January 18th, 2026
Recap: Sunday January 18, 2026
Story 17: A Tale of Two Goats (Leviticus 16)
*Continue the conversation at home reading through Leviticus 16 and going through The Biggest Story Family Devotional that corresponds with Story 17!
Big Picture: The book of Exodus is an exciting book filled with great stories. Remember the story about baby Moses being rescued from the Nile River? Remember the burning bush, where God spoke to Moses? Remember the ten plagues? Remember the Passover, when the angel of the Lord passed over those who had the blood of the lamb on their doorposts? Remember the crossing (and closing!) of the Red Sea? Remember the giving of the Ten Commandments? (Can you still hear the roar of God’s thunder?) Remember the golden calf? Remember how foolish that was? Sinful! And, listen carefully, do you remember the tent that the Israelites built to worship God the way he wanted to be worshiped? That last remember is important. Because the book of Leviticus picks up on the idea of worshiping God the right way. And while it has some stories, most of its chapters focus on laws. Lots of laws! Good laws. God’s laws for God’s nation. Some of the laws were about what the priests (Aaron and his sons) were to do in the tabernacle (God’s tent for worship). One of those laws was about two goats. Maa. Maa. Sound a little strange? Well, let’s learn about these two goats. (From The Biggest Story Curriculum)
Big Truth: God forgives and forgets our sins.
Memory Verse: “We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Hebrews 10:10
Extension Activities:
Journals: They created an acrostic of the word GOAT, which stands for “greatest of all time”. Jesus is the greatest of all time! Spend time thinking of words that describe Jesus. Example:
G - gracious & forgiving
O - One true God; omnipotent
A - awesome; absolutely perfect; amazing
T - totally amazing; the truth
Resources for Parents about Leviticus:
Does your child have questions about some of the topics brought up in Leviticus? Unsure how to answer those in a way that is age appropriate?
Do you need help teaching the Bible in your family? This guide to family worship helps you engage with your children in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The last four books of the Pentateuch pick up where Genesis left off, showing how God faithfully led Israel out of Egypt and dealt with them faithfully during forty years of wilderness wanderings. Use this simple, helpful guide to teach your children how the types and shadows of the Old Testament have pointed God's people of all times to Jesus, the ultimate deliverer of His people.
Wilderness: Family Worship in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy By Joel R. Beeke & Nick Thompson is a great additional resource to The Biggest Story Family Devotional, diving deeper into specific questions and reflection throughout Genesis.
The Bible Project overview video on the book of Leviticus, which breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. In Leviticus, Israel’s holy God invites them to live in His presence despite their sin, through a series of rituals and sacred institutions.
