United Church of God An International Association SABBATH S CHOOL Preteen Sabbath Instruction Program Teacher s Outline Level 3 Unit 1 Week 3 THE DAY OF ATONEMENT OBJECTIVE: To learn how wonderfully different life will be when man will depend totally on God and Satan will not be able to deceive man anymore. ATTENTION GETTER: Materials Needed: Six 9-inch balloons Two sheets poster board Permanent marker White pillowcase for each student Fabric markers Prepare in Advance: Inflate balloons, DO NOT TIE, and write/draw the following on the indicated balloon: 1. (leave blank) 2. DAY OF ATONEMENT 3. FAST 4. SATAN BOUND 5. smiley face 6. CELEBRATE During the lesson inflate and tie each balloon when indicated. You may choose to tape or tack the balloon up in the room on the wall or bulletin board, or allow the students to hold each balloon. Write out the following verses on a sheet of poster board: 1. Leviticus 23:32 2. Leviticus 23:27 Page 1
Today we are going to prepare for a celebration! Blow up blank balloon. Who can tell the class what a celebration is? Who has ever been to a celebration? How do you feel when you and everyone around you is celebrating? What are some different occasions that we might celebrate? Today we are going to discuss a celebration we are preparing for that God commands us to observe. It is not a physical celebration, like a party, but a celebration of being at one with God Himself. So this is a spiritual celebration. That is why we are to be happy even on the Day of Atonement. BIBLE LESSON: Display poster board with Leviticus 23:32. Who knows what special day God is commanding us to celebrate? [Day of Atonement.] Blow up DAY OF ATONEMENT balloon. What makes the Day of Atonement unique (different) from God s other Holy Days? (Leviticus 23:27-32.) Blow up FAST balloon. How do you think someone feels when they are fasting on the Day of Atonement? Why does God want us to celebrate on a day when we are fasting? A day when people are hungry and maybe don t even feel well? Why does God want us to fast? The reason God wants us to celebrate on the Day of Atonement when we are hungry and weak, is so we can learn that God is our God and know that we are happy when we are close to Him. Note to teacher: Do not imply to the students that they should all be fasting. This is a parental decision and we do not want to draw attention to those who are or who are not fasting yet. We learn that we need God to provide our spiritual needs, not just our physical needs. Who created the entire universe and everything in it? Man is nothing without God and His great love for each of us. Man can do nothing unless God allows it. Page 2
Display poster board with Leviticus 23: 27. How are we to celebrate the Day of Atonement? Pray to God. Go to church to learn about God. Fast. Give offering to God. Fellowship with God s people. Sing to God. When we observe and celebrate on the Day of Atonement, we honor God and His great authority and power. Who knows what other reason we have to celebrate on the Day of Atonement? What event does the Day of Atonement picture in God s plan of salvation for all of mankind? (Revelation 20:1-3.) Blow up SATAN BOUND balloon. Why is it important for Satan to be bound? Who has deceived man into believing that he doesn t need God and Christ? (Revelation 12:9.) When Satan and his influence is removed, man will learn how much he is dependent on God. Man will learn that he needs God. Man will learn to be AT ONE WITH GOD. Man will CELEBRATE and learn to praise and honor the TRUE God! This year when you observe the Day of Atonement what should you do? We should learn of God s plan, pray and be thankful. If you are celebrating what should your attitude be? (Deuteronomy 12:7.) Blow up smiley face balloon. Our attitude should be pleasing and honoring towards God and Christ. We shouldn t have a complaining attitude. I can t wait until sunset on, when God says, Let the Spiritual Celebration Begin! Blow up CELEBRATE balloon. Page 3
LESSON APPLICATION One of the ways that we honor God on the Day of Atonement is through our prayers. We need to pray and talk with God every day, thanking Him for His blessings. On the Day of Atonement, as we are reminded how dependent we are on God, we are able to spend extra time thanking and talking with God. Today we are going to make a kneeling pillow to use while we are talking with God. A kneeling pillow is a pillow that you use to kneel on during prayer. A kneeling pillow makes the floor softer for your knees while you are talking with God. Art Activity: Kneeling pillow 1. Give each student a white pillowcase. 2. Allow each student time to decorate his/her pillowcase with fabric markers. Encourage the students to draw pictures of things that he/she is especially thankful to God and Christ for. 3. Encourage each student to buy a pillow during the Feast of Tabernacles to put in his/her pillowcase. Use your kneeling pillow daily as you talk with God. An alternative to the kneeling pillow: Pass out paper and ask the children to draw things for which they are thankful to God. Then they can use that in their prayers at the Feast. MUSIC: Sing the song Do You Know God s Feasts? by Mark Graham and Ruthie Brown (see music and lyrics at the end of this lesson). POEM: An alternative to the song is the poem, The Final Four on page 6. 1. Give each student a copy of the poem. 2. Read the poem to the class. 3. Divide the class into equal groups. 4. Allow each group to read alternating stanzas. 5. Discuss poem and the fall Holy Days referred to in the poem. MEMORY VERSE: Leviticus 23: 27 Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. Page 4
family activity THE POINT: To focus on our need for God in our daily lives. ASK ME... What Holy Day does God command us to celebrate with fasting? What exciting event does the Day of Atonement teach will happen one day? To tell you about my kneeling pillow. FAMILY TOGETHER TIME: This year on the Day of Atonement celebrate that we can depend on God to daily provide all that we will ever need. After each letter in the word ATONEMENT, write one thing you depend on God for daily. A T O N E M E N T MEMORY VERSE: Leviticus 23:27 Also on the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. Page 5
THE FINAL FOUR In God s plan the truth can be found, Christ will return when the seventh trump sounds. We will celebrate, rejoice and sing, For Christ will be Lord of lords, King of kings. For one thousand years Satan will be restrained, With Christ, the saints will live and reign. After a short season Satan s deceit, By God s hand will receive its final defeat. All of mankind will live again, And seek God s forgiveness for their sins. God s Kingdom will forever and ever increase, The world will finally be at true peace. Heather Martin Page 6
DO YOU KNOW GOD S FEASTS? (Group 1) Do you know God s feasts in the spring and in the fall? (Group 2) I am happy to say that I can name them all. (Group 1) Can you find where they re written down for us to see? (Group 2) They re recorded in Leviticus chapter twenty-three. (Group 1) What s the fourteenth day of the first month in the spring? (Group 2) It s the Passover of Jesus Christ the king. (Group 1) On the fifteenth day, can you tell me what begins? (Group 2) Days of Unleavened Bread mean getting rid of sin. (Group 1) Can you count fifty days from the wavesheaf offering? (Group 2) That is Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came. (Both) Then the months go by and we watch the summer go. But there still are four more Holy Days to know. (Group 1) On the first day of the seventh month, what do we learn? (Group 2) It s the Day of Trumpets when Jesus will return. (Group 1) And the tenth of the month is what Holy Day? (Group 2) It s the Day of Atonement, when Satan s put away. (Both) Next the Feast of Tabernacles is a time of happiness, When Christ will reign and the world will be blessed. (Group 1) On the Last Great Day, what does God have in mind? (Group 2) He will offer salvation to all of mankind. (Group 1) Do you know God s feasts in the spring and in the fall (Group 2) I am happy to say that I can name them all. (Both) And the seven feasts which God gave to man Are the seven steps in God s eternal plan. This song can be sung with the children divided into a question group and an answer group, as indicated, or sung all together. Page 7
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