Law of God #

For Young Children

ON THE WORLD #

Everything in this world has a creator. A book was written by an author, then prepared and printed in a publishing house. A pencil was made in a factory designed for pencil production. The plan of a church was designed by an architect, and then builders raised the walls — and thus the church came into being.

Much of what we see is the work of human hands: houses, cars, furniture… A person is capable of making and does indeed make many things: airplanes for moving through the sky, satellites for observing the earth from space. But there are things that a person is not capable of creating.

Take, for example, a star. No matter how educated a person might be, and no matter what material he is given to work with, he cannot make a star.

And there are many, many other things in the world that are beyond human power to create: seas, mountains, rivers. Yet all of these also have a Creator — the all-powerful and almighty God.

If we take a box of modeling clay, we can shape trees, fish, and birds from it. But we cannot breathe life into our clay tree. God, however, did not merely create the world — He gave it life. The tree made by God grows, bears fruit, and from its seed springs a new tree. And this process is repeated again and again.

Every task requires time. And God also took time to create the world. The world was created by God in six days: On the first day, God created heaven and earth and divided light from darkness. On the second day, the sky with its clouds appeared, separated from the waters that covered the earth. On the third day, God divided the waters on the earth by patches of dry land and planted vegetation. To govern the day and the night, on the fourth day the heavenly lights appeared: the sun, the moon, and the stars. On the fifth day, the seas were filled with fish, and the skies with birds. On the sixth day, God created animals and man. On the seventh day, God rested — that is, He ceased from His works.

“Six days — that’s too little,” you might say. Scientists claim that the earth was formed over thousands of years. Where is the wisdom here? When God began creating, time in our human sense did not yet exist. We are used to measuring time by the alternation of day and night. But the sun and moon were created by God only on the fourth day. The days of God’s creation cannot be measured in hours. It was some other kind of day — far longer — and so there is no contradiction between the scientific data about the earth forming over thousands of years and the spiritual understanding of the world.

A thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past.
— Psalm 89

Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee, for the sake of all things.

How is God’s creation different from man’s?
How long did it take God to create the world?
Can man be called a Creator?

HOLY SCRIPTURE AND TRADITION #

The story of God’s creation of the world and the life of the first humans is told to us by sacred books. God Himself commanded that the key events of human history be written down, so that knowledge might be passed on from generation to generation. Thus the Bible came into being.

The word Bible comes from the Greek and means books. These books were written over the course of centuries by prophets and apostles, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. They are called the Holy Scripture. These sacred books are more worthy than all others of our trust, attention, and study.

Holy Scripture is divided into two parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament was written by the prophets and tells how faith in God was preserved on earth before the birth of Christ. By the time Christ was born, the true faith had been preserved on earth by only one nation — the Jews. The books of the Old Testament describe the history of that people and their long expectation of the Savior.

The New Testament tells of the coming into the world of the Savior, Jesus Christ — of His life and teachings, and of how knowledge of the true God spread beyond the bounds of the Jewish people and again became the possession of all mankind. The New Testament was written by Christ’s disciples — the apostles. It includes the four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, and the Epistles of the holy apostles.

“Concerning many things there was also an unwritten teaching, and one must believe equally in that which is not written.”
— St. John Chrysostom

It would be impossible to contain all knowledge of God within a single collection of books. From generation to generation, knowledge was also handed down orally. Part of this was written down in the works of the holy fathers who lived after the apostles; part of it was expressed through sacred rites and established Church rules. This part of Church teaching is called Holy Tradition.

“Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions
which ye have been taught, whether by word (that is, orally),
or our epistle (that is, in writing).”
— Second Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians, reading 276

How is the word “Bible” translated?
What are the two main parts of Holy Scripture?
Who is the author of the Bible?
What are the books of the Old Testament about? What is their purpose?
What does the New Testament tell us?

GOD THE TRINITY #

An Orthodox church is unimaginable without icons. They help us better envision the saints to whom we pray: the angels, the God-bearer, the saints. But on none of these icons will we find an image of God as He truly is.

No one has ever seen God. He cannot be depicted, nor described in words, nor even simply imagined. What we do know about God is that He is the Trinity. In the Trinity, there are as it were three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Yet despite this threeness, God cannot be divided. Existing in three Persons, He remains one God.

The holy fathers, striving to explain in some way how the Trinity can be One, offered examples. One such example is the sun. The sun is at once rays, light, and warmth. Each of these parts is always present together with the others; and only together do they make up what we call the sun. Another example of unity in three parts is a clover leaf. Each green leaf of the flower is made up, as it were, of three parts, which nonetheless remain one single leaf.

In the Old Testament, the Trinity appeared in the form of three angels to the holy forefather Abraham. The icon depicting this event is called The Old Testament Trinity.

With the coming of Jesus Christ into the world, we were given the opportunity to see the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, who took on flesh — God the Son, Jesus Christ. At the moment of Christ’s baptism in the Jordan, the manifestation of God took place — the Theophany.

O Most Holy Trinity, our God, glory to Thee.

In what kind of God do Christians believe?
What objects or phenomena of the visible world did the holy fathers compare the Trinity to?
Name the Persons of the Holy Trinity.

THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD #

Man cannot see God, nor can he describe Him, yet some of God’s attributes are known to us.

God is eternal. God has neither beginning nor end. He was, is, and ever shall be.

God is omnipresent. He is present everywhere at once and fills all things with Himself. Just like the air that fills streets, homes, cars, or even a closed box on the highest shelf in a cupboard, so God is invisibly present everywhere, always near each one of us. We can turn to Him at any moment, wherever we may be, and He will hear us.

God is all-knowing. He knows all things, for He Himself created all things. He knows what clouds are made of, what the weather will be tomorrow. God knows what we do. He even knows what we think, though we do not say it aloud.

God is good. He always desires what is good for us, regardless of how we behave. A good father who wishes to raise his children to be wise and virtuous may sometimes punish them in order to correct and teach them. Likewise, God may at times chastise a person for his own good. A kind mother does not rush to give her child another candy, knowing that too many are harmful. So also God does not always grant our requests — precisely because He is good and knows what is truly beneficial for us and what is not.

God is the Creator. We can sense a spark of this creative nature in ourselves. We find it difficult to sit idle all day, doing nothing. We want to sculpt, glue, paint, build. In the same way, God, not remaining only within Himself, created the world around us.

God is the Almighty Ruler. All things in this world are under His authority. There are accounts of mountains being moved by His command, rivers changing course, storms calming, and even the dead being raised to life.

There is much injustice in our world. People dear to us, and truly good, fall seriously ill; wars rage in some places; innocent children perish. Does this mean that the Almighty God cannot stop it all? Of course He can. But such injustices arise from man himself, and the long-suffering and just God waits for man to correct these wrongs by his own free will. God the Provider sees not only the present but also what lies ahead. Sometimes He permits a small sorrow in order to prevent a far greater disaster in the future.

List the main attributes of God
Where does God dwell (where is He found)?
What miracles are possible for God?

THE CHURCH — THE HOUSE OF GOD, THE FAMILY, THE HUMAN PERSON #

When we hear the word church, we usually picture a majestic building with domes and crosses atop those domes. It may be made of wood, brick, or some other material. It is a place where people come to pray.

A church is a building intended for divine services.

Churches are built in a special way, unlike other buildings. Most often, a church has the shape of a cross or a ship. The cross is a special symbol of salvation for every Christian. The ship is likewise a symbol — of a safe place. One can say that the church is a spiritual ship in which we travel across the sea of life.

The number of domes on a church also carries specific meaning. One dome symbolizes our One Lord, Jesus Christ. Two domes represent the two natures of the Savior — divine and human. Three stand for the Most Holy Trinity. Four — the number of the Gospels. Five — Christ together with the four Evangelists. Seven domes remind us of the seven sacraments of the Church.

The church is a place of God’s special presence. When someone is very dear to us, we take every opportunity to be with them — we go to visit them. In the church, it is God who welcomes us like a kind host. Of course, God is everywhere — in the street, at home, in school, even in the supermarket or at the playground. But the church is the place where it is easiest to turn to God with prayer and thanksgiving.

The Church is also the gathering of believers.

Each of us has probably seen abandoned or half-ruined churches. Even when empty, a church does not cease to be a holy place. Yet without people, it loses its purpose. A church that no one visits gradually falls into ruin.

The family is a special community. It is where people live who are closest and dearest to one another. The family is often called a little church. In the sacrament of marriage, husband and wife become as close to one another as Christ is to the Church. The family is a little church.

During the Sunday service in Great Lent, a prayer is sung:

Open unto me the doors of repentance, O Giver of Life,
For my spirit rises early to Thy holy Church.
I carry the temple of my body, all defiled.
But do Thou, in Thy lovingkindness, cleanse it by Thy mercy.

In this prayer, the word church appears twice. In the first instance, it means the temple of God. In the second, it refers to the church of our body. The human being — with eyes, hands, ears — is also a church, because the Holy Ghost dwells in him. In the sacrament of Communion, God likewise takes up dwelling in the temple of our body. And so, the bodily temple must always be kept clean and radiant.

Just as we wash, clean, and decorate the prayer space for feast days, so too must we strive to keep our body clean and orderly — modest, yet neat in our clothing.

And if something breaks in a church building, we make every effort to repair it quickly and restore everything to its proper state. In the same way, the church of our body needs care and attention when it falls ill. It is God’s creation. Many habits of the modern world — smoking, drug use, tattoos on the body — are sins precisely because they destroy the temple of our body, which was created to be a dwelling place for God.

What shape do Orthodox churches have?
Why can we call the human body a temple?

THE INVISIBLE WORLD #

The Bible begins its account of the creation of the world with these words: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” We are accustomed to thinking of heaven as the blue expanse above our heads, with the sun and clouds by day, and the moon and stars by night. But in the Bible, a different heaven is meant. Heaven refers to the multitude of invisible spirits created by God to glorify Him.

The word angel in Greek means messenger. God commanded the angels to help mankind, to guard him, and to proclaim God’s will. Angels are invisible, but sometimes they have appeared to people in the form of radiant, beautiful young men. On icons, they are depicted with wings to show that they can fly very quickly — instantly — from one place to another. No distance, no house, wall, or high mountain can hinder them. Near their ears, angels are shown with ribbons, because they are always listening to God’s commands. In their hands they often hold flaming spheres — a symbol that they carry out the will of God.

Just as in life we meet people of different professions, so too among the angels are different ranks and roles. The countless number of angels is divided into nine ranks: Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominions, Powers, Authorities, Principalities, Archangels, and Angels.

There also once existed a tenth rank of angels. These angels, led by Lucifer (in Church Slavonic: Dennitsa), grew proud and rebelled against God. For this, they were cast down from heaven.

These fallen angels, these evil spirits, are called demons. They retain the same properties that angels have: they can move swiftly through space, overcome obstacles, and do not have bodies — but they have become fixed in evil. For them, repentance and correction are no longer possible, as it is for human beings. They hate mankind and constantly try to lead people into sin.

Holy Archangels and Angels, pray to God for us!

What does the Bible mean by the word heaven?
How is the word angel translated?
How many angelic ranks did God create? List them.
Who are the demons?
What is the purpose of angels?
Is repentance possible for demons?

GUARDIAN ANGEL #

At Baptism, God gives each person a guardian angel. This angel invisibly accompanies the person throughout life, protects him from harm, and guides him toward good deeds. When a person dies and his soul is separated from the body, the guardian angel accompanies the soul on its journey to God. At that time, the demons recall all the person’s evil deeds, while the angel, by contrast, tells of the good deeds — of prayer, almsgiving, and repentance.

In earlier times, it was customary at baptism to name the infant after the saint whose feast was celebrated on that day. That day was called a name day, or angel’s day. Today, name days do not always coincide with the day of baptism, but the day commemorating the saint whose name a person bears is still called his angel’s day.

The heavenly patron whose name the Christian bears is prayed to alongside the guardian angel. For a Christian, the angel’s day is even more important than a birthday — it is the day of spiritual birth, a birth into eternal life. Name days are determined according to the Church calendar. To find it, one must look for the closest feast after the person’s birthday that commemorates the saint whose name he bears. The celebration of the angel’s day should above all be spiritual. Prayer is especially important on this day.

On icons, the guardian angel is depicted with a sword and a cross. He holds a sword because he fights alongside the Christian against demons. The cross is also a weapon against invisible enemies and a sign that the one protected by the angel is a Christian.

Angel of Christ, my holy guardian,
save me, thy sinful servant.

What is an angel’s day (name day)?
How can one determine the date of their angel’s day?
Why is the angel’s day no less important than a birthday?
What do the cross and the sword in the guardian angel’s hands on an icon symbolize?

MAN IN THE WORLD #

First, God created the invisible world of angels. Then the visible world came into being. Forests and gardens grew upon the earth, birds began to sing, the seas were filled with fish, and animals roamed the fields. But this beautiful world lacked a steward — someone who would care for God’s creation and rejoice in the beauty He had made.

Man was conceived by God to glorify the Creator, just like the angels. However, unlike the angels, man was to be visible and tangible. God took earth and formed a human body from it, then breathed a soul into the man. Thus, Adam came into being. God placed him in a wondrous garden called Paradise.

God brought the animals and birds to Adam, and showed him the grasses and trees. Adam had an astonishing ability to see and understand how and for what purpose each flower, animal, and bird had been created by God. He gave names to every creature in God’s creation. The first man received a commandment from God — to tend the Garden. He conversed with God, but among all creation there was no one like him. The animals had bodies, but could not speak. Adam could turn to the angels, but they were bodiless — and therefore not like him either.

So that Adam would not feel alone, God decided to make a helper for him. He caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, took one of his ribs, and from it created a wife for Adam. When Adam awoke and saw a person like himself, he rejoiced greatly. He called his wife Eve.

The first people were immortal. They never became sick, never grew tired, and did not suffer from hunger or thirst, heat or cold. According to God’s plan, in time they were to become firmly established in goodness, just like the angels — to grow even more perfect and to fill the place of the fallen tenth rank of angels. To test their will and obedience, God gave them a commandment: not to eat the fruit from one of the trees growing in Paradise — the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

What were the names of the first people?
What commandment did the first people receive from God?
What did Adam have in common with the animals?
In what way was Adam like the angels?