Week 216 · Old Testament · about 2 minutes · 301 words
☀️ Deuteronomy 21
Deuteronomy 21 opens with these words: “If someone is found slain in the land which Yahweh your God gives you to possess, lying in the field, and it isn’t known who has struck him;” The line to keep is Deuteronomy 21:15: “If a man has two wives, the one beloved, and the other hated, and they have borne him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son is…” Carry the word “wives” from that verse into the rest of the day.
Deuteronomy 21 is a real chapter from the Old Testament. It starts, “If someone is found slain in the land which Yahweh your God gives you to possess, lying in the field, and it isn’t known who has struck him;” That is not a motto invented for a poster. It is the first sentence a family hears when this page is opened at night.
Keep going a little further. The chapter also says, “then you shall bring her home to your house. She shall shave her head and trim her nails.” Deuteronomy 21 opens with these words: “If someone is found slain in the land which Yahweh your God gives you to possess, lying in the field, and it isn’t known who has struck him;” The line to keep is Deuteronomy 21:15: “If a man has two wives, the one beloved, and the other hated, and they have borne him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son is…” Carry the word “wives” from that verse into the rest of the day.
The line worth learning out loud is Deuteronomy 21:15: “If a man has two wives, the one beloved, and the other hated, and they have borne him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son is hers who was hated;” If the rest of the chapter feels crowded, hold that one sentence until the room is quiet.
What happens first in Deuteronomy 21? Then try this: Read “If a man has two wives, the one beloved, and the other hated, and they have borne him children, both the…” once more. What does it show you about God? You do not have to finish every verse. You can close the book after the memory verse and still have read the Bible together.
“If a man has two wives, the one beloved, and the other hated, and they have borne him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son is hers who was hated;”
Deuteronomy 21:15 · Deuteronomy 21
Say it
Practice Deuteronomy 21:15
Tap the words in order. The blanks follow the verse from left to right.
Ifamanhastwotheonebeloved,andtheotherhated,andtheyhavehimchildren,thebelovedandthehated;andifthefirstbornsonisherswhowashated;
Talk about it
- What happens first in Deuteronomy 21?
- Read “If a man has two wives, the one beloved, and the other hated, and they have borne him children, both the…” once more. What does it show you about God?
- Who can you tell one sentence from Deuteronomy 21 before bedtime?
Prayer
Father, thank you for Deuteronomy 21. Help us remember Deuteronomy 21:15 when we wake up, and teach us to notice you in an ordinary night. Amen.
Parent tip
If Deuteronomy 21 is long, read Deuteronomy 21:15 twice and ask one of the talk-about questions. The chapter page has every verse if you want more tomorrow.
Week 216 · the whole night
☀️ Deuteronomy 21
Story, coloring page, word search, and the verse to trace.
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