4. Do Not Misuse God's Name

(For instructions on how to use this study, see Welcome to The Ten Commandments)

Commandment: "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain..." (Exodus 20:4a NET)

Bible Story: Show Me Your Glory- Exodus 33:12-23

Goals-

Cognitive: The children will learn of Moses' request to see God's glory.

Affective: The children will understand God's name is holy, powerful and glorious.

Books to know this week:

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, Jude, Revelation

Key passage(s) to know this week:

· The Ten Commandments - Exodus 20

· The Model Prayer - Matthew 6:9-13

· A Messianic Psalm - Psalm 22

Praise and Worship Time (10 minutes)

1. Opening Prayer

2. Sing songs on Choice

Review Bible Books and Key Passage (5 minutes)

Have the children find the following books/passage in the Bible:

1. Philemon

2. Hebrews

3. Acts

4. 1 Thessalonians

5. The Model Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13)

6. A Messianic Psalm (Psalm 22)

Tell the Bible Story (15 minutes)

Prepare to teach

Review last week's Bible story notes.

Read Exodus 33:12-23

Read through the Bible story notes prior to teaching.

Teach

Assign the following passages/verses to be read by the children:

· Exodus 33:12-13

· Exodus 33:14

· Exodus 33:15-16

· Exodus 33:17

· Exodus 33:18

· Exodus 33:19-20

· Exodus 33:21-23

Review where we left off last week:

· The people had sinned against God. They created an idol in the form of a golden calf and worshipped it.

· God was upset with the people but Moses prayed on their behalf and God did not destroy them. Some did, however, suffer the consequences of that sin.

· God told Moses He would not go with the people (Exodus 33:3) rather He would send an angel to lead them.

· Moses did not want an angel leading them; he wanted God to lead them.

Moses made three requests of God:

Have a child read Exodus 33:12-13.

· The first request was this: Moses wanted to know God. "Show me your , thatI may know You..." was Moses' request (Ex 33:13)

· What does this mean? To Know God?

· It could mean `awareness' of God; similar to knowing where something is located. I know where the elementary schools are.

· It could mean knowing something about God; I know who Michael Jordan is, but do I really know him? No. There is a difference.

· Then there is `knowledge by experience." I know about _____ (name a place you've been to) because we visited/lived there and experienced all that comes with visiting/living there.

· Yet these types of `knowing' are still less than the `know' that the Bible speaks of. Moses knew about God, He had experienced God, but he still wanted more.

· Moses wanted to know God such that his life would be changed.

Ask: What about you? Do you really know God? Is your life different because of your knowledge of God?

What was God's response to Moses' request? Have a child read Exodus 33:14.

· God told Moses His Presence would go with him.

Moses has a second request.

Have a child read Exodus 3:15-16

· Moses wanted God to lead them, not an angel. He told God "If your presence does not go with us, do not take us up from here." He was afraid people would think God abandoned His people and God would get a bad reputation.

· Moses was concerned for God's name.

And God's response?

Have a child read Exodus 33:17

· God would do as Moses requested and lead them Himself.

· All Moses had to do was ask.

Moses' third request?

Have a child read Exodus 33:18

· Moses asked to see God's glory.

· Moses was asking to see God face to face. What a bold request.

And God's response?

Have a child read Exodus 33:19-20

· God agreed to show Moses as much as He could without harming Moses.

· He told Moses He could not show Moses His face or Moses would die.

Have a child read Exodus 33:21-23

· God positioned Moses on a cleft in the rock and covered his face.

· He then allowed Moses to see His `back.'

Explain to children the following:

· We cannot fully comprehend what happened on that cleft that day.

· We do know that Moses experienced God in a way he had never experienced Him before.

Read Exodus 34:5-7

· The name of God sums up the character of God.

· Our God is slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness and so much more.

· This is why we need to revere His name and not use is flippantly when we text (OMG) or when we are upset at something.

Ask: How do we use God's name in vain these days? Will you commit to not do so?

What did Jesus have to say about this commandment?

· Jesus taught in Matthew 12:36 that we will all give an account for every worthless word we speak. We should be careful with the words we choose to use especially when using God's name.

· Jesus all taught in Matthew 6:9 as He was teaching the disciples how to pray, "Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored..." Jesus understood the significance of God's name. We should as well.

Pray

Praise God for who He is

Thank Him for language. It is through the words we find in Scripture that we know God.

Ask God to allow us to experience Him in ways we have never done so before.

Explain the Names of God Family Activity Sheet.

Names are important in Scripture. The names of God help us gain a better understanding of who God is. This week, as a family, you will be looking up some different names of God. You can find many of them by searching the name on www.bible.org.

Weekly Challenge (20 minutes)

In this week's challenge, we will putting our mouths and jaws to good use.

1. Before the Challenge

Collect the necessary supplies for this week's challenge.

Supplies:

· Lots of bubble gum (at least 60 pieces per team)

· ¼ piece of foam board for each team

· Disposable gloves (optional)

 

On the foam board, write out aword (your choice) and divide the word into at least 50 sections (see illustration below).

2. The Challenge

Each letter in divided into 4 or 5 sections. Instruct the children to chew gum long enough to make it sticky and then stick the chewed piece of gum in each section of each letter. When the team has filled each of the sections, they are to raise their flag announcing they are done.

Give each team their books of the bible cards - Matthew through Revelation - and the Key Passages matching cards. On your mark, the teams are to arrange the books of the bible in the correct order and match the key passages cards. When the team is done, they are to raise their flags.

3. Apply the Challenge

For many, all that chewing will cause discomfort in their jaws. Talking too much can also make our mouths hurt sometimes. We need to remember to use our words carefully, especially when using the name of God. We are to revere God and are to never misuse His name.

Closing (10 minutes)

1. Award this week's medals based on the week's challenge.

2. Assign this week's memory work:

· Books of the Bible: All New Testament books and Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy

· Key Passages:

· The 10 Commandments - Exodus 20

· The Model Prayer - Matthew 6:9-13

· A Messianic Psalm - Psalm 22 (`Messianic' means about Jesus)

· Imitating Christ's Humility - Philippians 2:1-11

3. Explain the Key Passage:

God has clearly told us what His expectations of us are, we are to be like Christ. One of Christ's most distinct attributes was His humility. He was God Himself and yet did not think twice about serving man. We too should aspire to be like Christ, humble and willing to serve others.

4. Closing prayer.

5. Closing song of choice.