Outdoor Object Lesson 108: A Holy Toothbrush

Key Text

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. You shall labor six days, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to The Lord your God. You shall not do any work in it, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your livestock, nor your stranger who is within your gates; for in six days The Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore The Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭20:8-11‬ ‭(WEB)‬‬ Paraphrased

Lesson

What does it mean for something to be holy? Since we don’t have a temple like they did in Bible times, it can be a foreign concept. In modern times, especially in the West, we treat nearly everything casually. Western culture prizes a laid-back attitude. So it can be a stretch for those of us raised in this culture to fully grasp the concept of a holy object. Yet, it is something God takes extremely seriously.

In the Old Testament there are stories that seem harsh to our modern sensibilities. For example, when the Ark of the Covenant was being moved back to Jerusalem in the time of King David, as the Ark rocked sideways off the cart, Uzziah reached out to steady it. Because it was against the law for him to touch, God struck him dead on the spot (2 Sam. 6). The Ark of the Covenant was a holy object. In fact, it was the Most holy object in Israel. When God declares something holy, that means it is dedicated to a special purpose. It should not be treated casually. It should always be respected no matter what. To disrespect it is to disrespect what God has said. Think about it like this.

A toothbrush is something very important and personal. If you have ever gone camping you understand this well. It’s not healthy to go days without brushing. More importantly, your toothbrush is to remind yourself of home and help you feel somewhat clean even if the rest of your body is dirty. When camping, you must leave a lot of comforts at home. You don’t get to take a shower every day if at all, you might have to go to the bathroom outside. If you’re a dedicated backpacker you might not even take deodorant to save weight. A toothbrush is small and light enough to take camping. So brushing your teeth gives a nice clean feeling when the rest of you feels dirty and is a good reminder of home. Some backpackers are so dedicated to saving weight but also having their toothbrush they cut most of the handle off!

Your toothbrush is your's alone. You would never want anyone else to use it for anything without your permission. You would be most deeply offended if you came to the tent and saw someone else brushing their teeth with your toothbrush! You might be angry enough to hurt someone if you found them using your toothbrush to clean the mud off their shoes! You would consider that brush dirty, defiled. You would probably never use it again and get a new one. That toothbrush is holy unto you. It is meant for one purpose. It is meant for one person alone.

When God declares something holy, he takes holiness to a much higher level, because he is the God of the universe. He is the giver of life and has the right to take life back when we defile his holy objects. God does not owe us anything, we owe him everything, including our lives. So while it seems harsh for God to kill those who violate his holy laws, it’s not unjust. While we may live in a very casual society, God still expects us to keep things holy that he has declared as such. The Sabbath is perhaps the most important one. God asks us to dedicate one day a week exclusively to him. It is holy unto him. We are not to defile it by treating it like any other day. As we grow spiritually, we will learn to see the Sabbath as a gift and a blessing. We will learn to value it like a toothbrush on a camping trip because it is a taste of home. The Sabbath is a reminder of the comfort and cleanliness of our true home in heaven.

Questions

Can you think of some other things God has declared holy?

Why do you think God chose to strike Uzziah dead on the spot?

How can you grow to love and appreciate God's holy objects?

How can you keep the Sabbath holy?


Written by David F. Garner
Photo credit: Monfocus via www.pixabay.com

SDA Belief Series #20

Outdoor Object Lesson 78: One Special Utensil

Key Text


“If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.” 2 Timothy 2:21 (NLT)


Lesson

Eating utensils are indispensable in modern Western society and nearly the world over. They have been used in many societies throughout history. The most ancient eating utensil is likely the knife as it is most important to cut food for consumption.

Utensils have taken many different shapes and been used for a variety of purposes. From the humble spoon that has changed shape very little since it’s creation to the highly specialized utensils of Victorian era Britain. During this period the British high class had a utensil for every conceivable food connoisseur’s need. Such as the tomato server which was for one purpose only, to transfer tomato slices from the tray onto your plate.

We still have a variety of utensils today that serve different purposes for food preparation and consumption. One example are the special utensils designed for use on outdoor adventures and camping trips. These utensils are uniquely designed to meet a number of demands. They must first be as light weight as possible while remaining strong. The must be compact for easy storage. They must be durable to withstand a lot of use.

Camping utensils are often made from unusual materials in order to meet all these demands. Materials include high-temperature resistant plastic, aluminum, stainless steel, silicone, and titanium. They are often designed to have multiple functions to save weight such as combining a spoon and fork into a spork or putting a fork on one end of the handle and a spoon at the other. Some camping utensils fold up to save room.

Because of their unique qualities camping utensils are not used every day. We use regular forks and knives on a daily basis and save the camping utensils for that special purpose. We rely on them to do an important job and keep us fed when we go camping and on outdoor adventures. They have a special purpose.

In the key text Paul compares God’s people to valuable utensils that are for special or ‘honorable’ use. God has important and special work that he wants us to do. This work involves sharing the important message of his grace and soon return! But he does not want any regular person for this job. The key text specifies God wants only those that are pure. The only way we can be a valuable utensil for God’s work is by accepting Jesus to cleans us and by living pure lives according to the Bible (see Romans 12:1-2). Only then will we be a special utensil for honorable use. Pray today that God will show you how to become one of his special utensils.


Questions

What is your favorite camping food?

If Jesus makes us pure does it matter how we live?

What does it mean to live a pure life according to the Bible?

If we fail to live according to the Bible's commands do we lose our purity?




Written by David F. Garner
Photo credit: MabelAmber  via www.pixabay.com

Christian Outdoor Object Lesson 61: White As Snow

Key Verse

“Come now, and let us reason together,” says Yahweh: “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Isaiah 1:18 WEB

Lesson

There is an old hymn by James L. Nicholson that goes, “Whiter than snow, yes, whiter than snow, Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” It is curious to wonder what it is that makes snow white. Snow is water, which is clear. Ice is clear and so is water vapor that flows above a boiling pot. Why is snow any different? Snow is white no matter how you look at it. Look over a snow-covered field or mountain, it is white. Pick up a handful of snow, it is white. Pinch a bit of snow between your fingers, it is white.

Visible light appears as different colors. Each color of the rainbow consists of light waves vibrating at unique frequencies. Red light waves vibrate slowly. Blue light waves vibrate more quickly. When light hits an object, it may reflect some light waves, and absorb others. A blue object absorbs all light waves accept those that are blue. The blue light waves reflect and that is what we see making the object appear blue. It is the same for a yellow object and each color of the rainbow. A black object is slightly different, it absorbs all colors of light and so appears black.

A white object is exactly the opposite, it reflects all colors of light. A snow flake is a minute crystal with several surfaces. When the light hits these surfaces, it bounces in all directions. All colors of light reflect in every direction. When all the colors blend together the object appears white.

In the Bible sin is often described as a dark stain on our heart making it dirty. Thankfully Jesus came and sacrificed himself so that we can be forgiven of our sin. We are then pure and spotless again. Think of a clear sunny morning after a fresh snowfall and the blinding brilliant white that is so bright you can scarcely look at it. That is how pure Jesus promises to make your heart. In fact, when we receive the cleansing forgiveness of Jesus we become purer than snow. And then we can sing with Mr. Nicholson, “The blood is applied, I am whiter than snow.”


Questions

What is your favorite snow related activity?

Why do you think purity is represented with the color white in the Bible?

What does it mean to have a pure and clean heart?

As a mostly good person, do you really need Jesus’ forgiveness?

Written by David F. Garner
 Photo Credit: Nick Mealey via www.flickr.com under a CC 2.0 license minor changes made.

Christian Outdoor Object Lesson 17: Filters

Key Verse

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:1 WEB

Lesson

Water is vital to life. Clean drinking water is necessary for health. We have all experienced how refreshing a glass of water is when hot and thirsty. Jesus used water as an example for salvation. He said that he is the Water of Life. But we know that water is no good if it’s contaminated.

A water filter is useful because it makes contaminated water drinkable. If we consume contaminated water it will contaminate our body and make us sick. Drinking clean water not only doesn’t make us sick, but it makes us healthy and fights off sickness. Proverbs 15:1 says that a calm voice fights off wrath and anger but harsh words contaminated with anger cause more anger.

Sometimes it is hard to control our feelings. They seem to slip out in words we don’t mean to say. Or perhaps we don’t try to filter our speech at all. Psalms 1:26 reminds us if anyone wants to be righteous, they must filter their speech or control their tongue. “If anyone among you thinks himself to be religious while he doesn’t bridle his tongue, [he] deceives his heart” (Psalms 1:26a).

Water cleanses our bodies by washing away impurities. In the same way, a relationship with Jesus, the Water of Life, washes away the impurities in our spiritual life. It provides a filter for our thoughts and speech. We are then able to respond to anger with calmness and kindness that will dispel that contaminant.

Questions

Have you ever struggled controlling your words?

Do you know what it is like to have words you regretting saying forgiven? How did that make you feel?

What if we “drank” the Water of Life as often as we drink physical water?