Equip (for parents) Equip is additional background information that will help you introduce this Scripture passage to your children this week.
date
3.13
DAY OF ATONEMENT (GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS) Inspire (for parents) Before I became a parent, I don’t think I really understood the point of a birthday party. Sure, when you’re young it’s all about the party—gifts, cakes, friends, and more gifts. But as an adult without kids, I thought children’s parties, while fun, were a little indulgent and silly. Of course, that was before I had my son. I finally experienced a birth day, and everything changed. From the moment he entered the world, I understood why we celebrate and take time to remember.
I once heard righteousness defined as “right ways.” I have always appreciated this concept. It makes me think of a path we’re taking en route to where we want to go. Now, in our family, celebrating a birthday is a way of stopping and claiming this little life as a part of our right way of living. Every milestone my son experiences is a moment for celebration. We claim it and call it what it is: the goodness, the righteousness, the right ways of God.
Every e mileston my son is ces experien nt for a mome ion. celebrat
Having a baby was the closest experience I’ve ever known to what heaven and holiness must be like. When my son was younger I spent absurd amounts of time just smelling his soft baby head. Breathing him in was like breathing in the goodness of God. There was something so right about him. He became an irreplaceable part of our lives.
by Sarah Carter
This resource is designed to allow your family to have time in God’s Word before your children attend church. Because God’s plan is for parents to be the primary spiritual nurturers of their children’s faith, we know that as you grow spiritually, your children will grow spiritually as well.
The upcoming Remember & Celebrate lesson focuses on the Day of Atonement. This was a reflective and often-solemn festival each year involving fasting, prayer, and repentance. During this festival, which lasted 25 hours and is known as Yom Kippur, the Israelites rededicated the temple to the Lord and repented of their sins. On this day each year, the high priest passed through the veil and entered the Holy of Holies with sacrificial blood to make atonement for the sins of the people. The New Testament significance is found in Christ, who is our High Priest, and He shed His blood once and for all to make atonement for our sins before God. Several times a year, the Israelites gathered for a feast or festival. These seven feasts and festivals are: Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, Festival of First Fruits, Feast of Harvest, Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths). In addition, the Israelites would gather weekly to celebrate the Sabbath. These were times to remember what God had done for His people and to celebrate His goodness. They were times for the entire faith community to gather to simply worship and celebrate. The Feast of Passover was fulfilled by the death of the Messiah, the Feast of Unleavened Bread was fulfilled by His sinless sacrifice, and the Festival of First Fruits was fulfilled by His resurrection. The Feast of Harvest began with a great harvest of three thousand souls by the coming of the promised Holy Spirit, who continues to harvest souls today. The Feast of Trumpets will announce Christ’s return, the Day of Atonement will usher in His judgment of the nations, and, finally, the Feast of Tabernacles begins the journey to our new home in a new heaven and new earth.
Support
(for parents & kids) JUST FOR FUN, this week play a game of “Pass the Pepper.” Pass the pepper shaker (or another item) around the dinner table. Before each person passes it on, he must tell the best thing that happened to him during the past week. (You might also include the funniest or strangest thing.) After taking time to remember and celebrate all the good, fun, or strange events of the week, talk with your children about the festivals God’s people celebrated and how they spent time remembering His goodness and righteousness. Share with them that one way the Israelites remembered was by repenting and confessing their sins together. Then read 1 John 1:5–10. After you read this portion of Scripture, spend some time as a family confessing and surrendering your weaknesses and faults to the forgiving love of Jesus Christ. (For younger children, have them focus on just one thing they would like to confess and ask Jesus to forgive.) Remind your children that they will be given the opportunity to remember and celebrate with their friends in church this week.
THESE WERE TIMES TO REMEMBER WHAT GOD HAD DONE FOR HIS PEOPLE AND TO CELEBRATE HIS GOODNESS.
© 2013 David C. Cook. TruResources are developed in partnership with ROCKHARBOR Church and a national network of family and children’s ministry leaders. All rights reserved.