YEA Lesson Library
Just Passing Through
About This Lesson
This lesson teaches about two lessons from observing the Feast of Tabernacles: the temporariness of this life and Jesus establishing His kingdom on earth.
Scriptures
Leviticus 23:33-43
Leviticus 23:41
Deut. 16:13-17
2 Corinthians 5:1-4
Hebrews 11:9-10
2 Peter 1:13-14
Words to Know
BOOTH - a house made from branches that won’t last
SLAVES - people who are owned by another person to be their servant
The Lesson
The Day of Atonement had just passed and Mommy told Amy to help pack her suitcase. “Why, Mommy? Amy asked. “Because it’s time to go to the Feast of Tabernacles,” Mommy said.
“Mommy, why do we always leave our nice home and go some place else for the Feast of Tabernacles?” “Amy, because God tells us in the Bible to leave our homes and go where God’s people are. He says we should leave our home every year for seven days and go someplace else to live.”
“Isn’t our house good enough?” Amy asked. “Yes, Amy, but God has a lesson He wants us to learn.” “What’s that lesson, Mommy?” Amy asked.
“God wants us to learn that nothing in this world will last forever. If you drop a plate, it breaks. The clothes you’re wearing, will wear out. Even the trees and grass will die someday. Nothing in this world lasts forever.” Mommy explained.
“God puts us on this earth to live for a while. The lesson He wants us to learn at the Feast of Tabernacles is that we’re Just Passing Through and won’t last forever either. God has something waiting for us that is much better than all the things we see around us. Look at your hands, your feet and your body. Don’t you like them? Well, God has a new body waiting for us that will be much better than the one we have now.”
Some day, Jesus will come back to this earth and set up His Kingdom. It will be such a beautiful, peaceful place in which to live. No one will ever be sick. No one will die. Everyone will live forever. Jesus wants you to live with Him forever in His Kingdom. We go to the Feast of Tabernacles to remember that we’re Just Passing Through. But God has something much better for us if we will love Him and obey Him. “Amy, start packing now so we can go to the Feast of Tabernacles and celebrate.” God wants us to have a joyful time. But He also wants us to know that He has his Kingdom waiting for us. When we’re in God’s Kingdom, we will last forever.
Daily Devotions
Sunday - Leviticus 23:33-34
Monday - Leviticus 23:42-43
Tuesday - Deuteronomy 16:13-14
Wednesday - 2 Corinthians 5:1-2
Thursday - Hebrews 11:9-10
Friday - 2 Peter 1:13-14
Saturday - 2 Corinthians 5:3-4
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, children will be able to:
1. Explain that nothing in this world lasts forever.
2. Tell that they are Just Passing Through and will live with Jesus forever in His Kingdom.
3. State that God told them to celebrate the Feast for seven days.
Topics & Themes
Booth
Egypt
Eternal Life
Feast of Tabernacles
God’s Kingdom
God’s Plan
Holy Days
Loving God
Moses
Obedience
Slaves
Tabernacling
Wandering
Materials Needed
Bible, YEA students’ and teacher’s books, songbook, music player and CD or tapes, suitcase, picture of a tree or plant, plate, magazine pictures, brick, “Story Apron”
Preparation
Young children are not adept at visualizing things with which they are not familiar. Pictures and activities help them extend life experiences. As children “play” the story, pretend to be a tree, walking in place, use facial expressions, they are sensing through their bodies. The activity in conjunction with pictures help develop internal images in the minds of the children. Learning depends largely upon visual and auditory senses.
To help these children sense what it was like to go to the wilderness and to the Feast, have them participate in the indicated activities in today’s story.
Each year YEA publishes special Feast of Tabernacles books for each age group containing five or six lessons designed to be taught daily during the Feast. These books are available from CEM and must be ordered in advance of the Feast.
Before you come to class, cut the following pictures out of magazines and place in the pockets of your “Story Apron”: car, train, camper, airplane, tent, tree or plant. You will also need a brick and a plate.
Review Questions
Wear your “Story Apron” (See lesson 3). Take items or pictures out of the pockets as you ask the following questions:
1. (Brick) What did the Israelites do in Egypt?
2. How did the Egyptians treat God’s people?
3. What did Pharaoh say when Moses told him to let God’s people go?
4. (Plate) What would happen if I dropped this plate?
5. (Picture of a tree or a small plant) What happens to a tree or plant when it gets old?
6. (Pictures of car, camper, train, bus, airplane) How did God’s people travel? (Walk in place.)
7. (Picture of tent) Where did they live in the wilderness?
8. When you go to the Feast, where will you stay? (Allow each child to tell where he will stay.)
9. Why does God want us to leave our nice home and stay in a tent, motel, or condo?
REACH Activity
Letter: T
Words: time, temporary, Tabernacles, tent, temple, tells
Sentence:
TABERNACLE IS A WORD WHICH MEANS TENT OR TEMPORARY TEMPLE. IT TELLS US EVERY YEAR THAT OUR TIME HERE IS TEMPORARY.
Song
“This Is The Day” is in The Group Songbook that the Intermediates and Senior Teens use.
Closing Prayer
Lead the children in prayer, thanking God for the Feast that reminds us that this life and everything in this world won’t last, but God’s Kingdom will soon come, and it will last forever. Thank God for the place Jesus is preparing for us so that we can live with our Friend Jesus forever.
Printable Pages
