YEA Lesson Library
No Other Gods (5-7 min. read)
About This Lesson
This lesson introduces the first of the Ten Commandments, applying it to our lives today and giving the examples of Daniel and Elijah living out obedience to this commandment.
Scriptures
Exodus 20:1-3
Deuteronomy 5:6-7
1 Kings 18:18-39
Daniel 6:26-27
Mark 12:32
Acts 17:24, 28
1 Corinthians 8:6
Ephesians 4:5
1 Timothy 2:5
Words to Know
SLAVERY - being a slave, owned by another
ASHERAH - a false god
SACRIFICE - an offering, in this case, of meat to a god
QUAIL - a bird similar to a grouse or pheasant
MANNA - bread from heaven, the word literally means, "What is it?"
ILLEGAL - against the law
The Lesson
"Class!" Mrs. Armbruster called. "I am handing out a sheet of paper that has five columns. In the first, write your favorite foods. The second column is for your favorite places. The third is for your favorite people. The fourth is for your favorite things. The last column is for the most important events - things that have happened to you." Everyone began thinking, some of them chewing on their erasers.
Then pencils began to fly across the papers. Once everyone was finished, they began sharing answers with the class. Not surprisingly, almost all of the students had pizza and popcorn on their favorite foods list. Several wrote down the day they were born as one of the most important events. Many of them listed Six Flags and Disney World as their favorite places. Some had written "grandma's house" or"the swimming pool." The favorite things list was full of toys, bikes, games, and books. Mom and Dad topped the list of the favorite people for most of the children.
Suddenly, Peter raised his hand. "Mrs. Armbruster, why are we doing this? Are we going to have a party with our favorite things to eat?"
Everyone laughed. Peter's love for food was well known. Jessie was quick to point out that we couldn't have a party in everyone's favorite place or with all of those people! Mrs. Armbruster quietly told the students, "I just want you to think about all the things you like and love. . . and to think about where they all come from." Sam, ever the class comedian, quipped, "Wal-Mart!" Brian raised his hand. "I know, Mrs. Armbruster. Acts 17:24 says, “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth." And verse 28 says "For in him we live and move and have our being.”
Brian, of course, was right. Everything that we have, want, and need comes from God. He provides food for us - like giving water, quail and manna to the Israelites coming out of Egypt. He protects us from our enemies - like when the Egyptians were chasing the Israelites and they drowned in the Red Sea. God saves us from bad situations when we call on Him - like when He brought the Israelites out of Egypt, out of slavery.
After God had done all of these things for the Israelites, bringing them out of slavery, saving them from their enemies, giving them food and water - then God gave them the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai. He reminded them first who He was. He was the God who had done all of these things, who had done mighty miracles for them. Once they were thinking about the great things He had done, He told them, "You shall have no other gods before me."
Daniel knew better than to put anyone before the one true God. King Darius' wise men tricked him into making a law which said praying to anyone but Darius was illegal. But Daniel continued to pray to God.
When Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den for breaking the law, Daniel continued to pray to God - doing what was right. When God rescued Daniel by shutting the mouths of the lions, Darius wrote: "I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions” (Daniel 6:26-27).
In another famous Bible story, the people of Israel were worshiping the false gods Baal and Asherah. Elijah challenged the people to prove who was the true God. They would set up an altar with a sacrifice to each god. The god who would send fire to consume the sacrifice was the true God. Baal and Asherah's prophets prepared an altar and laid a sacrifice of meat on it for their gods, but did not light the wood.
Then those prophets called on Baal and Asherah long and hard, but the sacrifice just sat there. Then it was Elijah's turn. Elijah built up the altar of the LORD and laid a sacrifice of meat on it for God. He told the people to pour water over the sacrifice and wood three times, until everything was dripping wet. Then Elijah prayed to God. The sky opened. Fire came down and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, and even the water. The people fell face down and cried, "The LORD - he is God! The LORD - he is God!" (1 Kings 18:18-39).
Our God is powerful. He is mighty. He has made everything that we have. He provides for our needs. He gives us everything and calls us His children. He is the One who does it! No one else! He deserves nothing less than our love and our praise. He deserves to be first in our lives. Do not put anything before Him. Nothing is as important, wonderful, or mighty as our God! "You shall have no other gods before me!"
Activity
Teaching the Lesson:
Legacy Lesson: Student book/Teacher book - TeachingTime: 25 mins.
Lesson Prep - Teacher book - Time: 30 mins.
Activity: Hangman - 10-15 mins.
Song: "God is So Good”- page 87 of Kids Classics Collection - Time: 7-10 mins.
Activity: Favorite Things - Student book - Time: 20 mins.
Extending the Lesson - REACH Activities (Time varies):
*Back to the Bible: Nebuchadnezzar
*Journal Jot: Colossians 1:15-17
*Word Study: panim
*Just Toolin’ Around: Creator - Concordance Work
*Did you Know? Ten Commandments - Connections
*Stretch It Out: Ten Commandments Poster
*Music Notes: “He is Lord”
*Questions? - Writing Prompt
Student Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You that You have made me, given me the very breath that I breathe and the food that I eat each day. Teach me to put You first in my life in every way.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Daily Devotions
Sunday - Daniel 6:26-27
Monday - I Kings 18:18-39
Tuesday - 1 Timothy 2:5; Ephesians 4:5
Wednesday - Acts 17:24, 28
Thursday - 1 Corinthians 8:6
Friday - Deuteronomy 5:6-7
Saturday - Mark 12:32
Objectives
At the end of the lesson, the student should be able to:
1. Recite the First Commandment.
2. State that everything comes from God.
3. Elaborate on what God has done in his/her life.
4. Begin to have an idea of what it means to put God first.
Topics & Themes
Creator
Daniel
Elijah
God’s Provision
Loving God
Mt. Carmel
Obedience
Putting God First
Ten Commandments
Materials Needed
Bibles, YEA Students' and Teacher's books, pencils, pens, attendance and memory verse charts, stars, songbook, music player and music tape or CD, chalkboard and chalk
Preparation
Collect pictures of different places, many different kinds of foods, toys, fabrics, etc. Decorate the classroom with these objects to help stimulate the students when thinking of their favorite things. There is a difference between putting something before God and making an idol, even though the lines blur somewhat. If, however, you begin by stating who has made everything, who provides all our needs, and who rescues us from our enemies, it becomes obvious that any other god is not a god. We are merely attributing to something else what God has done. That is, someone or something else gets the credit for the goodness and provision of our God. The basis for keeping the First Commandment, then, is the recognition of God as the Creator of everything, our Sustainer, our Provider, our all.
Be prepared to share with the students how God has acted in your life. If you cannot think of an example from your own experience, please find an example from someone in your church area. These examples strengthen our faith and aid us in the times when we go through tribulations. The students need to learn to recognize God's hand in their lives and to thank Him for His intervention - not thanking their “lucky stars," "luck," "time and chance,” or any other gods.
How to Teach This Lesson
As stated above, decorate the room with things of God's creation. Open the class with prayer. To introduce the lesson, have the students share their favorite things from their lists in their student books. Write these on the board as quickly as the kids can say them. Fill up the board.
Tie to God - Have the students explain how everything comes from God, including everything on their lists.
Israelites’ perspective - Explain to the children how God introduced Himself to them as the God who had saved them from slavery, from their enemies, and provided for their needs before He gave them the First Commandment. He basically explained why they should have no other gods before God!
Daniel's perspective - Explain how Daniel continued to pray to God, to do what was right, regardless of the laws of the king. God rescued him from the lions. Then King Darius recognized God as the God of the universe (Daniel 6:26-27).
Elijah's perspective - Explain how the people of Israel, under King Ahab, were worshiping the false gods Baal and Asherah. Tell them the story from I Kings 18, of how Elijah set up the challenge: each would set up an altar with a sacrifice. The god who sent fire to consume the sacrifice was the true God. The prophets of Baal and Asherah called loudly and cut themselves, in an effort to get Baal and Asherah to answer with fire. Elijah then had the people soak the altar of God, with its sacrifice, with water three times. Then Elijah prayed to God and He sent fire to consume the sacrifice, the wood, and even the water. The people then knew that God was, and is, the one true God!
Our perspective - Ask the students if they have any events from their own lives where they knew that God had acted for them. Share any personal experiences you may have had.
God is our everything - Reinforce with the students how God provides everything we need. Cite the scripture in Acts 17:24, 28. Indeed, in Him we live and move and have our being.
Give the credit to God - Ask: How do you feel when someone else gets credit for your actions? In the First Commandment, God is simply asking that we give proper credit where credit is due.
Practical application - Encourage the students to start a blessing list. Once they begin to actively cite the things that come from God, the blessings, the daily needs, and the protection, the logical next step is to actively keep the First Commandment.
Remind the students that they are creating a Ten Commandments board game for their Ten-Week Project.
Review Questions
1. What is the First Commandment?
2. From where does everything come?
3. Can you think of anything which did not originate with God?
4. How have you seen God working in your life?
5. Who gives you everything you need and has your best interest at heart? What does it mean to put God first?
Teacher-Directed Activity
Play Hangman with the Words to Know for Week 1 and Week 2.
REACH Activity
Back to the Bible: Nebuchadnezzar
Sometimes people say that it’s okay if we want to believe in God because that’s part of our religion. But what they don’t understand is that God is God over everything that exists because He created it. Our God is not just the God of the Christians. He isn’t just the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. A mighty leader had to learn this lesson the hard way - even after God warned him. Nebuchadnezzar began to think more highly of himself than he should have and God humbled him in drastic fashion. Read the story in Daniel 4. Then write a paragraph summary of Nebuchadnezzar’s experience and the lesson he learned in your Bible notebook.
Journal Jot: Colossians 1:15-17
In this section, Paul tells the Colossians that Jesus was the One who created all things in the heaven and on the earth. He is the One who is, therefore, most important and He’s the One who keeps all things functioning. If God would decide that He was done with people rebelling against Him, He could speak the word and the world would cease to be. (Revelation 4:11 supports this idea as well.) In your Bible notebook, write an essay describing how foolish it is to worship something that was created, rather than the God who created all things.
Word Study: panim
This is the Hebrew word for “me” in Exodus 20:3. It’s an interesting word because it’s a plural word considered singular. Why would that be? Because we’re talking about God the Father and Jesus Christ together. They created the world together. (Let us make man in our image (Genesis 1:26). They are of one will (John 6:38; 10:30).
Write this word, its definition, and where it’s found in your Bible notebook.
Just Toolin’ Around: Creator
One of the strongest arguments for worshipping God is that He is the Creator. We wouldn’t be here if He hadn’t created us. Using a concordance, find five separate passages which talk about God as our Creator. Write the verses and scripture references in your Bible notebook.
Did you Know? Ten Commandments
“The Hebrew term for Ten Commandments means literally “Ten Words.” Decalogue, a word of Greek origin often used as a synonym for the Ten Commandments, carries an identical meaning.”
(Source: NIV Archaeological Study Bible, 2005, p. 124.)
Don’t you think it’s interesting that Jesus is the Word of God who became flesh and dwelt among us? (John 1:14) Write about this topic in your Bible notebook.
Stretch It Out: The Ten Commandments
On two large pieces of poster board draw stone tablets. Write all of the Ten Commandments on these two posters. You’ll have to plan carefully to use your space wisely; your lettering cannot be too big or two small. You may want to lightly sketch everything in pencil. Once you have the design, write the commandments in marker. You may wish to cut out the “tablets” when you are finished. Post them in your home where you all can see them often.
Music Notes: He is Lord
This hymn is found on page 207 of the CEM Hymnal.
The original author is unknown and the music is a folk tune which likewise cannot be traced back to a composer (although if you do some research, there are people who claim to have written it.) The fun thing about not knowing who wrote it is that you don’t get distracted from the message of the hymn; you don’t waste any time looking at a person or his life. You focus totally on what the hymn is saying. In the CEM Hymnal, only one verse is printed. But there are other verses:
“He is King, He is King! He is ruling up in heaven for He is King!
Let us sing our praise to His holy name; Oh, Jesus Christ is King.”
"He is Judge, He is Judge! He will come again someday and be our Judge!
At His mighty throne everyone shall stand When Jesus Christ is Judge.”
He Is King, He Is King! He Will Draw All Nations To Him, He Is King;
And The Time Shall Be When The World Shall Sing That Jesus Christ Is King!
He Is Love, He Is Love! He Has Shown Us By His Life That He Is Love;
All His People Sing With One Voice Of Joy That Jesus Christ Is Love!
He Is Life, He Is Life! He Has Died To Set Us Free And He Is Life;
And He Calls Us All To Live Evermore, For Jesus Christ Is Life.
Sources: https://hymnstudiesblog.wordpress.com/2008/06/12/quothe-is-lordquot/
https://divinehymns.com/lyrics/he-is-lord-he-is-lord-song-lyrics/
Sing this hymn and the other verses. Which of the verses do you like? Teach one of them to your family.
Questions?
Write down any questions you have in your Bible notebook so that you can remember to ask your parents or your pastor.
Song
"God is So Good" is on page 87 of Kids Classics Collection and "The Ten Commandments" song if you can find a copy of it.
Closing Prayer
Guide the students to ask God to help them give Him the credit for His involvement in their lives and to understand the First Commandment more clearly on a daily basis
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