Teaching

Have a child select the first Signpost card and read it aloud. Tape the card to the wall or prop it up so children can see it. Lead a discussion with the information below. Repeat for the two remaining Signpost cards. Additional material is included for Grades 4–6 to look up and discuss.

Signpost 1  God’s Great Temple

King David’s desire was to build a great house for God where He would be honored and worshiped. Why did God not allow King David to build the Temple? King David had fought too many battles and killed too many men. Solomon was a man of peace. ( See 1 Chronicles 22:6–10.)

The Temple was an important structure, yet it was more than just a building for worship. The Temple became the house of God where His presence would dwell. When the Temple was completed, Solomon realized that as great as the structure was, it could not possibly contain God who fills heaven and earth.

OPTIONAL VERSES FOR GRADES 4–6

1 Chronicles 22:5a (cev):

“The temple for the Lord must be great, so that everyone in the world will know about it.”

1 Kings 8:27:

“But will God really live on earth? Why, even the highest heavens cannot contain You. How much less this Temple I have built!” 

Acts 7:49–50:

⁴⁹ “Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool. Could you build Me a temple as good as that?” asks the Lord. “Could you build Me such a resting place? ⁵⁰ Didn’t My hands make both heaven and earth?”

Signpost 2  We Are God’s Temple  

Jesus said He is the Temple. (See John 2:19–22.) When we ask Him to be our Lord and Savior, His Spirit lives in our hearts, so that means we are part of God’s Temple, too! The Bible calls us living stones that God Himself is building into His spiritual Temple!

Just think of that for a moment; we are His masterpiece. He designed and created us to do good works for His purpose. God handpicks and places each living stone into the perfect position in His Temple. We all fit together and have a purpose in Christ. Let’s praise God right now for making us His masterpiece by saying a Psalm together that King David wrote. (See Psalm 139:14 (nkjv).)I will read a phrase of the verse and you repeat it aloud:  

“I will Praise You,” … Children repeat.

“For I am fearfully” … Children repeat.

“And wonderfully made.” … Children repeat.

OPTIONAL VERSES FOR GRADES 4–6

John 2:19–21:

¹⁹ “All right,” Jesus replied. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” ²⁰ “What!” they exclaimed. “It has taken forty-six years to build this Temple, and you can rebuild it in three days?” ²¹ But when Jesus said “this temple,” He meant His own body.

1 Corinthians 3:16 (cev):

All of you surely know that you are God’s temple and that His Spirit lives in you.

1 Peter 2:5:

And you are living stones that God is building into His spiritual temple. What’s more, you are His holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.

Ephesians 2:10:

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.

1 Corinthians 12:27:

All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. 

Signpost 3  Christ Dwells in Us  

The Temple was the permanent home for the Ark of the Covenant. The ark is a wooden chest. Who remembers what is contained in the ark? The stone tablets of the Ten Commandments—God’s law.

Since we are God’s Temple, we should also have a special place for God’s law inside our hearts. The law that we hold is not made of stone—it is His living Word, which we can read in the Bible. The Bible tells us that God writes His laws on our minds and hearts.

At the Temple dedication, Solomon humbly asked God to watch over His Temple, to hear the prayers of His people, and to forgive their sins. Solomon’s Temple was a place where sacrifices were offered for the forgiveness of sins.

As followers of Christ, God hears our prayers that we send up to Him from our “living temples.” He watches over us day and night because we belong to Him—we are His children. Because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, we no longer need to offer sacrifices for our sins in order to be forgiven. When we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us by His blood. (See 1 John 1:9.)  

In religions that worshiped false gods, their temples contained an idol or image of a god to worship. God’s Temple did not have any kind of image or idol. Solomon’s Temple wasn’t designed to hold a representation of God. God Himself would actually dwell in the Temple. In the same way, God dwells or lives inside us through the Holy Spirit! This is what it means to be a living Temple! 

OPTIONAL VERSES FOR GRADES 4–6

Hebrews 10:16b (cev):

“I will write My laws on their minds and hearts.”

Psalm 119:11:

I have hidden Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You.

1 Kings 8:30 (cev):

“I am Your servant, and the people of Israel belong to You. So whenever any of us look toward this temple and pray, answer from Your home in heaven and forgive our sins.”

Ephesians 3:17a:

Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him.

Matthew 26:28:

“For this is My blood, which confirms the covenant between God and His people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many.”

Hebrews 10:11–12:

¹¹ Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. ¹² But our High Priest offered Himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then He sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand.

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Give a God’s Temple page to any children who missed the previous lessons.

In our Discipleship Challenge, we are exploring what it means for us to be God’s Temple. We are learning about the items or furnishings of Solomon’s Temple and comparing them to the work of Jesus and the Holy Spirit in our lives. All of this is only possible through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.   

In the last challenge, why does the lampstand represent Jesus? He is the light of the world.

We were challenged to let His light shine brightly in us so others can see Him and come out of darkness, too!

What does the Altar of Incense represent? Our prayers that rise to God.

Our challenge was to offer prayers to God daily. Would anyone like to share anything you learned about this at home?

Today’s challenge is “God Lives in My Temple,” and the two items we’ll study are the Ark of the Covenant and the Table of Showbread, which is also called the Bread of His Presence.

The Ark of the Covenant rested in the Holy of Holies in the Temple. The ark was a large wooden box covered with gold. Inside it were the two tablets with the Ten Commandments that God gave to Moses. The cover of the ark was called the mercy seat. Only the High Priest was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies—and he could only do that once a year. He sprinkled blood on the mercy seat to cover or atone for the people’s sins. The Ark represented God’s presence. At home, read Hebrews 2:17 to find out who is our High Priest.     

The Table of Showbread, which is also called the Bread of His Presence, was used to hold twelve loaves of bread in the Holy Place next to the lampstands. The bread represents God’s provision and nourishment. The priests would eat the bread and replace it on each Sabbath. At home, read John 6:35 to find out who is our Bread of Life.     

Your challenge is to read God’s Word each day to help strengthen your temple. God is present in His Word and feeds us so our faith can grow and become strong in Him.