B Is for Bless It!

B Is For Bless It!   (ABC: Deuteronomy for Me!)

Little Kids: (Ages 4-7)

B Is for Bless It

B is for bless it,
and pray for it too,
for this is something
God says to do--
for Israel.  

Discover It:  Dictionary Research: Bless!

Assist your child in finding the words bless and blessing in the KJV Bible Dictionary.  Have them point to the words.  If they are able (first/second grade) read the definitions.  Write the words on the white board; discuss.   Have children write the words in their journal and use them in a sentence.  Illustrate!  Fours may dictate a sentence that you write for them, and they may write the word bless or blessings.
http://www.thekingsbible.com/Concordance/bless

Children who early learn the skill of looking up information will easily do more research later on enabling them to "study to show themselves approved unto God."  Sadly, this is something
many older Christians have never done, and as a result are easily snared into false teachings.

B Is for Blessings

B is for blessings,
C is for curses--
lessons Moses taught
written in these verses:
Deuteronomy 11:26-27

Learn It:  Deuteronomy 11:26, 27:  A Blessing and A Curse

God told the children of Israel how they could have a blessing, or how they could have a curse or consequence.

"Behold, I set before you a blessing, and a curse; a blessing if ye  o-b-e-y*  the commandments of the LORD your God ... a curse if ye will not  o-b-e-y  the commandments of the LORD your God."
What is the opposite of a blessing? What word tells us what God told the children of Israel to do so they might be blessed?  Yes, obey.

*  Be sure to spell out o-b-e-y each time you say the verse.

Explore It:  A Bible Map Showing Mt. Gerizim/Mt. Ebal

Can you find the maps at the back of your Bible?  Maps help us know where things are.  Some maps have little triangles to show where mountains are.  Here is Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal on this map.  Can you point to them?   These mountains are where special blessings and curses would be read and shouted out.

We can find pictures of maps and pictures of Mt. Gerizim/Ebal right on our computer.  Look here are lots of pictures--can you see the maps?  the mountains? their names?
https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=mt.+gerizim%2fmt.+ebal+images&qpvt=Mt.+Gerizim%2fMt.+Ebal+Images&FORM=IGRE

Make It:  A Map Marker

Materials:  map with Mt. Gerizim/Ebal on it; sturdy paper; glue; ABC stickers; highlighter; glitter punch dots; ….

Print a page with Mt. Gerizim/Ebal on them from the back of your Bible. Cut into marker rectangle; glue to sturdy paper.  Next, print the Bible verse strip.

Shall we make a "map marker" for our Bibles?  On top we'll stick on "B Is 4 Bless It."  On the back we'll glue our verse.  On the front, glue glitter dots by the mountains, Shechem, Lake of Galilee, Jordan River, Dead Sea, Canaan, Mediterranean Sea, or whatever locations you wish the children to notice.  Talk about them.

After, help kids find the Bible contents. Turn to Deuteronomy and find chapter eleven.  Highlight verses twenty-six and twenty-seven.  Read them.  Place a marker there.       

Listen to It! Mt. of Blessing, Mt. of Curses: Deuteronomy 27 

In Deuteronomy 27 Moses told the people that after they crossed the Jordan River into Canaan that they were to have a special day when all the people, along with the priests, would gather by Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal. There six tribes would stand by Mt. Gerizim and six tribes by Mt. Ebal.  Then the Levite priests would shout out the blessings and curses in a loud voice --the blessings would be said toward Mt. Gerizim, while the curses would be said toward Mt. Ebal.  Later on when Joshua took the people into the Promised Land they would hold the blessings and curses gathering.

Make it:  Mountain Mitts

Needed: paper, staples, marker. Cut out two mountain humps that will fit over the child's hands.  Staple mitt sides so the mitts may be slipped on.  On one write Mt. Gerizim, Blessings, Obey and on the other write Mt. Ebal, Curses,, and Disobey.  Wear as you sing the action song below.

Sing It:  The People Stood By Mt. Geri'zim (Tune: The Bear Went Over the Mountain)

The people stood by Mt. Geri'zim, the people stood by Mt. Geri'zim, the people stood by Mt. Gerizim,  to hear the blessings read, to hear the blessings read, to hear the blessings read,  The people stood by Mt. Geri'zim, the people stood by Mt. Gerizim, the people stood by Mt. Gerizim, to hear the blessings read.

Continue with Mt. Ebal ….  The people stood by Mt. Ebal … to hear the curses read.

Learn It:  Did You Know?

Did you know Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal  are found in Samaria?  In between was a city called Shechem.*  The Samaritans really liked Mt. Gerizim and built a temple there.  And in John 4 is the wonderful story of how Jesus met a Samaritan woman at a well.  Where was this well and "this mountain?"   It was on Mt. Gerizim!

* Today Shechem is the town of Nablus.

Understand It:  Mts. Are Landmarks

I once lived in a little town called Pilot Mountain named after a nearby mountain that had an unusual knob on its top. The Indians, it's said, used it as a lookout place to see what was happening all about or a landmark to tell where they were.  If you drive by Pilot Mt. on a clear day you can't miss it. And long ago in Bible times you couldn't miss Mt. Gerizim nor Mt. Ebal either even though they weren't huge mountains.

Think About It: Time Out  

Maybe you have had to sit in time out.  Why did that happen?  Perhaps, it was because you didn't obey or listen to your parents or teacher.  Just like God's people did, we have a choice to listen and obey or to not listen and disobey.  What will you choose?

Say It!  Bless Who? 

Bless who?
The Jewish people.
Honor who?
The Jewish people.
Pray for who?
The Jewish people.
This do, for God says:
"Pray for the peace
of Jerusalem!"*   LEP

Ps.122:6

Older Kids: (Ages 8-12)

Research It: Bless and Curse

Go to your Bible concordance, or online dictionary, to find out the meaning of the words bless and curse.    Go back to the "Abhor It!" lesson for a list of ways to explore a word online.  To see how many bless, blessed, and blessing verses are in Deuteronomy, key in "bless" in the KJV Bible to explore more of the verses.   Don't forget to write the definitions/sentences in your journal.

Learn It; Deuteronomy 11:26-28  The IF Verse

"... I set before you a blessing and a curse; A blessing if ye obey; the commandments of the LORD your God, … a curse if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you … to go after other gods which you have not known."

God told Israel they had a choice to get blessings or curses if they obeyed or disobeyed.  Did you notice the "if" you obey, or "if" you disobey God's rules or commandments.  What did the people do when they disobeyed? Our verse says they turned after other gods instead of following the true God.

We too we can choose to obey the Lord or disobey him.  While we may not be bowing down to or making idol gods, we can have other things we like far more than the Lord--maybe its your phone or maybe its your sport or whatever "idol" that you enjoy.

Make It:  The IF Verse Marker

Needed:  marker shape, printed "If, if" strips, glue, and verse strip.

Cut out marker shape you'd like from heavy paper.  Glue "Ifs" and "ifs" all over front.  On back glue the entire verse.  Read it, think about it.  Memorize it.  And don't forget that little word "if"; for how very important it is!

Hear It!  The Rest of the Story!

Jump ahead to Joshua 8:30-35 to read about the actual day that God's people did hear the blessings and curses read aloud near to Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal.  Remember, there were twelve tribes listening --six by one mountain and six by the other.  The Levites were in between.  Their shouted words were heard by all.  After they read each part, the people would respond with an "Amen," or "so be it!"  After it was all over it was up to the people to obey, or not.

Make It:  "Mount of Blessing" Booklet
Needed:  drawing paper, crayons, colored pencils, markers, stapler, glue ….

Make a Mount of Blessing or Mt. Gerizim booklet.  Begin by having kids draw a picture of the mountain; you might let them look at pictures online first.  Cut out the drawing and using for the cover of your booklet.  Glue a printed 'Mount of Blessing" to the cover.  Cut out additional pages of the same shape and staple to cover.  Encourage them to research and write facts about the mountain on each page.

Talk About It:  "This Is the Blessing" (Deuteronomy 33)

In Deuteronomy 33 it tells how just before his death Moses said a special blessing for each of the twelve tribes.  Verse one begins with  "And this is the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death."  Can you pick out the tribe names, and read the blessings.  

Learn About It:  Some Forever Blessing Verses

Did you know there's a false teaching some people believe about Israel's blessings and curses?  This teaching says that the people of Israel lost all the blessings God promised them because they disobeyed God so much.  It also says all these blessings went to Christians instead.  Do you think God would break his promises to his special people?  If you said no, you're right, for God does not lie nor does he break promises.

Ask your dad, mom, teacher, or pastor more about this.  And always remember these blessing verses from Genesis 12:1-3 that God promised to Abraham:  "Now the LORD had said to Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:  And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed."  Especially remember the end of the verse where the Lord says if one blesses Israel or the Jewish people he or she will be blessed, but if we turn against Israel we'll have to answer to the Lord for that.

Parents, Teachers, YOU:  Recognizing Replacement Theology

Are you aware of Replacement Theology?  Would you recognize its teachings?  For years, I was unaware of it.  Having been raised in a home where I was early taught that the Jewish people were God's chosen people, who although they'd rejected Jesus as their Messiah, were to be blessed and to be respected for some day they'd turn to the Lord.  Because of this, I assumed all Christians felt the same way.

My parents had faithfully modeled for me what it meant to love and to pray for the Jewish people.  My dad himself had come to know Jesus as his personal Savior both through the testimony of my mom and a converted Jewish preacher he'd heard on the Atlantic City boardwalk.  Not only that, but dad had worked for a Jewish grocery keeping their books and had witnessed to his Jewish bosses. Besides, dad consistently read aloud books to my mom and I about Jews who had come to know the Messiah and their persecution.

Many years passed with neither I, nor my husband hearing about Replacement Theology until we began to attend a new church, soon finding ourselves fellowshipping with some of its friendly members.  Something, though, was wrong.  This church's outlook toward Israel was puzzling.  What was the problem?   One Sunday the pastor mentioned that we are the "apple of God's eye."  Immediately, I sat up knowing that Bible said Israel was the apple of God's eye, not us.  It was shortly thereafter we finally had the name for what this church taught--Replacement Theology.   We studied more. We questioned others.  Sadly, we had to leave.

Israel: Replacing What God Has Not by Mike Oppenheimer, who was raised Jewish, and then fell into the New Age before trusting the Lord as his Savior, is a booklet that carefully explains why RT isn't biblical.  What verse does Mike use to end his booklet?   Zechariah 2:8!  It reads: "For thus saith the Lord of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye."

https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=11341

Say It!  "Have Israel's Blessings Gone Away?" 

Here is little poem to teach your children to remind us all, that as Paul declares in Romans 11:1: "I say, then, Hath God cast away his people?  God forbid."   Talk about this verse, and the poem.

Have Israel's Blessings Gone Away?

Have Israel's blessings gone away
to be given to the church today?
No, no, no!  They never did--
as Romans declares: "God forbid!"
                                                 LEP

Note:  Remember these lessons can be used for Homeschooling lessons every day, for Wednesday night clubs, for Bible studies for all ages, and your own study.  Select those activities best for your children.  If your children are older but haven't known or completed parts listed for younger children use these as well!  The goal is to learn to dig deep into Deuteronomy, and into the word.