BIG IDEA: God’s Word teaches us what is right.
This free Bible lesson, God Gives The Law of The Ten Commandments, will teach preschool and elementary students about the true story of Moses and the Israelites in the desert after The Exodus from Egypt when God gave the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai. Connections are made to the Bible and God’s Word leading us.
FOCUS BIBLE PASSAGE: Exodus 20
All of the printable activities and digital slides needed for the lesson, as well as a full printable lesson plan for both elementary and preschool are available.
Below is the outline of the free elementary Bible lesson.
PREP & SUPPLIES
- printed “The Ten Commandments” for each student (two-sided)
- pencils
- printed “Jesus Made a Way” for each student
- coloring supplies
LESSON HOOK ACTIVITY
(SLIDE) I want you to pretend that you are the leader of a new country that has just been built.
There are laws and rules that need to be put in place to make the country run smoothly and safely.
What laws do you think are important for a new society?
Talk with a friend or a group of friends and decide on the most important laws and rules that are needed for a group of people to be able to live and work together.
Consider setting a timer for 3-4 minutes to allow students to discuss. Then allow them to share some of their thoughts.
You may want to write some of the “laws” that the students come up with on a white board.
Today we are going to learn about the laws that God gave to the Israelite people after they were released from Egyptian slavery. This true story from our Bible is found in the Book of Exodus, written by Moses.
BIBLE LESSON
Over the past several weeks we have learned about a promise that God made to Abraham and his family.
(SLIDE) What was the promise that God made to Abraham for his family? (allow responses and discussion)
(SLIDE) God chose Abraham’s family to be His people. God promised to bless Abraham’s family with many people and a new land to call their own. (Genesis 12:1-3)
(SLIDE) We learned about Abraham, his son Isaac, his grandson Jacob, and his great-grandson Joseph. What do you remember about these 4 men? (allow responses and discussion but be sure to read the summary below)
[Abraham was chosen by God to be the father of many nations, which means he would have a large family of important descendants, including Jesus. God made a covenant promise with Abraham, and when Abraham and his wife Sarah were very old God gave them a baby boy whose name was Isaac. Isaac and his wife, Rebekah had twin boys named Jacob and Esau. Jacob deceived, or tricked, his brother and his father into receiving the rights of the first born son that Isaac thought belonged to Esau. However, Jacob was already blessed by God and didn’t have any reason to trick his father and his brother. Jacob became the father of the Twelve Tribes of Israel through his sons. Joseph was one of Jacob’s sons who was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. Joseph became a great leader in Egypt and was given the ability to interpret dreams by God. Through his gift, he was able to save many lives because Pharaoh’s dream predicted seven years of plenty and seven years of famine. Joseph stored up food for the people and eventually brought the Israelites to live in Egypt.]
Was Egypt the “Promised Land” that was part of the covenant promise that God made to Abraham? (no)
(SLIDE) We also learned about Moses. What do you remember about Moses? (allow responses and discussion but be sure to read the summary below)
[While the Israelites were living in Egypt, a new Pharaoh came into power and forced the Israelites into slavery. He was afraid that they were growing too large as a nation so to slow down their growth he made an order to kill all of the baby boys. Moses’s mother placed him as a baby in a basket in the river. Moses was found by Pharaoh’s daughter and raised as an Egyptian. Moses left Egypt and was called by God through a burning bush to return to Egypt to lead the Israelites out of slavery. God sent 10 plagues over the land of Egypt until Pharaoh finally decided to let the people go free.]
After they left Egypt, Moses and the whole nation of Israel (probably over two million people – the Bible records 600,000 men old enough to go into battle, so when women and children are added to this number it is estimated at roughly 2.4 million people) were in the Desert of Sinai.
There, God spoke to Moses and told him to come up on top of the mountain. God came down to the mountain to give Moses the laws that the people should follow. Moses wrote down all that God told him. (Exodus 24:4)
Everything Moses wrote down from God is found in our Bible, along with all of the other Truths from God.
(SLIDE) The Bible is God’s Word. God’s Word teaches us what is right. (Big Idea)
God gave Moses many rules and laws for the people to follow, and He gave Moses “The Ten Commandments”. Raise your hand if you have heard of “The Ten Commandments”.
God Himself wrote The Ten Commandments onto stone tablets.
(SLIDE) Exodus 24:12 NIrV
[The LORD said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain. Stay here. I will give you the stone tablets. They contain the law and commandments I have written to teach the people.”]
We are going to read and learn about each of The Ten Commandments that God told Moses to give to the people.
On your paper, you will fill in the blanks as we learn and discuss each of The Ten Commandments.
The Bible Story and Large Group Activity are combined for this lesson.
HANDOUT: Each student should get a copy of “The Ten Commandments” paper and a pencil.
TEN COMMANDMENTS LEADER’S GUIDE:
(SLIDE) Commandment 1: Do not put any other gods in place of me. (Exodus 20:3)
MEANING: Put God first. Love Him the most.
What other “gods” could this verse be talking about? (anything that is praised – people, things, animals, etc.; this can also refer to pagan gods that were often worshipped in OT times)
(SLIDE) Commandment 2: Do not make for yourself statues of gods. (Exodus 20:4)
MEANING: Only worship God.
This means to not worship any statues or idols. This can even include “cross” necklaces or pictures of Jesus. We must ONLY worship the TRUE GOD.
(SLIDE) Commandment 3: Do not misuse the name of the LORD your God. (Exodus 20:7)
MEANING: Always speak God’s name with respect.
I hope you have never heard anyone say God’s or Jesus’s name in a way that is disrespectful. This commandment tells us not to speak in that way.
(SLIDE) Commandment 4: Remember to keep the Sabbath day holy. (Exodus 20:8)
MEANING: Take one day each week to rest and honor God.
The “Sabbath” was the Jewish holy day. They were commanded to not do any work on that day. We can use our day of rest to go to church, rest, and learn about God.
(SLIDE) Commandment 5: Honor your father and mother. (Exodus 20:12)
MEANING: Obey and respect your parents.
What does it mean to “obey”? (to do what someone says) We should always listen to our parents and obey them. We should never disrespect them.
(SLIDE) Commandment 6: Do not murder. (Exodus 20:13)
MEANING: Do not hurt or kill anyone.
(SLIDE) Commandment 7: Do not commit adultery. (Exodus 20:14)
MEANING: Keep your promises to the one you love.
When a man and a woman get married, they say vows to each other promising to love each other for the rest of their lives. God commands that married people keep their promises.
(SLIDE) Commandment 8: Do not steal. (Exodus 20:15)
MEANING: Do not take anything that is not yours.
Taking something that doesn’t belong to you is stealing. We must always work for what we have and pay for it. If someone gives you a gift, that is different than stealing.
(SLIDE) Commandment 9: Do not be a false witness. (Exodus 20:16)
MEANING: Do not lie about anything.
A “witness” is a person who sees, hears, or experiences something. “False” is something that is not true. So, a “false witness” is someone who lies about something that they have seen or heard. We must always be truthful and never lie about anything.
(SLIDE) Commandment 10: Do not want anything your neighbor owns. (Exodus 20:17)
MEANING: Do not be jealous.
If someone has something that we like, we shouldn’t be jealous. We should be happy for that person, and happy with what we have. If you want something, then you can work towards the goal of getting it for yourself.
The Bible says:
(SLIDE) Exodus 31:18 NIrV
[The LORD finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai. Then he gave him the two tablets of the covenant law. They were made out of stone. The words on them were written by the finger of God.]
Moses was on the mountain with God for 40 days and 40 nights receiving the Laws of God. (Exodus 24:18)
(SLIDE) The Ten Commandments are laws that all people must follow, but God also gave other laws to the Israelites about what they should eat, how they should worship Him, and about yearly celebrations.
Many Jewish people still follow the laws that God gave to Moses.
(SLIDE) The religious leaders during the time that Jesus lived on the earth were so devoted to following the law so that they could be close to God, that they didn’t see that Jesus had come to give them a way to be close to God without all of the laws they were used to. The Jewish people followed God’s Law so that they could be right with Him, and have a relationship with Him.
(SLIDE) When sin entered the world in the Garden of Eden through Adam and Eve’s disobedience, humanity was separated from God.
(SLIDE) The laws that God gave to Moses for the people to follow were used for the people to be in right standing with God. “Right standing” means that the people were in a friendship with God.
(SLIDE) When Jesus came to the earth as a man, He took away the need for many of the laws that God gave to Moses.
(SLIDE) Jesus came to be our way to have a relationship with God. Jesus came to live a sinless life, die on the cross for our sins, and raise back to life so that we can have a relationship with God and live forever with Him after our bodies die on this earth.
This picture shows us that Jesus is the reason we have the ability to have a relationship with God, because sin separates us from Him.
(SLIDE) Paul teaches in Romans 10:4 (NIrV): “Jesus (Christ) has fulfilled everything the law was meant to do. So now everyone who believes can be right with God.”
The Law was meant to create a way for people to be in right standing, or a friendship, with God.
The Bible tells us that Jesus did what the Law was meant to do, which was to create a way for people to be in a friendship with God.
The Bible also tells us that everyone who believes in Jesus can be right with God.
So when we believe in and trust Jesus to be our Savior, we can have a friendship with God. We are no longer separated from Him by our sin. Jesus takes away our sin and brings us into a relationship with God.
Dear God,
Thank You for the true story of Moses and the Law. Thank You that You sent Jesus to take away the need for the Law. Now we can have a relationship with You through Jesus. Please help us to understand the Truths from The Bible and help us to be bold enough to ask questions when we don’t understand.
We love you and we pray all of these things in Jesus’ sweet name, Amen.
SMALL GROUP ACTIVITY
Today while you are reviewing the lesson in your small groups, you will have a paper to remind you of the important Truth that we learned today about Jesus.
Jesus made a way for people to be in a friendship with God. We do not have to be separated from God because of our sin. Jesus died on the cross to take away our sin so that we can have a relationship with God through Him.
HANDOUT: Each student should get a copy of “Jesus Made a Way”, pencils, and coloring supplies.
BREAK INTO SMALL GROUPS TO COMPLETE THE ACTIVITY.
Discussion Prompts for Leaders:
- How did Jesus make a way for people to have a relationship with God? (He lived a sinless life, died on the cross, and rose back to life)
- Explain Romans 10:4 in your own words.
- Why can we trust The Bible to teach us what is right? (The Bible comes from God; It is God’s Word)
- Discuss the meanings of each of The Ten Commandments.
- What happened when sin entered the world? (people became separated from God)
- Why did God give the Law to Moses and the Israelites? (to make a way for the people to be in right standing with God)
- How did Jesus take away the need for the Law? (He made a way for people to have a relationship with God through His death, burial, and resurrection)
- Who takes away our sin? (Jesus)
- Does anyone have any questions about today’s lesson?
- Use any extra time to discuss the lesson and/or the memory verse.
CLOSING REFLECTION
We learned that God gave the Law to Moses after he led the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery. The Ten Commandments are rules that all people should follow, but God also gave other laws to the Jewish people. Sin separates humanity from God, so the Law was created to bring people into right standing, or friendship, with God. Jesus came to earth to live a sinless life, die on the cross, and raise back to life to take away the need for many of the laws that God gave to Moses. Jesus did everything that the Law was meant to do. Through Jesus, we can have a friendship and relationship with God. So when we believe in and trust Jesus to be our Savior, we can have a friendship with God. We are no longer separated from Him by our sin. Jesus takes away our sin and brings us into a relationship with God.
Reflection Questions:
- Why did God give the Law to Moses and the Israelites? (to make a way for the people to be in right standing with God)
- How did Jesus take away the need for the Law? (He made a way for people to have a relationship with God through His death, burial, and resurrection)
- Does anyone have any questions about today’s lesson?
Find other free Bible lessons for kids:
