CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS STUDIES YEAR 3(SUMMARY NOTE)

 

PEACEMAKING

Memory Verse: Matthew 5:9 

“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”

What is peacemaking?

Peacemaking is the act of settling disputes and misunderstandings among people.

A person who is always making peace by settling disputes and misunderstanding among people is called a peacemaker.

THE NEEDS TO PRACTICE PEACEMAKING

1. It brings understanding between people

2. It brings peace                                                

3. It brings love      

4. It brings friendship and unity

5. It brings happiness, development and prosperity

Moral Lesson: Peacemaking helps to make our society a better place to live in.

THE CALL OF ABRAHAM

MEMORY VERSE:

Genesis 12:1 

"Go from your country and kindred and your father's house to the

 land that I will show you."

Terah, was the father of Abraham. They lived in Ur in the Southern Mesopotamia.

After the death of Terah, God called Abraham to leave his country to a new land that He would show Him. God said: "Go from your country and kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you".

When God called Abraham, He promised him four things. They are:

1. A great nation with many people

2. Blessings to those who bless Abraham

3. Curses to those who curse Abraham

4. Blessing to all nations through Abraham

MOSES AND THE BRONZE SERPENT

MEMORY VERSE: NUMBERS 21:5

"Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?

 For there is no food and water and we loath this worthless food"

From Mount Hor, the Israelites made their way to the Red Sea and

 all along the way, they were very impatient. They complain bitterly

 about food and water.

They also complained bitterly against God and Moses and this made

 God unhappy with them. He allowed snakes to bite them.

Moses pleaded with God and God told him to make a bronze serpent 

and hung it on a pole so that everyone who is bitten, when he sees it,

 shall live.

Moral Lesson:  We can compare the hanging of the bronze serpent on the pole to the hanging of Jesus on the cross.

THE PASSOVER

What is Passover?

The Passover is the major Jewish festival which commemorates the

 The liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery.

The Israelites became slaves and suffered in Egypt after the death of

 Joseph but God sent Moses and Aaron to save them. God performed

 nine plagues through Moses but the king of Egypt refused to let the

 Israelites go. God promised the tenth plague which was: the

 Passover. On the Passover night, the angel of God killed all the first

 born male of the Egyptians and their cattle but He, however, spares

 the lives of the Israelites and this made the King to finally free them.

OBEDIENCE TO GOD (GOD SAVES THE ISRAELITES) 

What is Obedience?

Obedience means to comply with an order, request or law or submission to another authority.

God told the Israelites to  keep a year-old lamb without blemish until

 the fourteen days and then kill it in the night and put some of the blood on their own posts and lintels as instructed.

They were to roast the meat and ate it in haste with their ropes tied to their waist and sandals to their feet. They ate the meat with bitter herbs and unleavened bread (bread without yeast).

That night, the destroying angel arrived and killed all the firstborn of the Egyptians and their cattle but spare the Israelites. The Egyptian king called Moses and Aaron and asked them to take the Israelites away from their land. Moses gathered all the Israelites and left Egypt. The movement of the Israelites out of Egypt is called Exodus.

DELIVERANCE FROM EGYPT

Memory Verse: Exodus 14:16 

"Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come upon the Egyptians, upon their  chariots and upon their herdsmen."

When the king of Egypt allowed the Israelites to go, Moses led them

 through the forests. They travelled for many days and nights until

 they came to the shore of the Red Sea. Then they saw the Egyptians army chasing them. They became afraid but Moses assured them of 

God's protection.

After Moses divide the Sea with his rod, God instructed Moses to led

 them to cross the Red Sea at night. In the morning, the Egyptian 

soldiers chased the Israelites to the middle of the Red Sea but

 unfortunately for them, they were drowned while the Israelites were saved.

THE PROMISE OF A SAVIOUR

Memory Verse: Isaiah 7:14 

"...behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his

 name Immanuel."

After God had given the Israelites the Promised Land to live, they

 therefore turned against God and God was angry with them. So they

 needed someone to save them.

                                             

Isaiah’s prophecy

God sent the Prophet Isaiah to announce the birth of the saviour. The prophet Isaiah prophesied that a young woman shall give birth to the Saviour and the name of the Saviour shall be “Emmanuel” meaning “God is with us”.

 

 The character of the expected Messiah:

1. He is a prince of peace

2. A wonderful counsellor

3. A Mighty God.