Stuffing a a cute lillte lambie in the brazen alter? What in the world? LOL. Yep that is what I did. For our next set of lessons, I went to the Dollar Store again, and looked around for various individual pieces that we could use to interact with.
Over the next three weeks, we broke down the individual pieces of the tabernacle. The goal was to create child friendly pieces for the children to interact with. I broke the lessons down in the same order I did the first week. Outer court, inner court and Holiest of Holies.
Each week we would talk about what would happen at each place in the tabernacle and how it relates to things we do today.
We had rubberized mats with outlines of the tabernacle elements.
1. A bronze planter represented the brazen alter.
We talked about the difference between a sacrificial offering and a thanks offering.
2. A stuffed lamb to represent the unblemished animal that was sacrificed on the brazen alter.
We talked about the link between the unblemished lamb used for the sacrifice – to how Jesus was considered to be the “Perfect Lamb of God”. I found it to be very interesting that they actually got that concept. Never underestimate the mind of a child.
3. A plastic bowl was the laver. (painted bronze).
4. An L.C.D. votive light stood in for the lampstand.
5. We used an actual small incense burner (painted gold) for the incense alter.
6. Painted a little cardboard container gold with 12 round pieces of brown felt to symbolize the showbread table.
7. Then Gold angels on a stick, to be a symbol for the Ark of the Covenant. We have been talking about how Holiest of Holies was the place where God rested with the Israelites. But, no one had access there, since God was so Holy and people were not.
And the very last piece was a simple paper towel. With Easter coming in two weeks, we discussed how the Perfect Lamb of God, died on the cross. But the real miracle that happened was at that very moment, the veil in the temple tore in half. (I didn’t go into the difference between the tabernacle and the temple). Allowing everyone access to be in relationship with God. Then we ripped the paper towel in half. They got it! They got it!
Each week, we sang and had coloring sheets. The last photos in the slideshow: I had printed as photos that the children had more realistic images of what we had been talking about, wth the name written on the back. Sort of like flashcards. At the end everyone went home with a red bucket and pieces for our own tabernacle set, including the very loved lambie. Even the youngest children (18 months & 2 years old), were able to place the pieces of the tabernacle where they belonged. It was really cool.
It was really fun for me that each week during the adult series in Psalms, a reference would be made in the message on the exact portion of the tabernacle study I was working on with the children. How cool is that!
This is the end of our 5 week study. I look forward to doing it again.
