Home School Lessons From Baking Bread
There is nothing quite so pleasant, so welcoming, as the smell of homemade bread in the home. It evokes memories of childhood, of those treasured carefree days gone by. How appropriate that the staple of life, our sustenance, the most welcome perfume in our home should represent our Savior throughout the pages of Holy Scripture. As homeschool parents, we should teach continually; use every moment of life to teach your children spiritual lessons. As you bake bread together, seize the occasion to impart lessons to your children about Christ.
One of the earliest foreshadowings of Christ is seen in the Old Testament, as Melchizedek, the priestly king, brings bread and wine to Abraham. These verses can be used to teach the significance and meaning of the bread and wine used in communion. We can also emphasize the fact that the Bible is not merely a collection of fables, but from Genesis to Revelation is one timeless true story of Christ.
Continuing through Scripture, the merciful and loving nature of God stands out as we see the bread or manna provided miraculously for the ever-complaining children of Israel. When sharing this account, we can instruct our children in the importance of Bible Study and communion with Christ. We must seek it daily, seek it first thing in the morning, and we may not store it up for tomorrow. We also must gather it for ourselves; others cannot do it for us.
Yet another attribute of Christ can be taught as we consider the bread brought to Elijah in the wilderness by the raven. Use this story to teach about Christ as creator and master of the universe. Even the fowls of the air must obey his command.
A further reference to bread is found in the shewbread placed daily in the tabernacle by the priests. The entire gospel can actually be illustrated to your students through the unique characteristics of the shewbread.
The bread itself was made of fine flour, having no imperfections. The bread was also baked, representing Christ’s atoning death. One further aspect to note: the Hebrew word “challah,” for bread, means punctured or pierced, just as our Savior was pierced for our transgression.
There are also some warnings you can give children as your discussion of bread continues. The Passover was observed with unleavened bread, as leavening represented sin. Jesus warned against the leavening of the Pharisees; even the presence of a little sin is devastating.
Finally, as the crescendo to a beautifully orchestrated symphony, Jesus, himself emphatically declares in John that He is “the bread of life,” able to sustain his own and satisfy fully all of our hungers. The long-awaited Messiah had come!
So bake bread with your home school students, but do not miss the opportunity to teach them of the bread which satisfies endlessly our deepest hunger.
By: Karen Stafford
About the Author:
Karen Stafford is the homeschool mom of five kids ranging in age from 11 year old twins to an 18 year old college freshman. Homeschooling has been a way of life for ten years. You can visit her blog to receive homeschool encouragement at http://www.home-schoolblog.com, or you can also seek homeschool book reviews and top curriculum picks at http://www.home-schoolbookstore.com.