(8-10 minutes, easy setup)
Learners will determine the reasons why some old laws were written.
Provide an index card and marker for each group. Groups will need a smart phone.
Divide learners into groups of two to three people. Give each group an index card and marker and make sure each group has at least one smart phone. Challenge groups to look for an example of an outrageously silly law—and emphasize that they must also be able to provide the reason why the law was enacted in the first place. Allow groups three to four minutes to search for a law and record it and the reason it was created on their index cards. Call groups together and collect the index cards. Read each law aloud, allowing other groups to attempt to guess why the law was created. After each card is read, ask: What were some of the reasons these silly laws were created? (Possible answers might include: to create safe living conditions, to prepare an area for future changes, to satisfy an important citizen, to prevent additional accidents from happening, and to protect weaker citizens.) Group laws created for similar reasons together and then ask: How do laws bring safety and order to a town? How do laws give people guidelines for behavior? How do laws provide for both protection and punishment?
Observe that many people today seem to view the laws of the Old Testament as silly or outdated laws that no longer apply to life today. Explain that learners will have the opportunity today to consider what Jesus teaches us about the importance of the Old Testament Law.