted to follow that light. She had learned of God and did not want to lose that. Her view is clearly stated: “16. And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: 17.  Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me” (Ruth 1:16-17). It was there after being redeemed by a kinsman, that she forever became a part of Jesus’ genealogy. She was the great-grandmother of King David.

    One important thing about studying the history in the Bible is to be aware of God’s plan for His people. As we consider what God’s Word says, we should understand how it fits together, much like pieces of a puzzle. As we try to keep in mind and hold fast to the things we learn from God’s Word, it will help us recognize God’s plan for our lives. We must remember what God’s Word says.

    Have you recognized God’s plan in your life?

    Also published at Lighthouse Gospel Beacon.

  • The Law

    “But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”
    Psalm 1:2

    We are taught that obeying laws is important and that there are penalties to be paid if we break them. Consider the importance of laws. We are to understand that God has laws. His laws are significant, and obedience is very important to God as we can see throughout His Word, and most notably in the Old Testament. Often we recognize God’s discipline on those who break His laws.

    The first five books in the Old Testament are referred to as “The Law.” Within these books we find the first 2,500 years of history recorded by Moses. The first book, Genesis, begins with the creation, records the ruin of man through sin, but it also reveals the sovereignty of God. The word sovereignty means “supreme in power; possessing supreme dominion; as a sovereign ruler of the universe.” We understand that God is the sovereign God of all who love and obey Him.

    One easy way to remember Genesis and the events within is to recognize:

    Four main events take place:

    • The Creation
    • The Fall
    • The Flood
    • The Tower of Babel  

    Genesis deals mainly with Four People:

    • Abraham
    • Isaac
    • Jacob
    • Joseph

    After about four hundred years, God’s people grew into a nation numbering around two to three million people in Egypt. This is where Exodus (which means “the way out” or “outgoing”) begins. At the culmination of the ten plagues, we see the mighty deliverance of God’s people from a land of bondage. Shortly after this they meet at the foot of Mount Sinai. It was at Mount Sinai that the Law was given (beginning with the Ten Commandments; Exodus 19-20). The Israelites were taught that obedience to God is necessary. They could not be a redeemed, set-apart people unless they obeyed God’s command.

    In Leviticus, God spoke to Moses from the tabernacle instead of Mount Sinai. The people needed to know how to live. God instituted the offerings, the priesthood, a clean lifestyle, and the different feasts. These things were teach the people how to live as a people wholly given to God in every aspect of their lives. Leviticus shows the ability to have fellowship with God when we come to Him as a sanctified people (because He is holy, and we are a sinful people). Leviticus ends with the blessings of obedience and the penalties for disobedience. Only about a month’s time passes during Leviticus.

    The name Numbers comes from a numbering of the people at the beginning of the book and then again at the end. There were two groups of people, an old generation and a new generation. When the twelve spies were sent into the land promised to Abraham, only Joshua and Caleb brought back report that God would allow them to conquer the land. When the Israelites disobeyed God’s command to cross over into the Promised Land, they were disciplined. The old generation would die and not enter because they refused to obey God. Only Joshua and Caleb escaped God’s discipline (wandering in the wilderness for forty years). Fewer than forty years elapse during Numbers where we see God guiding, providing, and protecting His people.

    Deuteronomy begins by looking back to what God had done for His people and then looking forward. The entire book shows the faithfulness of God revealing that God loves His people. Moses warned the people to not forget the words of God’s Law, revealing the blessings for following God’s Law and the curse of God if they failed to obey. Joshua is appointed the new leader of the new generation, and Moses dies.

    After remembering the books of “The Law,” see that they help us understand God and what He expects from His people. We also learn that it is quite impossible to obey every law that God has given us. In the New Testament we gain some insight as to why it is important to know “The Law” of the Old Testament. “24. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 26. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:24-26).

    Have you understood “The Law” is a schoolmaster to show the need for Jesus?

    Originally posted at Lighthouse Gospel Beacon

  • Why the History is Important

    “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”
    1 Corinthians 10:11

    After reading 1 Corinthians 10:11, one can understand that God’s Word was written for us. In the Bible, we find examples of how we are to live our lives and to show us a picture of God’s plan. We are to learn from what is written in His Word. Each Bible “story” we have learned through the years is just a piece of the “puzzle” to complete the picture of God’s plan. History may appear boring, but we must understand how fascinating, and especially important, it is to be in our lives.

    Because the history found in the Bible is so important, we should desire to know that history – just like Peter, Stephen, and Paul knew it. We are to understand that history is there to help us better understand and know Jesus. The more we read in God’s Word, the more we begin to understand that God had a plan. In the Old Testament, men didn’t fully understand what that plan was, but through faith they believed. In the New Testament, God’s plan was revealed through His Son, Jesus. Men still didn’t understand until Jesus died, resurrected and ascended into heaven. But once they understood, they could not keep silent. They shared what they learned with others so they could know of God’s wonderful plan as well. 

    After Jesus ascended back into heaven with the promise to return, Peter preached the Old Testament history. He had a new understanding of who Jesus was ,why He had come, and that He would return one day. And what an amazing response he received! Three thousand believed! And when he preached again shortly thereafter, five thousand believed!

    But there was another man named Stephen who preached the same history, and he found a very different response to his message. The religious leaders stoned him to death. There was one specific young man who consented to Stephen’s death. His name was Saul. His initial response to the Gospel message of Jesus was to seek out anyone who believed in Jesus and imprison or even kill them.

    He made a special trip to find anyone, man or woman, who believed in Jesus. But on his way, he met Jesus. There was quite a transformation in his life. Instead of wanting to kill those who believed in Jesus, Saul (later called Paul) became a mighty preacher, and teacher, of the history revealing Jesus.

    Each of these men came to the understanding that all of the Old Testament teachings were just pieces of a great picture. As they began to contemplate the truths they had learned, they realized that they revealed the picture of God’s plan to send Jesus into the world to take away their sin – if they would only believe and receive Him.

    Have you ever worked on a puzzle? Each piece is only part of a greater picture. The picture is not complete without all of the pieces. You could guess what the picture was going to be, but you wouldn’t completely know without the final pieces. Once you put all of the pieces together, you can see that greater picture. But when you are missing a piece, the picture is incomplete. This is much like knowing some of the events of the Old Testament and missing pieces of it. You cannot see the complete picture without reading and learning all of the events in that Old Testament text. Throughout history, people would try to understand what God was showing them. They trusted that He held all of the pieces and would fit them into place in His own time. Once Jesus came, many understood that all of the Old Testament was recorded for us to understand God’s plan to send His Son, Jesus, into the world to redeem a sinful people back to Himself. He wants us to understand this plan so that we will know just how important it is to place our lives into God’s hand by trusting in Jesus.

    Do you enjoy doing a puzzle that doesn’t have all of the pieces? 

    Have you ever been so excited about Jesus that you shared with others what you have learned so they could know of God’s wonderful plan as well?

    Previously published at: Lighthouse Gospel Beacon

  • Lesson 13 (Lesson 39): Jesus in the Old Testament: Jesus our Ruler

    Key Verse

    “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33

     

    Read the Key Verse with your class.  Explain the memory verse using the following definitions:

    seek:  strive after, with earnestness

    first:  importance; first of all; chiefly

    kingdom:  the glorious reign of the Messiah; its basis from the prophecies of the OT where the coming of the Messiah and His triumphs are foretold

    righteousness:  conformity to all God commands; God’s uprightness to which man is expected to conform.

    Jesus taught us to strive, with earnestness and as most importantly, for the coming of the Messiah (Jesus) and his reign.  And seek to be able to conform to all of God’s commands.  When we can do these things, all of the things Jesus had been teaching them (heavenly treasures, provisions here on earth, etc.) would be added.

    Summary:  We have learned that God’s people rejected Him as their king.  They wanted a man.  So, God gave them a man, Saul, and he failed miserably as a godly king.  But God chose a man “after his own heart,” David.  He was a good king, and God made him a promise.  Because David wanted to do good for God to build God a house, God would build David a house, one that would last forever.  Today, we will see in whom that promise was fulfilled, Jesus.

    David believed God’s promise, and it was recorded in the Bible for us to read today.  All through the ages, men watched and waited for that “Promised One” to come.  Even the wise men of the Far East sought a new king that was born, and wanted to come and worship him.  We find John the Baptist proclaimed He had come, and He was God’s Son.  But even more than that, Jesus himself declared principles of His kingdom we must learn to adhere to.

    Encourage your students to bring their Bibles and use them!

    Emphasis:  Our job, today, is to seek God as most important in our lives, obeying His commands, making him our King that we will serve.  When we do that, we have nothing to worry about because He will take care of us.

     

    Optional Worksheets to be downloaded:

    Lesson 39 – Volume 1 Children’s Worksheet 1

    Lesson 39 – Volume 1 Children’s Reinforcement Worksheet

     

    Ideas for children:

    Stickers always work well with children. Often times I watch Wal-Mart or Oriental Trading Company for specials or deals on things I can use for crafts for Sunday School (i.e. foam sheets, Bible Story scene stickers, crowns, stick on jewels, construction paper, etc.).  I keep a stash and when I need something, I go search in my stash!  Pinterest always has great ideas!

    You could have a coloring sheet that goes with the lesson.

    One idea for today’s lesson:  (See picture below).  For today’s lesson I had a kit that made a shield (since we had been studying the kings of Israel) with a sicker for the middle that said “Christ is my Victory.”  It seemed to fit pretty well since we had been talking about the kings of Israel.  In today’s lesson we remembered the promise to King David that that Jesus was the promised King of Kings who would come.  We also learned a little of Jesus’ teachings about the kingdom that would come.

     

    Mural idea:

    Refer to the wall in your classroom that has become a mural.

    By now your class should be in a groove as to the direction and areas in which they need to focus and work on to improve their Christian lives.  Use this knowledge to help you address specific areas in each lesson that your class can discuss and share as you add new things to your mural.  Continue to watch as your class grows in their knowledge of not only God’s Word, but areas in their lives that can be corrected, drawing them closer to the Lord.

    Have them each add anything else they may have brought to add to the wall.  Encourage everyone to participate.

  • Lesson 7 (Lesson 33): I Samuel 8-15: Saul

    Key Verse

    “For mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes.”  Jeremiah 16:17

    Read the Key Verse with your class.  Help them understand that the verse tells that God’s eyes are upon everything.  Nothing happens that God does not know about; not even their iniquity (faults, mischief, and/or sin.)  There is no point in lying about something you may have done (or not done) because God knows it all and nothing is hidden from Him.

    Summary:  Today we will continue in the life of Samuel, but we will be introduced to the third main character in the book of I Samuel – Saul.  We learned last week, that when Samuel answered God’s call, God was able to use him to speak to the people for Him.  He was not only a priest, but he was a prophet of God.  Today we see that the people now verbally reject God as their king and want a man to rule over them.  God chose Saul.  He was, physically, everything a people could want in a king.  He was good looking, and he stood head and shoulders taller than anyone else.  Today we learn what kind of a man he really was, and why God removed the kingdom not only from him, but his family.

    Emphasis:  We must remember that God sees everything.  We must please God in everything we do, obeying His commands.  In order to know what God wants from us, we must seek Him – read our Bible and pray, faithfully.

     

    Optional Worksheets to be downloaded:

    Lesson 33 – Volume 1 Children’s Worksheet 1

    Lesson 33 – Volume 1 Children’s Reinforcement Worksheet

     

    Ideas for children:

    Stickers always work well with children. Often times I watch Wal-Mart or Oriental Trading Company for specials or deals on things I can use for crafts for Sunday School (i.e. foam sheets, Bible Story scene stickers, crowns, stick on jewels, construction paper, etc.).  I keep a stash and when I need something, I go search in my stash!  Pinterest always has great ideas!

    You could have a coloring sheet that goes with the lesson.

    One idea for today’s lesson:  (See picture below).  For today’s lesson we made a coloring book for each child.  Because Saul was the first king of Israel, there were many choices of coloring pages.  I chose some that told the story of Saul.  I had a book of construction paper cut and stapled together for them to glue the different pictures into in the correct order.  We colored some of the pictures in them with the time we had left.  They were then able to take their books home to color the rest of the pictures as they had time, helping them remember what we had learned in class that day.  We also colored the page that is today’s Children’s Reinforcement Worksheet and discussed what it meant.

     

    Mural idea:

    Refer to the wall in your classroom that has become a mural.

    By now your class should be in a groove as to the direction and areas in which they need to focus and work on to improve their Christian lives.  Use this knowledge to help you address specific areas in each lesson that your class can discuss and share as you add new things to your mural.  Continue to watch as your class grows in their knowledge of not only God’s Word, but areas in their lives that can be corrected, drawing them closer to the Lord.

    Have them each add anything else they may have brought to add to the wall.  Encourage everyone to participate.

  • Lesson 13 (Lesson 26): Jesus in the Old Testament: Jesus Fulfilled the Law

    Key Verse

    “2. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.  3. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:”  Romans 8:2-3

    Read the Key Verse with them.  Help them understand that Jesus set us free from the law that condemned us to death because of our sins.  We could never fulfill that law, but Jesus did and paid the penalty to save our life.

    Summary:  We have been learning about the first five books in the Old Testament, the books we call The Law.  In those books we watched as God gradually, over time, revealed himself to mankind.  He allowed us to see that He is perfect and sinless, and also, we saw just how sinful man is.  God showed from the beginning that it took the shedding of blood to cover man’s sins.  He, at the same time, revealed that He would one day send the perfect once and for all sacrifice to take away man’s sin.  Today, we see in Hebrews 10, that that law was just a picture to help us understand just what it was that Jesus had to fulfill completely in order to take away our sins.  When we accept the gift God gave us in His Son, Jesus, he then writes His law on our hearts.  Then we have no excuse.  We know.  We are to live our lives pleasing God.

    Encourage your students to bring their Bibles and use them!

    Emphasis:  In the books of the law, we saw the importance of recognizing sin and even the cost of sin – the shedding of blood.  It was just a picture for us to understand what Jesus one day did on the cross.

     

    Optional Worksheets to be downloaded:

    Lesson 26 – Volume 1 Children’s Worksheet 1

    Lesson 26 – Volume 1 Children’s Reinforcement Worksheet

     

    Ideas for children:

    Stickers always work well with children. Often times I watch Wal-Mart or Oriental Trading Company for specials or deals on things I can use for crafts for Sunday School (i.e. foam sheets, Bible Story scene stickers, crowns, stick on jewels, construction paper, etc.).  I keep a stash and when I need something, I go search in my stash!  Pinterest always has great ideas!

    You could have a coloring sheet that goes with the lesson.

    One idea for today’s lesson:  (See picture below).  For this lesson I cut out a very large heart out of construction paper (as big as the whole sheet).  We then cut out some preprinted verses (that I had made) and glued them on the heart.  We then added stickers of different verses (purchased through Oriental Trading).  The idea is to remind them of the importance of hiding God’s Word in our hearts (memorizing Scripture verses).

    Mural idea:

    Refer to the wall in your classroom that has become a mural. Today, have them draw a large heart and write some of God’s commands on it to remind them that we are to write God’s Word on our heart so that we won’t sin against Him. You may also want to let them make a Bible marker with Psalm 119:11 on it to keep in their Bibles to help them remember to hide God’s word in their hearts.

    Have them each add anything else they may have brought to add to the wall.  Encourage everyone to participate.

     

  • Lesson 4 (Lesson 17): Genesis 37 – 50: Joseph

    Key Verse

    “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  Romans 6:23

    As you read the verse Romans 6:23, help your students understand this key verse as they complete the opening worksheet.  Make sure your students understand the key verse and the importance of recognizing the greatest gift God ever gave – His Son, Jesus, to pay the penalty for our sins.

    Summary:  In this lesson we will remember the familiar Bible events of Jacob and one of his sons, Joseph.

    Joseph was the 11th son born to Jacob.  He was a godly young man in spite of adverse circumstances in his life.  God used him to save his family from starvation during a time of famine throughout the lands.

    Today we will recognize God’s blessings upon Joseph’s life – for although he endured many problems (his brothers hated him; sold into slavery; falsely imprisoned; forgotten; etc.) he remained faithful to God.  And God blessed Joseph’s life.  Joseph was the last major person in the book of Genesis.

    In the Old Testament, Joseph is one of the people we compare to a picture of Christ.  In the past few weeks, we have seen where God promised to send One who would deliver a sinful people from their sins.  The first was when man sinned in the Garden (Gen. 3:15).  Then we saw where God promised Abraham that all people would be blessed through his descendants (Gen. 22:18).  We even saw a picture of what God would do – lay down the life of His Son.  This week, we see once again the promise of a mighty deliverer that would come (Gen. 28:14).  And better yet, we see a picture of a mighty deliverer in Jacob’s son, Joseph.  When Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery, they meant it for evil – Genesis 50:20:  “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.”  God sent His Son, Jesus to save the world from their sin.  He was the greatest gift ever given.  But sinful man crucified him (evil against Him), and God took what man intended to be evil and delivered us from our sins by Jesus’ death.  Just as Joseph recognized when he was placed in a position to save the world from starvation, Jesus came to save the world from “the wages of sin … death” and instead give us the “gift of God … eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  Notice the faithfulness of Joseph, and the blessings of God upon him.

    Encourage your students to bring their Bibles and use them!

     

    Optional Worksheets to be downloaded:

    Lesson 17 – Volume 1 Children’s Worksheet 1

    Lesson 17 – Volume 1 Children’s Reinforcement Worksheet

     

    Ideas for children:

    Stickers always work well with children. Often times I watch Wal-Mart or Oriental Trading Company for specials or deals on things I can use for crafts for Sunday School (i.e. foam sheets, Bible Story scene stickers, crowns, stick on jewels, construction paper, etc.).  I keep a stash and when I need something, I go search in my stash!  Pinterest always has great ideas!

    You could have a coloring sheet that goes with the lesson.

    One idea for today’s lesson:  (See picture below). We made a foam book with pages inside that we wrote (or drew) ways to “Honor God” (much like Joseph did in his life). Another time we took a picture of Joseph’s coat and used foam stickers to “color” it, or tissue paper glued to make it many colors.

     

    Mural idea:

    Refer to the wall in your classroom that has become a mural. Today, have them think of the greatest gift they can remember.  Have them recognize that as great as that gift was, Jesus is the greatest gift of all.  Have them think of ways they can, and should, tell others about the greatest gift ever, Jesus.  Help them decorate a picture of a gift box telling that Jesus is God’s gift to us.  Remind them that just as Joseph saved from starvation, Jesus came to save mankind from their sin.

    Have them each add anything else they may have brought to add to the wall.  Encourage everyone to participate.

    Lesson 17

     

  • Lesson 13: How Jesus Relates to the Old Testament

    Jesus in the Old Testament: 

    Key Verse

    “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.” Matthew 5:17

    Understand the key verse with the following:  fulfill means to fill out; complete or made them perfect; to accomplish an end.  Jesus came to complete the promise God made to Adam and Eve (and all of mankind) in the garden after they sinned.  So, when Jesus came he did not take away the importance of the Old Testament law and prophets, instead he fulfilled the words spoken and preached for he accomplished what God required of Him. That allowed him to be the perfect sacrifice to appease the wrath of a just and righteous God.

    In this lesson we will look at verses from of the Old Testament that were prophecies of Jesus that He fulfilled.  We cannot cover all of the verses listed in the Old Testament in one lesson’s time.  We will only go over one verse for each of the 5 divisions we have been learning about this quarter.  We will eventually try to cover many of them.

    We will also look at a great plot against Paul to kill him because he lived as a Christian, preaching Jesus to the lost.  Paul, the apostle, used this in his defense before Festus:  Acts 24:14:  “But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:”

    He believed all things which are written in the law and the prophets.

    Do you?

    Our goal in this study is to let the Old Testament become much more to us than a bunch of “stories” abut people who lived a long time ago.  We will search and find out why these people wanted to obey God and how they knew He would one day send Jesus.  These “stories” will be an encouragement to us that God is with us and takes care of His people.

     

    Optional Worksheets to be downloaded:

    Lesson 13 – Volume 1 Children’s Worksheet 1

    Lesson 13 – Volume 1 Children’s Reinforcement Worksheet

     

    Ideas for children:

    In any lesson, you may want to work on your coloring timeline – especially when it relates to the lesson.

    Display the poster of the books of the Old Testament (may be downloaded from lesson 4 blog).  Remind your students that the Old Testament is all to remind the people to look forward to the coming of Jesus.  You may find a coloring picture that fits today’s lesson.  There are many free coloring sheets online.  Just type in a favorite and search away!

    Give each of them a small blank book (or make foam journal, or staple blank pages inside a construction paper cover) and let them add stickers to remind them of Jesus. Have them draw Bible stories from the Old Testament inside as you have time.  Remind them that the Old Testament is all to remind the people of Jesus. Also have a coloring sheet.

     

    Mural idea: 

    On wall in your classroom that is a mural:  Have your students write (on a large puzzle piece) an Old Testament prophecy we looked at today with the New Testament fulfillment.  Use 2 different colors of markers (or crayons) to distinguish between the two.

    Continue having them bring a picture, a news article, a poem they have written, a picture they may have drawn, etc. of something that is relevant to each of the following week’s lessons.  Encourage everyone to participate.  Watch as it grows weekly, as they express what God is revealing to them through our study of how the Bible fits into His plan to help us become more like Him.

    Old Testament Bookshelf

  • Lesson 12: Review: Old Testament Divisions

    Key Verse

    “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.” Ezra 7:10

    Understanding the Key Verse:  Before beginning today’s lesson, consider today’s key verse.  Christians should adhere to this verse.  We must prepare our hearts to seek the law of the Lord (God’s Word).  We must live it out in our lives, and then proceed to tell others.  Then we will be able to teach others – first by the way we live our lives, then by being a verbal witness to others.  It must happen in this order.  Just as we see it in Ezra 7:10.  It is important to know God’s Word.  That is why we are studying it in detail.

    Since this is a review, encourage your students to do most of the “telling” this week.  Encourage them to “unload” all the knowledge they have of the Old Testament on you.  This will also help you, the teacher, know where your classes’ deficiencies in Old Testament knowledge stand.  Then you can focus more on you classes’ needs.

    Always use your Bible.  Become very familiar with it.  To help in the understanding of the Old Testament, first –find Esther 10 in your Bible and hold Genesis through Esther 10 in your left hand.  Next, hold the rest of the Old Testament (Job – Malachi) in your right hand.  Understand that everything in your right hand takes place in the time-frame your left hand is holding.

    Review and be prepared to share about the following looking back to Lesson 4 for additional information.

     

    Ideas for review:

    • Make it a game for your students to tell you which book is found in which division
    • Have them tell you what each book is about.
    • Let them tell you an event from each book. (Be prepared to tell one if no one has one!)
    • Have Old Testament Bible Drills
    • Use any (or all) of the resource reviews you have made this quarter.

    Above all, encourage your students to want to know the Bible!

     

    Optional Worksheets to be downloaded:

    Lesson 12 Volume 1 Children’s Worksheet

    Lesson 12 – Volume 1 Children’s Reinforcement Worksheet

     

    Ideas for children:

    In any lesson, you may want to work on your coloring timeline – especially when it relates to the lesson.

    Display the poster of the books of the Old Testament (may be downloaded from lesson 4 blog). Review the books and the five divisions (showing them on the poster).  Review the 3×5 cards if you made them, practicing the divisions.  Focus on putting the books in order for today’s lesson.  Be encouraged to memorize them!

    If you drew pictures of different events from each division, you could compile them into folders – one for each division (see picture below).

    There are many free coloring sheets online.  Just type in a favorite for review and search away! You could always trace the child’s hand and write the five divisions on each finger – much like in lesson 4.

    One class wrote the name of each book on a clothespin and hung them in order on a hanger.

     

    Mural idea: 

    Continue adding to your wall in your classroom that is a huge mural.  For this week, have them each choose their favorite Old Testament book and write a riddle about it for someone else to try and figure out which book it is.

    Continue to have them bring a picture, a news article, a poem they have written, a picture they may have drawn, etc. of something that is relevant to each of the following week’s lessons.  Encourage everyone to participate.  Watch as it grows weekly, as they express what God is revealing to them through our study of how the Bible fits into His plan to help us become more like Him.