March 4, 2018

The Ark and the Tabernacle

Reference: Exodus 25:10-22, 26:1-37, 28:1-2, 41


Story Summary: 
     When God gave Moses the law on Mount Sinai, he also gave him instructions of things to build. First was a special tent called the Tabernacle, or Tent of Meeting. God promised to meet with the people there. The tabernacle was divided into two rooms. In the first room, the Holy Place, there was a special table for bread, a golden lampstand with seven candles, and an altar for burning nice-smelling incense.
     The second room, the Most Holy Place, held the Ark of the Covenant. It was a special chest covered in gold. On top, it held statues of two angels, with wings facing each other. Inside the ark, they placed the stone tablets of God’s law. It was above the wings of the angels on the ark that God promised to meet with the people.
     God chose priests to work in the tabernacle. Priests lit the candles, placed the bread, and burned the incense in the Holy Place. And, once a year, the high priest would enter the Most Holy Place with the blood of a goat as an offering for the sin of the people. Because Jesus died for all of our sins on the cross, we no longer need the tabernacle to meet with God.

Big Idea and Motions: Because Jesus died, we don’t need the tabernacle to meet with God.
Jesus died - form a cross with your arms
We don’t need - wag your index finger “no”
Tabernacle - form a “roof” with your arms over your forehead
Meet - bring your hands together and interlock your fingers
God - point up

Verse / Motions: 1 Peter 3:18, ESV - For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God.
Christ - form a cross with your forearms
Suffered - punch your palm
Once - hold up one finger
Righteous for the unrighteous - two thumbs up, then two thumbs down
Bring us - pretend to give something to someone else
God - point up

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
What are the two names of the special place God told Moses to make? // Tabernacle, Tent of Meeting
What were the names of the two rooms in the tabernacle? // Holy Place, Most Holy Place
What were some of the things in the Holy Place? // Table of Showbread, Golden Lampstand, Altar of Incense
What special box was in the Most Holy Place? // The ark of the covenant
What did the ark look like? // Covered in gold, two angels on top
What was placed inside the ark? // Two stone tablets of the law, ten commandments
Where did God say he’d meet with them? // Between the angels’ wings above the ark
Who were the special people God picked to work in the tabernacle? // Priests
Who did God pick to be priest? // Aaron, Moses’ brother
How often did the priest go into the Most Holy Place? // One time a year
What did the priest have to bring into the Most Holy Place for the sin of the people? // Blood of a goat
Why don’t we need a tabernacle to meet with God? // God’s Son, Jesus, died for all our sins

Google Docs Links:
Lesson - http://goo.gl/A27tAl
Resources - http://goo.gl/qPxisU