Lesson 51-52.2 Monday 11-2

Mon 11-2      51-52.2            Exodus 21-25             Exodus 21 & 25

Lesson 51: Exodus 21–24

Old Testament Seminary Teacher Manual, 2014
https://www.lds.org/manual/old-testament-seminary-teacher-manual/introduction-to-the-book-of-exodus/lesson-51-exodus-21-24?lang=eng

I. Exodus 21–23 The Lord reveals additional laws to Moses

---Invite three students to come to the front of the class to act as a panel of judges. Invite other students to read the scenarios below one at a time. Ask the panel of judges to respond to the questions that follow each scenario.

• Two men became angry at one another and began to fight. One of them was severely injured in the fight and will be confined to bed for several weeks. What responsibility does the other man have toward the injured man?
• 
  
• A boy borrowed a donkey, and then someone stole the donkey from him. Is the boy financially responsible for the donkey? Does the boy need to compensate the owner of the donkey for the loss?

• A woman has been treated very poorly by her neighbors for several years. They often ridicule her and her family. One day she discovers a cow belonging to one of her neighbors wandering by itself in the road. What should the woman do?

---Invite the judges to return to their seats. Explain that Exodus 21-23 includes the Lord’s laws for the children of Israel as they encountered scenarios such as the ones previously discussed. 
---To provide a brief summary of these laws, you may want to ask three students to read aloud the chapter headings for Exodus 21-23. Point out that the laws recorded in these chapters would help the people keep the Ten Commandments and live peaceably with one another.

(click to view larger)
 

---To help students understand the context in which these laws were given, invite them to refer to the handout “Moses’s and Israel’s Experiences with Jehovah at Mount Sinai” (see lesson 48). (A completed version of the handout is located in the appendix of this manual.) 
---Explain that the Lord revealed these laws to Moses after Moses again ascended Mount Sinai (see Exodus 20:21). 
---Invite students to write God gives Israel additional laws on line 6 of the handout.

---Write the following scripture references on the board: (1)Exodus 21:18-19; (2) Exodus 22:7-12; (3) Exodus 23:4-5.
---Invite a few students to take turns reading these passages aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for how the Lord’s instructions address the scenarios and questions you discussed earlier. (It may be helpful to ask students to read the scenarios aloud again.)
---Invite students to report what they find.

---Read Exodus 21:23-25 and look for the punishments the Lord put in place for Israelites who injured one another. 
      ---Invite students to report what they find

• How might knowing these punishments have been helpful to the children of Israel?

---Take turns reading aloud from Exodus 22:1-6 and look for what the Lord required of the children of Israel after they committed one of the sins listed in these verses.

• According to these verses, what did the Lord require the children of Israel to do after they committed one of these sins? (Make restitution.)
• What does it mean to “make restitution” (verse 5)? (To repair the problems caused by your actions.)
• What principle can we learn from these verses about what we need to do when we violate the laws of God? (Students may identify a variety of principles, but be sure to emphasize that if we violate the laws of God, then He requires us to make restitution.)
• What are some examples of situations in which it might be difficult to make restitution? What should a person do in these types of situations?

---Invite a student to read aloud the following statement by President Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:

“Sometimes you cannot give back what you have taken because you don’t have it to give. If you have caused others to suffer unbearably—defiled someone’s virtue, for example—it is not within your power to give it back. … Perhaps the damage was so severe that you cannot fix it no matter how desperately you want to. … Fixing that which you broke and you cannot fix is the very purpose of the atonement of Christ.

“When your desire is firm and you are willing to pay the ‘uttermost farthing’ [Matthew 5:25-26], the law of restitution is suspended. Your obligation is transferred to the Lord. He will settle your accounts” ("The Brilliant Morning of Forgiveness," Ensign, Nov. 1995, 19–20).

      ---Invite students to ponder whether there are any situations in their lives in which they feel they need to make restitution. Encourage them to seek the Lord’s help as they do so.

II. Exodus 24 Moses helps his people to enter into a covenant with God

---Divide students into small groups. Invite students to imagine they have a friend who has expressed a desire to be baptized as a member of the Church. Ask students to work with their groups and list on pieces of paper what they think their friend might need to do to prepare to enter into the covenant of baptism.

---After sufficient time, ask students to report to the class what they wrote.
 (Students’ answers may include learning about and developing faith in Jesus Christ and His teachings, repenting of their sins, and making commitments to obey God’s commandments.)
---Invite students to explain why they think it is important to do these things before entering into the covenant of baptism.

---Invite students to refer to the handout “Moses’s and Israel’s Experiences with Jehovah at Mount Sinai.”
---Explain that at Mount Sinai the Lord gave the Israelites the opportunity to enter into a covenant with Him that would prepare them to return to His presence and receive eternal life.

---Ask students to review the handout and consider what they have learned about Israel’s experiences at Mount Sinai.

• What had the Lord done to prepare Israel to enter into a covenant with Him? (He taught them about the covenant, instructed them to sanctify themselves, and provided them with laws and commandments.)
• How was the Israelites’ preparation like the ways in which a person might prepare today to enter into the covenant of baptism?

---Summary of Exodus 24:1-5: Moses descended Mount Sinai and taught God’s law to the people, and they committed to obey it. Moses then recorded “all the words of the Lord” (Exodus 24:4). Before the people formally entered into the covenant with God, Moses built an altar and instructed some young men to make burnt offerings and sacrifice oxen on it.

---Read Exodus 24:6–8 aloud and look for what Moses did to help the children of Israel formally enter into a covenant with God.

• What did Moses do to help the children of Israel formally enter into a covenant with God?

---Remind students that God had commanded His children to participate in the ordinance of animal sacrifice, which taught them about the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

• What may the blood sprinkled on the altar represent?
   (The blood of Jesus Christ, which He shed for us.)
• What do you think the sprinkling of blood upon the people symbolized?
  (This act symbolized that the people could receive the blessings of the Atonement of Jesus Christ through the covenant they had made.)
• What can we learn from this event about the blessings we receive as we make and keep covenants with the Lord?
   (Students may identify a variety of principles, but be sure to emphasize the following truth: Making and keeping covenants with the Lord helps us qualify to receive the blessings of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Using students’ words, write this principle on the board.)
• What are the blessings of the Atonement of Jesus Christ?

---Invite a student to read aloud the following statement by Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Invite students to listen for how the Atonement can bless us:

“Most of us clearly understand that the Atonement is for sinners. I am not so sure, however, that we know and understand that the Atonement is also for saints—for good men and women who are obedient, worthy, and conscientious and who are striving to become better and serve more faithfully. We may mistakenly believe we must make the journey from good to better and become a saint all by ourselves. …

“The gospel of the Savior is not simply about avoiding bad in our lives; it also is essentially about doing and becoming good. And the Atonement provides help for us to overcome and avoid bad and to do and become good. …

“The enabling power of the Atonement of Christ strengthens us to do things we could never do on our own” ("The Atonement and the Journey of Mortality," Ensign, Apr. 2012, 42, 46).

• In addition to cleansing us from sin, how can the Atonement bless our lives?
• How can making and keeping covenants with the Lord help us qualify to receive all of the blessings of the Atonement?

---Invite students to again work with their groups.
      List on their papers two or three blessings of the Atonement of Jesus Christ that their friend could receive by making and keeping covenants.
(Their lists could include specific ways the Atonement can strengthen us to serve others and become better than we currently are.)

---Invite them to share what they wrote with the class. You might also invite students to share how making and keeping their covenants has given them strength to serve others and become better people.
---Invite students to write Israel enters into the covenant on line 7 of the handout.

---Read Exodu 24:9-11aloud and look for what happened after the children of Israel formally made a covenant with God. 
      ---Invite students to report what they find.

---Summary of Exodus 24:12-18: Moses then went farther up the mountain to receive the law of the covenant written on stone tables by God. Moses spent 40 days on Mount Sinai receiving additional instruction from the Lord. We will learn more about this instruction as they study Exodus 25-31 in upcoming lessons.

---Consider inviting a few students to share their testimonies about the principles you have discussed today.
---You may also want to share your testimony of these principles.

*****

Lesson 52.1-52.3:

I. Exodus 25:1–9 The Lord instructs the children of Israel to build a sanctuary

---Before class, find the statistical report given during the Saturday afternoon session of the most recent April general conference. You can find this in the most recent May issue of the Ensign or Liahona:

The First Presidency has issued the following statistical report regarding the growth and status of the Church as of December 31, 2014.
Church Units:
Stakes    3,114    Missions        406    Districts        561    Wards and Branches    29,621      

Church Membership:  
Total Membership    15,372,337    New Children of Record    116,409    Converts Baptized    296,803

Missionaries:
Full-Time Missionaries    85,147        Church-Service Missionaries    30,404

Temples;
Temples Dedicated during 2014 (Fort Lauderdale Florida, Gilbert Arizona, and Phoenix Arizona)    3
Temples Rededicated (Ogden Utah)        1
Temples in Operation at Year End        144

---Display pictures of temples in the front of the class,
---and ask students some questions about temples, based on the statistical report. For example, you could ask how many temples were in operation at the end of the previous year, if any temples were recently announced, which temples are under construction, and so forth.

---Write the following question on the board:

         ---How are we blessed by building temples?

---Invite students to watch for answers to this question as they study Exodus 25-27, 30. You may want to refer to the handout “Moses’s and Israel’s Experiences with Jehovah at Mount Sinai” (see lesson 48) and
--- explain to students that after Moses and 73 others ascended the mountain, Moses asked them to remain while he ascended farther up the mountain to speak with the Lord.

---Read Exodus 25:1-8 aloud looking for what the Lord commanded the children of Israel to do.              ---Invite students to report what they find.

---Explain that a sanctuary is a holy place or a place of safety. The Lord wanted the children of Israel to build a tabernacle (or sanctuary). In our day, a temple is considered a sanctuary.

• According to verse 8, why did the Lord command the Israelites to build a tabernacle? What can we learn about modern temples from this verse? (Students should identify the following truth: The Lord commands us to build temples so He can dwell among us.)

---Explain that although the tabernacle Moses was commanded to build shared similarities with modern temples (such as priesthood ordinances being performed in both), the tabernacle functioned under the law of Moses and thus differed substantially from modern temples. However, both the ancient tabernacle and modern temples are the house of the Lord, where the Lord’s people can feel close to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

---To help students understand the preceding principle about temples, invite a student to read aloud the following statement by Elder David E. Sorensen of the Seventy. Ask the class to listen for what it means for the Lord to dwell among us because we build temples.

“Temples have always symbolized being in the presence of the Lord. … There is a closeness to God that comes through consistent worship in the house of the Lord. We can come to know Him and feel welcome, ‘at home,’ in His house.

“… The simple presence of a temple should serve as a reminder of covenants we have made, the need for integrity, and the fact that God is never far away” ("Small Temples--Large Blessings," Ensign, Nov. 1998, 65).

• When have you felt close to God because of the temple? How have you or someone you know been blessed by attending the temple and participating in sacred ordinances?

---Read Exodus 25:9 aloud. 
---Explain that the tabernacle Moses was instructed to build was a portable temple. Read aloud the following statement by Elder L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:

“In order that they would have a centerpiece for their worship and activity, the Lord instructed Moses to build a tabernacle. The tabernacle was a forerunner of the temple, made portable so they could easily carry it with them” ("We Believe All That God Has Revealed," Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2003, 87).

II. Exodus 25:10–22 The Lord reveals details for building the ark of the covenant

---Explain that the first tabernacle furnishing that Moses was instructed to build was called an ark. Point out the word ark in Exodus 25:10.

---Ask students to look at Exodus 25:17, footnote a, to learn the meaning of the Hebrew word that was translated as “mercy seat” (“atonement-cover”).

---Invite students to read Exodus 25:10-21 silently and draw on a piece of paper what they think the ark may have looked like. You might invite them to work in pairs, with one student reading aloud while the other draws. SAVE THESE DRAWINGS FOR TUESDAY'S CLASS
---Before they read, explain that the word testimony in this case refers to the covenant and law that Moses would receive from the Lord; the term mercy seat refers to the lid of the ark; and the words cherubim and cherub refer to figures that represent heavenly creatures or beings, in this case with wings. (The word cherubim is the plural form meaning more than one heavenly creature. See Bible Dictionary, "Cherubim.")

---After sufficient time, invite students to display their drawings.

---Read Exodus 25:22 aloud looking for why the ark would be important to Israel.

• Why would the ark be important to Moses and the children of Israel?
• Based on what we learn from verse 22, how will the Lord bless us when we worship in the temple? (After students respond, write the following truth on the board: When we worship in the temple, the Lord blesses us by communicating His covenants and commandments to us there.)

---Explain that only in temples can we receive some of the ordinances required for our exaltation and learn certain sacred truths about the plan of salvation.

Exodus 25:10–22; 37:1–9. The ark of the covenant

     “The ark of the covenant was a chest, or box, of shittim wood overlaid with gold. It was approximately three feet nine inches long, two feet three inches wide, and two feet three inches high. Staves, or poles, on both sides allowed the priests to carry it without actually touching the ark itself. Inside, the tablets of the law given to Moses on Mount Sinai were placed (see v. 16). Hence, it was called the ark of the testimony or ark of the covenant. Later, a pot of manna and Aaron’s rod, which miraculously bloomed, were also placed inside the ark (see Hebrews 9:4). The ark was placed inside the inner room of the tabernacle known as the most holy place, or Holy of Holies. The ark was viewed with the greatest reverence by the Israelites, and prayers were recited before it was moved or placed in position (see Numbers 10:35–36).
      “The lid, or covering, for the ark is described in Exodus 25:17–22. The King James Version translates the Hebrew word kapporeth (which means ‘seat of atonement’) as ‘mercy seat.’ The covering was made of solid gold and on it were formed two cherubim with wings which came up and overshadowed the lid or mercy seat.

      “The word cherubim usually refers to guardians of sacred things. While the exact meaning of the word is not known, most scholars agree that these cherubim represented ‘redeemed and glorified manhood’ or ‘glorified saints and angels’ (Wilson, Old Testament Word Studies, s.v. ‘cherubim,’ p. 75). Since Latter-day Saints do not believe that angels have wings, as they are often shown in religious art, the commandment to form wings on the cherubim may raise some questions. Another revelation indicates, however, that wings symbolically represent the power to move and to act (see D&C 77:4). Between these cherubim on the mercy seat, God told Moses, He would meet with him and commune with him. Latter-day revelations state that angels stand as sentinels guarding the presence of God (see D&C 132:19).

     “The blood of the lamb of Jehovah was sprinkled upon the mercy seat during the sacred day of Atonement. … Paul and John both spoke of Jesus as being ‘the propitiation’ for our sins (see 1 John 2:2; 4:10; Romans 3:25). …

     “Clearly, then, the ark of the covenant was one of the most significant features of the tabernacle, both in its importance to ancient Israel and also in its symbolic significance” (Old Testament Student Manual: Genesis–2 Samuel, 3rd ed. [Church Educational System manual, 2003], 148).]