On January 15th, we covered the wilderness wandering of the Israelites in the Old Testament.  

Download the Parent's page for this class

Homework

1. Over the next two weeks find time to look up together and read the four scriptures at the top of the parent page.
2. Complete at least one of the following activities listed below
3. Find time to do at least 4 Faith Form cards.
4. Revisit at least one Faith Form card you did in the past and see if the answers or opinions have changed.

Comments/Ideas/Resources

1. the Shema- This is Israel's most important prayer:"Here or Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.  You shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might" (Deuteronomy 6:4-5).  It plays a central roll in Christianity because Jesus quotes it when asked what the greatest commandment of all is (Mark 12:28-34).
   • Search the web for Shema and listen to one of the recordings of it.
   • Learn to say the first verse in Hebrew (guides can be found on the web or ask pastor) and then recite it to Pastor.
   • The Bible instructs the Israelites to recite the Shema to their children, to keep it close to them, and remember it always.  Traditionally faithful Jews say it every morning and evening.  What do you think would be an equivalent prayer in Christianity?  Hint: look in the Small Catechism.  
   • If you haven't made one yet, make a covenant knot for your key chain with the Shema embedded in the middle.
   • The Shema is a prayer, but it is also a confession of faith–a statement of faith about what the Israelites believe.  How would you sum up the core of your faith in a single sentence?
   • In Deuteronomy 11:18-28.  Moses instructs the people to learn carefully God's Word, because they have a choice between blessing and curse.  Read the passage and then talk about what it means to choose blessing.  What do you think God wants from us if we choose blessing?  What does it mean to choose curse?  Why would God be so harsh?  Look below for a discussion on Law and Gospel.
      

   • "In 1945, Rabbi Eliezer Silver was sent to Europe to help reclaim Jewish children who had been hidden during the Holocaust with non-Jewish families. How was he able to discover the Jewish children? He would go to gatherings of children and loudly proclaim Shema Yisrael ― "Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One." Then he would look at the faces of the children for those with tears in their eyes ― those children whose distant memory of being Jewish was their mothers putting them to bed each night and saying the Shema with them." - From aish.com.  What do you think the equivilent would be for Christian Children?  Would there be something?  Should there be something?  Is there value in having one's identity so deeply engrained?

2. Manna - God's gift of bread in the wilderness is a familiar story, it reminds us that God provides for us.  
   • Search the web for Manna and list out one of the things you found.
   • Why do you think it is important that we remember that God provides for us?
   • Sometimes it doesn't seem like God is providing what we want.  Why do you think that is?  Is there a difference between what we need and what we want?  
   • Create your own cartoon about Manna in the wilderness.
     
   • What you Need - by INXS.  What do you think the Singer is singing about?  Do you think that God will supply what you need?  What do you think it means to trust God to provide?  Does it mean doing nothing ourselves?
      
3. The story of the wilderness is not about getting lost, but about being found.  The Israelites discover their true identity as People of God in the wilderness.
   1. God uses the wilderness, with all of it's good and bad moments, to transform the Israelites from slaves (in Egypt) to God's free People (in Canaan).  It isn't until the Israelites are ready to fully trust in God (and thus be God's people) that they are ready to enter the Promised Land.
4. Saint & Sinner.  Martin Luther believed all of us were both saints and sinners - at the same time.  We were saints because God had made us that way.  We were sinners because we kept pushing God away.
   • Read a short article from the Lutheran Magazine that simply explains the idea of Saints and Sinners.
   • Here is a short video about Lutherans that also gives a brief perspective on the Saint and Sinner concept
   • In the Wilderness, the Israelites were both Saints and Sinners.  Take a look at these passages and see who is the saint or sinner in each: Exodus  32, Exodus 16, Numbers 20, Numbers 13.  
   • How dos it challenge us to look at others when we think of them as both saint and sinner?
   • In Hebrew, "Manna" means "What is it".  Read the story in Exodus 16 and see if you can figure out why the people name God's food "What is it?"
5. Law and Gospel.  This is a way that we can talk about the Bible.  We believe that the whole Bible is both Law and Gospel though sometimes a given passage might be more one than another.  When we read the Bible, it can be helpful to ask how the passage we're reading is law and/or gospel.  
   • Law is that part of the Bible that helps us know what God wants, points out when we are out of line, and helps keep order in the world.  Law can trick us into thinking that salvation is up to us, that if we do _______, then God will rewards us with _______.  But when we look closer, we learn that we can never live up to the expectation; we always fall short; we can't save ourselves.  Sometimes there are consequences to our inability to keep the law.  Ultimately, the biggest consequence is our own death.  
   • Gospel is that part of the Bible that reminds us of God's grace: even though we don't live up to the expectations of the law, God forgives us.  Gospel is the comforting work that God loves us.  Gospel changes the perspective of the law from something we're forced to do, to one way we show our love to God.  Gospel reminds us that even though there are consequences to not following the law, God never stops loving us.
   • Read Numbers 20:1-13 - the story of Moses striking the Rock.  God gives Moses specific instructions to speak and water would flow.  But Moses in his frustration, struck the rock.  Because of this, God says Moses can not enter the promised land.  How is this an example of Law?  Do you think it's fair?  Have there been times in your life where you haven't followed instructions and then thought it was unfair that you had consequences?
   • Read Exodus 16:1-8 (9-36) - the story of God's gift of Manna.  When the people were suffering in the wilderness because there was no food, God provided for them exactly what they need: bread and meat.  How is this an example of gospel?  Do the Israelites have to do anything to earn the food?  Do you think they deserve it?  Can you notice the little bit of law stuck into this passage?
   • Read Luke 15:11-32 - the Parable of the Prodigal Son.  How do you think this story is Gospel?  How do you think this story is law?