The Old/Mosaic Covenant

8th September 2013

a. 100% … Perfect!

Pin the tail or similar game. Kid to be blindfolded and try to stick a tail/sticker/ball etc on a chart with a target. Aim is to be 100% on the target.

Play any simple memory game where kids should try to aim for 100% accuracy in remembering stuff.
e.g. Go in a circle. First kid states his/her name. Second kid has to say 1^st kid’s name and then his/her own. Third kid has to say 1^st and 2^nd kids’ names and then his/her own. And so on. For older classes, can make it trickier by having them add an adjective in front of their name, e.g. “Silly Susan”, “Joyful Jenny”, “Busy Ben” etc.

Get coloured plastic balls
Divide kids into 2 groups. Pour the balls all over the floor. Tell the kids they have to collect as many as they can and put into their baskets.
The baskets should be overflowing at the end of the game.

Last week, we learnt that God is a covenant-making God: He makes promises with His people, and He keeps them!
Who did He make a covenant with? Abraham
Today, we learn about a covenant God made with a special group of people called the Israelites.
The Israelites had spent 400 years in Egypt as slaves. And God used a man called Moses to lead them out of Egypt.
In the desert, God wanted to teach the people His ways (because they had been in Egypt for so long and had followed the Egyptians’ ways). He wanted the Israelites to know what He was like — perfect — and to live like Him — perfect. So that other people around can see that they were different, and will also come to know Him.

So God made a Covenant with the Israelites.
He gave them a set of rules and commandments —the 10 Commandments + many other rules (ceremonies and offerings and all the other things they had to do or couldn’t do).
Unlike the Covenant with Abraham, where God cut the covenant with Himself (while Abraham was sleeping), this Covenant was conditional!
If the Israelites OBEYED FULLY all God’s laws, they will be richly BLESSED.But if they DISOBEYED or broke even 1 law, they will be CURSED.
God is 100% perfect. And His ways and standards are 100% perfect. So even if the people had made a tiny weeny mistake and got 99.999%, they still failed! It was Mission Impossible!
But the Israelites were very gung-ho. “No problem!” they said. “We will do everything the Lord has said.” (Deut 19:8) So they “signed” the Covenant.
But could the Israelites keep the Covenant? No!
In fact, they broke Commandment #1 as soon as God gave Moses the law.
And ever since then, they repeatedly broke God’s laws and commandments over and over again! (Psalm 78:10-11).
As a result, they received punishment and were eventually driven out of the Promised Land God had given to them.
It really was Mission Impossible! Man could not keep God’s standards; man could not keep God’s laws; man could not keep God’s Covenant. Because Man was sinful by nature. And God is perfect.

Only a PERFECT man could keep God’s laws 100%.
Where would we find such a man? Does such a man exist?
Yes! His name is Jesus, the only perfect man who ever lived!
Jesus:
- Lived a sinless life
- Fulfilled ALL parts of the law (moral, ceremonial, civil)
- Took ALL the curses we deserved
- So that we can receive ALL the blessings in Him!
- Cut a NEW Covenant on the cross with the Father
Because Jesus fulfilled the Law, we can be part of God’s New Covenant people and enjoy His blessings!

Blessed in the city or the country (wherever we are)
Fruitful in every way (family, work, relationships etc)
Blessed in our basket and kneading bowl (our work/studies)
Protected in our coming ins and going outs
No fear of our enemies! They fear us instead!
No leakages in our storehouses
A Holy People — people can tell that we are different/special because we have Jesus
Prosperity and rain in its season
A favoured people — lend, not borrow; head, not tail; above, not below

Because Jesus carefully followed all God’s commands and obeyed Him …

I will be blessed everywhere — in the city and in the country.
I will be fruitful in everything.
My work and studies —my basket and kneading trough — will be blessed.
I will be blessed when I come in and blessed when I go out.
The enemies who rise up against me will be defeated and flee from me in seven directions.
I will be God’s holy, special people.
The Lord will prosper me in all I do.
I am highly favoured —
I am the head, not the tail.

Thank you Jesus!