Get Ready for Passover

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Children of Israel, Passover, Pesach, ten plagues

Passover is coming!
Spice up your seder with ideas from
Family Preparations for the Jewish Holidays: Passover

This book includes:
~basic information about Passover
~arts and craft ideas for kids – young and old
~ways to make the ten plagues come to life
~ways to represent the splitting of the sea
~game ideas to make your seder lively and educational
~lots of ideas to get the message of Passover across while having a lot of fun!

 

Use even a fraction of the ideas in this book and your Passover will never be the same again! Check it out on Amazon!

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Discussion Questions:

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Aaron, Children of Israel

Excerpt from Enjoying Exodus: The Bible in Rhyme by Marcia Goldlist

 

God is about to tell His requirements for how Aaron and his sons are to become holy so that they can serve God. 

• Can anyone serve God?
• Why did Aaron and his sons have to become holy to serve God?
• Should we be doing something to become holy?
• Is everyone able to become holy?

Creative Thinking:

• Write a journal entry for God describing how He feels people today do in the holiness department.
• Aaron and his sons had responsibilities to the children of Israel and to God. Read about what was involved regarding Aaron and his sons in the book of Exodus chapter 29 and then write a modern day version.

Activities for Homeschooling and After-Schooling:

• Read chapter 29 in the book of Exodus and record what Aaron and his sons were to do to become holy.
• Why does God give a list of things that have to be done for Aaron and his sons to be holy?
• Describe ways that people today can be holy.
• Write about someone that you believe deserves the title “holy”.
• Describe in your own words what you believe God means by “holy”.
• Why is it important to God that Aaron and his sons serve Him?
• God tells Moses what has to be done. Why doesn’t He speak directly to Aaron?
  • Think of an example in your life where something was told to someone else about how to prepare you for something important. How did this make you feel? Was there a reason that the person did not talk directly to you?

Aaron Approaches God With Care

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Aaron, Children of Israel

Excerpt from Enjoying Exodus: The Bible in Rhyme by Marcia Goldlist

When Aaron entered the holy place of God he was to wear the names of the twelve sons of Israel on a breastplate which was to be placed on his heart. Aaron was to be thinking of the children of Israel when he came before God. He was also to approach God with care.    

Discussion Questions:

• What does it mean by the judgment of the children of Israel?
• Why would wearing the names of the sons of Jacob help Aaron concentrate on the children of Israel?
• Why was it important for Aaron to concentrate on the children of Israel when he approached God?
• What does it mean to approach God with care?

Creative Thinking Questions:

• Why do you think that it would be more effective to place each of the twelve names of the sons of Jacob on the breastplate rather than just write “the sons of Jacob” or “the children of Israel”?
• If you were Aaron what would you do in order to properly “approach God with care”?

Activities for Homeschooling and After-Schooling:

• Aaron was told to come with care before God. This referred to going before God into a special place. Should we treat going before God any differently?
• Aaron was to bear the judgment of the children of Israel. Should we bear the judgment of others? If so, whose and under what circumstances?
• Aaron walked into a special place to be with God. Go to two or three houses of worship in your community and ask about how the people and the clergy talk to God. Note any differences between the religions.
• Why do you think that Aaron wore the judgment of the children of Israel on his heart and not on his head?
• Write a journal entry for Aaron describing how he prepared to enter God’s holy place.
• Find the accounting of how Aaron was to approach God in the book of Exodus and write out an accounting, in bullet points, of what he had to do.
• Aaron carried a heavy responsibility. Do you think that anyone was jealous of him? If so describe why.
• This description of how Aaron was to approach God is in the book of Exodus. Why do you think it is included in this book of the Bible?

The Children of Israel are United!

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Children of Israel

Excerpt from Enjoying Exodus: The Bible in Rhyme by Marcia Goldlist

It must have been awesome to hear all of the children of Israel answer together that they would follow all that God had spoken.

Discussion Questions:

• What does the word awesome mean?
• What does it mean that all the people responded with “one voice”?
• What do you think it would be like to hear a lot of people answer together the same response?
• What makes it so special that all the children of Israel answered together?
• If someone does something that you asked them to do, does it really matter if they did it by choice or if they were forced in some way to do it?

Creative Thinking:

• There were hundred’s of thousands of children of Israel. Would it really have mattered if a few did not reply the same way? Explain.
• What is the difference between responding with “one voice” and responding “together”?

Activities for Homeschooling and Afterschooling:

• Come up with a statement that you think would be easy to get ten people to agree with. Now try to get ten people to agree with your statement. Was it as easy as you thought? Why or why not?
• Come up with a statement that you think will be hard to get ten people to agree with. Now try to get ten people to agree with your statement. Was it as difficult as you thought? Why or why not?
• Try to get someone to agree to do something without telling them what you are going to ask of them. Was this hard to do? Why?
• The children of Israel agreed to follow God’s words. Do you think that they would have followed the words if they came from Moses?
• At this time the children of Israel were really united. Make up a campaign to unite your neighborhood, school, class, family, or some other unit to do something worthwhile. Describe how you are going to get your group to do your project.
• Get together a group of about ten people and have them say a poem altogether. Is it hard for everyone to say the words at the same time?
• Write a story about everyone in your country saying something together at the same time.
• Write a list of things that you do by choice and a list of things that you do because you have to.
• How is it different to do something because you feel that you have to and doing the same thing out of free choice?
• Write a journal entry for God explaining how He felt when everyone responded together that everyone would follow His words by choice?

The Children of Israel are Told Not to Cause Pain to Widows and Orphans

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Children of Israel

Excerpt from Enjoying Exodus: The Bible in Rhyme by Marcia Goldlist

The children of Israel are told by God that they are not to cause pain to widows or orphans.

Discuss:

• Why would widows and orphans be considered special?
• Is it okay to cause pain to people who are not widows or orphans?
• What kind of things do people do that cause you pain?

Creative Thinking:

• When is it acceptable to cause someone pain? Make a list of at least 5 circumstances.
• List at least 5 reasons that the Bible would single out widows and orphans.
• The only difference between window and widow is an ‘n’. Find similarities between the two.

Homeschooling Activities:

• Should we have to be told not to cause pain to someone or should this be automatic? Explain.
• Should a person who was wronged or hurt complain? Explain.
• If a person who was wronged or hurt does not complain is s/he somewhat to blame if someone else is hurt by the same perpetrator?
• Why would God not just tell the children of Israel not to cause pain to anyone?
• God links the widow and orphan to the children of Israel because they were slaves in Egypt (which was a foreign land). What is the relationship between being slaves in a foreign land and being a widow or an orphan?
• Why do you think some people complain more than others?
• Make a list of five rules for the children of Israel to follow to make it easier for them not to hurt a widow or an orphan.

Does it Matter How We Get to the End Product?

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altar, book of Exodus, Children of Israel, God

Excerpt from Enjoying Exodus: The Bible in Rhyme by Marcia Goldlist

God told the children of Israel to build an altar. However, he told them that if they used a sword in building the altar, it would desecrate it 

Discuss:

• What does it mean to be desecrated?
• If you are told to build a house, does it matter what tools you use? If it doesn’t matter why did God care if the children of Israel built an altar using a sword?
• Can any item be used for both good and bad?

Creative Thinking:

• Are swords “instruments of war” or “instruments used in war”? Make a list of points for each side of the argument.
• Why would God say not to use a “sword” rather than saying “an instrument of war”?
• If you take the ‘s’ from sword and put it at the end of the word you get “words’. What is the relationship between a sword and words?
• Think of at least five ways to suggest making a desecrated altar holy.

Homeschool Bible Activities:

• Make a list of tools that would be acceptable to God to make an altar.
• Make a list of tools that would probably not be acceptable to God to make an altar.
• Explain why building an altar to be used in the service of God should be pure from the start.
• Find other verses in the Bible with “sword” in them.
• Think of at least five reasons that God would care what tools were used to create an altar.
• Research the origin of the sword.
• In what things today does it matter how you get to a final purpose?
• What were the advantages of using a sword in war?
• Research how various altars were used in different religions and /or in different countries.
• God cared what the children of Israel used to make the altar. Try to justify to God using a sword that was never used in war?

Does Being in Awe of God Reduce Sin?

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Children of Israel, God, Moses

Excerpt from Enjoying Exodus: The Bible in Rhyme by Marcia Goldlist

The children of Israel are afraid to listen to God. They did not want God to speak to them directly. They asked Moses to tell them whatever God wanted them to hear. Moses tells them not to be afraid, God wants the children of Israel to be in awe of Him so that they will not sin.

Discuss:

• What does it mean to be in awe of someone?
• What does it mean to be in awe of God?
• What kinds of people are other people in awe of?
  • Why do you think that this happens?
• What does it mean to be elevated?
• What does it mean to sin?

Creative Thinking:

• Make a list of reasons that causes people to sin.
• Make a list of reasons that stops people from sinning.
• Make a list of things which elevate you as a person.

Homeschool Activities:

• Is sinning related to religion? Explain your point of view.
• God was trying to help the children of Israel from sinning. Create a media campaign to help people not sin. Use at least three of the following media:
  • twitter
  • Facebook
  • sermon
  • face-to-face talk
  • flyer
  • brochure
  • emails
  • TV commercial
  • radio commercial
•  Is it a sin to be in awe of another person? Defend your point of view.
• Is it the same thing to be in awe of another person and to be in awe of God? Explain.
• Do you ever want to do something that is considered a sin? Write about what would stop you from sinning.
• The children of Israel were afraid to hear God directly.  They wanted Moses to tell them whatever God wanted to convey. Can you get the same message through a mediator? Explain your position.
• If God wanted to talk to the children of Israel did they have any right to tell Moses that they didn’t want to hear God directly?

Is Moses Naive to Trust the Children of Israel?

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Children of Israel, God

Excerpt from Enjoying Exodus: The Bible in Rhyme by Marcia Goldlist

Moses told the children of Israel to stay away from the mountain and then he climbed up to be with God. Once he was up on Mount Sinai, God told him to go down and to tell the people to stay away from the mountain so that they would not die. Moses said that the children of Israel would not go near the mountain because they had already been warned to stay away.   

Discussion Questions:

• Do you get annoyed when you are told something more than once?
• Should we trust that people listen to what we say and not repeat our warnings?
• Moses trusted the children of Israel. What does it mean to trust someone?

Creative Thinking:

• Make a list of times when you should trust people and a list of times when you should not. What is the defining difference?
• What could be some of reasons that God would tell the children of Israel not to touch Mount Sinai at this time?

Homeschool Activities:

• What is the difference between cannot and may not? Explain in context of the children of Israel touching Mount Sinai.
• Was Moses naive to trust the children of Israel?
• God said that the mountain was to be holy and that the children of Israel should stay away from it. Why do you think that the children of Israel were told not to touch the mountain?
• Moses trusted the children of Israel not to touch the mountain. Why do you think that he trusted them?
  • Do you think that they deserved his trust? Explain.
• Write a letter to Moses and God describing why they should believe that you will heed their warning.
• Create a flyer to give out to the children of Israel warning them not to touch the mountain.
• The children of Israel were told that the mountain was holy. Explain what holiness is.
• Today there are signs by hydro stations warning people to stay away. But, every year people are hurt because they touch hydro lines. Compare this with the warning to the children of Israel by God through Moses that they were not to touch the mountain.

It is almost Father’s Day! Check out Cards & Toasts for Father’s Day for ideas of what you can write or say to your dad to make this a meaningful Father’s Day.

Unity and Obedience From the Children of Israel

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Children of Israel

Excerpt from Enjoying Exodus: The Bible in Rhyme by Marcia Goldlist

After God told the children of Israel that they should listen to His voice and follow His covenant they responded that they would do whatever God asked of them. 

Discussion Questions:

• Is it usual to say that you will do what someone asks when you don’t know what will be asked of you?
• Have you ever agreed to do something before knowing what was going to be required? How did it work out?
• Do you think that you have the same point of view as a whole group of people? How does it feel?

Creative Thinking:

• Do you think that the world would be a better place if everyone had one point of view? Explain.
• How would the world be different if everyone followed all the laws?
  • Would this solve all of the world’s problems? Why or why not?

Homeschooling Activities:

• Try to get someone to agree to do whatever it is that you are about to ask of them without revealing what you are about to ask.
  • Was it hard to find someone who would blindly agree to your request?
  • Now try to get a whole group of people to agree to do whatever it is that you are about to ask of them without revealing what you are about to ask.
    • How much harder was this than just convincing one person?
• What do you think it would be like if your whole country or everyone of your religion had one point of view?
• Make a chart with ten different groups (such as your city, religion, sports club). Beside each group mark off if you can say that there is something of significance that everyone in the group can agree on. For the groups that have a view point in common write down what they agree on.
• Try doing everything that your parents ask of you for one week. Describe the experience.
• Describe a point of view that your immediate family agrees on very strongly.
• Describe a point of view that your immediate family disagrees on strongly. Describe the different points of view.
• Write a speech to try and get people to hold your point of view about something that you really care about.

God Says the World Belongs To Him

Tags

Children of Israel, God

Excerpt from Enjoying Exodus: The Bible in Rhyme by Marcia Goldlist

God tells Moses that the children of Israel should listen to Him and follow the commandments which He gave. God gives the reason that the whole world belongs to Him.

Discuss:

• If someone owns a toy or game, do you have to play by their rules? Explain.
• If God created the world does it automatically belong to Him?
• If God did not create the world, (even if you believe that God did create the world, just suppose right now) can He still claim that the world belongs to Him?
• If God allows man to rule the world can He still say that the whole world belongs to Him?

Creative Thinking:

• God says that the whole world belongs to Him. If the world belonged to you list five things that you would make people do and five things that you would not let them do. Give a reason for each.
• God says that the whole world belongs to Him, but He is only telling the children of Israel to follow His commandments. Is it okay to give different children (the children of Israel in this case) different rules to live by?

Activities for Homeschooling Bible (youth groups, ministries, thinking about the Bible around the family table, etc.):

• What is the world made of?
• What is a continent? Define continent and name them all.
• What is the difference between the world and the universe?
• Do you think that there is another world besides ours? Why or why not?
• God is in charge of the world and your parents are in charge of your family. Is it a good analogy to relate your family to God and the world? Explain.
• If the whole world belongs to God why do people use up resources and cause so much pollution?
• Create a flyer with rules to take care of the world.
• God gave the children of Israel a reason to listen to Him. If God tells man to do something should He need to give a reason?
• Think of five other reasons that God could have given the children of Israel for listening to and obeying His commandments.