GPS CURRICULUM FALL 2014 PRESTONWOOD BAPTIST CHURCH

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1 THE PR0 0F ISRA PHETS EL GPS CURRICULUM FALL 2014 PRESTONWOOD BAPTIST CHURCH

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3 Dear Directors and Teachers: This fall we will watch as the prophets of Israel speak God s message of deliverance to a disobedient and unrepentant nation. The wise Solomon fails miserably as a king and the chosen nation splits in two. Israel and Judah are ruled by wicked kings consumed with idol worship. The warnings of the prophets go unheeded time and again. The Hebrews will be allowed to reap what they have sown. Assyria captures Israel in 722 B.C. and Judah is carried into exile in 586 B.C. by the Babylonians. Jeremiah walks the streets of Jerusalem weeping over what was lost, while Isaiah reveals a new eternal kingdom to be ruled by One who will be bruised for our iniquities. There are many important lessons to be learned from the history of Israel and Judah for all people in every nation. As you will see, the Teaching Plan for each journey includes the use of small-group activities called Huddle Groups. At least one or two Huddle Group experiences should be used each week during the teaching time. This will make the teaching experience more interactive. It will encourage relationship-building between students as well as between Huddle Group Leaders and students. We recommend that each Huddle Group stay together for the duration of each quarter. New groups can be created as we move from quarter to quarter with new GPS books. Please be mindful of the following considerations as you teach. Always ESTABLISH THE CONNECTION between the content of the large group time and the subject of the Bible lesson. CREATE OPPORTUNITIES for small group discussions by using the Huddle Group activities every week. Make this a priority in every lesson you prepare. Ask the students to FIND THE SELECTED BIBLE PASSAGE in their own Bibles. Limit the use of the lecture method to minutes. Students learn best by DOING and TALKING things out. Conclude by PRESENTING THE PLAN OF SALVATION 1. A ADMIT that you are a sinner and ask forgiveness (Romans 3:23). 2. B BELIEVE in your heart that Christ died to pay the penalty of your sins (1 Corinthians 15:3 4). 3. C CONFESS with your mouth that you want Jesus to be your Savior (Romans 10:9 10). Together, we are creating an experience that promotes salvation and discipleship as well as laying a strong foundation for biblical literacy. Thank you for serving. THE CHILDREN S MINISTRY TEAM Prestonwood Baptist Church

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5 GPS FALL 2014 TABLE OF CONTENTS Sept. 6 7 Journey 1: LEADING THE WAY 3 Father Abraham Sept Journey 2: WISE AS SOLOMON 21 The Glory Days of Israel Sept Journey 3: PIG SNOUTS, DOG EARS, VOMIT 35 The Wisdom and Folly of Proverbs Sept Journey 4: BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO! 51 The Nation of Israel Torn Apart Oct. 4 5 Journey 5: GOOD KING/BAD KING 65 The Rulers of Israel and Judah Oct Journey 6: FIRE FROM HEAVEN! 81 Elijah, God s Powerful Prophet Oct Journey 7: OIL, AX HEADS AND LEPROSY 93 Elisha, a Different Kind of Prophet Oct Journey 8: OBJECT LESSONS 107 Jonah, Amos, Hosea Nov. 1 2 Journey 9: A NATION IN RUINS 125 Israel Goes into Exile; Judah Is Next! Nov. 8 9 Journey 10: GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS 139 Isaiah Exposes Judah s Rebellion Nov Journey 11: PROPHECIES FIT FOR A KING 153 The Gospel According to Isaiah Nov Journey 12: A ROTTEN SASH, A BROKEN POT 165 David s Sin and Its Consequences Nov Journey 13: YOU RE NOT LISTENING TO ME! 179 The Prophets Keep Sounding the Alarm

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7 J0URNEY 1 LEADING THE WAY

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9 BIBLE BACKGROUND Journey 1: Leading the Way Father Abraham Key Passage Genesis Key Verse You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit.... John 15:16 Key Word Chosen Key Thought Serve God faithfully as one chosen for a special mission. THE MOST AMAZING BOOK The Bible is the most amazing book ever written. It is absolutely, totally, 100 percent true because it was written by God Himself. Scripture tells us in Hebrews 6:18 that it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, everything we find in the Bible is trustworthy and accurate. We can believe it because God said it. We have assurance that every word of Scripture has come from God and that He has spoken truthfully in all things (2 Timothy 3:16). The Bible tells us: Who God is How He has revealed Himself What kind of salvation His Son Jesus made possible How man is to live on earth How one is able to receive eternal life THE BOOK OF BEGINNINGS The Bible as a whole has had more influence on civilization than any other book published. The book of Genesis describes for those who were not present how God spoke the world into existence. It gives vital information regarding the origin of all things. The word genesis means origin. Genesis tells us about our beginnings. 1 The origin of the universe The origin of order and complexity The origin of the solar system 1 Adapted from The Genesis Record by Dr. Henry Morris, Baker Book House, 1976., pp

10 JOURNEY 1 The origin of the atmosphere and hydrosphere The origin of life The origin of man The origin of marriage The origin of evil Without a true understanding of origins, life can become meaningless. Since God created us in His image, we can know our purpose and one day realize our ultimate destiny. MOSES, THE AUTHOR Moses is considered by Bible scholars to be the human author of Genesis as well as the other four books that make up the Books of Law. Under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, Moses chronicled the beginnings of earth s history. He wrote about Abraham s call to build a great and mighty nation. He documented his own journey as leader of that Hebrew nation. He may also have taken written records from the past, compiled them and brought them together in a unified form under the Holy Spirit s guidance. Jesus Himself authenticated Moses authorship in Luke 24:27, 44 as He spoke with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. A CHOSEN PEOPLE Written mostly in Hebrew and some Aramaic, the Old Testament includes 39 separate books. These books portray God s dealings with the Hebrew people, from whom would eventually come the Messiah. It was this Jewish nation of Israel and its people to whom God revealed Himself. They were to become a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:6). They were to represent God to the world just as a priest might be considered a representative or mediator between God and man. God entrusted the knowledge of Himself and His plan for mankind to the Hebrew people. It was their responsibility to preserve it and pass it on to succeeding generations (Romans 3:2). 4

11 JOURNEY 1 ABRAHAM SETS THE COURSE After the Flood and the Tower of Babel, the descendants of Shem, Ham, and Japheth the sons of Noah finally began to spread out across the world and multiply. There was a very desirable area known as the Fertile Crescent that formed an arc between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers all the way over to the land of Canaan. To the east in the southern portion of the arc there lay the city of Ur, an important, but idolatrous, city, in the land of the Chaldeans. In that city, there lived a man named Abram who was a descendant of Noah s son Shem. 2 In Genesis 12, God spoke to Abram and asked him to leave his father s household and travel to a land that God would show him. God promised Abram that He would make of him a great nation. Not only would he be blessed, but God would also bless all other nations through his descendants. By faith, Abram obeyed God s calling. Along with his wife and his nephew Lot, he left his father s household to receive the greater blessings God promised in the future. Abraham s relationship with God set the course of the Bible in three distinct ways God s promises to Abraham took the form of a covenant relationship. These promises became the blueprint for God s plan of salvation. As the history of Abraham s nation began to unfold, God s story of redemption became clearer and clearer. 2. Abraham believed God and responded in faith to the commands God gave him. This demonstration of faith was the key to a personal relationship with God. The accounts of Abraham s life in Genesis portray a man with character flaws, but one who nevertheless trusted God to do what He had promised. 3. The land of Canaan, as described in Genesis 15:18 21, was to become the land of Israel, the Holy Land, the birthplace of the Messiah, the land promised to Abraham, the home of God s chosen people. 2 The descendants of Shem came to be known as Semites. Those who opposed the Semites were classified as anti-semitics. 3 The Bible: God s Word for the Biblically Inept by Larry Richards, Starburst Publishers, 1984, pp

12 JOURNEY 1 Here are the covenant promises God made to Abraham and how He kept them. 4 Reference Promise Fulfillment Genesis 12:2 You will become a great nation. From Abraham came both the Jewish and Arab peoples. Genesis 12:2 You will be blessed. God protected Abraham and allowed him to accumulate wealth. Genesis 12:2 Genesis 12:3 Genesis 12:3 Genesis 12:7 Your name will be great and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and I will curse those who curse you. Through you, all peoples of the earth will be blessed. Your offspring will possess this land. Jews, Muslims, & Christians honor Abraham as the founder of their faith. Throughout history, those who have persecuted the Jews have suffered themselves. The written contents of the Bible and Jesus, the Savior, came through the line of Abraham s descendants. Israel remains the land that belongs to God s chosen people. At some point in the future, it will once again belong solely to these chosen people. THE SON OF PROMISE: Genesis God had promised Abraham and Sarah an heir from whom would come many other descendants. Finally, when Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90, a son named Isaac was born to them. He inherited the covenant promises God had made to Abraham. THE TALE OF TWO BROTHERS: Genesis Isaac married Rebekah and she bore him two sons Esau and Jacob. Esau cared nothing for God or His promises and traded his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew. Later, Jacob tricked his father into giving him the blessing of the firstborn Esau. Thus, the covenant promises were passed on to Jacob, who also had difficulty keeping the peace among the sons his four wives bore him. 6 4 The Bible: God s Word for the Biblically Inept by Larry Richards, Starburst Publishers, 1984, pp

13 JOURNEY 1 THE 12 TRIBES OF ISRAEL: Genesis Genesis describes how Jacob acquired his two wives, Rachel and Leah, and two concubines, Bilhah and Zilpah, who altogether bore him 12 sons. Out of the 12 sons, there was one to whom Jacob showed great partiality. His name was Joseph, whose mother was Jacob s beloved Rachel. THE SALVATION OF THE CHOSEN NATION: Genesis Joseph s brothers were jealous of the favoritism shown to their brother by their father. Eventually, they sold Joseph to a group of Midianites who sold him as a slave to an Egyptian official. In the sovereign plan of God, Joseph had become the vehicle of salvation for his family and for God s chosen people in the land of Egypt. Despite suffering, unfair treatment, imprisonment, and years of servitude, Joseph rose to become the chief official in Egypt, second only to the Pharaoh himself. As famine spread throughout that part of the world, Joseph s brothers came from Canaan to buy from the bounty that was Egypt s. In a poignant scene, Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers and forgave them. He told them, You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today (Genesis 50:20). Joseph got permission for Jacob to move his entire family of 70 persons to Egypt where the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob increased to more than two million over the course of the next 400 years. Before he died, Jacob passed on the covenant blessings to his sons and to Joseph s two sons. This small group of people who would fulfill the covenant given to their great-grandfather, Abraham, had been saved through no act of their own but by the sovereignty of an omnipotent, omniscient God. THE BIG PICTURE The first 11 chapters of Genesis describe the history of the human race and its preservation through Noah and his sons. Chapters describe a different family in which God chose to bless one man above all others. The rest of the 905 chapters of 7

14 JOURNEY 1 the Old Testament describe the history of this one chosen family and what God did through them and in spite of them. It is in the history of these chosen people that we see how God deals with our sin and redeems us through a personal relationship based solely on one s faith. JESUS AND THE SCRIPTURES Jesus Himself affirmed with confidence the Old Testament as the Word of God. 5 He used passages from Deuteronomy to answer Satan s temptations in the wilderness (Matthew 4). He validated the Old Testament stories of Noah and the Flood (Matthew 24:37 39) and Jonah and the great fish (Matthew 12:40) as historical facts. He accepted the Books of Law as the work of Moses (John 5:45 47). He acknowledged Isaiah as the author of the book of prophecy bearing his name (Matthew 4:14 16). He boldly declared that He was the fulfillment of the prophecies spoken of in the Old Testament. In the synagogue in Nazareth, his hometown, He stood up and read a passage from Isaiah 49 and 61 about the coming Messiah. When He was finished reading, He closed the book and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. Then He said: Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing (Luke 4:21). THE BOOK OF REDEMPTION There is one God. The Bible is one book. It has one plan of grace with one story His story the story of redemption in Christ. It is the story of God s redeeming love for His chosen people. This story of redemption fills every page of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation like a scarlet thread woven into every page. The men and women of the Bible had choices to make to receive or to reject the call of God on their lives. Those who rejected God we will never see again, but those who turned to God in faith live now where God dwells in glory from Adam to Abraham to Isaac and Jacob to Moses to Joshua to Samuel to David to Isaiah and Jeremiah and Daniel. They are joined by Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, Barnabas, Paul, Timothy and many others who make up the Church. One day the redeemed the chosen people of God will join together to praise this Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 8 5 The Believer s Study Bible, W. A. Criswell, ed., The Bible: A Book of Destiny, by Paige Patterson, Thomas Nelson, 1991, pp

15 TEACHING PLAN Journey 1: Leading the Way Father Abraham Key Passage Genesis Key Verse You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit.... John 15:16 Key Word Chosen Key Thought Serve God faithfully as one chosen for a special mission. INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITIES CONNECT the Big Room experience with the Bible story by asking the students questions about how the things they saw relate to the key word and the key thought for the day. Use the following questions to stimulate conversation. a. Who in the family was left out? b. Why is being chosen important? c. How does it feel when you are not included in something? [Attention: Bible teachers, a variety of Huddle Group activities are in this journey. Pick two or three that you think your particular class will enjoy.] HUDDLE GROUP 1: Looking for the truth! A. ORGANIZE the students into three Huddle Groups. ASK them to take turns telling one fact about themselves. It can be true or false. The other members of the group must decide if it is true or false. ALLOW time for everyone to get a turn and then call the groups back together. ASK them to describe how hard or how easy it was to figure out the truth. What did they use to help them decide if someone was telling the truth? 9

16 JOURNEY 1 10 B. DISCUSS with the students whom they ask when they need to know the truth about something Parents? Teachers? Friends? The Internet? ASK them why they think knowing the truth is important. C. READ aloud the following statements, or WRITE them on the board or on sheets of paper and distribute among the students for discussion. ASK the students to decide if they are true or false. Money is the root of all evil in the world (1 Timothy 6:10). You don t have to be nice to those who are rude to you (Matthew 5:44). Parents don t really understand what kids need these days (Proverbs 1:8). It doesn t matter which god you pray to as long as you are sincere. (Deuteronomy 4:35) Being good and doing nice things for others will help you get to heaven (Ephesians 2:8 9). There are so many different religions in the world. There s got to be more than one way to get to heaven (Acts 4:12). DISCUSS why it is important to know if the preceding statements are true or false. What difference could knowing the truth make in a person s life? Review each statement and explain how and why it is NOT true. Use the biblical references to illustrate where real truth comes from. EXPLORING THE BIBLE PASSAGE A. ORIENTATION HAVE the students open their Bibles to the table of contents. SPEND a few minutes discussing how the Bible is organized into Old and New Testaments, books, chapters and verses. You can explain the divisions within the Old Testament: Law, History, Poetry, Major and Minor Prophets, and the New Testament: Gospels, History, Paul s Letters, General Epistles and Prophecy. Have the students LOCATE the book of Genesis and find chapters ASK them to tell you the significant persons in these chapters as you list them on the board (God, Adam, Eve, Satan, Cain, Abel, Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham, Japheth).

17 JOURNEY 1 If time allows, DISCUSS the origin of things we learn about in these chapters. POINT OUT how these people were used by God in the beginning. CALL ATTENTION to chapter 12 and the man God called to become a great nation. B. THE CALL OF ABRAHAM: Genesis 12 LOCATE Fertile Crescent on a map along with Ur, Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, Canaan, Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, etc. DISCUSS what it meant for Abram to leave his father s household and go to a place he did not know. C. GOD S PROMISES: Genesis 12:1 3 What did God promise Abraham He would do? What is a covenant? (a binding agreement between two or more parties) This covenant was unconditional. God would do what He said, no matter what Abraham did. Great nation Personal blessing Great name New land Trouble for those who would harm Israel Blessing to all families on the earth D. HIS DESCENDANTS Briefly SUMMARIZE to whom these covenant blessings were passed so that students get the big picture. Isaac: Genesis 21:1 3 Esau/Jacob: Genesis 27:30 40 Jacob becomes Israel: Genesis 35:9 11 Joseph s trouble with his brothers: Genesis 37:28 36 Jacob s 12 sons: Genesis 48:17 20; 49:1 28 A family saved: Genesis 50:15 20 E. CONCLUSION PROVIDE students with a blank piece of paper and ask them to draw pictures or write down the names of those God used to 11

18 JOURNEY 1 12 produce the nation of Israel. [They should include: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and the other 11 brothers (their names optional).] EXPLAIN how God used Joseph s slavery in Egypt to preserve the nation in the beginning. DESCRIBE how Joseph s favored status ended as new pharaohs rose to power and eventually made the Hebrews slaves. QUOTE Genesis 50:20 with great emotion as you POINT OUT the sovereignty of God. DESCRIBE how Joseph s favored status ended as different pharaohs rose to power and eventually enslaved the Jews. THE CROSSROADS SAY: Like Joseph, one of his brothers had a special assignment from God that would preserve the future of Israel and fulfill the last promise God had made to Abraham. Jacob s blessings spoken over Judah, his fourth son, revealed a line of royalty to come from his descendants. This included the rules of King David, King Solomon and their most important descendant, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Savior of the world would come out of the tribe of Judah. He would be called (in the lineage in the book of Matthew) the son of David and the son of Abraham. He was born in the fullness of time in Bethlehem, the city of David. In Jesus all the nations of the earth would be blessed as God had promised Abraham in Genesis 12. ASK: Today you can become one of God s chosen people just like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. The way you can do that is through one of their descendants. A. The Bible (Romans 3:23) tells us that we are all sinners, every one of us. That sin has separated us from the loving and holy God that chose Abraham as His special servant so long ago. God wants us to admit that we are sinners and to ask for His forgiveness. B. The Bible (1 Corinthians 15:3 5) also tells us that if we believe by faith that Jesus death on the Cross made a way for us to find forgiveness, then we can be saved and become part of His chosen people. We need to tell God that we want to receive His salvation as a free gift of love, apart from anything we could do to earn it.

19 JOURNEY 1 C. The Bible (Romans 10:9 10) asks us to confess publicly with our own mouth that we want to receive this forgiveness and pardon from God so that we can have eternal life with Him. SAY: As a child of the King, God has chosen you to bring honor and glory to Him. What a privilege to be chosen by the King! CLOSE in prayer and ASK anyone who wants to talk with you about their salvation to see you in private. HUDDLE GROUP 2: Patriarch Scramble Supplies: Bible timeline 6 ; index cards with the names of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua ; red yarn or ribbon This activity can be used as a game to be played in small groups as a timed competition. Or, it can be used as an individual take-home project. Have the students get into their Huddle Groups. Provide each Huddle Group with one set of patriarchs. Lay out the cards face down along with the yarn/ribbon on a flat surface. Give each group two minutes to string their cards in the correct order on the piece of yarn or ribbon. Students may look at your timeline for help but this will cut into their allotted time. Have each group check the accuracy of their arrangement as you read out the correct order. HUDDLE GROUP 3: Copy! Copy! Copy! Supplies: Scroll paper, markers/pens, red ribbon Directions: To help students understand how difficult this process of copying Scripture really was, have them copy on scroll paper 2 Timothy 3: Then let them switch papers with one another to check the 6 Bible Tools for Kids: Time Line and Activities CD, Standard Publishing, 2006, 13

20 JOURNEY 1 14 accuracy of the copying. Use colored markers to show any mistakes, including punctuation. This will serve to illustrate how tedious and how important this process really was. If any mistakes were made, give them another scroll and ask them to copy it over. Provide a piece of red ribbon to use for tying up the scroll only when a perfect copy has been completed. Explain that God made sure that His Word always conveyed the truth by protecting His message as it was copied, translated, and passed on from one generation to the next. God s guiding hand on those who copied the text and kept it in scrolls guaranteed the preservation of His truth. ASK: Who copied a perfect set of verses? Now do you understand better what it took to copy the whole Bible? God guided the hands of each man who did this. OPTIONAL DEMONSTRATION: Inspirational Balloons BLOW UP several different shapes and colors of balloons. COMMENT on how each balloon took on a shape and color that had been designed for it. The purpose for each balloon could not be realized until it was filled with air. ASK: How are these balloons like the Bible? [Wait to see if any student will comment.] Explain what the word inspiration means. It comes from Latin inspirare which means to breathe into. Talk about how each balloon took form and shape only as the air was forced into it. Describe how the Holy Spirit is like the air in the balloon. God filled the minds of the men who wrote the Bible by helping them choose the right words and phrases. Each word carried a special meaning and the exact word God wanted must be used. The Holy Spirit gave form and shape to their writing by helping them choose the right words just like the air filled the balloon to give it shape. The balloon would be useless without the air, just like the writers of Scripture would have lacked power to communicate God s truth without the filling of the Holy Spirit.

21 JOURNEY 1 HUDDLE GROUP 4: What Would You Do? (Older Students) All Scripture every single word has been given to us for one of these purposes: Doctrine to know what is right to do and believe Reproof to know what is wrong and should not be done or believed Correction to know what to do to correct a wrong choice Instruction to know how to consistently make right decisions that please God Read 2 Timothy 3: Then discuss these situations. What does the Bible say about how we should behave? You are taking a test in school and forget some of the answers, but you really studied and think you deserve to get a good grade. You casually look at the person sitting next to you and see the answer you need. What should you do? How do you know if your choice is right or wrong? Look up Ephesians 4:28. You see a video game you really want. No one is looking. All of your friends already have the game, but your family can t afford to buy it for you. Maybe your parents don t think it is a good idea to play this sort of game. What is the right thing to do? How do you know? Look up Hebrews 13:5. Your sister or brother is having a birthday party and you get tired of all the attention they are getting. You start to whine and complain. You want to play with their new gifts and you want people to notice you. Is that wrong? Why or why not? What is the right thing to do? Look up Galatians 5:22. HUDDLE GROUP 5: The World Today (Older Students) Secure a modern-day world map. Bring articles from magazines, newspapers or the web that talk about the conflict in the Mideast. Have students gather around the map to find Israel. Then help them locate the countries around Israel (Syria, Iran, Iraq) who hate the Jews. Remind the students of what God said would happen to those who cursed Israel (Genesis 12:3). Explain how the conflict described in Revelation will take place in and around Israel. 15

22 JOURNEY 1 BIBLE LEARNING PROJECT: Books of the Bible Cross Supplies: Large foam crosses, foam squares, die-cut of a small open Bible preprinted with the books of the Bible, glue sticks Distribute glue sticks to each table. Provide a cross, foam squares and a die-cut Bible to each student. Instruct the students to glue the foam squares on to the cross, then attach the Bible. Challenge the students to work in pairs to memorize the books of the Bible in the correct order. HUDDLE GROUP 6: A Look at the Book Provide a hands-on experience with the Bible, so the students will become familiar with its organization. [Younger students will need more information and assistance as you work through these activities.] Have the students do the following: Locate the Old Testament. What is the name of the first book and the last book that make up the Old Testament? (Genesis and Malachi) Locate the New Testament and identify the names of the first and last books. (Matthew and Revelation) Find the book of Psalms in the middle of the Bible. Locate Chapter 119. How many verses does it have? (176) Find the first four books of the New Testament called the Gospels. What are the names of these books? (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) Find the book of Exodus in the Old Testament. Locate chapter 20. What list is given here that every person should know? (The Ten Commandments) 16

23 JOURNEY 1 SCRIPTURE MEMORY: John 15:16 Write the verse on the board. Allow students to choose someone in the class to say/read the key verse aloud. Let this continue for several minutes. As the leader, you can also pick someone to repeat the verse. Make sure everyone is chosen at least once to say the verse. Close by saying it altogether and repeating the key thought: Serve God faithfully as one chosen for a special mission. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit.... John 15:16 REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. State two different names used for the Bible. (The Book, the Scriptures, God s Word, The Sacred Writings, the Bible) 2. From which son of Noah did Abraham come? (Shem) 3. Who was Abraham s father? (Terah) 4. What was the name of the city Abraham left to follow God? (Ur) 5. What is another name for the promised land of Canaan? (Israel) 6. Who was Abraham s wife? (Sarah) 7. What was the name of their son? (Isaac) 8. Who had a set of twins Jacob or Isaac? (Isaac) 9. What were their names? (Jacob and Esau) 10. Who was the firstborn? (Esau) 11. Why did he fail to get his father s blessing? (Jacob tricked his father into thinking that he was Esau.) 12. How did Joseph end up in Egypt? (brothers sold him into slavery) 13. Why was this a good thing? (Egypt eventually became a home for Jacob and his 12 sons.) 14. Which one of Jacob s brothers would be the ancestor of the Messiah? (Judah) 15. What do we call the promises that God made to Abraham? (a covenant) 17

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25 J0URNEY 2 WISE AS S0L0M0N

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27 BIBLE BACKGROUND Journey 2: Wise as Solomon The Glory Days of Israel Key Passages 1 Kings 2:10 12; 3:7 28; 8:12 25; 10:1 9 Key Verse If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all... and it will be given him. James 1:5 Key Word Wisdom Key thought Fill your mind with the wisdom that can only come from God s Word. SOLOMON, DAVID S SUCCESSOR Before David died, he publicly proclaimed that Solomon was to be his successor. God had determined that Solomon, the son of David and Bathsheba, would inherit the throne of Israel. Solomon s rule ushered in the Golden Age of Israel. He conquered the warlike peoples that surrounded Israel in order to enlarge his territory. He expanded the kingdom until it covered 60,000 square miles; this was 10 times larger than the kingdom David inherited from King Saul. 7 The nation of Israel encompassed all the land God had described to Joshua (Joshua 1:4). He made political alliances with countries surrounding Israel to ensure peace. He did away with the old tribal systems and divided the land into 12 administrative districts with an officer appointed over each. Because Israel was located in the middle of all the important trade routes in the ancient world, Solomon was able to establish a vibrant economy based on trade and commercialism. Merchant caravans carried Israel s commodities through the deserts and up and down the Nile River into the plains of the Tigris and Euphrates. 7 Understanding Kings and Chronicles, What the Bible Is All About by Dr. Henrietta C. Mears, Regal Books, rev. ed. 1998, p

28 JOURNEY 2 A STATE VISIT FROM THE QUEEN OF SHEBA The Queen of Sheba heard of the wealth and the wisdom of the great King Solomon. (1 Kings 10:1 9). She came bearing gifts, but her primary goal was to verify what she had heard about this king, his wealth and the nation of Israel. She tested his wisdom by asking him many things he easily answered. When she saw his wealth, the palace he had built and the temple to his God, she was left breathless (1 Kings 10:5). She declared that the wisdom and prosperity she had seen exceeded what she had heard. She affirmed that it was God s certain blessings on Solomon that had made the nation of Israel so great. THE WISDOM OF SOLOMON Solomon is known throughout history for his great wisdom (1 Kings 3:7 9). He is credited with having written 3,000 proverbs (1 Kings 4:32) and more than a thousand songs of praise. One example of Solomon s wisdom is found in the story of two women arguing over a child as described in 1 Kings 3: The two women lived in the same house. Both of them had recently given birth to a son. One woman claimed that in the middle of the night the other woman had rolled over on her baby and killed him. She accused the woman of switching her dead child with her living child while she was asleep. Now both women claimed the living child as their own. They were asking Solomon to determine who the real mother was. Solomon studied the matter carefully. He called for his sword and ordered his servants to cut the child in half and give one half to each woman. One woman begged the wise king not to do such a thing but to give the child to the other woman so that he might live. The other woman agreed to splitting of the child in half so that neither one would have a son. Judging from the two different responses, King Solomon was able to discern who the real mother was. He gave the child to the woman who had been willing to give up her son in order that he might live. He knew the woman who had lied was the one who did not object to the death of the baby. 22 When the people of Israel heard of the king s decision, they recognized his wisdom as coming only from the blessing of God.

29 JOURNEY 2 SOLOMON S GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT: 1 Kings 8:12 25 Solomon s greatest achievement was the construction of a beautiful temple in the heart of Jerusalem. David had wanted to build the temple, but God had reserved that task for Solomon (2 Samuel 7:12 13). David had waged many wars and killed many people in order to secure the borders of Israel. This shedding of blood prevented him from building the temple himself (1 Chronicles 22:8) However, David made detailed plans for the temple as God directed him (1 Chronicles 28:11 13). Its basic design was like that of the tabernacle with the two inner areas designated as the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. He gave much of his wealth to the project. He collected the best building materials available to place at Solomon s disposal. He bartered with King Hiram of Tyre in order to obtain wood from the great cedars of Lebanon. When the time was right, God ordered the temple built. Solomon began laying its foundation stones 480 years after the Exodus from Egypt. The year was 960 B.C. The temple site was located on the spot where Abraham had offered Isaac on Mount Moriah (Genesis 22:2; 2 Chronicles 3:1). Jews call this site the Temple Mount. The building site was to be kept quiet and worshipful at all times. The stone cutting and woodwork were done offsite so as to make this possible (1 Kings 6:7 15). The project took seven years to complete. When the temple was finished, Solomon had the ark of the covenant brought out from the tabernacle and placed in the temple in the area designated as the Most Holy Place. A cloud filled the area as the Shekinah glory of God descended. Solomon rose before the people to dedicate the temple to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He said: O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart. 1 Kings 8:23 Here are some interesting facts about the temple. Solomon poured tons of gold into the temple s construction. At today s prices, the building would be worth billions of dollars. In 586 B.C., King Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the temple and burned it to the ground. The ark of the covenant disappeared. The people were taken captive. In 536 B.C., King Darius of Persia allowed Zerubbabel and about 50,000 people to return to the plundered city and begin the temple s reconstruction. It was finished in 516 B.C., 70 years after its destruction. 23

30 JOURNEY 2 In 20 B.C., Herod the Great remodeled the temple, doubling its height and widening the floor plan. It is believed that with such improvements Herod s temple exceeded the beauty and greatness of Solomon s. 8 Herod s temple is the one where Jesus was dedicated and the one He visited as a boy of 12. It is in this temple that Jesus confronted the money changers and noted the widow s gift of two mites. In 70 A.D., the Romans destroyed the temple with fire. The gold melted and filled the seams between the stones. Roman soldiers tore the walls apart in an effort to take the gold for themselves. This fulfilled Jesus prediction in Matthew 24:2 that not one stone of the temple would be left sitting upon another. 9 Today on this same site stands the Dome of the Rock, a temple built by those who worship Mohammed. THE SECRET OF SOLOMON S DECLINE 10 Solomon reigned in Israel for 40 years. He had levied heavy taxes on the people to pay for his army, his navy, and his special projects. Such heavy taxation resulted in discontent and rebellion among the people. He brought in foreign workers to expand his government complex in Jerusalem. He built a palace that astounded his own subjects. There was corruption among his own officials. The people protested over the hardships Solomon had brought into their lives. It was Solomon s own unfaithfulness to God that demanded judgment. His alliances with many foreign countries had resulted in a collection of wives and concubines who embraced idol worship. Encouraged by them, Solomon erected temples to many of these idol gods and even participated in their worship. He had lost the wisdom he once so highly prized. He could no longer see that what he did not have was more valuable than all he had. He had placed his country in grave peril. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all... and it will be given him. James 1:5 8 Charting the End Times by Tim LaHaye and Thomas Ice, p. 98, Harvest House Publishers, Ibid. 10 Mears, pp

31 TEACHING PLAN Journey 2: Wise as Solomon The Glory Days of Israel Key Passages 1 Kings 2:10 12; 3:7 28; 8:12 25; 10:1 9 Key Verse If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all... and it will be given him. James 1:5 Key Word Wisdom Key thought Fill your mind with the wisdom that can only come from God s Word. INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITIES A. CONNECT the Big Room experience with the Bible story by asking the students questions about how the things they saw relate to the key word and the key thought for the day. Use the following questions to stimulate conversation. a. Who needed a big dose of wisdom? b. Why is wisdom important? c. How do you think a person learns how to be wise? B. WISDOM CHECK ASK the students to get into Huddle Groups and discuss the following ideas. Huddle Group Leaders (HGL) will need to guide the conversation by asking the following questions. What does the word wisdom mean? Whom do you know that you could call a wise person? Where do you think that person got his/her wisdom? How do you think you can gain wisdom? CALL the groups back together and ask them to share what they discussed. 25

32 JOURNEY 2 DEFINE wisdom as seeing life from God s perspective. You can even climb up on a chair to demonstrate a bigger perspective. C. KING/QUEEN FOR A DAY If you could be a king or a queen for just one day and you could have anything you wanted, what would you ask for? [Write the answers the class gives on the board and briefly comment.] SAY: The Bible tells us in Proverbs 3:13 that the person who finds wisdom is blessed beyond measure. Wisdom is more valuable than silver and more profitable than gold. If something is that valuable, I would think we would all want to make sure that we have some. Let s see what the man in our Bible lesson today really thought about wisdom. EXPLORING THE BIBLE PASSAGE A. ISRAEL S HISTORY REVIEW Israel s history by making these points. Israel wanted a king like all the other nations. God allowed them to be ruled by King Saul who proved to be a terrible king. Eventually, another king came to rule when Saul was killed in battle. This king was special to God. He was a man after God s own heart. He was young but very brave. Who was he? (David) David ruled over Israel for 40 years and then his son took over the throne. Who was his son? (Solomon) Read aloud 1 Kings 1:39 and 1 Kings 2: B. SOLOMON GETS HIS WISH: 1 Kings 3:7 14 HAVE the students open their Bibles to 1 Kings 3:7 14 as the passage is read aloud. ASK them the following questions. God appeared to Solomon in a dream and told him to ask for anything he wanted. What did he ask for (verses 9 11)? How did God respond to his request (verse 10)? What else did God give Solomon (verse 13)? Why did this please God? How would this help Solomon as a king?

33 JOURNEY 2 HUDDLE GROUP 1: Who s Your Mama? ASK the class to get into their Huddle Groups. Provide each Huddle Group Leader (HGL) with the following scenario to read to his/her group. [If possible, use a baby doll as a visual aid.] One night a mother lay sleeping in bed with her infant son. Accidentally, she rolled over and suffocated the child. Realizing what she had done, she replaced her dead baby with a baby from another mother who also lived in the same house and was sleeping nearby. The next morning the woman whose baby had been taken was shocked to wake and find a dead baby in bed with her. Looking around to see what could have happened to her child, she found her baby safe and sound in the arms of the mother who had killed her own child. Both mothers claimed this baby as their own. Unable to resolve the conflict, the two mothers appeared before King Solomon and asked him to identify the baby s real mother. How could the king possibly determine the real mother? ALLOW the HGLs to guide this conversation among the students for two to three minutes and then call the entire group back together. Let the students share some of their solutions to this problem. PULL OUT a sword as a visual aid. ASK how a sword could possibly have helped Solomon with this dilemma. READ aloud from 1 Kings 3: ASK how Solomon could have known how to solve this conflict. (He was filled with God s wisdom.) C. SOLOMON BUILDS A HOUSE: 1 Kings 8:12 25 SAY: Solomon not only was a wise king but he knew how to organize and run his kingdom well. Here are a few other things he was known for. 11 He expanded the kingdom of his father David from 6,000 square miles to 60,000 square miles. 11 Understanding Kings and Chronicles, What the Bible Is All About by Henrietta C. Mears, Regal Books, 1998, p

34 JOURNEY 2 He did away with the old tribal system known as the 12 tribes of Israel and divided the land into 12 districts with an official appointed to govern each district. He set up trade routes with other nations that brought goods and materials into the heart of Israel. He brought peace to his country by conquering warlike groups of people who tried to invade Israel. He made alliances with other countries that insured peace on their borders. ASK: Does anyone know Solomon s greatest achievement as king? [You will be provided with a set of pictures depicting the tabernacle, Solomon s temple to illustrate the following: the tabernacle, Solomon s temple, Zerubbabel s temple, Herod s temple, and the Dome of the Rock. A set of labels will also be provided so that students may identify each picture correctly.] HUDDLE GROUP 2: Solomon s Temple SHOW a picture of Solomon s temple. ASK the students how the temple is like the tabernacle the Israelites had in the desert. ASK them to explain how the temple is different from the tabernacle. Read 1 Kings 6: ASK the students to explain what made the temple a grand sight to see. (its overlaid gold) 28 SHARE the following information about the temple. The tabernacle was a moveable tent of meeting that the Israelites used in the desert as they traveled toward the Promised Land. It symbolized God dwelling among His people. Solomon s temple would be modeled after the tabernacle. Find and label this picture. Solomon s temple was built in 960 B.C. It took seven years to build. He built it on the same spot where Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice. The walls made of cedar and cypress wood were overlaid with pure gold. Pure silver and precious stones were used throughout the building as decoration. This gold and silver had been provided by both David and Solomon. The people also gave what they had. Label Solomon s temple.

35 JOURNEY 2 Jeremiah prophesied that Solomon s temple along with the city of Jerusalem would be destroyed because of the sins of the people (Jeremiah 27). This came to pass in 586 B.C. when the Babylonians invaded Judah and took its people captive. In 536 B.C., Darius of Persia allowed the captives to return to their homeland. Under the leadership of Zerubbabel, the temple was rebuilt but not with the same beauty and magnificence as that of Solomon. It is said that the people wept when they compared this new temple with that of Solomon. Find and label Zerubbabel s temple. Herod the Great, was made governor of Galilee by the Romans. Sometime around 20 B.C., he rebuilt Zerubbabel s temple and enlarged the floor plan. This was the temple where Jesus was dedicated as a baby; where He visited as a boy of 12 and amazed the elders; where He drove out the moneychangers; and where the veil in the Holy of Holies was torn from top to bottom. Find and label Herod s Temple. Today in Israel, a mosque sits on the site where the temple once stood where Muslims come to worship Mohammed. It is called the Dome of the Rock. Find and label this picture. THE CROSSROADS When Jesus died on the Cross and the veil in the temple was torn, the barrier between God and man was removed. Jesus made that access possible. Once we have received Christ as Savior, we can come before God in prayer to find forgiveness because we have been saved by faith in Him. Now we have become the temple of God where Jesus lives within our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14 17). If you had to draw a picture of the temple today where God dwells, what would you draw? (a picture of a person) Christ in me becomes possible when I do the following. Admit that I am a sinner (Romans 3:23; 6:23). Believe in my heart that Jesus paid the penalty for my own sin when He died (Romans 5:8; John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 15:3 5; Romans 1:16). Confess that I desire to have a relationship with Jesus by giving Him first place in my life (Romans 10:9 10; 13). 29

36 JOURNEY 2 [Explain the plan of salvation and close in prayer. Invite anyone who wants to speak with you privately about their relationship with Christ to do so.] BIBLE LEARNING PROJECT: Wisdom Coasters Supplies: Ceramic coasters, permanent markers Distribute markers among the students. Provide each student with one coaster. Instruct the students to write WISDOM across the face of the coaster. On the back, they should write the reference: James 1:5. To fill one s mind with God s wisdom, one must pray and read the Bible every day. Challenge the students to read the chapter of Proverbs that corresponds with the day s date. Read chapter 1 of Proverbs on the first day of the month and so on for the next 30 days. Wisdom comes as we learn to apply the truth of God s Word in every situation. SCRIPTURE MEMORY: James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all... and it will be given him. ASK the students to identify ways a person may obtain wisdom Solomon wanted to rule his nation wisely so he asked God to give him wisdom to know the difference between good and evil. STAND UP on a chair and look out over the room and give this definition of wisdom: Wisdom is seeing life through God s eyes. Put your fists up to your eyes to form binoculars. If we saw our circumstances, the behavior of other people, and our own problems through God s eyes, we would know better how to deal with life. ALLOW the students to take turns repeating the key verse as they stand on a chair or small platform. This will help give them a new perspective on wisdom. 30

37 JOURNEY 2 SAY the verse together as a group and then close in prayer. ASK each student to pray silently for wisdom, just as Solomon did and just as James, the brother of Jesus tells us to do (James 1:5). HUDDLE GROUP 3: A Look at the Book Have the students open their Bibles to the table of contents page. Point out the following books that Solomon wrote: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon and two of the Psalms, 72 and 127. Ask the students to locate each one of these books/chapters in the Bible. Have them read what Solomon wrote to young people in Ecclesiastes 12:1. Ask them to describe the one thing they can do today to demonstrate God s wisdom to other family members. REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. Who was the first man to be king of Israel? (Saul) 2. Describe the kind of ruler he proved to be. (mean-spirited, jealous, arrogant, disobedient to God) 3. Who was the next king after Saul? (David) 4. What was David like? (a man after God s own heart) 5. What city is known as the City of David? (Bethlehem) 6. Who ruled after David? (his son Solomon) 7. What did Solomon ask God to give him? (wisdom) 8. What else did God give him? (riches, honor and long life) 9. Describe two things Solomon did that helped Israel become a strong nation. (made treaties with other nations; increased commerce and trade; built a strong army and navy; took in more territory) 10. What was Solomon s solution for the dispute between the two mothers who both claimed the same child? (He suggested cutting the baby in half and giving half to each mother. He knew the real mother would give up her child before she let this happen.) 11. What did God allow Solomon to build for His glory? (A temple) 31

38 JOURNEY What made this temple so beautiful? (the gold, silver and precious jewels used to adorn it) 13. How many temples have been built in Jerusalem? (Solomon s, Zerubbabel s, Herod s) 14. What tent of meeting was used in worship before the temple was built? (the tabernacle) 15. What special item was placed in the Holy of Holies? (the ark of the covenant) 32

39 J0URNEY 3 PIG SN0UTS, D0G EARS, V0MIT 33

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41 BIBLE BACKGROUND JOURNEY 3: Pig Snouts, Dog Ears, Vomit The Wisdom and Folly of Proverbs Key Passages Selected passages from Proverbs Key Verse: And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way, walk in it,... Isaiah 30:21 Key Word Understanding Key Thought Study the Bible to understand better how God guides those who seek Him by faith. WHY WRITE A BOOK OF PROVERBS? Solomon identifies himself as the author of this book, even though others contributed to it. The first two verses of chapter 1 explain to the reader why such teaching is valuable: To acquire wisdom and knowledge, To gain insight into human behavior, To develop moral purity, and To make right choices that are just and fair for others. Dr. Henrietta Mears carefully describes the difference between the Psalms of David and the Proverbs of Solomon. 12 In Psalms the reader is on his knees. In Proverbs, he is on his feet. Psalms give expression to one s devotion. Proverbs shows a person how to walk down the right path. Psalms helps one form personal prayers. Proverbs describes how one is to act at home, in the work place, in the community or at school. Every relationship in life is discussed in Proverbs. In its words we discover our responsibilities before God to our neighbors, our parents, our children, our siblings, business associates, and even strangers. Its pages are filled with advice about everyday living, if heeded, lead to peace and blessing. It was written for young people 12 Understanding Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, What the Bible Is All About by Dr. Henrietta C. Mears, Regal Books, 1999, pp

42 JOURNEY 3 so that they could avoid the follies of immature behavior. It was given to all men so that people could establish meaningful relationships with others. It was laid open before kings and rulers so they might know how to rule justly. WHAT ARE THE BOOKS OF POETRY? The book of Proverbs is part of a group of Old Testament books known as the Books of Poetry. Other books in this group include: Job, Psalms, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon. These five books form the heart of worship and wisdom literature in the Bible, given to a people God had set aside as special to Himself. Hebrew poetry does not depend on rhyme and meter but on the setting of ideas side by side, or parallel to one another, for the purpose of comparison and contrast. This type of poetry is easily translated into other languages. WHAT IS A PROVERB? The Hebrew word for proverb means to represent or to be like something else. A proverb is something that uses a familiar idea to convey a truth about something that is unfamiliar. Here are some examples: A. Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly. (Proverbs 26:11) How disgusting is it to see a dog lick up his vomit? How much more upsetting is it to see someone continuously make the same bad choices over and over? Vomit equals folly. B. Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears (Proverbs 26:17). To walk by and grab a dog by his ears is like asking the dog to bite you. To stick one s nose in someone else s fight is to invite trouble to take hold of you. Meddling equals pain. 36 C. Like a gold ring in a pig s snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion (Proverbs 11:22). It would be ridiculous to try to enhance the appearance of an unsightly pig by placing a gold ring in its nose. A gold nose ring adds no beauty to a pig s appearance or appeal. Likewise, a pretty woman who makes unwise choices adds nothing to her beauty. On the contrary, her lack of good judgment draws attention away from her beauty to reveal her lack of character and integrity.

43 JOURNEY 3 A bejeweled pig s snout is not a pretty sight. Through these simple proverbs a person can be influenced to make wise decisions. Comparing a true statement to something that is humorous, disgusting, or ridiculous allows one to see the truth in an obvious and meaningful way. The principles set forth in Proverbs apply to all people and not just to believers. They provide a collection of guidelines for living peaceably with all men. The person who knows Gods and desires to honor Him will find in Proverbs a set of interesting guidelines sure to keep him/her on the path to wisdom. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WISDOM AND FOLLY? Both wisdom and folly are spoken about in Proverbs as if they are women. The pronouns: she, her, hers, herself, are used to refer to both of these concepts. Wisdom, as described in Proverbs 8, represents the dynamic Word of God. In the New Testament, Jesus becomes the Wisdom and the Word of God in human flesh. The book of Proverbs describes wisdom in this manner. She calls aloud in the street (1:20). She provides riches and honor (3:16). She brings recognition and reward (4:9). She provides much counsel (8:14). Her words are filled with righteousness (8:8). She hates pride and arrogance (8:13). She is the most important thing a person can possess (4:7). She offers long life (4:10). She will guide one s steps in every area of life (4:11). She offers genuine happiness to those who find her (3:13). She provides gain that is worth far more than gold, silver or precious stones (3:14 15). Folly, on the other hand, can and will destroy a person. Like Satan, the great deceiver, folly is based on lies and half-truths that confuse and misguide. Folly makes a loud and boisterous appeal to get one s attention (9:13). She sits and waits to trap the innocent who have no wisdom (9:14 16). She appears to bring benefit but her end leads to death, both physically and spiritually (14:12). She is quick to quarrel with others (20:3). 37

44 JOURNEY 3 She causes children to reject the counsel of their parents (15:5). She brings shame and heartache to the fathers and mothers of children who embrace her (15:20). Those who refuse to learn from their mistakes are sure to repeat them. Learning to be wise will help one to avoid future trials that may result in even greater calamities. WHO CAN FIND A VIRTUOUS WOMAN? Proverbs 31 is one of the most beautiful chapters in the entire Bible. It describes God s ideal woman. It is a portrait of what every girl should strive to be and a picture of the woman every boy should want to marry. This godly woman is described in terms of her inner beauty and her desire to serve others. She is seen as one who: Desires a pleasant appearance rather than one that calls attention to herself (31:22) Honors her husband so that he safely trusts her (31:11) Works diligently to provide for the needs of her household (31:13 15) Shows compassion to others (31:20) Uses her talents and abilities skillfully (31:13) Is worthy of honor and praise (31:28 29) Honors and reveres the Lord (31:30) Allows her own works to praise her (31:31) This is the woman who has rejected folly and embraced wisdom. She understands that physical beauty is only a temporal quality and that charming ways may be deceitfully motivated. She has chosen to fear the Lord and obey His commandments instead and that is the foundation of all true wisdom and the guiding principle behind the book of Proverbs. HOW CAN ONE BECOME WISE? It is important to remember that these proverbs represent general principles rather than absolute promises. Proverbs does contain the idea that those who are wise, that is, the righteous who obey God, live longer (9:11), prosper (2:20 22), experience joy (3:13 18) and the goodness of God (12:21). On the other hand, fools suffer shame (3:35) and death (10:21). Reality demonstrates that often the wicked do prosper and Job, a godly man, experienced disaster and great suffering. 38

45 The two themes of wisdom and folly are interwoven throughout the book. Wisdom which includes knowledge, understanding, instruction, discretion, and obedience is based on the fear of the Lord and the Word of God. Folly, on the other hand, represents everything that is the opposite of Wisdom. Learning to walk in wisdom is a lifelong process. Becoming wise does not happen overnight. It is a process of learning to hear God s voice and obeying His Word day in and day out, year in and year out. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way, walk in it.... Isaiah 30:21 JOURNEY 3 39

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47 TEACHING PLAN JOURNEY 3: Pig Snouts, Dog Ears, Vomit The Wisdom and Folly of Proverbs Key Passages Selected passages from Proverbs Key Verse: And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way, walk in it,... Isaiah 30:21 Key Word Understanding Key Thought Study the Bible to understand better how God guides those who seek Him by faith. INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITIES A. CONNECT the Big Room experience with the Bible story by asking the students questions about how the things they saw relate to the key word and the key thought for the day. USE the following questions to stimulate conversation. a. What do you think about the problem the people were facing? b. What was making the decision hard? c. What decisions have you had to make lately that were difficult? B. WRITE the phrase GOT WISDOM? on the board. ASK the students to explain the difference between being smart and being wise? LISTEN to their answers. (Here are some answers you may suggest: making all A s in school; using one s knowledge to help others; helping others to see a situation from God s point of view; knowing how to avoid conflicts and how to resolve them; waiting patiently for God s timing) READ aloud Proverbs 9:10. ASK: Based on this verse, how can anyone ever become truly wise? (reverence for and obedience to God; knowledge of His holiness) C. MAKE a chart on the board with two columns titled The Wise Guys and The Feisty Fools. ASK the students to help you fill in both columns with words and phrases that describe each kind of person. ASK the students: 41

48 JOURNEY 3 Which group will be more successful in life? What are the advantages of being in the WISE column? What are the disadvantages of being in the FOOLISH column? How do you think you can get in the WISE column and stay there? Where does wisdom come from and how can you learn to be wise? EXPLORING THE BIBLE PASSAGE EXPLAIN to the students that we are going to interview the wisest man who ever lived on earth, next to Jesus Himself. He will text us his advice by way of the Bible. Who do you think he might be? What book in the Bible did he write? What is this book about? [Provide some background on the book of Proverbs.] EXPLAIN that the book of Proverbs tells us how to live a life that is pleasing to God. When we please God, we please our parents, our teachers and ourselves. Amazing, isn t it? When we have a clear conscience before God by doing things His way, then we can be happy with ourselves and be free from guilt and sin. READ Proverbs 19:23 and 22:4 to show how this works. Often, Solomon in writing a proverb would take one idea and compare it to the opposite idea. He thought such a comparison would help the reader see more clearly the foolishness of his behavior. Also, this would help a young person choose the course of action that would most likely please God and lead to happiness and success. Here are some examples. A. Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. A gentle answer is being compared to harsh words. One turns away anger; the other stirs it up. Which would be the most beneficial course of action? (a gentle answer) Why? 42

49 JOURNEY 3 B. Proverbs 10:4 A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. A lazy person is being compared to one who is diligent. One produces wealth; the other causes poverty. Which would be the best example to follow? HUDDLE GROUP 1: Wise Counsel You will be given a set of cards on which are written the proverbs listed below. CHOOSE the proverbs that are appropriate for the age group you teach. Give each Huddle Group two or three proverbs to discuss. Some proverbs will use the same pattern as your examples; others will be just statements. ASK them to read the proverb and try to figure out what advice Solomon was giving. [Allow about 6 8 minutes for discussion and then call on each group for a report.] A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger (Proverbs 15:1). Like a dog that returns to its vomit is a fool who repeats his folly (Proverbs 26:11). For lack of wood the fire goes out; where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases (Proverbs 26:20). Like a gold ring in a pig s snout is a beautiful woman without discretion [good judgment] (Proverbs 11:22). A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold (Proverbs 22:1). Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18). Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man and he will love you (Proverbs 9:8). Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to those who send him (Proverbs 10:26). Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin (Proverbs 13:3). Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it (Proverbs 13:11). Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm (Proverbs 13:20). 43

50 JOURNEY 3 Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him (Proverbs 13:24). (Did Solomon recommend spanking?) Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox (Proverbs 14:4). The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps (Proverbs 14:15). The poor is disliked even by his neighbor, but the rich has many friends (Proverbs 14:20). When a man s ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him (Proverbs 16:7). Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure and trouble with it (Proverbs 15:16). A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest; and your poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man (Proverbs 24:33 34). Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears (Proverbs 26:17). 44 HUDDLE GROUP 2: Proverbs 31: The Woman Every Girl Should Be/ The Girl Every Guy Should Marry The last chapter of Proverbs describes God s ideal woman. READ aloud verses and EXPLAIN what they mean. [Preteens may have a very lively discussion on this topic. Be prepared!] ASK the students to describe any woman they know who appears to them to be a godly woman. It could be their mother, grandmother, teacher, etc. COMMENT on outward beauty that passes away and inward beauty that reveals a woman who loves the Lord. REMIND the girls to study this chapter and become this kind of woman. ADVISE the guys that this is the type of girl they will want to marry. HAVE the students evaluate the following checklist of character qualities. Which ones do they value? Which ones might be difficult to live with? Which ones would be good qualities to seek in a spouse?

51 kindness gentleness impatience consideration rudeness short temper sarcasm humility self-control goodness JOURNEY 3 generosity can-do attitude negative attitude THE CROSSROADS ASK: What if you could have the wisest person who ever lived inside your mind telling you what to do and say, where to go, how to feel, and how to help others? Would that be something you would want for yourself? Well, good news! You can meet that Person today. He is here and He wants to be a part of your life more than you could even imagine. As a matter of fact, He died on a cross so that you might find eternal life through Him. His name is Jesus and He is the source of all the wisdom you will ever need. SHARE the plan of salvation and close in prayer. Let the students know you are available to speak with them about their relationship with Christ. BIBLE LEARNING PROJECT: Wisdom Bracelet Supplies: Alphabet beads that spell BE WISE, cross beads, bead cording Provide each student with one of each bead (B, E, W, I, S, E), one cross bead and a length of bead cording. Instruct the students to thread the beads in this order: BE WISE, putting a knot before the B and after the last E to hold them in place in the middle of the cording. Students should wear their bracelet to remind them that true wisdom is found only in God s Word. Knowing the truth of the Bible will always help them to make the right choices. 45

52 JOURNEY 3 SCRIPTURE MEMORY: Isaiah 30:21 And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way, walk in it. Isaiah 30:21 Prepare index cards by writing out the key verse. Divide the verse into phrases and repeat the verse with the students. Over each phrase, have the students draw a picture of an object to remind them what that phrase is about. Repeat the verse again several times with them to help make it familiar. Organize the students into pairs. Have students line up one behind another as they move about the room. Every other student is to repeat the verse to the person in front of them. Reverse roles and have the other students say the verse. Remind the class that the ultimate GPS device is God s Word. It will be their guide all the days of their lives. 46 HUDDLE GROUP 3: Wise Guys Solomon s words are filled with good advice for all of us. Every proverb is filled with information that can make our lives better. EXPLAIN what the word advice means. DESCRIBE what the word advisor means. Have the class divide into three groups and TELL them that they are going to become wise advisors to other kids. GIVE each group the following questions and have them discuss the best advice they could give someone with these concerns. Does God really know everything I think? Are there any qualities that He hates? (Discuss Proverbs 6:16 19; 11:1; 15:9 10; 16:5.) Sometimes I don t feel very happy. How can I really be truly happy? (Discuss Proverbs 19:23; 22:4.) I really have a problem hurting others by what I say. How can you help me? (Discuss Proverbs 16:23 24; 15:1; 20:15.) How can I know how to make good decisions? (Discuss Proverbs 3:5 6.)

53 JOURNEY 3 I like to sleep a lot. I hate doing chores and homework. What advice would you have for me? (Proverbs 13:4; 15:19; 19:15; 21:25 26.) Sometimes I think I act very foolishly. What does the Bible say about how foolish people act? (Talk about Proverbs 12:16; 13:1614:16; 15:2; 17:27.) I know it s important to obey my parents but sometimes it is so hard. Is that really such a big deal with God? (Share insight from Proverbs 10:1; 13:1; 15:20; 19:26; 28:7.) As time permits, DISCUSS the situations and appropriate advice. LISTEN to what the students are saying and MAKE comments that point them toward a deeper relationship with Christ. POINT OUT that God s wisdom is easily available to us through His Word. CHALLENGE them to read the chapter of Proverbs that corresponds to the calendar date. There are 30 to 31 days in each month and there are 31 chapters of Proverbs. How wise could you become in a year if you read one chapter of Proverbs every day? HUDDLE GROUP 4: A Look at The Book PICK OUT some of the proverbs listed in the Teaching Plan and have the students LOCATE the verses in their Bibles. If they are using their own Bible, TELL them to underline the proverb so they can always find it easily. SUGGEST to the students that they write out the proverbs that are important to them on index cards and review them every night before going to bed. REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. Who wrote the book of Proverbs? (Solomon) 2. Explain how a proverb can convey wise behavior? (by comparing two completely different ideas and showing the results of each) 3. According to Proverbs 15:1, what do harsh words do? (stir up anger) 4. Describe the behavior of a foolish person. (does not learn from mistakes, does not take advice, brings shame to parents) 47

54 JOURNEY 3 5. Describe how a wise person might act. (considers the feelings of others, does not use harsh words, benefits from mistakes, honors parents and those in authority, seeks to please God in all things) 6. Why is a good name better than great riches according to Proverbs 22:11? 7. According to Proverbs 16:18, what causes people to fail? (pride) 8. Proverbs 16:7 explains how we can make peace with those who don t like us. What does this verse say? (Let your ways please God and even your enemies will be at peace with you.) 9. How is discipline a sign of love from your parents? (See Proverbs 13:24.) 10. Name two things the Lord hates. (See Proverbs 6:16 19.) 48

55 J0URNEY 4 BREAKING UP IS HARD T0 D0!

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57 BIBLE BACKGROUND JOURNEY 4: Breaking Up Is Hard To Do! The Nation of Israel Torn Apart Key Passages 1 Kings 11 12; 2 Kings 25:1 12 Key Verse And he said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22:37, 39 Key Word Broken Key Thought Repair broken relationships so that God will be honored. TROUBLE ON THE WAY Solomon had everything a person could want: riches, power, fame, wisdom, honor and the blessing of the Lord. What more could he desire? His nation prospered during his 40-year reign. However, prosperity had its price as Solomon taxed the people to pay for the government he set up. The people began to resent his authority. The tribes in the northern kingdom were jealous of the wealth and the power of the tribe of Judah in the southern kingdom where the seat of government for Israel resided. God had blessed the tribe of Judah. The people of Judah demonstrated great devotion and obedience toward God. It would be through this tribe that Messiah would come and rule as the preeminent Son of David. TOO MANY WIVES, TOO MANY GODS Solomon had another problem that most assuredly led to the downfall of his kingdom. In order to solidify his power as he made treaties with surrounding nations, he married foreign women outside the Jewish race. This was strictly forbidden in Deuteronomy 17:17. Such a practice turned the king s heart away from the God he loved. Yet, multiple wives were seen as a sign of wealth and importance in the ancient civilizations and Solomon fully embraced this practice. He married the daughter of 51

58 JOURNEY 4 an Egyptian pharaoh and defied God s law against intermarriage. At one point he had more than 700 wives (1 Kings 11:1 6). What an abomination this practice was in the eyes of a holy God! IDOL WORSHIP EVERYWHERE As an older man, Solomon allowed his wives to build temples in Israel and worship their idol gods. Often he joined in with their worship (1 Kings 11:5 8). Near the Mount of Olives he built an altar to Chemosh, the idol god of the Moabites (1 Kings 11:7). It was the outrageous practice of the Moabites to sacrifice children as burnt offerings to their gods. God became very angry with Solomon because his heart had so completely turned away (1 Kings 11:9 10). God had given him so much. How could Solomon dishonor God by violating the first and second commandments given to Moses? It is unthinkable. Solomon loved his wives more than he loved God. His focus on loving God changed because of the influence of his foreign wives. Solomon the Wise had become Solomon the Fool. JUDGMENT DAY AT HAND God judged Solomon harshly when He spoke these words in 1 Kings 11:11: Since this has been your practice and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes that I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant. God promised Solomon that the kingdom would be divided and that his son would only rule part of the nation. Israel, united under David and Solomon for 80 years, would now be divided into two separate kingdoms. When Solomon died in 930 B.C., his son Rehoboam took over the throne for a time. The people appealed to him for tax relief. The foolish king refused and the 10 northern tribes rebelled. They separated themselves from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin to the south and made Jeroboam their king. He appointed his own priests and built worship centers for idols. 52

59 JOURNEY 4 Rehoboam became Judah s king. God would allow the tribe of Judah to continue, for out of this tribe the Messiah would eventually come. God would allow Jerusalem in the south to remain as a seat of government for the time being. Eventually, this city would be destroyed as the Babylonians invaded the land and took the people captive. A MODEL OF FAITHFULNESS AND BLESSING Under David and Solomon, the people of Israel had seen what blessings their faithfulness to God could mean. Under their leadership, Israel became a legitimate world power with wealth and prestige recognized throughout the ancient world. From this point on, both Israel and Judah began their downward spiral until the oncemagnificent nation of Israel was totally destroyed and its people scattered among the nations of the world. The people had witnessed firsthand the best that could come from steadfast loyalty and unyielding faith. Now they were about to see the fruits of idolatry when their commitment to God ceased to be the primary focus. They would not like what they saw and their despair would be indescribable. THE KINGDOM DIVIDED These two separate nations now experienced constant strife and conflict for more than 200 years. The glory days of Israel were over and what lay ahead was destruction and captivity. Each of the two nations would be ruled by multiple kings. Some of them would be spiritual leaders but the majority of them would not be. Finally, in 722 B.C., Israel was destroyed by the Assyrians and the people were sold into slavery, becoming what is known as the lost tribes of Israel. Judah held on for another 136 years as a sovereign nation, but in 586 B.C., the city of Jerusalem fell to the Babylonian armies and the people of Judah were also taken away as slaves. THE PROMISE OF MESSIAH The kingdom of God s chosen people had been ripped apart. God could not and would not overlook their sin and disobedience. Both nations suffered the consequences of their idolatry. Someday God would bless the nation of Israel again when Christ returns to earth to set up His kingdom as described in Ezekiel 37:15 28 and Isaiah 11: Because of Israel s rejection of Christ as Messiah, the Jews have been cut off for a time while the Gospel is taken to the other nations of the world (Romans 10 11) and the church is born. 53

60 JOURNEY 4 MODERN ISRAEL Since the Babylonian captivity, Jews have been persecuted throughout the world as part of Satan s plan to destroy God s ultimate rule. After the Holocaust of World War II, Jews began streaming back into Palestine from all parts of the globe. The people of Israel were beginning to return to their land after 19 centuries of dispersion. They wanted a homeland where they could live in safety, one they could protect and defend as their own. In 1947 the United Nations voted to partition Palestine into two sections, one Israeli section and one for Arabs. Israel declared her independence and the British government withdrew its occupation of their territory. In 1948 the United States and Russia recognized the state of Israel as a new nation and Israel was admitted as a full member to the United Nations. This was due primarily to the support of the United States, Britain, France, and Russia. This was the first re-gathering in unbelief for Israel as described in Ezekiel 20:33 38, Isaiah 11:11 12 and in Zephaniah 1: There will be second re-gathering in belief at the end of the Tribulation as Christ sets up His millennial reign. This is prophesied in Zechariah 10:8 12, Jeremiah 31:7 10, and Matthew 24:31. Its fulfillment is found after the Tribulation at the Second Coming in Revelation 19: THE CHURCH AND ISRAEL The history of the church is intertwined with the history of the nation of Israel. It is through Israel that the world has received knowledge of God, His covenants, and His redemption of mankind in Christ (Romans 9:4 5). It is important for the next generation to understand Israel s history and the prophecies yet to be fulfilled for this chosen nation. Future generations within the church must understand how God will deal with Israel during the end times. They must also know that God promised blessing to those who honored Israel and a curse for those who refuse to honor her place in God s divine plan (Genesis 12:3) a promise still in effect today. Through the centuries, the Jewish people have suffered greatly under oppressive world leaders. Paul described the Jews in Romans 10:21 as a disobedient and contrary people to whom God has held out His hands. At the Second Coming, Israel will finally understand that Jesus is her Messiah Charting the End Times by Tim LaHaye and Thomas Ice, Harvest House Publishers, 2001, pp

61 TEACHING PLAN JOURNEY 4: Breaking Up Is Hard To Do! The Nation of Israel Torn Apart Key Passages 1 Kings 11 12; 2 Kings 25:1 12 Key Verse And he said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22:37, 39 Key Word Broken Key Thought Repair broken relationships so that God will be honored. INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITIES A. CONNECT the Big Room experience with the Bible story by asking the students questions about how the things they saw relate to the key word and the key thought for the day. Use the following questions to stimulate conversation. a. What challenge were the people facing? b. Were they successful in making the right decision? c. What mistakes did they make? HUDDLE GROUP 1: Candy for All! Have the students get into their Huddle Groups. CHOOSE a person to be team captain and give him/her one candy bar for the team. HAVE Bibles ready on the table. EXPLAIN to the team captain that each team member is to sit quietly and read Matthew 22:37, 39. It is the captain s responsibility to make sure this happens. If the group cooperates, then each person in the group will receive his/her own piece of candy. 55

62 56 JOURNEY 4 However, if team members do not follow the captain s lead, then the one candy bar will have to be divided among everyone in their group. ALLOW three to five minutes to watch and see what each team does. Then decide which team members get their own piece of candy and which groups must divide theirs. Be firm; their obedience to the team captain is essential. [Allow a few minutes for the students to enjoy their candy and then transition to the lesson.] TRANSITION to the Bible lesson by asking the following questions or making these statements. Everyone in the nation of Israel was about to experience a national disaster. Everyone in Israel would be affected by King Solomon s lack of obedience to God s command, just like everyone in your group was affected by the team captain s leadership. King Solomon lost his focus on God and the results were catastrophic. Everyone suffered because of what Solomon did. EXPLORING THE BIBLE PASSAGE SAY: Solomon began his reign as a good and wise king. His focus had been on pleasing God and not himself. He obeyed God s commandments and followed his father David s devotion to the one true God. God blessed him with wisdom, great wealth and honor. However, Solomon made a terrible error in judgment. He took many wives from among the foreign nations that surrounded Israel. He did this in order to establish good relations with other nations around Israel. This helped him both politically and economically. Let s look at how it came about. A. SOLOMON NOT SUCH A WISE GUY! READ aloud 1 Kings 11:1 8 to discover how Solomon got off on the wrong path. How many wives did he have? (700) What happened when he grew old? (He failed to give God first place.)

63 JOURNEY 4 How did he dishonor God? (He built a temple for idol worship.) According to Deuteronomy 17:17 why was this wrong? (God had forbidden multiple wives for a king.) How many temples to idols did he actually build? The clue is in chapter 11, verse 8. (He made temples for all of his wives who worshipped other gods. That could have been as many as 700!) B. NO MORE EXCUSES, SOLOMON!: 1 Kings 11:9 13, SAY: God had warned Solomon three times (1 Kings 3:14, 9:2 7; 11:10) not to worship other gods and now he was in big trouble. READ aloud his punishment in 1 Kings 11:9 13, Make a list of all the ways Israel would suffer because of Solomon s sins. God took the kingdom away from Solomon and eventually allowed his servant Jeroboam to rule as king. He kept Solomon s son Rehoboam from taking over the throne after his father s death. He allowed Rehoboam to rule the southern kingdom because of His promise to David. He permitted the nation of Syria to trouble Israel greatly. C. A NEW KING IN TOWN: 1 Kings 12:20 28 SAY: When Solomon died, Rehoboam ruled in his place for a time. However, Rehoboam refused to lower the taxes his father had levied. In fact, he told the people he was going to raise taxes. Ten of the tribes of Israel revolted and chose a new king named Jeroboam (1 Kings 12:20). What kind of worship did Jeroboham bring back to the 10 tribes in the north called Israel? See 1 Kings 12: (More golden calves) What happened to Rehoboam? See 1 Kings 12: (He ruled only the tribes of Benjamin and Judah in the south.) When Rehoboam prepared to go to Israel to fight his fellow countrymen, what did God say in 1 Kings 12:24? (Everybody go back home. Do not go up to fight. I have allowed this separation to take place.) 57

64 JOURNEY 4 D. CONCLUSION SAY: The glory days of Israel were over. Every person in the kingdom had been affected by Solomon s falling away from God. The jealousy between the 10 tribes to the north and the two tribes to the south made the situation even more serious. Jeroboam had no legal right to the throne. Rehoboam should have been the next king but Rehoboam would not listen to the pleas from the people to lessen the taxes Solomon had charged them for his extravagances. Idol temples cost money to build and the people had cooperated with Solomon in their building. What happened to all of Solomon s wisdom? Why had he forgotten what God had taught him so plainly? He needed to go back and read his own proverbs again. God allowed Israel to split into two separate kingdoms. He knew the hearts and the minds of the people were not right. He punished not only Solomon and his son but all the people both in Israel and in Judah who had tolerated the worship of idols in their beloved promised land. How could they have forgotten the blessings God had given them and the miracles He had done in their behalf? The people had failed to remember the first of the 10 commandments: You shall have no other gods before me (Exodus 20:3). THE CROSSROADS SAY: One nation under God had now become two broken nations struggling to find God again. Which nation now represented the chosen people Israel or Judah? There had been prophecies regarding an eternal throne in Jerusalem and Jerusalem was located in Judah. Isaiah had said that a Prince of Peace would sit on this throne. He would come from the house and lineage of David and be the rightful heir. He would even be born in David s hometown of Bethlehem. But where was He? When would He come? How would they ever survive until He came? They desperately needed Him now! 58

65 JOURNEY 4 The tribe of Judah had always been a part of God s plan of redemption. In Jesus this plan of redemption would come to life. His death was the payment for man s sin. We cannot enter into the presence of a holy God in our own sinful state. We can only come before God with our sins permanently covered. Jesus is the only One who can do that. He covers our sin with His blood so that when God looks at us, He doesn t see our sin; He sees only the holiness and perfection of Jesus if we have received Christ as Savior....though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. Isaiah 1:18 [If available, use the sin solution demonstration with bleach and iodine to illustrate how Jesus takes our sin away. Or, you can use the artificial snow to cover up a sinful heart. Share the plan of salvation and close in prayer.] BIBLE LEARNING PROJECT: Honor God Cross Supplies: Scratch-art cross, scratch stick, ribbon Provide each student with a cross, ribbon and scratch stick. Instruct the students to scratch Honor God on their cross and decorate as desired with Christian symbols. We will always experience change in our lives like the kings of Judah and Israel changed from one reign to the next. Encourage the students to purpose to always honor God with their lives no matter what happens. 59

66 JOURNEY 4 SCRIPTURE MEMORY: Matthew 22:37, 39 And he said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22:37, 39 Explain what the verse means. Write each word in the key verse on a piece of paper or note card. Make a path by placing these papers or cards all around the room. Have the students walk along the path saying each word in the key verse as they get to it. Have them repeat this process three or four times until they can say the verse from memory. HUDDLE GROUP 2: The World Today DIVIDE the class into several groups and discuss the following questions. If possible, use a map to show the divided kingdom with Israel to the north and Judah to the south. DISCUSS these questions. What kind of a king was Solomon? What was his sin? (pride, greed, lust) How could he have saved his country from such disaster? What had he forgotten to do? (give God first place) What became the focus of his life? (possessions, power, pleasure) What do you see in America that shows this same kind of focus? What other countries in the world have become divided? (America during the Civil War, USSR divided into smaller countries, Korea, Germany, Vietnam) 60 If possible, refer to an ancient map of Israel to show the kingdom divisions and the invading armies. Then use a modern map to show the country of Israel today. Comment on how much smaller it has become. Explain how the scattered nation of Israel returned to the ancient land of Canaan. It was recognized as a nation again in 1948 in the eyes of the world.

67 JOURNEY 4 CONSIDER: Has America done the same thing as Israel? What do you see that gives evidence of this turning away from God? What could ultimately happen to America? HUDDLE GROUP 3: A Look at the Book Have the students turn to the table of contents in their Bibles. Ask them to locate the Books of Law and to read their names aloud. Tell them to find the Books of History and read their names aloud. Next, ask them to find the Books of Poetry and read their names aloud. Call out the name of a book in one of these three categories. Ask the students to tell you the division in which the book is found (Law, History, or Poetry), the name of the book that comes before the one called out, and the one that follows it. Conduct a Bible drill where you challenge the students to locate several of these books in their Bibles. HUDDLE GROUP 4: The North vs. the South (For Older Students) CREATE a game atmosphere by setting up a competition among the students. Have a small reward for the winning team if possible. Provide paper and pencils for each group. Divide the class into two groups and designate one North and the other South. Encourage them to show some team spirit and maybe even come up with a team name. Challenge the students to think about America and things that seem to indicate God is not important in our country. Ask each group to list ways they can help Americans know and understand the importance of obeying God s commands and accepting His Son as Savior. Read each group s list aloud. Have the students evaluate the lists as you read them. The group that has the most ideas will win. Will it be the North? Will it be the South? 61

68 JOURNEY 4 REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. Name the first three kings to rule in Israel. (Saul, David, and Solomon) 2. Describe how God had blessed Solomon. (with wisdom, honor, fame and riches) 3. What big mistake did Solomon make in God s eyes? (He had 700 wives from foreign countries.) 4. What did Solomon do to appease his wives? (He built temples to honor their idol gods.) 5. What was wrong with Solomon building these temples? (God said there should be no other gods before Him.) 6. How did God punish Solomon s foolishness? (He would not let Solomon s son Rehoboam rule after him.) 7. Who ruled Israel after Solomon? (Jeroboam, his servant) 8. What were the names of the two parts of Israel? (northern kingdom and southern kingdom) 9. How many tribes lived in the northern kingdom? (10) 10. How many tribes lived in the southern kingdom? (2) 11. Who ruled the southern kingdom? (Rehoboam) 12. Who ruled the northern kingdom? (Jeroboam) 13. What is another name for the southern kingdom? (Judah) 14. What city was the capital of Judah? (Jerusalem) 15. What king was prophesied to come out of Judah? (the Messiah) 16. Like Solomon, what can separate us from God? (not giving God first place in our lives) 17. What can we do to always make sure God is the most important thing in our lives? (Read the Bible every day and pray.) 62

69 J0URNEY 5 G00D KING/BAD KING

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71 BIBLE BACKGROUND JOURNEY 5: Good King/Bad King The Rulers of Israel and Judah Key Passages 1 Kings 17 18; 2 Kings Key Verse And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 Key Word Change Key Thought Trust God to help you accept the changes life brings SPLIT IN TWO! God had enabled David and Solomon to build a great and mighty kingdom for the people of Israel. God blessed the nation with wealth and prestige. Israel experienced days of glory. For some 80 years the nation thrived and flourished. However, no sum of gold or act of power could cover the sin that lay deep within the soul of Solomon. Tragically, the wise king acted foolishly by building various pagan temples. God could not overlook his blatant refusal to abide by His commandments. God promised to take away most of the kingdom from Solomon s son Rehoboam and give it to someone else. After Solomon s death, Rehoboam became king of Judah and Jeroboam, one of Solomon s leaders in Jerusalem, became king over the 10 tribes left in Northern Israel. Hence, there developed a northern kingdom and a southern kingdom that engaged in civil war. Essentially, the kingdom of David and Solomon was split in to two separate bodies. THE NORTH VS. THE SOUTH The northern kingdom split into a nation of only 10 tribes and continued to use the old name of Israel. Israel suffered through the rule of 19 different kings before being conquered by the Assyrians in 722 B.C. Ahab and Jezebel represent the worst of these bad rulers. 65

72 JOURNEY 5 The southern kingdom was made up of the tribes of Benjamin and Judah. It was ruled by 20 different kings, some better than others but each with his own set of problems. Young King Josiah committed himself to lead the people in worship of the one God. He did an outstanding job but it was too late. Judgment was coming! In 586 B.C. Judah was destroyed by the Babylonians and the people carried off into slavery. Within less than 200 years, both Israel and Judah were gone. The great Promised Land of Canaan was overrun with invading armies. The temple was destroyed and its sacred furnishings carried off. All must have seemed lost to the few Jews left behind. God had not abandoned His people. Behind the scenes He was working to order all things for the arrival of the Messiah and the eventual restoration of Israel. A VERY BAD KING: 1 Kings 16:29 34 The seventh king to come to the throne in the northern kingdom was a man named Ahab who ruled Israel for 22 years. Of all the kings that ruled Israel, Ahab angered the Lord the most (1 Kings 16:33). He married a woman named Jezebel, the daughter of the King of Phoenicia. She brought a fanatical form of Baal worship that she tried to establish as the religion of Israel along with 450 of her prophets. Baal was known as the storm god who controlled the flow of rain to the earth and was the chief god of the Canaanites. Sometimes child sacrifices were part of this idol worship. Jezebel demanded that Baal be made equal to the God of Israel. Ahab built a temple to Baal in the middle of Samaria in Canaan. God sent the fiery prophet Elijah to tell Ahab it would not rain for more than three years as punishment for such idol worship. Jezebel must have been shocked since her god was the god of rain. Three years later Elijah returned to see if the drought and the famine had caused Ahab to repent. Instead, he learned how Jezebel had massacred the prophets of God (1 Kings 18:4). 66 THE TROUBLER OF ISRAEL: 1 Kings 18:15 45 When Ahab saw Elijah coming, he called: Is that you, O troubler of Israel? Elijah accused Ahab of being the one who troubled Israel with the worship of Baal. Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to meet him on Mount Carmel where all of Israel could gather to see the hand of Almighty God. The crowd assembled to watch the

73 JOURNEY 5 prophets call on Baal to send down fire to ignite a sacrificial offering. All day long the prophets called out (18:26) but nothing happened. Finally, Elijah began to mock them. He said maybe their god was meditating, or may he was busy or even had gone on a journey. He even suggested that maybe their god was asleep and needed to be waked up. (1 Kings 18:27). The prophets continued to yell and scream but nothing happened. Elijah then built his own altar by using 12 stones to represent each of the 12 tribes of Israel. He dug a trench around the altar. He prepared the sacrifice and then he ordered water to be poured all over the sacrifice, not only once, but twice, and then a third time. So much water was poured onto the sacrifice that the run-off filled the trench. Elijah stood up before the prophets of Baal and the men of Israel and prayed that God would reveal His power before the witnesses gathered there. He pleaded with God to do a mighty act that would turn the hearts of the people. (I Kings 18:36 37). Immediately, fire fell to consume the burnt offering, the wood, and the stones; the flames even licked up all the water in the trench. The people fell on their faces declaring the Lord as the one true God. Elijah had the prophets of Baal slaughtered in a nearby brook. Within a short period of time, it began to rain and the drought was over. Ahab must have received it with mixed emotions. The rain was pouring and his idolatrous wife had just lost 450 of her favorite prophets. Elijah would meet this couple again to predict their deaths. A VERY GOOD KING: 2 Kings 22:1 13; 23:1 7 The fifteenth king of Judah, Amon, died after only two years. Amon had not been a good king and his own servants killed him in his house. The people made his son Josiah king when the boy was only eight years old. The Bible says that even as a young boy, Josiah did what was right in the sight of the Lord. Along with his mother, he could have had godly tutors and religious officials who counseled him in the commandments of God. When he was 26, he began extensive repairs to the temple. When a copy of the Book of Law (probably the Pentateuch) was found in the temple, 67

74 JOURNEY 5 it was given to King Josiah. When he heard the words read aloud, he realized how great was the sin of the people he ruled. He understood how God was grieved over the idolatrous worship of his predecessors. Josiah was determined to turn his people back to the worship of Jehovah. Josiah called the people of Judah and Jerusalem together and he read to them the Book of the Covenant that had been found. He then stood to make a public covenant to follow the Lord and to keep His commandments with all his heart and soul. The people agreed to do the same. He began a campaign to remove idolatry from Judah. He removed from the temple everything related to idolatry. He burned all the idols he could get outside Jerusalem and scattered their ashes. He had removed the idolatrous priests whom the former kings of Judah had established as religious officials. He tore down every house, altar, temple, shrine where idolatry had been practiced. He demolished the altars and shrines Solomon had built for his wives. He even crossed over the borders into Israel and destroyed the idol shrines the kings of Israel had erected. He had the priests in these pagan temples executed. Josiah ordered the people to observe the Passover once again. It had long been neglected for 300 years since the days of Samuel and the Judges. The Bible says that there was no other king like Josiah who totally committed himself to observing the Law of Moses. Jeremiah became a prophet during the time of Josiah s rule. In all probability, they worked hand in hand to see that the idolatrous practices were stopped. Sadly, Josiah was killed in battle at the age of 39. Scripture records that Jeremiah was grieved over the loss of the young king as were the people he served (2 Chronicles 35:25). 68 THE SCARLET THREAD Many years later out of Judah would come a king like no other, just as the prophets had foretold. He would have the power to unite the kingdom once again, but this king would be rejected by the people He came to save. In fact, they would kill Him and label Him a blasphemer because He threatened their religious establishment and their influence over the people. These religious officials would unjustly find a way to try Him in a Roman court and have Him executed. Yet, this king would not die. He would rise from the dead out of a borrowed tomb to promise a future kingdom where Israel would be united once again.

75 Centuries have passed and still people await the king s return. Though kings and rulers come and go and nations change their political philosophies, Israel remains a chosen people in the eyes of God. His promises regarding her future have not changed because He has not changed. He is the same God He has always been; He and His Son are one. Those of us who have chosen to place our faith in Him have learned the same lesson that Elijah did: And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 JOURNEY 5 69

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77 TEACHING PLAN JOURNEY 5: Good King/Bad King The Rulers of Israel and Judah Key Passages 1 Kings 17 18; 2 Kings Key Verse And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 Key Word Change Key Thought Trust God to help you accept the changes life brings INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITIES A. CONNECT the Big Room experience with the Bible story by asking the students questions about how the things they saw relate to the key word and the key thought for the day. Use the following questions to stimulate conversation. a. What changes was the family experiencing? b. Were they successful in making these changes? c. What changes have you had to make that were difficult? B. HAVE the students get into their Huddle Groups. Then DIVIDE each group in half and designate some as Wise Guys and the other half as Foolish Ones. READ the following situations aloud and then ASK each group to respond by describing what a caring person would do and then what a selfish person might do. A kid has enrolled in your school. His hair is a little long and his clothes are not very cool. You can tell by the way he talks that he is not from this area. How would you treat the new kid? Your mom or dad is really busy working late hours. They ask you to pitch in and take more responsibility for your younger siblings. What will you do? 71

78 JOURNEY 5 One of your teachers at school is very strict and does not accept excuses for poor work. What will you do when your friends say unkind things about her? A new family joins your church. They have kids your age. What will you do? Your pastor has challenged every church member to witness to someone they know who needs Jesus. What will you do? SAY: Caring about the welfare of others is a choice. You can be caring or you can be selfish. TRANSITION to the Bible story by describing how many different kings (19 20 per kingdom) ruled the two nations of Israel and Judah. Some were good, but most were bad because they did not honor God. They selfishly pursued the things that brought them pleasure regardless of what others might need or what God wanted. How the kings ruled determined God s blessing or punishment on the entire nation. Let s find out what happens when a bad king rules and when a good king sits on the throne. EXPLORING THE BIBLE PASSAGE: 1 Kings 17:1 5; 18:18 40 REVIEW how the nation of Israel split apart because of the sin of King Solomon. Explain how today s lesson provides insight into what happens when good and bad kings rule. [Teaching Tip for Younger Kids: As you discuss the story of Ahab, Jezebel and Elijah, ask the students to respond with a hissing sound every time you mention the name Ahab and Jezebel and with a cheer every time you say Elijah s name. This will keep them listening attentively and involve them in the story telling.] 72 A. THE BAD KING: 1 Kings 16:29 34: EXPLAIN that King Ahab was the seventh king to rule in the northern kingdom (Israel). Of all the kings that ruled, Ahab angered God more than any of the others with his worship of Baal. His wife was an evil, demanding woman named Jezebel, whose father had been a priest in an idol temple. Knowing all of Israel s history, why would Ahab risk making God angry by marrying that woman? 1 Kings 17:1a What prophet did God send to warn Ahab? (Elijah)

79 JOURNEY 5 1 Kings 17:1b What did Elijah tell the king was about to happen? (no rain until God sent Elijah to the king again) 1 Kings 17:2 5: Where did God tell Elijah to go after he delivered the bad news to Ahab? (He left town and went to the brook of Cherith, where the ravens will bring you bread and you can drink from the brook.) COMMENT on the fact that Baal was considered to be the god of storms so the lack of rain Elijah announced was a direct assault on the powers of this idol god. EXPLAIN that Elijah stayed there for three years and six months. The entire area of Samaria, which was the seat of government for Israel now suffered through years of a terrible drought as recorded in 1 Kings 18. [Briefly review the story of Elijah s confrontation with the prophets of Baal.] Read the story in 1 Kings Kings 18:14 16: Who announced that Elijah was back to King Ahab? (Obadiah, the prophet, who was scared to death of Ahab.) In 1 Kings 18:10, Obadiah told Elijah that there was no kingdom or nation where Ahab had not sent men to hunt Elijah down. In his absence, Jezebel had begun killing all of God s prophets. 1 Kings 18:17: When Ahab saw Elijah coming, what did he call him? ( troubler of Israel, a reference to one who brought misfortune on an entire community) Who was the real troubler? 1 Kings 18:18: How did Elijah correct the king regarding who was responsible for Israel s trouble? (Elijah stood up to the evil king and told him that he was the one responsible for Israel s trouble.) 1 Kings 18:19: What challenge did Elijah lay down to Ahab? (On Mount Carmel, Elijah wanted the 450 prophets of Baal, along with 400 more false prophets, loyal to Jezebel to meet for a challenge with him.) 1 Kings 18:26 29: Up to the mountain all of Israel went to see the confrontation between God and Baal. What happened when Baal s prophets called down fire? (There was no response from Baal.) 1 Kings 18:27: What did Elijah suggest might be the problem? (Baal was meditating, too busy, on a trip, sleeping and needed to be waked up.) 73

80 JOURNEY 5 1 Kings 18:31 39: What did Elijah build around the altar? (a trench) 1 Kings 18:38 39: When Elijah prayed what happened? (fire fell from heaven to consume the sacrifice and lap up all the water) 1 Kings 18:39: What did the people confess? (that the Lord is God) 1 Kings 18:40: What happened to the prophets of Baal? (Elijah had them killed.) COMMENT on how this confrontation was truly a battle between good and evil. We must rest assured that God is always in control and will have the final say. Elijah honored God in the face of danger even when he felt defeated and alone. B. A VERY GOOD KING: 2 Kings 22 SET UP the contrast between good and evil by giving some of the background on Josiah, the boy who became king at the age of 8. He was the fifteenth king to rule in Judah. Here are some important verses to read aloud from 2 Kings Kings 22:2: Why can we call Josiah good? (He did what was right in the sight of God and followed King David s example.) 2 Kings 22:8: Josiah had ordered the temple be repaired in Jerusalem. What was found among the rubble as it was being restored? (This was probably all or part of the Pentateuch which contains the first five books of the Old Testament.) 2 Kings 22:11 13: Why was Josiah so upset when he read the Book of Law? (He read about the wrath of God toward Israel s forefathers who had sinned against God and he was grief-stricken.) 2 Kings 23:3: What did Josiah promise God? (to follow the Lord and keep His commandments.) 2 Kings 23:21 24: What celebration did Josiah restore to the nation of Judah? (Passover) Why was this celebration important? (marked the exodus from Egypt when the Hebrews were set free) 74

81 THE CROSSROADS [Use an umbrella to illustrate God s protection. Have someone spray silly string or water as you use the umbrella to fight it off. Take the umbrella away and let the string or water fall over you. The silly string/water represents the painful consequences of sin when we disobey God and come out from under His protection.] SAY: Disobedience brings consequences. For 387 years, the kingdoms of Israel and Judah moved from one king to the next. Some kings proved to be good like Josiah, but most of them were evil like Ahab because they refused to honor God personally and nationally. The Bible clearly states: Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage. Psalm 33:12 JOURNEY 5 Romans 4:20 also states that a person is blessed when his/her sins are covered by the blood of the Savior. What person in their right mind would choose pain and suffering over blessings? Those who refuse Christ as Savior are doing that very thing. Why not get under the umbrella of blessing and give God first place in your life by receiving Jesus as your Savior. There s no better time than now. [Share the plan of salvation and close in prayer.] BIBLE LEARNING PROJECT: Trust in the Lord Card Supplies: Precut white cards that spell TRUST, markers Distribute markers to each table. Provide each student with a card. Instruct the students to write Romans 8:28 on the first letter T then decorate each letter with Christian symbols as desired. Remind the students that God gives the best to those who place their complete trust in Him. 75

82 JOURNEY 5 SCRIPTURE MEMORY: Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 ASK each student to stand under the umbrella and repeat the key verse. Then have the student pass the umbrella to the next student and allow him/her to say it. CONTINUE until everyone has had a chance to say it. COMMENT as the umbrella changes hands that this is the challenge we all have. In every situation I want my life to bring honor to God. HUDDLE GROUP 1: Learning from Their Mistakes COMMENT on how the kings that ruled the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah were all warned to do one thing obey God. HAVE the students get into their Huddle Groups and discuss the following questions. Then ASK the students to make a list of the qualities they want to see in their national leaders. What did most of the kings fail to do? (See Exodus 20:1 6.) What can we, as Americans, learn from the problems Israel and Judah had with their good kings and bad kings? What kind of a leader do we want for our nation? List the qualities you think our governmental leaders should have. What happens to the people of a nation when an ungodly person is in power? As citizens of any nation, what responsibilities do we have in seeing that our country is governed wisely? ENCOURAGE the students to pray for the president and his advisors and for the Senate and House of Representatives. America s only hope is to honor God and His Son. 76

83 JOURNEY 5 HUDDLE GROUP 2: A Look at the Book Have the students locate the Pentateuch in their Bibles. It is also called the Books of Law. This is the scroll Josiah s priest found hidden away in the temple. Have the students locate and name each of the five books of the Pentateuch. Have them find and read aloud Exodus 20:1 6. What had the bad kings of Israel forgotten? (Exodus 20:1 6) In which six books of the Bible will we find stories about the kings who ruled in both Israel and Judah? (1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles) What book tells us about the last king coming to rule Israel? (Revelation) REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. Name the first three kings of Israel. (Saul, David, Solomon) 2. Who was the wisest king to ever rule Israel? (Solomon) 3. How did Solomon disappoint God? (married 700 wives and built idol temples in which they could worship) 4. What king of Israel angered God more than any other king? (King Ahab) 5. Who was his wife? (Jezebel) 6. What god did Ahab and Jezebel worship? (Baal) 7. What prophet did God send to warn the king? (Elijah) 8. What did Elijah tell Ahab was about to happen? (drought, no rain or dew for several years) 9. How long did the drought last? (3½ years) 10. Where did Elijah go after he delivered his message to Ahab? (to hide at the brook of Cherith where the ravens brought him food) 11. What did Ahab call Elijah? (the troubler of Israel) 12. What happened on Mount Carmel? (God sent fire on the altar when the prophets of Baal were unable to do so.) 13. Who was eight years old when he became king? (Josiah) 14. What did his men find while they were repairing the temple? (scrolls containing the books of Law) 77

84 JOURNEY What king will come someday from the line of Judah to rule the whole world? (Jesus) 78

85 J0URNEY 6 FIRE FR0M HEAVEN!

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87 BIBLE BACKGROUND JOURNEY 6: Fire from Heaven! Elijah, God s Powerful Prophet Key Passages 1 Kings 19, 21, 22; 2 Kings 2:1 18 Key Verse For we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard. Acts 4:20 Key Word Messenger Key Thought Be determined to share the message about Jesus with others. ELIJAH WHO? The prophet Elijah appeared on the pages of the biblical record when King Ahab and Queen Jezebel ruled the northern kingdom of Israel as described in I Kings He had come from Tishbe in Gilead and was known as Elijah the Tishbite. Little is known about his background. His name meant Yahweh is my God and this would appear to be the motto of his life. 14 His faith in God was limitless. His zeal was all-consuming. Nothing could shake his confidence in Jehovah; there was no labor too great nor duty too demanding to change his focus. His obedience was simple and unquestioning. He could be stern as he stood to oppose sin or he could be compassionate as he sympathized with the widow in the death of her son. He was a recluse by nature who only appeared to deliver God s message, perform a divine miracle and then disappear again. To him God had given power to shut up the heavens so no rain would fall. He called down fire from heaven at Mount Carmel before the prophets of Baal. BAAL: THE GOD OF AHAB AND JEZEBEL When Ahab became the seventh king of Israel, he took Jezebel as his wife; she was an avid worshipper of the god Baal. Together she and Ahab built worship centers and 14 Understanding Kings and Chronicles, What the Bible Is All About by Dr. Henrietta C. Mears, Regal Books, 1998, p

88 JOURNEY 6 temples throughout Israel. Priests and prophets for Baal were commissioned and ordained by the multitudes. Ahab had given his official sanction to the worship of Baal by allowing a temple in honor of Baal to be built in Samaria (1 Kings 16:32). The Bible says that Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him (I Kings 16:33). Under his rule the prophets of Jehovah were slaughtered. Some escaped by hiding in caves. NO RAIN FOR YOU!: 1 Kings 17:1 2 God would not allow His Word and His prophets to be destroyed. He sent a messenger to Ahab the fiery Elijah who was not afraid to confront the evil of his day. He warned Ahab that God said: there shall not be dew or rain these years, but according to my word. Unless the worship of Baal was stopped, then the land of Israel would experience a terrible famine. Months without rain might be explained away but not three and a half years. A drought would prove that Baal, the false god of the rains and fertility, was powerless to overcome the God of Elijah. GOD S PROVIDENTIAL CARE: 1 Kings 17:8 24 During this period of drought, God sent Elijah to a poor widow in the town of Zarephath. The widow had no kinsman to care for her and her young son. She was led by the Spirit of God to provide the prophet with food and a place to stay during the drought. She had only a little meal and oil left for food for her son and for herself. She feared that after it was gone, she and her son would die. She did as the prophet said and prepared for him the last food she had. Her compassion and obedience were rewarded by a miracle. Her supply of oil and flour were not diminished throughout the period of the drought according to the word God had given Elijah. The faith of both the woman and Elijah were strengthened with the never-ending supply of food and prepared them to meet greater challenges that lay ahead. 82 SHOWDOWN ON MOUNT CARMEL: 1 Kings 18:20 40 Three years later Elijah appeared before Ahab again. This time he demanded that the prophets of Baal meet him on Mount Carmel in a test of power. He prepared a sacrificial offering and explained to the group that the prophet who could call down fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice would be the true representative of the one true God. After pleading with Baal all day long, Ahab s prophets could produce no fire. Elijah then rose to call on his God. He saturated the sacrificial area with water and

89 JOURNEY 6 then he called on God to send fire, which immediately flashed across the sacrifice and licked up every drop of water. When the people saw it, they declared that Yahweh was the true God. Elijah ordered that all 450 prophets of Baal be seized and taken to the brook of Kishon and there to be executed. A LITTLE PITY PARTY!: 1 Kings 19:1 21 After Mount Carmel, Elijah thought Ahab and Jezebel would yield to the power of Almighty God. However, Jezebel did not fear God and threatened to do to Elijah what he had done to her prophets. Downcast and frightened, Elijah ran away into the southern boundary of Judah. He prayed the Lord would take his life. In despair, he fell into a deep sleep. God sent an angel with food to sustain him. The angel told Elijah to go to Mount Sinai where God would speak to him. On Mount Sinai, God sent a strong wind, an earthquake and a fire to announce His arrival. In a still small voice, God spoke to Elijah. Elijah complained that He had done everything the Lord had asked them. Still, the people worshipped Baal and killed the prophets of God. Elijah was now the only one left and now he was going to be killed. God knew the prophet s heart, his pain and his sense of failure. God was quietly, almost imperceptibly, working out His plan for His people. He told Elijah to anoint Hazael as a new king over Syria, to anoint Jehu as king of Israel and to anoint Elisha as a prophet to take his place before God s people. God had held in reserve 7,000 men in Israel who had never bowed their knees to Baal. They had remained faithful to Almighty God and now God was going to use these warriors. Under the leadership of these three men God would complete the execution of the Baal worshippers that Elijah had begun. The prophet s work had not been in vain. God was still on the throne working out the salvation of those who remained faithful to Him. A CHARIOT OF FIRE: 2 Kings 2:1 11 Elijah s work on earth as a prophet of God had been completed. It was now time to pass his responsibilities to his successor Elisha. As these two men stood together on the banks of the Jordan River, Elisha declared that he would not leave the side of his beloved mentor. Elijah removed his cloak and rolled it up almost as if to form a rod. When he struck the waters of the Jordan with the cloak, the river was divided so that the two of them could cross over on dry ground to the east side. Elisha asked Elijah to 83

90 JOURNEY 6 bless him by giving him a double portion of his mighty spiritual power. This was not for Elijah to give. Spiritual strength and ability can come only from God Almighty. Elijah said that if God allowed Elisha to see him depart, then this would be a sign that God was with Elisha and would guide him to be a great and mighty prophet. Suddenly, a chariot appeared with horses seemingly on fire. The chariot passed between the two men as if to separate them. Elijah was scooped up and taken into heaven without appearing to die. So quickly had it happened. Elijah was gone but Elisha had witnessed it for himself. God had appointed him as Elijah s successor and given him the spiritual power he would need for the tasks that lay ahead. Elisha picked up the cloak of Elijah and rolled it up just as Elijah had done. When he struck the waters of the Jordan, they parted again and he crossed back over to the other side. This event validated him as Elijah s legitimate spiritual successor. JESUS AND ELIJAH: Matthew 17:1 7; Mark 9:2 8 The chariot of fire may have been a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus taking the prophet to heaven. When Jesus faced His approaching death on the cross, He singled out Peter, James and John to come with Him up to a high mountain. There before their very eyes, Jesus was transfigured in such a way that the glory of God literally shone outwardly beyond His human form. There appeared beside Jesus both Moses and Elijah (Mark 9:2 8). This scene depicted the truth that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Law of Moses and of all the prophets had spoken as signified by the presence of Elijah. Like the apostles who came after him, Elijah had been determined to declare the word of God to a world that had rejected God. Even through discouragement and difficult circumstances, he persevered. Now the task has fallen to the church to carry the message of the Messiah to each generation. May we all find ourselves as determined as Elijah to deliver the message of salvation. For we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard. Acts 4:20 84

91 TEACHING PLAN JOURNEY 6: Fire from Heaven! Elijah, God s Powerful Prophet Key Passages 1 Kings 19, 21, 22; 2 Kings 2:1 18 Key Verse For we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard. Acts 4:20 Key Word Messenger Key Thought Be determined to share the message about Jesus with others. INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITIES A. CONNECT the Big Room experience with the Bible story by asking the students questions about how the things they saw relate to the key word and the key thought for the day. USE the following questions to stimulate conversation. a. Who in the family became a messenger? b. Were they successful in finishing the task? c. Would you consider yourself a determined person? B. FIRE GOOD OR BAD? Carefully STRIKE a match or light a candle and USE it as a visual aid to transition to the story. TALK about the properties of fire and how it can be used for good and evil. Ask the students to explain what they think this phrase means: He had a fiery temper. Elijah was often considered a fiery prophet. What could that possibly mean? Fire was involved in Elijah s ministry on several occasions. Let s see what this fire from heaven was all about. 85

92 JOURNEY 6 EXPLORING THE BIBLE PASSAGE In the last journey we saw how Elijah prayed for God to show His power and might. God sent fire down from heaven to consume completely a sacrifice Elijah had set up on Mount Carmel. The prophets of Baal had shown themselves powerless against the God of Israel. Fire from heaven had demonstrated God s might. HUDDLE GROUP 1: Pity Parties? HAVE the students get into their table groups. EXPLAIN that we are about to see a pity party in today s lesson. ASK students to share a few details about what a pity party looks like to them. ASK them to discuss these questions: What causes you to have a pity party? How do others know you are in the middle of a pity party? What facial expressions do you use during these times? How long do these parties last? How do you think your behavior honors God? What would be a better way to resolve these feelings of sadness? In today s lesson, we are going to see one of God s greatest prophets in the middle of a big pity party. 86 A. ELIJAH S PITY PARTY Jezebel threatened to kill Elijah after the prophets of Baal were slaughtered. Elijah was afraid and so he ran for his life (1 Kings 19:1 3). As he slept in a cave, he heard God s voice. HAVE the students locate the passage and read along with you. What signs did God send to get his attention? Read aloud 1 Kings 19: (a strong wind, an earthquake, a fire, a whisper) What did this form of fire mean? (God was present.) When God asked him what he was doing in the cave, what did Elijah say to indicate he was having a pity party? Read 1 Kings 19:14. (forsaken covenant, altars thrown down, prophets killed, only Elijah left) What surprise did God have for him? Read 1 Kings 19:18. (7,000 men still left in Israel who had not bowed down to Baal)

93 JOURNEY 6 B. A CHARIOT OF FIRE SAY: Elijah was at the end of his ministry on earth. He had done everything he could to rid the country of idolatry. Who would take his place? There was no need to worry; God already had the right man for the job. Who was it? Read 2 Kings 2:9 10. (Elisha) God sent a special vehicle to pick Elijah up and whisk him away to heaven. Read 2 Kings 2:11 12 and have the students describe the scene. Where did the fire come from? (heaven) C. DEATHS OF AHAB AND JEZEBEL EXPLAIN that Elijah had prophesied about the death of Ahab and Jezebel. Read this prophecy in 1 Kings 21: Then read about how it was fulfilled in 1 Kings 22: Describe how Ahab s death occurred just as Elijah had said. D. JESUS AND ELIJAH When do we see Elijah again on earth? Read Mark 9:2 8. What did Moses and Elijah represent as they appeared with Jesus? What appearance did Jesus take on? (glorious, radiant, shining) THE CROSSROADS Elijah had been determined to deliver the message of warning God had given him. God used fire to show the power of Elijah s God over pagan idols. He used fire to show Elijah that He knew his needs. Elijah was not alone. He used fire to carry his fiery prophet to heaven. He will use fire again to purge the earth of sin s stain when Jesus comes to set up His eternal kingdom (2 Peter 3:12). Elijah has seen Jesus Himself. He has experienced the light of His glory. When a person receives Jesus as Savior, God sends the light of His love to fill that person with His very own Spirit. Each time a person is born into God s forever family, it is a miracle of love and grace. Ask the 87

94 JOURNEY 6 students to consider personally receiving Jesus as Savior if they have never made that decision before. [Share the plan of salvation and close in prayer. Use a candle to represent the light of God s love shining in our hearts.] God is waiting to demonstrate His own miraculous power in each and every one of us. BIBLE LEARNING PROJECT: Share the Faith Megaphone Supplies: Die-cut cardstock megaphone, sheet with ABCs of Salvation, markers, tape Distribute ABCs sheet, markers and tape to each table. Provide each student with a flat, pre-coned megaphone. Instruct the students to write the ABCs of Salvation on their megaphone, then decorate as desired. Assist each student with taping together the sides of the megaphone. Remind them that we all must be determined to share the message of Jesus with everyone. It is up to us to pass the message along. God is counting on those of us who know Jesus as our Savior. SCRIPTURE MEMORY: Acts 4:20 For we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard. Give each student a piece of paper and ask them to draw the scene of Elijah being carried away to heaven in a chariot of fire. Then have the students write out today s key verse somewhere on the page. Give them opportunity to share their pictures with others. Lead them in saying the verse at first very softly and then louder and louder. 88

95 JOURNEY 6 HUDDLE GROUP 2: Determination A. ASK the students to discuss the word determination in their Huddle Groups. What does the word mean? Who do you know that demonstrates this quality? Is it a good thing to be determined? Why or why not? How can determination help a sports team? The president of a large company? Your parents? A teacher? Elijah? Jesus? You? Would you consider yourself to be a determined person? Would your parents agree with your description of how determined you are? Look at Acts 4:20 again. What if Peter and John had not been determined to deliver the Gospel message? How would the church have been affected? What will happen if you are not determined to deliver the Gospel message? What can you tell people about Jesus? B. EXPLAIN that Elijah had prophesied about the death of Ahab and Jezebel. Read this prophecy in 1 Kings 21: Then read about how it was fulfilled in 1 Kings 22: Even though he was king, Ahab died in shame just as Elijah had prophesied. What is the test to determine a true prophet of God? (if what he says comes true) Name other prophecies in the Bible that have come true. HUDDLE GROUP 3: A Look at the Book Look up the following verses and see whose name keeps appearing. 1 Kings 17:1 6 1 Kings 17:15 1 Kings 19:2 8 2 Kings 2:11 Matthew 17:3 What are the names of the divisions of the Bible where Elijah s name appears? (The Books of History and in the Gospels) Jesus knew Elijah well. 89

96 JOURNEY 6 REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. Elijah asked God for something very special in 1 Kings 18: What did Elijah want God to show the people of Israel? (His power) 2. Why was Elijah so afraid of Jezebel? (She has killed many prophets and threatened to kill him.) 3. How did God get Elijah s attention in the cave? (a wind, an earthquake and fire) 4. How did God take Elijah to heaven? (in a chariot of fire) 5. Who was Elijah s successor? (Elisha) 6. Where does Elijah appear again in the New Testament? (with Jesus and Moses when He was transfigured) 7. How did Elijah show his determination? (before Ahab and on Mount Carmel) 8. What do we call the books that describe the rule of kings in the Bible? (The Books of History) 9. In what kingdom did Ahab rule? (the northern kingdom of Israel) 10. What did Ahab call Elijah? (the troubler of Israel) 11. Who was the one who really caused the trouble in Israel? (Ahab) 90

97 J0URNEY 7 0IL, AX HEADS AND LEPR0SY

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99 BIBLE BACKGROUND JOURNEY 7: Oil, Ax Heads and Leprosy Elisha, a Different Kind of Prophet Key Passages 2 Kings 4:1 41; 5:1 14; 6:1 7; 9:30 37 Key Verse For in this hope we were saved... But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Romans 8:24 25 Key Word Hope Key Thought Be ready to explain why Jesus is the only hope for one s salvation. AN EXCELLENT SUCCESSOR Elijah s work as a prophet of God had been completed. He had served God well by delivering the truth to the idolatrous kings who ruled Israel. He had been taken to heaven in a chariot of fire as a final show of God s blessing on his ministry. Elisha would now assume the responsibilities of God s prophet in the Northern kingdom to at least four different kings. The two prophets were quite different from one another. The fiery Elijah was consumed with warning the people (much like the ministry of John the Baptist) of God s coming wrath because His Law had been broken. Elisha served the people in the same manner as did Christ. He performed miracles in the name of a loving God who offers hope to those who repent. Both men knew God in a personal way and both were obedient to His commands. God used their different personalities to accomplish His purposes for each. The accuracy of Elisha s prophecies amazed the kings to whom he spoke. God told the prophet how to advise the kings in battle so that Israel was the victor. Opposing armies found their plans of attack stopped with precision and skill. They feared someone in their own camp was leaking information to Israel. When asked by a Syrian king how this could keep happening, his servant said that Israel s prophet Elisha somehow knew what people said in the privacy of their own bedroom (2 Kings 6:12). 93

100 94 JOURNEY 7 MIRACLES IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES Elisha s ministry in the northern kingdom involved a variety of miracles. Elisha used only a pinch of salt to purify the entire water supply of Jericho (2 Kings 2:20). When a band of youths mocked his baldness, two female bears appeared suddenly. The bears severely attacked 42 of the boys who had taunted Elisha. Needless to say, they could not get away fast enough (2 Kings 2:23 24). During a famine, Elisha was able to save the prophets of God when they ate a stew poisoned accidentally with a wild herb. He simply tossed some flour in the pot and the poison was neutralized. The soup was safe and edible (2 Kings 4:38 41). As some of the prophets were cutting down trees to build themselves a larger house, one of the ax heads broke and sank in the river. Because the ax had been borrowed, the prophet begged Elisha to help him find it. Elisha dropped a stick in the place where the ax head had entered the water. Suddenly, it popped up and floated on the surface of the water, where it was retrieved (2 Kings 6:1 7). When a widow woman told Elisha that her son was about to be taken in order to pay off her debts, the prophet miraculously provided her with an unending supply of oil that could be sold to cover her debts and sustain her household indefinitely (2 Kings 4:1 7). Elisha met a woman in the town of Shunem who allowed the prophet to stay in her home whenever he was passing through. Elisha told the woman that soon she would have a son. Years later, the young boy died suddenly. The grieving mother went to find Elisha. The prophet returned to Shunem and found the boy lying dead on the bed. He closed the door and by the power of God Elisha was able to breathe life back in the child. The mother s joy and gratitude were endless (2 Kings 4:8 37). ELISHA S LEPROSY MIRACLE Elisha s miracles extended beyond the boundaries of Israel s northern kingdom. The faith of a young Jewish girl taken captive and made to serve in the household of a Syrian general sets the stage for one of Elisha s most remarkable miracles. 1. Naaman was the highest ranking officer in Syria s army. He was a man of great social standing and importance to the king of Syria himself. 2. Yet, Naaman had a major problem. He contracted the dreaded disease of leprosy. He understood that this would lead to his separation from society because the

101 JOURNEY 7 disease was highly contagious and incurable. Despite his high position and his riches, Naaman was in a hopeless situation. He could not help himself. 3. Naaman s wife had a young servant girl from Israel. The child knew about the one true God the Israelites worshipped. She had been taken away from her family in a Syrian raid. Yet, she showed great compassion for her captors as she told Naaman s wife about the prophet Elisha, who could heal her husband s leprosy. 4. Naaman told the Syrian king of his plight and of the possible cure available in Israel. The king of Syria sent a letter to King Jehoram of Israel, introducing the general and asking him to cure Naaman s disease. 5. The king of Israel was shocked. He had no power to heal. He feared the king of Syria would use this as an excuse to attack his country. 6. The prophet Elisha heard of the pending crisis and told the king to send Naaman to him. 7. When Naaman arrived at Elisha s house, he expected the kind of greeting appropriate for a man of his importance and stature. It was humiliating for him to seek help from these Israelite enemies. 8. Elisha did not go out to greet the visiting commander. This made Naaman furious. Instead, he sent his servant to tell the general that the leprosy could be healed if the general would go and wash in the Jordan River seven times. Naaman was appalled at the prospect of having to bathe in the muddy Jordan River. Why couldn t the prophet have sent him to other rivers whose waters were clearer and more pleasant for bathing? 9. Naaman s servant reminded him that he had been willing to do anything, no matter how hard, to rid himself of the leprosy. Why would he not be willing to do something as simple as washing himself in a river? 10. Reluctantly, Naaman traveled the 25 miles to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times. 11. Miraculously, the leprosy disappeared with the seventh immersion. His skin was like that of a little child, smooth and clean. He returned to the house of Elisha to tell the prophet what he thought about his God: Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel... 2 Kings 5:15 The renowned Syrian general returned home, healed and prepared to testify to the power of Israel s God. Soon there would be war between Israel and Syria again. God could have allowed the general to die from his leprosy. Instead, He used His servant Elisha to teach a very important truth that went out to Israel s enemies. The God of Israel is God! His power is over all the earth! 95

102 JOURNEY 7 THE DEATH OF AHAB AND JEZEBEL Ahab and Jezebel were still living during part of Elisha s ministry. The Syrian army was ordered to attack the northern kingdom again but this time they were to find and kill Ahab. Something happened and they missed catching him in the battle. Unknowingly, one of the Syrian archers sent an arrow into a chariot and mortally wounded King Ahab. Ahab s blood ran down to stain the floor of the chariot. The king was taken back to the capital city in Samaria where he died. A servant cleaned out the blood-stained chariot. As the water ran off, dogs came to lick up the king s blood, just as Elijah had predicted: Thus says the Lord: In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs shall lick your blood... 1 Kings 21:19 Elisha also lived to see the idolatrous Jezebel meet her death under the rule of the new King Jehu. Aware of her evil, treacherous ways, Jehu had her thrown from a high window. When the servants went to bury her body, they found only her feet, the palms of her hands, and her skull. The dogs had eaten her flesh as Elijah had prophesied (2 Kings 9:30 36). The God of Israel had shown Himself strong in behalf of his prophets. They had placed their hope and trust in God and the message He gave them to deliver. What they hoped He would do to rid Israel of Ahab and Jezebel, He had in fact done just as his prophets had declared. For in this hope we were saved.... But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Romans 8:

103 TEACHING PLAN JOURNEY 7: Oil, Ax Heads and Leprosy Elisha, a Different Kind of Prophet Key Passages 2 Kings 4:1 41; 5:1 14; 6:1 7; 9:30 37 Key Verse For in this hope we were saved... But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Romans 8:24 25 Key Word Hope Key Thought Be ready to explain why Jesus is the only hope for one s salvation. INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITIES A. CONNECT the Big Room experience with the Bible story by asking the students questions about how the things they saw relate to the key word and the key thought for the day. Use the following questions to stimulate conversation. a. What were the people in the video hoping for? b. Was their hope fulfilled? c. Is there something special you are hoping for? B. HAVE the students pretend to explain how to wash hands to someone who has never washed his hands. They can work with someone at their table. This seems so simple but it may prove to be humorous as well. Ask the students what instructions they would give. What are the steps to hand washing? What happens if your friend forgets what you said and just uses soap and lathers up his hands and wipes them on a towel? Suppose he forgets to use soap and just puts his hands under the water and dries them with a towel? What if your friend thinks it s ridiculous to wash his hands and a terrible waste of his time? 97

104 JOURNEY 7 SAY: Following directions is very important. Today we are going to talk about a great army commander who had trouble following directions and taking a very important bath. C. USE an onion as an object lesson to illustrate something that is disgusting or revolting. Ask the students to tell you what they think about onions. Take the onion and cut it into quarters in front of the class. Pass pieces of it around for students to smell. What experiences have they had with onions? Do onions make them cry? Do they like to smell the onion? Do they like to eat onions? Explain that in today s lesson, you are going to use the onion to illustrate the power of God. EXPLORING THE BIBLE PASSAGE REVIEW how Elijah had passed the role of chief prophet to his successor, Elisha. Briefly describe the differences between Elijah and Elisha as listed in the background material. Explain how people felt about the accuracy of Elisha s prophecies by reading aloud 2 Kings 6:12. MULTIPLE MIRACLES HAVE the students locate 2 Kings 2. HAVE them follow in the Bible as you briefly summarize Elisha s miracles. COMMENT about how in each situation God used ordinary things to demonstrate His extraordinary power. [Teachers, you will be supplied with a picture of the items listed in the next Huddle Group experience. Or, you may choose to bring the actual item from home.] HUDDLE GROUP 1: Extraordinary Miracles Have the students at each table arrange the pictures in front of them in the order in which you tell their story. Tags for each picture with the correct Scripture reference will be provided. Ask the students to tag each picture with the correct Scripture reference. 98

105 JOURNEY 7 1. Attack of the bears 2 Kings 2:24 2. A poisoned stew 2 Kings 4:40 3. A floating ax head 2 Kings 6: An unending supply of oil 2 Kings 4: A child raised back to life 2 Kings 4:35 SAY: The miracles performed by Elisha defied normal logic. Oil does not come out of a jar in an endless supply; heavy metal things, such as an ax head, do not float; and people do not usually come back to life once they have died. The difference is that while all these things are impossible to us, nothing is impossible to God. What God knows is so completely superior to what we know that we must put our trust and hope in Him, even when we do not understand everything completely. A MIRACLE AND AN ONION: 2 Kings 5:1 14 HAVE the students open their Bibles to 2 Kings 5. Summarize the key points of the story or read the story from the Bible. However, stop at the place where Naaman refuses to go to the river. Then have the students gather around their tables as the HGLs conduct a demonstration. [Each group will need an onion, a pan of water, a stainless steel spoon, some lotion, and some paper towels.] HUDDLE GROUP 2: Extraordinary Faith Each HGL will conduct the following demonstration. This will help the students understand how desperate Naaman was to get rid of his leprosy. Take pieces of the onion previously cut up and rub it on the back of each student s hands. Tell them to smell it and pretend the smell represents leprosy. SAY: How does that make you feel? It s terrible to have that odor on your hands. Is there anything you can do to get it off? How hard is it to stop thinking about how bad your hand smells? It s probably driving you crazy! Provide each table with a pan of water. Ask the students to quickly dip their hands in the water and try to wash the smell off. Have them smell to see if the odor is gone. 99

106 100 JOURNEY 7 Well, that didn t work! Maybe we should try waving our hands in the air. Well, that didn t work. Now what do we do? Are you feeling a little desperate now? Well, that s exactly the way Naaman was feeling about his leprosy. You would think that when Elisha s servant gave him the cure he would have hurried off to do it? What are you willing to do now to get that awful onion odor off your hands? As the lead teacher, CALL the groups back together and SAY: However, when Elisha s servant told Naaman to go and wash in the muddy Jordan River, Naaman refused to do so. One would think by now that if this would get rid of the leprosy, he would have run the 25 miles and jumped right into the river. Instead, he argued with the servant about the cure. Finally, Naaman did as he was instructed and washed seven times in the river. When he came up the seventh time, his leprosy was gone. His hope of being cured had been realized. HUDDLE GROUP 3: The Cure TELL the students to get back into their groups and then SAY: Now, let s try to get rid of that onion smell on your hands and this time let s use oh yes, let s use a spoon! Sound crazy? So did dipping in a river seven times. Give each HGL a stainless steel spoon. Tell them to rub thoroughly the back of each child s hand with the back of the spoon while it is completely immersed in water. Then have the students smell their hands to see whether the odor is gone. Use paper towels to dry off the excess water. Next, put a dab of lotion on each student s hands where the onion was rubbed. The Bible says that Naaman s skin was just like a baby s skin after he washed in the Jordan River (2 Kings 5:14). How does your skin feel and smell now? SUGGEST to the students that they remember the sweetness of obeying God and doing things His way. Obedience protects us from

107 harm and reveals God s plan for our lives. Obedience enables us to see our hopes realized as we trust God to care for us. THE CROSSROADS TAKE a can of room freshener and spray it around the room. Explain how the fragrance covers and hides the lingering odor of the onion. In the same way, our sins are covered and hidden from God s sight when we have received Christ as our Savior. The Bible says our sins are buried in the deepest sea (Micah 7:19) and removed from us as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12). When we ask Jesus to be our Savior, He fills our life with things that are sweet and good as we learn to trust and obey Him. In Jesus our HOPE for blessing and protection is realized. EXPLAIN that finding hope in Jesus is as easy as A B C. [Share the ABCs of Salvation. Close in prayer as you invite anyone who does not know Jesus to receive Him today.] SCRIPTURE MEMORY: Romans 8:24 25 JOURNEY 7 For in this hope we were saved.... But if we hope for what we do not see,we wait for it with patience. Romans 8:24 25 SAY: Our obedience brings blessing and protection. It is a sign that we understand what it means to be a Christ-follower! God then fills us with hope and enables us to meet the challenges of each day. HAVE each student whisper the verse to his or her neighbor and then so on and so on until it goes around the table. ASK the students to shout out loud the verse they have been saying. 101

108 JOURNEY 7 BIBLE LEARNING PROJECT: Cross of Hope Necklace Supplies: DIY cross necklaces, permanent markers Distribute markers to each table. Provide each student with a necklace. Instruct the students to write MY HOPE on their cross and decorate as desired. Encourage the students to wear their cross as a reminder of how God gives us hope for the future through the Cross of Christ and our faith in Him. HUDDLE GROUP 4: A Look at the Book Locate the following passages in 1 and 2 Kings. What advice was being given to King Ahab? Was this good or bad advice? Why? Why was Jezebel not a good choice as a wife for an Israelite king? What does this tell you about your choice of friends and even a husband or wife? 1 Kings 16:31 Ahab took a wife. 1 Kings 18:13 Jezebel killed the prophets of God. 1 Kings 19:1 2 Jezebel wanted Elijah dead. 1 Kings 21:7 10; Jezebel has Naboth killed so Ahab can have his vineyard. 1 Kings 21:19 It was prophesied that Ahab will die because of his evil ways and the dogs will lick up his blood. 1 Kings 21:25 Jezebel stirred up Ahab to do evil. 2 Kings 9:30 33 Jezebel was thrown out the window by King Jehu, Ahab s successor. 102

109 JOURNEY 7 REVIEW QUESTIONS These can be used to create competitions among table groups. Review questions from previous teaching plans can also be used. 1. Who was the fiery prophet carried to heaven in a chariot of fire? (Elijah) 2. Who was Elijah s successor? (Elisha) 3. How were the prophets different? (Elijah was very confrontational; Elisha had more of a ministering spirit.) 4. What did Elisha use to purify the water supply of Jericho? (a pinch of salt) 5. What animals attacked young boys who mocked Elisha? (two bears) 6. How did Elisha neutralize the poison in the stew some prophets were about to eat? (He dropped in some flour.) 7. What did Elisha give to the poor widow whose son was about to be sold into slavery? (An endless supply of oil that she could sell to pay her debts and save her son) 8. Who was Naaman? (commander in the Syrian army) 9. What was his problem? (He had leprosy.) 10. Who told him about the prophet Elisha? (the servant girl of his wife) 11. What did Elisha s servant tell Naaman to do in order to rid himself of the leprosy? (He was to go and dip in the Jordan River seven times.) 12. Why did Naaman object? (The Jordan River was very muddy.) 13. What happened after Naaman s seventh dip in the river? (He was cured.) 14. What was his skin like after the dip? (soft and clean as a baby s) 15. What happened during Elisha s lifetime that demonstrated his hope in God was well placed? (Ahab and Jezebel both died in ways that fulfilled Elijah s prophecy about them.) 103

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111 J0URNEY 8 0BJECT LESS0NS

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113 BIBLE BACKGROUND JOURNEY 8: Object Lessons Jonah, Amos, Hosea Key Passages Jonah 2 3; Amos 7 8; Hosea 3 Key Verse And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12 Key Word Rescue Key Thought Be assured that only Jesus can rescue you from the punishment of sin. A MINOR PROPHET WITH A MAJOR MESSAGE One of the most familiar stories in the Old Testament describes the encounter between a man named Jonah and a great fish (perhaps a whale). Jonah ministered as a prophet of God between 800 and 750 B.C. In the book of Jonah, he set forth a straightforward historical account of his experiences which takes only 48 verses to describe. The book demonstrates how only true repentance can bring salvation and that God has compassion for all people. Even though Jonah is considered a minor prophet, he has given the world a major message. Jesus Himself verified the historical significance of the prophet s account in Matthew 12: JONAH: A PROPHET TO THE NORTHERN KINGDOM Jonah came from a small town three miles north of Nazareth in the area known as Samaria. In all probability, he was a student of the prophet Elisha. The events recorded in the book of Jonah occurred during the reign of Jeroboam II in Israel not long after Elisha had died. Israel had gained considerable strength as a nation apart from Judah, but during Jonah s time, the northern kingdom was being threatened by the invading nation of Assyria, whose capital was Nineveh. Nineveh was a large and important city in Assyria located on the borders of the Tigris River. 107

114 JOURNEY 8 JONAH: A TRUE FOREIGN MISSIONARY God told Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh and share His message of faith and salvation to the people living there. However, Jonah refused to go. Instead, he did just the opposite of what God commanded him; he tried to run away. Bible scholars are not sure why Jonah hated the Assyrians so fiercely but the book of Nahum sheds some light on the kind of people the Ninevites were. Nahum describes them as a ruthless, bloodthirsty people. They left monuments to their cruelty with long, boastful inscriptions describing their torture and slaughter of people who opposed them. Chapters 2 and 3 in Nahum describe what Jonah could have found detestable. Now, God was sending him there as a missionary? No way! These people were not worthy of being saved. Jonah was not about to present the Hebrew God of salvation to such a corrupt people. Nineveh was considered to be the largest city in the world at that time. It was located on east bank of the Tigris River and was the capital city of the Assyrian Empire. It encompassed an area 12 miles in circumference and included four smaller cities that might be considered similar to our suburbs. Jonah was an old man when God called him to this task. He could have been overwhelmed by the difficulty of the what he was asked to do and feared for his own safety. But most likely, Jonah knew God s goodness. He feared that the people of Nineveh would repent of their evil and that God in His compassion would forgive them. He did not want Assyria to acquire the special relationship the nation of Israel had with the one true God. MAN OVERBOARD! Jonah found a ship going in the opposite direction from Nineveh. He paid for his passage and got on board, thinking that he could escape from the presence of God. God saw his every movement and sent a strong wind across the sea that stirred up a terrible storm. The sailors on board the ship knew that Jonah was trying to get away from his god because he had told them so (Jonah 1:10). When Jonah realized that everyone on board felt that the sea gods were angry at him, he offered to throw himself overboard. At first they refused to do this, but when the storm became increasingly fierce, they took him up on his offer and tossed him overboard. Immediately the sea became calm. 108

115 JOURNEY 8 GOD S PROVISION Whether it was a great fish or a whale that swallowed Jonah is a source of debate. The Hebrew word used for fish is not specific. The fish was obviously big enough to swallow Jonah and to keep him alive in its stomach for three days. What must Jonah have been thinking as he sat inside the belly of this enormous animal? What must it have smelled like? What would the fish s digestive juices have done to Jonah s body? God sent the fish not only for punishment but also for other reasons. Salvation: The fish kept Jonah from drowning. Transportation: The fish carried Jonah to the shore where he could easily reach Nineveh. Education: Three days in the belly of a fish is a whale of a timeout that gave Jonah much opportunity to reflect on why he was in the naughty corner. Rededication: Jonah remembered God s benefits to him and prayed fervently for mercy. DELIVERANCE After three days, God spoke to the fish and he vomited Jonah up onto dry land. Then God commanded Jonah for the second time to go to Nineveh and preach. This time Jonah obeyed. The people of Nineveh responded to his message. Even the king of Nineveh repented and sent out a decree that everyone should turn from their evil ways and cry out to God for mercy. God heard their cries and withheld the punishment He had thought to bring upon them. JONAH S ANGER Rather than being glad his preaching had been effective, Jonah was angry that the people of Nineveh had repented. He was probably angry with God, too, for having extended His mercy to such an undeserving people. Jonah was a proud man and he had scorned these non-jewish people. Three days in the belly of a fish had brought some repentance to Jonah s heart, but it was not enough to keep him from being angry. Jonah prayed that God would take his life. The book ends with God s confronting Jonah s anger. His silence before God leads the reader to believe that in the end he accepted God s sovereignty and submitted to His authority. 109

116 JOURNEY 8 JONAH, A TYPE OF ISRAEL 15 Jonah s response to his call is a reflection of how Israel as a nation responded to God s call to be separate and holy among the nations of the world. The story of Jonah was an object lesson for the Jewish people. The pagan Ninevites (Gentiles) repented quickly when Jonah finally preached. When one greater than Jonah (Jesus) came to the Jewish nation, He was rejected and killed (Matthew 12:40 41). Jonah refused to fulfill his mission, just as the nation of Israel did. Jonah was punished when he was cast into the sea. Israel suffered by being scattered among the nations. Jonah was preserved and so was Israel. Jonah repented and the fish spit him out so that he could live. Israel will be victimized by the nations of the world and then restored to her place of honor and rule when Jesus returns. JONAH AND JESUS Often people who question the Bible as God s Word use the story of Jonah as an excuse not to believe. They point to the story as ridiculous, impossible and mindboggling. However, if Jesus said something happened, then who would question if it were true or not? In Matthew 12:38 the scribes and the Pharisees had heard about Jesus miracles. Yet, they asked Him to give them some kind of sign that He was who He said He was. He reminded them of a story they would have known well. It was the story of Jonah. In doing so, Jesus not only documented the truth of Jonah s experience with the fish but He also pointed to His own death, burial and Resurrection. Jonah s experience symbolizes the death, burial and Resurrection of Jesus. Jonah brought a message of salvation to a people who embraced it. Jesus came first to the Jews to offer salvation and when He was rejected, salvation was offered to the Gentile nations, who in the eyes of the Jews, were least deserving of God s grace. Jesus came to earth on a rescue mission that is still available to all who believe. AMOS: COUNTRY FARMER TURNED PROPHET Amos was another of the minor prophets. He lived in a small village south of Jerusalem inside the borders of Judah. He was a shepherd as well as a simple farmer What the Bible Is All About by Dr. Henrietta C. Mears, Regal Books, 1998, p. 317.

117 JOURNEY 8 His name meant burden, and that is exactly how he felt when he understood how God would punish Israel. Whenever he visited the cities in Israel to the north, he was appalled at the corruption, idolatry and disregard for human life he saw. God called him to leave his herds and go immediately into Israel and warn the people of the coming consequences of their sin. Amos prophesied in Israel 800 years before Christ was born. Jeroboam II was king. Amos was probably old enough to have known Jonah and possibly even Elisha. God also called Hosea as a prophet along with Amos. 16 This was a time of great prosperity when the economy was booming and the borders were being expanded. Money was pouring in. No one seemed to care that God s law had been forgotten. Times were good and that s all that mattered. God used the prophets to warn the people that their disobedience of His word would not be tolerated. When the end finally came at the hand of the Assyrians, it was because Israel had ignored what the prophets had been saying: God will not tolerate your sin; be assured, divine judgment is coming. (Amos 9:9 10). Amos was very direct as he spoke his warnings. God was going to judge the countries around Israel for their idolatrous ways (Amos 1) and this included Judah to the south. The whole family of Jacob that God had brought out of Egypt all 12 tribes would be punished (Amos 3:11). Only a remnant from the tribe of Judah would be spared. In chapters 7 9, Amos compared the coming devastation to five different events. 1. Israel would be destroyed like a land ravaged by swarms of locusts that stripped the earth of everything green and edible (Amos 7:1 3). 2. God would send a fire so intense that both the waters and the land would be scorched (Amos 7:4 6). 3. When God held a plumb line beside the nation of Israel, their sin appeared as a crookedness (Amos 7:7 11) that would soon fall down. 4. The nation of Israel was like a basket of fruit that is overripe. It may look fine on the outside but inside the core is rotting away (Amos 8:1 14). 5. The last vision involved God standing on the altar, rejecting all sacrifice and calling on Amos to shake the doorposts of the temple until they fell on the people and scattered them across the land (Amos 9:10). Each of these visions pictured destruction for Israel and for Judah as well. Yet Amos 16 Understanding Hosea, Joel, Amos, What the Bible Is All About by Dr. Henrietta C. Mears, Regal Books, 1983, pp

118 JOURNEY 8 spoke of a time of future blessing when the throne of David would be re-established, the nations would be converted, and Israel would return to settle permanently in the holy land (Amos 9:11 15). This is a reference to the rule of Christ on earth during the Millennium and throughout eternity. HOSEA: FROM HUSBAND TO PROPHET Like Amos, Hosea was sent as a prophet to the 10 northern tribes in Israel from 753 to 715 B.C. Under the rule of Jeroboam II, Israel was materially prosperous but was decaying internally. The people had adopted the moral behavior of the Canaanites around them and worshipped idols. Hosea had been sent to reveal their unfaithfulness to God as a husband. Hosea would show the nation that: God loved Israel with an everlasting love that would never end. Above all else, God desired a special relationship with the people of Israel. God was willing to pay whatever price was necessary in order to be rightly related to the people He set aside for Himself. 2 Kings describes the period of time when Hosea preached. The golden age of Jeroboam was beginning to fade and the dark clouds of an impending crisis loomed on the horizon. During his lifetime, Hosea witnessed a large number of Israelites carried off into captivity. Finally, before he died, he saw the kingdom of Israel fall into the hands of the cruel Assyrians. A STRANGE LOVE STORY God told Hosea to take as his wife a woman who would be unfaithful. Despite the warning, Hosea married Gomer because he loved her deeply. She bore him three children, two boys and a girl. Each child was given a name that reflected God s displeasure with Israel (Hosea 1:2 8). Eventually, Gomer deserted her family and became involved in immoral activity and appears to have become some sort of slave (Hosea 3:1 2). Still Hosea loved her and wanted her back. When he found her as a slave being auctioned off, he bought her back (redeemed) for 15 pieces of silver and one and a half homers of barley (almost 10 bushels). 112

119 JOURNEY 8 AN UNMISTAKABLE OBJECT LESSON Hosea had acted out God s story of redemption for those who would go astray. Israel, like Gomer, had entered into a covenant relationship with God. Yet, she had so easily been lured away to worship other gods and to become involved with immorality that broke every commandment. God was preparing to buy back His Israel. It would be almost 800 years before the purchase was made when the life of Jesus was sold for 30 pieces of silver, a price almost equal in value to that which Hosea paid for Gomer. 17 God wanted Hosea to use his own marriage as a way of demonstrating what Israel had done to God. Hosea s message took on added meaning as he declared that God would punish Israel for being the harlot. The Assyrians would overrun their country and tear the people into pieces (Hosea 13:16). Hosea pleaded with Israel to return to God before it was too late, but they refused to heed his warnings. The book of Hosea ends with the promise that one day Israel will return to God in repentance and accept the price He paid for her freedom and eternal security (Hosea 14:4 8). The scarlet thread of redemption had found its way into Hosea s house. He was faithful to declare the message but he was grief-stricken to see that none heeded his warning. There would be only one way of salvation and that was God s way. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among menby which we must be saved. Acts 4:12 17 Tim LaHaye Prophecy Study Bible, by Tim LaHaye, AMG Publishers, 2000, p

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121 TEACHING PLAN JOURNEY 8: Object Lessons Jonah, Amos, Hosea Key Passages Jonah 2 3; Amos 7 8; Hosea 3 Key Verse And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12 Key Word Rescue Key Thought Be assured that only Jesus can rescue you from the punishment of sin. INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITIES A. CONNECT the Big Room experience with the Bible story by asking the students questions about how the things they saw relate to the key word and the key thought for the day. Use the following questions to stimulate conversation. a. Who needed rescuing? b. How did they get into that predicament? c. What would have happened without the rescue? B. ASK: What makes a good lifeguard? Let s list some of the characteristics to look for in a person who wants this type of job. 1. Well trained 2. Alert 3. Strong 4. Conscientious 5. Good swimmer 6. Calm 7. Focused C. SAY: Looking at these qualifications, it s obvious that not everyone can be a lifeguard. The same thing can be said about the three men in our Bible lesson today. They were uniquely qualified to be lifeguards. 115

122 JOURNEY 8 However, the kind of rescues they were trying to make proved to be very difficult. Let s look at each one and see what we can learn from their experiences. [Attention Leaders: If you are teaching grades 1 or 2, you may only have enough time to teach the story of Jonah. If you are teaching grades 3 through 6, you can summarize the main points of the stories about Amos and Hosea. Use your own judgment.] EXPLORING THE BIBLE PASSAGE JONAH 2 3: A RELUCTANT PROPHET 18 HAVE the students locate the book of Jonah in their Bibles. SAY: Jonah had no plans to be a missionary for God. He very much disliked those who were not Hebrews. He enjoyed being one of God s chosen people. He was not for inviting any non-jewish people to repent. Therefore, when God told him to go to the city of Nineveh in Assyria, he wanted nothing to do with such a mission. CHAPTER 1: Disobedience Do the right thing! Verse 2: The command to go Verse 3: The big mistake Verse 4: The big storm (who caused it?) Verse 12: Jonah s cure for the problem Verses 15 16: The result of man overboard Verse 17: The big gulp, God s preparation and provision [The Bible does not say that the fish was a whale. It could have been but we do not know for sure. It was a fish God had put in the right place at the right time.] CHAPTER 2: Punishment What an awful punishment! Verse 2: Jonah s prayer Verse 6: Snatched from death Verses 8 9: I m sorry! Verse 10: The big fish burps! 18 Adapted from The Children s Workers Encyclopedia of Bible Teaching Ideas: Old Testament, pp , Group Publishing, 1997.

123 CHAPTER 3: Obedience Here s the opportunity to make it right. Verses 1 2: Jonah gets a do-over! Verses 3 4: Jonah has 40 days to get the Ninevites to turn around Verses 5 9: Score! Verse 10: A merciful God CHAPTER 4: Disappointment The sulking prophet gets another rebuke. Verses 1 2: I knew this would happen! Verse 3: I d rather be dead! Verses 9 10: You are wrong to be angry. Where is your love and compassion? JOURNEY 8 HUDDLE GROUP 1: Jonah s Problem HAVE the students get into their Huddle Groups. Provide an 8 x 11 sheet of paper for each student. Lay out markers/pens on the table. Have the students draw two lines that intersect, dividing the paper into four quadrants. Number each section using 1, 2, 3 and 4. Challenge them to draw pictures and write words in each section that illustrate what each of the four chapters in Jonah describes. 1. Disobedience: Ship in a storm 2. Punishment: Large fish with big mouth 3. Obedience: Fish spitting out man 4. Disappointment: Man sitting under a tree with few leaves Point out details about the story that the students may not know as you quickly walk through each chapter. [Huddle Group Leaders can do this or the Lead Teacher can direct the teaching.] HAVE the students look at their drawings as you MAKE these observations. God caused the storm. God arranged for the special fish. 117

124 JOURNEY 8 God will show mercy on whomever He chooses. Who is Jonah to argue and be angry with God? God expects us to be merciful too. God can delay judgment if people repent and turn from evil. God is always in charge. TEACHER DEMONSTRATION: The Plumb Line These supplies will be provided to make the plumb line: string, chalk, a weight, and butcher paper. HAVE the students get into their Huddle Groups and allow the Huddle Group Leaders to do the following. Attach a strip of butcher paper to a bulletin board. Have different students come up and try to draw a straight line from top to bottom. Have the class evaluate the lines and then suggest the use of a plumb line to see how really crooked the lines are. Explain what a plumb line is and then let the students try to use it to evaluate their work. [Note: You can make your own plumb line by tying paper clips, a weight, or a screw to the end of a string. Rub colored chalk all along the string.] With the string hanging down straight, have one student push the bottom of the string tight against the wall. Have one of the students carefully snap the string against the paper creating a chalk line. Compare the lines drawn by the students with the new chalk line. Explain that this lesson of the plumb line is found in the Old Testament. 118 SAY: Let s look in Amos 7:7 9 to see how God used a plumb line to evaluate the spiritual condition of His people. He told Amos that His judgment of them found them lacking. When compared to the plumb line of God s righteousness, their sin was crooked and fell out of line with God s call for obedience. Amos was to tell them that severe judgment was coming unless they repented. The entire family of Jacob would be punished (Amos 3:11). Only a remnant from the tribe of Judah would be spared. Amos did not hide God s anger from the

125 JOURNEY 8 people. He also spoke of a remnant that would be saved who would make their final home in Jerusalem with the Messiah (Amos 9:11 15). A PROPHET GOES TO MARKET: HOSEA 3 SAY: Like Amos, Hosea was sent as a prophet to Israel. God allowed Hosea to marry a woman who was unfaithful. Eventually, Hosea s wife Gomer abandoned her husband and three children and got involved in all kinds of sin. Still, Hosea loved her. Eventually, he found her as she was being sold as a slave. Read Hosea 3:2 to discover how Hosea bought (redeemed) her for a price almost equal to the 30 pieces of silver Judas got when he turned Jesus over the religious leaders of Jerusalem. DISCUSS with the students how this scene illustrates the scarlet thread of redemption. What does Hosea s love for his unfaithful wife teach us about God s love? (There is always a price to pay for redemption.) God s love is everlasting. He wants to have a relationship with His children. He was willing to give up His only Son so that we might have a relationship with Him. What is the meaning of the word redeem? (to buy back) How did Christ redeem us? (by giving up His life on the Cross) THE CROSSROADS Often people who question the Bible as God s Word use the story of Jonah as an excuse not to believe. They point to the story as ridiculous, impossible and mind-boggling. However, if Jesus said something happened, who are we to question His account? In Matthew 12:38, the scribes and Pharisees asked Jesus to give them some kind of sign that He was who He said He was. He reminded them of a story they would have known well. It was the story of Jonah. In doing this Jesus not only documented the truth of Jonah s experience with the fish but He also used it as a way to point to His own death, burial and Resurrection. 119

126 JOURNEY 8 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Matthew 12:40 [Share the plan of salvation as you describe how God forgives our sin when we have received Jesus as our Savior. He is not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9).The Bible says that whoever comes to Him in faith will be received. Close in prayer.] BIBLE LEARNING PROJECT: Jonah! Jonah! Jonah! 19 Supplies: Click n Catch ball catcher, precut paper cones, tape, permanent markers Distribute markers and tape among the students. Provide each student with a Click n Catch ball catcher and a precut paper cone. Instruct the students to wrap the paper cone around the plastic netted cone of the ball catcher then secure with tape. Direct the students to draw a fin, mouth and eyeball on each side of the paper cone to create a fish s face. Finally, tell the students to draw a man s face on the ball of the catcher to represent Jonah. Discuss with the students that just as the big fish spat Jonah out its mouth, they too can spit Jonah out of their fish. Let the students see how many times they can catch Jonah without a miss. Encourage the students to share the story of Jonah with others who do not know Jesus. Like the giant fish did for Jonah, Jesus rescues us from punishment of our sins Commercially-prepared kits may be purchased from craft suppliers.

127 JOURNEY 8 HUDDLE GROUP 2: What DoYou Believe? ALLOW the Huddle Group Leaders to discuss the story of Jonah and their belief in the Bible. They can use these Scriptures to reinforce the truth of the Bible: 2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 6:18; John 14:6. If someone asked you if you really believe the story about Jonah, what would you say? I believe the Bible is God s Holy Word. I believe every word in the Bible is true. I believe that Jesus is God s Son and the Savior of the world. If Jesus says Jonah was swallowed by a fish, then it happened! Jesus said it happened in Matthew 12:40. That settles it for me. By the way, just like Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days, so was Jesus in the belly of the earth for three days before His Resurrection. HUDDLE GROUP 3: A Look at the Book HAVE the students practice several times locating the books of Jonah, Amos and Hosea. DO timed trials to see how quickly the books can be located. ASK the students to find the book and then tell you the object lesson the prophet used to get the people s attention. REQUEST the name of the books before and after the one you ask them to locate. 121

128 JOURNEY 8 REVIEW QUESTIONS Use the questions to create competitions between table groups. 1. Who was the reluctant prophet in today s story? (Jonah) 2. Why was Jonah so angry about the assignment God has given him? (He hated the people of Nineveh and did not think them worthy of God s mercy.) 3. How did Jonah try to run from God? (He got on a ship and tried to run away.) 4. In Jonah s story, where do we find an object that represents salvation? (fish) 5. How is the story of Jonah similar to the story of Jesus death? (3 days in fish; 3 days buried) 6. What object did Amos use to help the people understand their sin? (a plumb line) 7. How does a plumb line work? (A plumb line creates a straight line by which other measurements may be calculated.) 8. What was the message Amos delivered? (Judgment is coming; only a remnant will be saved.) 9. What kind of a wife did God have Hosea choose? (one who would be unfaithful) 10. Why did He allow this? (to use it as a way of showing His love for Israel) 11. What did Gomer do? (She abandoned her family.) 12. Where did Hosea find her? (being auctioned off in a slave market) 13. What did Hosea do? (He bought her, redeemed her, and saved her.) 14. How much did he pay for her? (15 shekels of silver and 10 bushels of grain) 15. What was that equal to? (almost 30 pieces of silver, the amount given Judas to betray Christ) 16. How is the scarlet thread seen in the life of Hosea? (Jesus gave up His life to buy us back from eternal separation from God, just as Hosea redeemed Gomer.) 122

129 J0URNEY 9 A NAT I0N IN RUINS

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131 BIBLE BACKGROUND JOURNEY 9: A Nation in Ruins Israel Goes into Exile; Judah Is Next! Key Passages 2 Kings 17:1 18; 25:1 12 Key Verse For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives. Hebrews 12:6 Key Word Tough Love Key Thought Receive correction as a sign of God s love. ISRAEL S FATAL FLAW Little by little, the moral and spiritual character of Israel had faded away. No one realized how badly the nation had lost its spiritual focus until it was too late. The warnings of the prophets had gone unheeded. Their messages of approaching judgment fell on deaf ears. One king after another scoffed as the evidence of decline and destruction slowly appeared. Nations, like highways, don t crumble suddenly. It usually takes years of neglect and decay before the damage becomes apparent. No one notices until suddenly everything begins to fall apart; then, it is too late. In 732 B.C., Hoshea, the last king of Israel, took his place as ruler in the northern kingdom. He made a pact with Egypt in an attempt to ward off the demands for taxes made by Assyria. The text in 2 Kings 17:2 says that Hoshea did evil in the sight of the Lord. Infuriated by Israel s pact with Egypt, Shalmaneser, the king of Assyria, captured Hoshea and put the king in prison. For the next three years, the Assyrians attempted to capture all of Israel. In 722 B.C., the city of Samaria could no longer resist the advances of the Assyrian army, and fell into the hands of the enemy. The Northern Kingdom was now under the total control of the Assyrians. SLAVES ONCE AGAIN According to Assyrian records, 27,290 Israelites were deported to distant locations in the Assyrian empire to serve as slaves. 20 They were resettled in the upper valley of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The Assyrian king brought in foreigners to settle in the 20 The MacArthur Study Bible by John MacArthur, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1997, p

132 JOURNEY 9 central and coastal plains of Israel. The Jews who had escaped captivity and remained in the area eventually intermarried with these foreigners, producing a people known as the Samaritans. This intermarriage between Jew and Gentile produced a group of people who were hated by the Jews of New Testament times. Jews went out of their way to avoid Samaria, but Jesus made it a point to witness to the Samaritans as He met with the woman at the well. The land once so full of promise and blessing for God s chosen people was gone. In its place was a mixture of idol worshippers who tried to appease the God of Israel as well as the gods from other nations. The tribes of Benjamin and Judah which lay to the south were miraculously able to ward off the conquering armies of Assyria. Had they understood why Israel had fallen? Did they see the consequences of rejecting God s authority? God sent His prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Joel, Micah, Obadiah, Nahum, Zephaniah and Habakkuk to warn them. Did the people of Judah get the message? Had they learned from the mistakes of Israel? The answer is no. In 586 B.C. the Babylonians invaded the land of Judah, leaving the blessed city of Jerusalem in rubble. Survivors were taken to Babylon as exiles where they remained for 70 years. Daniel and his companions were among this group of captives. WHY HAD IT COME TO THIS? The Lord could tolerate the sin of His own children no longer. Enough was enough. The Ten Commandments given to Moses had been so clear. The message of the prophets sent both to Israel and Judah had gone unheeded. God s demands through the prophets were conveyed over and over. No other gods were to be worshipped except Jehovah. There was to be no god shaped into the form of an idol. The rites of sacrifice for repentance must be observed. The secret sins of lust and greed must be renounced. The people and their kings refused the warnings. They stiffened their necks and continued in their disobedience. The root of such disobedience was their unbelief. People either did not believe that God s promises were true or that what He told them to do would bring His blessings. 126 LESSONS LEARNED TOO LATE Looking at the ruins of the cities and the hillsides in Israel and Judah, three important lessons can be learned.

133 JOURNEY 9 1. The blessings of life that God offers require responsible, obedient lifestyles. 2. The consequences of sin are permanent and painful methods of instruction that can lead to genuine repentance. 3. God will always redeem those who make Him their top priority. LIFE IN EXILE Exiled to a strange and foreign land, the people of Israel must have remembered the stories their ancestors had told them about the bondage in Egypt. Now they were the ones in bondage without a homeland of their own. As they watched the sun set each night in the west, they must have wanted to follow it back to the villages and cities where they had failed to worship the one true God. Such emotions found expression in the mournful lines of Psalm 137:1 3: By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. On the willows there we hung up our lyres. For there our captors required of us songs, and our tormentors, mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion! The gravity of their sin must have weighed them down as they fell asleep each night. God had not abandoned them even though it must have appeared that way. There was a great difference between the fall of Israel and Judah. Israel was scattered throughout the nations for an indefinite period of time. Judah was allowed to return to Jerusalem after 70 years in captivity. It was during that period of time that the stories of Esther, Ezra and Nehemiah and Daniel took place. God was using the rulers of foreign nations to work out His plan of redemption. In the fullness of time, the tribe of Judah would return to their land and the Messiah would come out of the heart of Judah, rather than Assyria or Babylon. God was in control of every detail. His love for His people led to their discipline; it was a kind of tough love welling up from His heart of mercy and grace. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:11 Such a tough love was the only way to get their attention. How important it is to learn the lessons of obedience and repentance before God allows the painful consequences of sin to overtake us. 127

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135 TEACHING PLAN JOURNEY 9: A Nation in Ruins Israel Goes into Exile; Judah Is Next! Key Passages 2 Kings 17:1 18; 25:1 12 Key Verse For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives. Hebrews 12:6 Key Word Tough Love Key Thought Receive correction as a sign of God s love. INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY A. CONNECT the Big Room experience with the Bible story by asking the students questions about how the things they saw relate to the key word and the key thought for the day. Use the following questions to stimulate conversation. a. Who received some tough love today? b. What brought this on? c. Have you ever needed some tough love? B. PUT UP warning signs of all kinds throughout the room: caution tape, Slippery When Wet, Hazardous Materials, Bridges May Ice, etc. C. ASK the students to share experiences about traveling with their parents. Have their parents ever taken the wrong road, gone down a one-way street the wrong way, ran a stop light, or ignored a traffic sign? HUDDLE GROUP 1: Warning Signs HAVE the students gather around their Huddle Group Leader. Provide a set of warning/traffic signs like the ones below for each Huddle Group. ASK the Huddle Group Leaders to guide a discussion about each sign and what they mean. They should ask the students what might be the consequences of ignoring each one of the signs. The older students 129

136 JOURNEY 9 may be able to draw the signs themselves. Ask why we need signs like this in our lives. Discuss what might happen if signs like these were not in place. Here are some examples. ASK the older students if they are guilty of ignoring any warning signs in their lives. This would include things like hanging out with the wrong kind of friends, watching movies and TV shows that are not appropriate, or doing a poor job as a student at school. EXPLAIN that acts of disobedience cannot be ignored by one s parents or by God Himself. God will not allow His children to continue in sin without some serious discipline and chastisement. Advise them to pray and ask forgiveness and then do the right thing! TRANSITION to the Bible story by explaining how the Israelites ended up on the wrong road; it was a road that led to destruction. They failed to heed every warning sign the prophets put in front of them. Now it was too late to turn around. There would be no do-overs or second chances for a long time. Today s story is a sad picture of what might have been avoided. 130 EXPLORING THE BIBLE PASSAGE REVIEW briefly the history of Israel by creating a simple diagram. Draw a horizontal line to represent the history of Israel. Write the names of these people along the line: Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses. Ask the students to name the first three kings of Israel. Indicate a spot for King Saul (a 40-year rule), King David (a 40-year rule), and King Solomon (a 40-year rule). Then split the line into two separate lines. Label one the Northern Kingdom Israel and the other the Southern Kingdom Judah. Now there are two nations rather than one.

137 JOURNEY 9 Write 19 Kings under the northern kingdom and write 20 Kings under the southern kingdom. ASK the students the following questions. Why did the nation split under King Solomon? (idolatry and disobedience of commandments) How did God feel about the situation? (He was grief-stricken at their rejection of His leadership.) What did God do to get the nation back on the right track? (sent prophets) Which prophets went to the northern kingdom? [Write these names under Israel: Elijah, Elisha, Jonah, Amos, Hosea] Which prophets went to the southern kingdom? [Write these names under Judah: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, and the rest of the minor prophets.] How did the people respond to the prophets? (They rejected their warnings.) EXPLAIN that in today s lesson, both kingdoms had come to the end of the road. They were about to get a taste of God s tough love. Let s see what happened. THE NORTHERN KINGDOM HAVE the students locate 2 Kings 17. Discuss the following verses. The last king of Israel: Verses 1 2 Who was he and what was he doing? The king of Assyria: Verses 3 4 Who took control? The people of the northern kingdom: Verse 6 What happened to them? Deliberate, willful sin: Verses 7 12 What did they do? Traffic signs: Verses How had the prophets warned them? A dead-end street: Verse 18 What did God do? [On your drawing place a dead-end sign at the end of the road for the northern kingdom. Write the year 722 B.C.] The northern kingdom was gone and its people scattered across the empire of the Assyrians. What about Judah? Was the southern kingdom next? 131

138 JOURNEY 9 HUDDLE GROUP 2: Assyrian Exiles GO to each table group and HAVE at least half of the students in each group stand up and move to a corner of the room you have designated as Assyria. Have them sit on the floor and pronounce them as Exiles. They should not take Bibles with them. The only Scripture they have to comfort them is what they have memorized. If possible, serve the remaining students at each table group a good snack. Give the exiles crackers and water. Address the exiles and tell them they should have heeded the prophets warnings. So sorry! This is tough love! Explain that the people left at the table represent the people of Judah who for a time had remained faithful to God. THE SOUTHERN KINGDOM HAVE the students turn to 2 Kings 25 and discuss these verses. The king of Babylon: Verse 1 What was his name? The city of Jerusalem: Verses 4, 8 10 What happened to the city? The people of Judah: Verses Where were they taken? A dead-end street: Verses What happened to the nation of Judah? [On your drawing place a dead-end sign at the end of the road for the southern kingdom. Write the year 586 B.C.] SAY: The southern kingdom had miraculously been able to fight off the Assyrians when Israel was destroyed in 722 B.C. The southern kingdom survived for another 136 years until the Babylonians rose to power and invaded their land in 586 B.C. Today the country of Iraq occupies the land that once belonged to Babylon. [If possible, use a map to show the locations of these exiles in Assyria and in Babylon.] 132

139 JOURNEY 9 HUDDLE GROUP 3: Babylonian Exiles GO to each table group again and HAVE the remaining half of the students in each group stand up and move to a corner of the room you have designated as Babylon. Keep one student at each of the table groups. These will represent the weak, the sick, and the old who were left behind because they could be of no use to the Babylonians. [Ask these students to act the part of those left behind.] Have those who moved sit on the floor and designate them as Exiles. They should not take Bibles with them. The only Scripture they have to comfort them is what they have memorized. Give the exiles crackers and water. Address the exiles and tell them they should have heeded the prophets warnings. So sorry! This is tough love! TOUGH LOVE? SAY: The prophets had delivered God s message to both the northern and the southern kingdoms about the coming judgment. Unless the people repented of their sin and turned back to God, they would suffer God s punishment. They would not repent, so God took drastic steps to get their attention. As a scattered people held captive, they would have plenty of time to think about their homeland and how they had shunned God. How sorry were they now? The people of Israel remained scattered among the nations of the world for many centuries. The people of Judah were allowed to return to their land and the city of Jerusalem 70 years later. God was not through with the people He chose as a special treasure to Himself. The prophets spoke of a time when a great king from the house of Judah would sit on the throne of Israel once again. 133

140 JOURNEY 9 SCRIPTURE MEMORY: Hebrews 12:6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises everyone whom he receives. DELIVER to each group of exiles a half sheet of paper on which you have printed Hebrews 12:6. EXPLAIN that when they have memorized the verse and said it to their Huddle Group Leaders, they will be allowed to return home (back to their tables). SHARE with them the meaning of discipline as leading, training, instructing and chastise as punishment and tough love. DISCUSS how discipline is a sign of love. Explain the benefits of tough love. (protection, genuine repentance, re-commitment) When each exile has said the key verse, he/she may return to the table. THE CROSSROADS SAY: The prophets repeatedly spoke of a future king who would defeat the enemies of Israel and Judah. ASK the students the following questions. Who is this future king? Where was He born? When will He reign? From which kingdom did His ancestors come? (Judah, southern kingdom) [Share the plan of salvation as you connect the dots between Israel, Judah and Jesus. Explain the kingdom to come and the only way a person will be allowed to enter (John 14:6). Close in prayer.] 134 BIBLE LEARNING PROJECT: Tough Love Boxes Supplies: Cardboard box, self-adhesive foam hearts, markers, strips of paper, Scripture reference sheet Distribute Scripture reference sheet, markers and foam hearts among the students.

141 JOURNEY 9 Provide each student with a box and eight strips of paper. Instruct the students to decorate their box using the markers and foam hearts. On the lid they should write LOVING = OBEYING. Direct the students to write a Scripture reference on each strip of paper, then place the verses in their box.»» James 1:5»» Proverbs 3:5 6»» Hebrews 12:6»» Romans 8:24 25»» Acts 4:20»» Romans 8:28»» Psalm 71:5»» Jeremiah 29:11 Remind the students that because God loves us, He uses those in authority to correct us. When we refuse to be sorry for our sin, our hearts become indifferent to God s goodness and holiness. We should remember to repent every day and ask God s forgiveness. HUDDLE GROUP 4: Tough Love Have the students share in their groups some experiences they have had personally with tough love. How does discipline demonstrate a parent s love for a child? Has tough love changed your behavior? Why or why not? How are your parents like a hammer and chisel in God s hands? HUDDLE GROUP 5: A Look at the Book Have the students open their Bibles to the table of contents. Point out the books of prophecy. Identify the five books of Major Prophets and the 12 books known as the Minor Prophets. Have the students repeat the names of the books aloud. Give the students some practice locating these books of prophecy by conducting a short Bible Drill activity. 135

142 JOURNEY 9 REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. What role did the judges play in the life of Israel? (They were warrior deliverers sent by God to call the people back to repentance by driving out enemy invaders.) 2. What were the names of Israel s first three kings? (Saul, David, Solomon) 3. Why did the kingdom of Israel split into two parts? (Under Solomon s leadership, temples to idol gods were built to appease his 700 wives. God was not pleased with his behavior and allowed divisions to arise among the 10 tribes to the north and the two remaining tribes to the south.) 4. Whom did God send to Israel and Judah to warn them about the consequences of their sin? (the prophets) 5. How were the prophets treated? (The people did not listen to their warnings and continued with idol worship and indifference to God s commands.) 6. Who eventually conquered the northern kingdom? (the Assyrians) 7. What happened to these 10 tribes? (Their descendants were scattered among the different nations of the world.) 8. Who conquered the southern kingdom? (the Babylonians) 9. Were these descendants of Judah ever allowed to return to their homeland? (Yes) When? (70 years after having been taken captive) 10. What king was born from the descendants of Judah? (Jesus) 11. What kingdom will He rule? (God s eternal kingdom) 12. What does the term tough love mean? 13. How is tough love a good thing? (It teaches us God s way; it promotes repentance; it encourages a closer walk with Christ.) 14. What is one way God shows His love for us? (through discipline and chastisement) 136

143 J0URNEY 10 G00D NEWS/BAD NEWS

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145 BIBLE BACKGROUND JOURNEY 10: Good News/Bad News Isaiah Exposes Judah s Rebellion Key Passages Isaiah 1; 7:1 14; 9:2 7 Key Verse It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes. Psalm 119:71 Key Word Warning Key Thought Heed the warnings of Scripture to know God s will. MAJOR OR MINOR? There are 17 books of prophecy in the Old Testament, but only 16 authors. Jeremiah also wrote the book of Lamentations. These books of prophecy are classified into major and minor categories based on the quantity of the prophet s writings. The major prophets are the longer books and include the writings of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel. The 12 minor prophets are the smallest books. The prophets, whether major or minor, were fearless men who denounced the sin of the people during the time in which they lived. Their messages were filled with good news and bad news: Turn from your evil ways and God will save you. It s almost as if God put a telescope in front of the prophets and allowed them to see into the future. The prophet s message about judgment and salvation came from God Himself, but the nations of Israel and Judah did not turn from their sin. Isaiah is most assuredly one of the major prophets. He lived more than 700 years before Christ was born. God revealed to him a coming Messiah who could offer hope and salvation to the people of Judah. God revealed it to him so that he could offer hope to the people of Judah. The word salvation appears 26 times in Isaiah and only seven times in all the other books of prophecy. 21 Isaiah described salvation as coming from God and not man. There would be no way for man to earn it by good deeds or through birth into a family or nation. Our good deeds are like filthy rags compared to God s righteousness (Isaiah 64:6). Isaiah warns: 21 The Books of the Prophets, Knowing the Bible 101 by Bruce Bickel and Stan Jantz, Harvest House Pub., 1998, p

146 JOURNEY 10 Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Isaiah 55:6 7 The people of Judah did not accept Isaiah s call to repentance. THE PROPHET S CALL For 50 years, Isaiah served God as a prophet. His call to service is dramatically described in chapter 6. He was in the temple worshipping when in a vision he saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and His glory filled the temple. All around the throne were seraphim, beautiful angels with six wings, who said to one another: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory. Then Isaiah heard the voice of the Lord ask: Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Isaiah responded: Here am I! Send me. (6:8) And that s exactly what God did. He sent Isaiah to the rebellious, idolatrous people of Judah to give them the bad news: Judgment is coming; repent now! God also gave Isaiah some good news to take to the people: A virgin will conceive and bear a Son and will call His name Immanuel. (7:14) His writings are filled with promises about a coming Messiah who would be first a Suffering Servant and then a Reigning King who would judge the nations. The good news far outweighed the bad. Within the nation of Judah, a remnant of godly people would be saved and out of that remnant would come the descendants of Mary and Joseph, from the house of David, the tribe of Judah. These two godly people would participate in the miracle that would make Israel s final restoration possible. MAJOR PROPHET, MAJOR MESSAGE The book of Isaiah has been called the Mount Everest of Hebrew prophecy. 22 It resembles the Bible in miniature. The first 39 chapters are similar in tone to the 39 books of the Old Testament; they emphasize the righteousness, holiness and justice of God. The last 27 chapters appear comparable to the 27 books of the New Testament as they portray God s glory, compassion and grace His undeserved favor. In chapter 64, the prophet cries out for God to come down. And, that s exactly what the Messiah Isaiah, Talk thru the Old Testament, pp

147 JOURNEY 10 would do come down and live among the people. Isaiah s very name meant salvation of the Lord. The major theme of his writing is that salvation comes from trust in God alone, apart from anything a person can do for himself. JUDAH S FALL Isaiah witnessed the fall of Israel at the hand of the Assyrians. He watched as the nation of Judah fought the Assyrians off. He did not live to see the fall of Jerusalem and Judah in the south but he warned the people it was coming at the hands of the Babylonian Empire. The Assyrians to the north were strong and aggressive. Egypt to the south was equally ambitious for world dominance. Babylon was gaining in power to the east. Between these three super powers lay Israel and Judah. The Promised Land became a battlefield on which other nations fought to take control. God used these nations to chastise His own children for their disobedience. The arrival of Babylon on the scene as Judah s worst enemy was revealed to Isaiah in chapter 13. God enabled Isaiah to see not only Judah s captivity (39:6 7) but also the final destruction of all nations like Babylon who did not honor the name of God. GOD S PERFECT PLAN UNDONE: Isaiah 1 In chapter 1, Isaiah describes something almost like a courtroom scene with God as the judge and prosecutor and Israel as the helpless defendant. God had intended for Israel to be a channel of blessing to all nations. He promised to be her protector, defender and redeemer in every situation. She had only to honor Him and keep His commandments. Instead, she adopted the evil, idolatrous ways of the nations that surrounded her. It was a sad state of affairs and Israel and Judah had no defense for the charges levied against them. They had provoked the Holy One of Israel to anger (1:4). They had turned their back on Him (1:4). They were a people loaded down with sin (1:4). They had corrupted the worship of God with their idolatry (1:4). They had offered token sacrifices without repentance (1:13). They had neglected to care for the fatherless and the widows (1:17). What defense could the people of Israel or Judah make? They were guilty as charged. Yet, Isaiah pleaded with them to sit down and reason this whole matter out. He used the vivid images of sin as scarlet or crimson being transformed into something white as snow and wool. The key was repentance. 141

148 JOURNEY 10 Come let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. Isaiah 1:18 If only the people would repent and become obedient, then they could enjoy the blessings of God and the fruit of the land He had given them. If they refused and continued in their rebellion, then they would be the ones devoured by the surrounding nations. It was as simple as that. It had been their choice to make. FUTURE FULFILLMENT All of Isaiah s prophecies have not yet come to pass. We are still awaiting the return of Christ to rule on earth as the our eternal king and for Israel to receive Jesus as the true Messiah and for Israel to be reunited and restored. Just as Isaiah s prophecies about the first coming of Jesus proved accurate, so too will his prophecies about the Second Coming. These messianic prophecies are clearer and more explicit than those in any other book of the Old Testament. They describe many of the aspects of the person and work of Christ in His first coming as well as in His second. He blends the two together so that it is difficult to realize that these are two very distinct events occurring at two different times. The one thing we can be sure of: Jesus is coming again to rule and to reign. 142

149 TEACHING PLAN JOURNEY 10: Good News/Bad News Isaiah Exposes Judah s Rebellion Key Passages Isaiah 1; 7:1 14; 9:2 7 Key Verse It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes. Psalm 119:71 Key Word Warning Key Thought Heed the warnings of Scripture to know God s will. INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY A. CONNECT the Big Room experience with the Bible story by asking the students questions about how the things they saw relate to the key word and the key thought for the day. Use the following questions to stimulate conversation. a. What warning was given in today s episode? b. Did everyone heed the warning? Why or why not? c. What happened in the end? B. GIVE each student two cookies, one large and one small, and a cup of water. Before you let them eat their cookies, spend a few minutes talking about cookies in general and how good they are. ASK the following questions: Do you like them soft and chewy or crispy? What are your favorite cookies? What are the differences you see between the cookies you have in front of you? Which one is major? Which is minor? Why? C. TRANSITION to the Bible story by telling the students about the concepts of major and minor prophets in the Bible. ASK the students what is the difference between a major and a minor prophet. HAVE the students look at the table of contents in their Bibles to find the 143

150 JOURNEY 10 listing of the books of prophecy. EXPLAIN that there are 17 books of prophecy in the Old Testament; five of them are considered major and 12 of them are referred to as minor. Today we are going to look at one of the majors. EXPLORING THE BIBLE PASSAGE HAVE the students locate the book of Isaiah. [Help them to find it without looking up the page number. Walk them through the preceding books until they get to Isaiah.] GIVE some background information on Isaiah. SAY: He lived 700 years before Jesus was born. He was sent to warn the people of Judah about their sin. The same thing would happen to them that had happened to the other 10 tribes to the north. An army from the east was coming to destroy their cities and enslave their people. Repent now! HUDDLE GROUP 1: A Courtroom Drama A. SIMULATE a courtroom setting by acting as the presiding judge. DIVIDE the class into three groups of 8 to10 students. MAKE three signs: JUDAH, ISRAEL and JURY. PLACE one sign at each table. HAVE the students turn to chapter 1 as you read aloud verses 1 4, 13 and 17. Then restate the charges God is making against Judah. HIT your gavel after each charge. SPEAK directly to the JUDAH table. You have provoked Me to anger (1:4). [Gavel] You have turned your back on Me (1:4). [Gavel] You are a people loaded down with sin (1:4). [Gavel] You destroyed the worship of God with your idolatry (1:4). [Gavel] Your rebellion is like witchcraft to Me (1:11). [Gavel] You make token sacrifices without repentance (1:13). [Gavel] You do not care for the orphans and the widows (1:17). [Gavel] Now, Judah, how do you plead guilty or not guilty? [The students should say in unison, GUILTY! ] 144

151 B. CALL ON the ISRAEL table to speak as a witness. They should all rise. Tell them to raise their right hand and be sworn in. Do you solemnly swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God? ISRAEL: We do! JOURNEY 10 ASK: Do you have any firsthand knowledge of how Judah has turned away from her God? [Give different students a card on which is written each of the following statements. They should take turns reading their statement when the judge calls on them to testify.] Yes, these charges are very familiar. We did the same things. God sent Jonah, Amos and Hosea even Elijah and Elisha to tell us to repent. We didn t! We kept on doing whatever our kings told us to do. We did not honor God. God let the Assyrians destroy our land and take most of us prisoner. We received reports that the leaders of Judah were also worshipping idols. We are so sorry we did not listen to God and love Him like we should. [Turning to look at the JUDAH table.] You better repent now or the same thing will happen to you that happened to us. [Next, turn to the jury and ASK:] How do you find the defendant? [The JURY table repeats in unison:] GUILTY! As judge, I must pronounce the sentence: I declare that you will be taken captive by the Babylonians and that you will remain in their country for 70 years, after which you will be allowed to return to your homeland. THE CROSSROADS CONTINUE the courtroom scene. TELL everyone to sit down and listen. Let s try to reason this out. ASK the students to find Isaiah 1:18. READ it aloud with great drama. 145

152 JOURNEY 10 EXPLAIN the idea of forgiveness this verse illustrates. This is the Good News, JUDAH AND ISRAEL. GIVE each student a small heart cut out of red foam. Using a pen or marker, have them write the words My Sin on the heart. EXPLAIN that all sin is personal. God sees everything we do and say and He is either pleased or displeased with what we are doing. [All of these items will be provided for you. Now tell the students you are going to do a little demonstration to illustrate what this verse means. You will need a clear glass bowl, a bottle of water, and three or four ounces of snow powder (available at craft stores or online.) Tape a red foam heart to the bottom of the clear bowl. Begin adding the three ounces of instant snow to the dish, a little bit at a time, as if you are trying to cover up the red heart of sin.] ASK the students if we can ever cover up our sin so that God doesn t see it. Of course not. EXPLAIN that when Jesus comes into our lives, He covers up our sin with His holiness. [Take a bottle of water with a cross drawn on the outside and slowly begin to pour a bottle of water into the dish of white powder. The powder instantly bursts into fluffy white flakes that look like snow. ] SAY: This is what Isaiah was talking about. Our sins can be covered, but only by God s goodness and mercy made available when we repent from our sins and receive Jesus as Savior. After we have received Jesus as our Savior, when God looks at us, He sees the beauty of Christ s holiness covering our sin. In His eyes, we are clean and forgiven. Good News for everyone! [Share the plan of salvation and close in prayer. Allow the students to come forward and place their red heart in the bowl and cover it up with the snow of God s forgiveness.] 146 BIBLE LEARNING PROJECT: Key to Salvation Supplies: Preprinted sheet with a cross and There is salvation in no one else. Acts 4:12, lock and key brads, markers Directions: Distribute markers among the students.

153 JOURNEY 10 Provide a preprinted sheet, and lock and key brad to each student. Instruct the students to write The Key to Heaven Is Jesus across the top of the sheet and insert the key brad next to Jesus. Direct the students to insert the lock brad in the center of the cross and decorate as desired. Remind the students that the Bible warns us over and over that our sins cannot go unpunished. If we heed these warnings, we will find salvation in Christ alone and come to understand God s will for our lives. HUDDLE GROUP 2: The Coming King! (for older students) Remember, we learned that Isaiah lived 700 years before Jesus was born. God revealed to Isaiah many details about the Messiah who would come someday. GIVE each Huddle Group a list of the following Scriptures. ASK the Huddle Group Leader to make a list of the things that describe Jesus as the students read the Scriptures aloud. Isaiah 7:14 born of a virgin; named Immanuel Isaiah 9:2 the Light of the World Isaiah 9:6 7 Wonderful Counselor; Mighty God; Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace; throne of David Isaiah 11:1 Jesse, David s father would be His ancestor Isaiah 42:1 Spirit of God at baptism Isaiah 52:13 an exalted servant Isaiah 53:5 6 wounded, crushed, stripes Isaiah 53:7 led to slaughter like a lamb; no answer to accusers Isaiah 53:9 buried in a rich man s tomb Isaiah 53:12 numbers among thieves; bore sins of many; makes intercession 147

154 JOURNEY 10 SCRIPTURE MEMORY: Psalm 119:71 It is good that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes. Circle the words good, afflicted, learn and statutes. Discuss what each word means in light of what happened to Israel and Judah. Have the students form a line and place their hands on the shoulders of the person in front of them. Ask them to walk around the room in this manner saying the verse over and over as they march into exile. ASK: How could this march have been avoided? (obedience) If it brings repentance, is that a good thing? (yes) HUDDLE GROUP 3: A Look at the Book HAVE the students locate the five books considered to be the Major Prophets. REPEAT the names of the prophets aloud and have the students say them back. HAVE the students find the number of chapters in Isaiah and in Jeremiah. TELL them to find the number of chapters in Jonah and Amos and compare. Which are the bigger books? (the major prophets)? Which are the minor ones? Why? (the length of their writings) 148

155 JOURNEY 10 REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. What is the difference between a major prophet and one who is considered to be minor? (the length of his writing) 2. Name two major prophets. (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel) 3. Name two minor prophets. (Hosea, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Nahum, Joel, Micah, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi) 4. Which kingdom did Isaiah try to warn? (Judah) 5. Name two charges that God brought against Judah. 6. Who took the people of Judah captive? (the Babylonians) 7. How long were they held in captivity? (70 years) 8. What did Isaiah say our sins could look like? (They could be white as snow, like wool.) 9. What is the bad news that all the prophets spoke? (God hates your sin; you have done great evil in His sight.) 10. What is the good news? (The God who made you offers forgiveness for your sin if only you repent.) 11. How many chapters are in the book of Isaiah? (66) 12. How many talk about God s righteousness and rejection of sin? (39) 13. How many speak about God s grace and mercy? (27) 149

156 JOURNEY

157 J0URNEY 11 PR0PHECIES FIT F0R A KING

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159 BIBLE BACKGROUND JOURNEY 11: Prophecies Fit for a King The Gospel According to Isaiah Key Passages Isaiah 7, 9, and 53 Key Verse Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14 Key Word Good News Key Thought Share the Good News by what you say and do. ISAIAH AND THE BIBLE AS A WHOLE The chapters of Isaiah bear a striking resemblance to the organization of the entire Bible. The book has 66 chapters, just like the Bible has 66 books. The first 39 chapters of Isaiah correspond to the 39 books of the Old Testament in how they expose man s inability to stay rightly related to God. Someday God will send a great Messiah King who will forgive the sins of Israel and restore them to the land. The last 27 chapters of Isaiah are like the 27 books of the New Testament in how they begin with the voice of one crying in the wilderness saying, Prepare the way of the Lord. The gospel of Matthew opens with the appearance of John the Baptist saying the very same thing. The Messiah in the last part of Isaiah s book is quite different from the one described earlier. THE MESSIAH IS COMING TWICE? To Isaiah, God revealed the details not only about the First Coming of Jesus but also about His Second Coming. Historically, the Jewish people have rejected Isaiah s depiction of the Messiah as the Suffering Servant and embraced the image of a Messiah who is a reigning king. Thus, when Jesus appeared on the scene, many of the Jewish religious leaders of that day were unable to reconcile the person of Christ as a meek and humble servant with their own desire for a strong military leader who would end their oppression at the hands of the Romans. These religious leaders, who had access to manuscripts from all the prophets of old, ignorantly rejected Christ and His message because He did not meet their expectations. His message of love and 153

160 JOURNEY 11 grace were so opposite to their legalistic demands on the people for allegiance to them. The only plausible solution to this dilemma was to orchestrate the execution of Jesus as a threat to the peaceful rule of the Romans in Judah. This they did quite successfully. A LOOK AT THE BOOK When Isaiah speaks about Christ, he sounds more like one of the New Testament writers than an Old Testament prophet. His descriptions of Christ s person and ministry are so precise he could almost be called the writer of the fifth gospel. Here are some of his most important prophecies about the first coming of Jesus. THE MESSIAH according to Isaiah, the Prophet The virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14.There will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it... Isaiah 9:7 A voice cries: In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD... Isaiah 40:3 God chose Jesus to bring good news to the poor;... [and] to bind up the brokenhearted... Isaiah 61:1 And many were astonished at you his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance... Isaiah 52:14 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows... Isaiah 53:4 JESUS CHRIST The First Advent When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Matthew 1:18 And the Lord God will give to Him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever... Luke 1:32 33 He said, I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord. John 1:23 Jesus read aloud this same passage in the synagogue and announced that Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing. Luke 4:21... and having scourged Jesus, [Pilate] delivered him to be crucified. Mark 15:15 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness... 1 Peter 2: There are many passages in Isaiah that speak to this First Coming of the Messiah. Isaiah is quoted in the New Testament more than any other Old Testament prophet. He

161 JOURNEY 11 is mentioned 21 times by name, and at least 85 times in the New Testament, chapter 53 is quoted or alluded to in some form or fashion. 23 Here is a list of prophecies in Isaiah that have yet to be fulfilled when Jesus comes a second time to earth. Isaiah s Description of Messiah, the King 1. The Lord will restore the faithful remnant (Isaiah 1:9) 2. The Lord will defeat Israel s enemies at the end of this age (Isaiah 14:1 2). 3. The city of Jerusalem will rise to world preeminence (Isaiah 40:9). 4. World peace will prevail in the kingdom under the rule of the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 32:17 18). Jesus to Fulfill at His Second Coming 1. A remnant will be saved (Romans 9:27-29; 11:5; Revelation 7:9-10) 2. Israel will be saved in the end when she recognizes Jesus as Messiah (Revelation 7:9 10; 20:6; Romans 11:26). 3. The New Jerusalem will be filled with light from the Messiah (Revelation 21:10 11, 23 24). 4. Christ will rule in peace for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:4). 5. Jesus will rule the world (Isaiah 33:22) 5. The kings of the earth will bow before Jesus (Revelation 21:24 25). 6. God will rule eternally (Isaiah 51:6). 6. Jesus is the Alpha and Omega (Revelation 21:6 7). MOUNTAINTOP EXPERIENCES Isaiah saw two mountaintops in his prophecies. 24 One was Calvary s hill where the Suffering Servant of God would experience an agonizing death. The other was the Mount of Olives where the victorious King of Kings would return to save Israel from total destruction and then set up an eternal kingdom. What Isaiah and the other prophets did not see was the valley between the two mountains where the Gospel would be carried to the Gentile nations and the Church would be born. According to Paul, for a time the nation of Israel has experienced 23 Isaiah, Talk Thru the Old Testament by Bruce Wilkinson and Kenneth Boa, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1983, p Charting the End Times by Tim LaHaye and Thomas Ice, Harvest House, 2001, pp

162 JOURNEY 11 partial blindness regarding the Messiah until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in (Romans 11:25 26). When Christ returns and sets up His millennial kingdom, Israel will find restoration and recognize Jesus as the Son of God. Then the Church, composed of both Gentile and Jewish believers, will reign with Israel as fellow heirs and partakers of God s promises in Christ (Ephesians 3:3 6). Isaiah will be there along with Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezekiel and all the other prophets who so boldly declared to the people of the Old Testament the goodness of God and the promise of salvation through faith and repentance. Then we will all gather around the throne to worship the Lamb that was slain before the foundation of the world.... at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:

163 TEACHING PLAN JOURNEY 11: Prophecies Fit for a King The Gospel According to Isaiah Key Passages Isaiah 7, 9, and 53 Key Verse Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14 Key Word Good News Key Thought Share the Good News by what you say and do. INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY CONNECT the Big Room experience with the Bible story by asking the students questions about how the things they saw relate to the key word and the key thought for the day. Use the following questions to stimulate conversation. a. What good news did the people receive? b. Did it present any problems? Why or why not? c. Have you received any good news lately? HUDDLE GROUP 1: What s in a Name? CALL the Huddle Groups together. Have the Huddle Group leaders do the following. DISCUSS the meaning of the students names. TALK about first names, last names, middle names and nicknames. ASK the students if they know what their name means. If possible, HAVE a book of names available in which you can look up the meanings. ASK the students to recall some unusual names from the Bible. Examples might include: Mephibosheth (Jonathan s son), Methusaleh, Obed, Jedediah, Orpah, Dorcas, Zerubbabel (who helped rebuild the temple), Thaddeus (one of the 12 disciples), Jeroboam, Ahab and Jezebel. 157

164 JOURNEY 11 TRANSITION to the Bible story by talking about a little child who has more than 25 names that all explain who He is. Isaiah knew this child was going to be born 700 years before it happened. He knew some of His names and he wrote them down in a book of prophecy to share with the world. EXPLORING THE BIBLE PASSAGE A. The First Advent HAVE the students look up Isaiah 7:14 and 9:6. GIVE each student a sheet of paper to start a list of names. At the top of the page WRITE JESUS in large letters. Then BEGIN listing the names that Isaiah described. HAVE the students look up these verses to determine what else Isaiah knew about Jesus. Isaiah 11:1 Who was his great, great, etc. grandfather? Isaiah 40:3 How would people know who He was? Isaiah 61:1 What would Jesus do for people? Isaiah 52:14 How would people treat Jesus? Isaiah 53:4 5 What did Jesus suffering result in? ASK: According to Isaiah, how can we describe the First Coming of Christ? (the Suffering Servant) 158 B. The Second Advent SAY: Jesus promised His disciples in John 14:1 6 that He was coming back to get them and take them to a place He was preparing. Isaiah knew the Messiah would someday rule as a mighty king. He did not have all the details but he knew the God who was giving him these prophecies was a covenant-keeping God. If God promised to restore Israel someday, then it was a sure thing. READ these prophecies to understand this Second Coming. Isaiah 1:9 Would all the people of Judah die before the Messiah would come? (No, there would be some to survive and return.) Isaiah 30:19 22 Would God ever forgive the people for their disobedience? (Yes, in the coming age) Isaiah 40:9 10 Will the city of Jerusalem ever be the city of the Lord again? (Yes, in the coming age)

165 JOURNEY 11 Isaiah 32:17 18 Could the world ever be at peace? (yes) Isaiah 33:22 Will the Messiah be accepted as ruler? (yes) SAY: The answers to these questions tell us that Jesus is coming again as King of Kings to rule His eternal kingdom. John, the disciple of Jesus, described how all these things would come to pass in the book of Revelation. God had revealed the secrets of Jesus return to both Isaiah and John. Isaiah spoke to the broken nation of Israel, while John s message was directed to the Church. Israel and the Church will reign with Christ as fellow heirs. Read Ephesians 3:3 6. HUDDLE GROUP 2: Eternity? HAVE the students discuss with their Huddle Group leaders the following questions about eternity. Where do you think you will spend eternity? Why? How can a person be saved? Have you made a public profession of faith? Have you followed Christ s example of believer s baptism? How can you know for sure if you will go to heaven? (2 Corinthians 1:22) What do you have to do to be saved? (Romans 10:13) Is Jesus really going to rule all of heaven and earth? Read Philippians 2: THE CROSSROADS HAVE everyone KNEEL by the side of their chairs as you share the plan of salvation and close in prayer. Ask anyone if they would like to receive Jesus as Savior. If you have asked Jesus to be your Savior, you are a member of God s family. What can you do today to show your family that you are God s child? HUDDLE GROUP 3: Advent (for older students) A. FIRST ADVENT Make a copy of the chart in the Bible Background section that describes the Messiah according to Isaiah and Jesus First Advent. 159

166 JOURNEY Cut out the squares in each column and mix them up. Divide each table group into two groups. Call one group O.T. TALK and the other N.T. WALK. Lay out the column headers on the table or on the floor. Challenge the students to arrange the squares in their proper place by matching Isaiah s prophecies with the descriptions of Jesus. B. SECOND ADVENT Repeat the process used with the information for the First Advent but this time, use the chart with the information for the Second Advent. Again, divide each Huddle Group into two smaller groups. Lay out the column headers and have the students arrange the information accordingly. When all matches have been made, the prophecies of Isaiah s two advents will be clearly laid out. At the Second Coming, Israel will finally be restored based on her acceptance of Christ as the Messiah. BIBLE LEARNING PROJECT: Names of God Cross Puzzle Supplies: Cross-shaped puzzle, Names of God reference sheet, markers Directions: Distribute reference sheet and markers among the students. Provide a puzzle to each student. Instruct the students to decorate their cross with names of God and Christian symbols. Immanuel Jesus The Way The Truth The Life Wonderful Counselor Mighty God The Christ Messiah Lamb of God Remind the students that every day we share what we believe with those around us. What we say and what we do either adds to our

167 message about Jesus or takes away from it. Make it a point to be the best messenger of the Good News the world has ever seen each and every day. SCRIPTURE MEMORY: Psalm 19:14 SAY: The best presentation of the Gospel is a life lived above reproach in accordance with the commands of Scripture. When what we say matches up with how we live, people notice and will often seek us out for counsel and advice. This often provides a great opportunity to share the Good News about Jesus. HAVE the students repeat the words of this verse as a prayer. EXPLAIN what it means. CHALLENGE them to live every day with the knowledge that we must live our lives to please God. He is the one who will see and know our true motivation. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14 ASK them to work in pairs until they are able to say the verse. JOURNEY 11 HUDDLE GROUP 4: A Look at the Book HAVE students look up the following verses to discover more names that have been given to Jesus. Tell them to add the names to the lists they started in the introductory activities. Revelation 21:6 The Alpha and Omega Matthew 16:16 The Christ Matthew 1:23 Immanuel John 1:29 The Lamb of God 1 Timothy 2:5 Mediator Matthew 27:54 The Son of God Matthew 20:28 The Son of Man John 1:41 The Messiah John 9:5 The Light of the World Matthew 1:21 Jesus 161

168 JOURNEY 11 REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. Name the four major prophets. (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel) 2. Name five of the minor prophets. 3. Why did God send the prophets to Israel? (to warn them to repent or suffer the consequences) 4. What do the first 39 chapters of Isaiah tell us? (about God s righteousness and disdain for sin) 5. What do the last 27 chapters show us? (the love and mercy of a forgiving God) 6. What does the word advent mean? (coming) 7. When did Jesus come the first time? (born in Bethlehem as a baby around 4 B.C.) 8. When is He coming the second time? (No one knows.) 9. What is the difference between these two comings? (The first was as a suffering servant; the second as a reigning king) 10. How can a person be sure he is going to heaven? (faith and trust in Christ) 11. Will Israel ever know God s forgiveness and be restored to fellowship? (Yes, at the Second Coming) 12. Give five names by which Jesus may be called. 13. What does the phrase Lamb of God mean? (the One who gave Himself as a sacrifice for our sin) 14. Who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords? (Jesus) 15. Explain how someone can receive Jesus as Savior. [ Share the ABCs of Salvation.] 162

169 J0URNEY 12 A R0TTEN SASH, A BR0KEN P0T

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171 BIBLE BACKGROUND JOURNEY 12: A Rotten Sash, a Broken Pot Jeremiah, the Weeping Prophet Key Passages Jeremiah 13:1 14; 18:1 17; 19:1 13 Key Verse For I know the plans I have for you... to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 Key Word Future Key Thought Seek God s direction to plan your future. A WEEPY PROPHET Jeremiah was one of Judah s greatest prophets prior to and after the Exile. He became known as the weeping prophet because he grieved over the sins of Judah s people. He had been reluctant to accept God s call. God countered his objections by telling him that when he was formed in his mother s womb, God had designated him as a prophet to the nations. Jeremiah complained that he was only an inexperienced man, but God promised to be with him. As a sign of His presence, God touched Jeremiah s mouth to signify that the words he would speak would come from the mind and the heart of God Himself. Jeremiah prophesied to Judah during the reigns of five different kings. He had helped young King Josiah bring revival to Judah. After Josiah s tragic death in a war with Egypt, the end of Judah seemed eminent. Within 12 years, Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon marched his troops into Judah, burning Jerusalem to the ground and deporting many of the rich and wealthy to Babylon. Daniel and his friends were among this first deportation. Jeremiah witnessed this devastation firsthand including the destruction of the temple in 587 B.C. No wonder Jeremiah cried so often. All that he loved and valued lay in ruins. 165

172 JOURNEY JEREMIAH S MESSAGE God told Jeremiah to walk up and down the streets of Judah to find one righteous person. When this proved impossible, God told Jeremiah to tell the people that the enemies of Judah would soon overpower the nation (Jeremiah 5). The charges against the people were like those Isaiah had spoken about Israel. The people had forsaken the true worship of God. They served foreign gods by worshipping idols. They made alliances with nations that hated God. Judah s punishment would be to serve foreigners in a land that was not their own (Jeremiah 5:19). The people did not like what Jeremiah said so they persecuted him often (Jeremiah 11:18 20). Since the message was not to their liking, they decided to kill the messenger. One time he barely escaped with his life (26:7 16) and another time he was beaten and put into prison (37:11 16), but God spared his life. ONE PICTURE: A THOUSAND WORDS Jeremiah effectively used visual aids and images to pique the curiosity of his listeners. He used these objects to illustrate God s displeasure with their sin. A Ruined Loincloth: Jeremiah 13:1 11 A loincloth was a wide, long strip of linen men wrapped around the waist and between the legs. God told Jeremiah to purchase a new one and to wear it for a while without washing it. He then told Jeremiah to take it off, bury it in a crack in some rocks beside the Euphrates River and leave it there for a while. Jeremiah retrieved the cloth at God s command. It was rotting and had a terrible odor. Jeremiah was to show the cloth to the people and explain what it represented. Just as a loincloth is worn close to a man s skin, so God wanted Israel and Judah to remain close to Him, but they refused. Their disobedience and idolatry were as revolting to God as the rotten cloth was to Jeremiah. Unless they repented, God had no choice but to destroy them. A Broken Pot, A Shattered Jar: Jeremiah 18:1 19:15 God told Jeremiah to go to a potter s shop. As Jeremiah looked on, the potter had difficulty making the clay take the shape he wanted. The potter stopped and reworked the clay to make a new vessel. God told Jeremiah that Israel was like a clay pot. Why couldn t God do the same thing to His people that the potter had done to the clay? Unless repentance occurred, the end for Judah would be tragic.

173 JOURNEY 12 God told Jeremiah to buy a clay jar and gather the elders and the older priests in the Hinnon valley just outside the city walls. Jeremiah was to throw the pot down so that it would shatter. He told the men God was going to break the people of Judah and their cities just like the pot. Jerusalem would be filled with rotting bodies. Still, the priests and elders did not repent. Two Baskets of Figs: Jeremiah 24:1 10 God showed Jeremiah two baskets of figs sitting in front of the temple. The basket of good figs represented the people the Babylonians had first carried into exile. God would protect these and allow them to return to the land after 70 years (25:11 12). This occurred under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah. The other basket was full of rotten fruit. This represented the people who were left behind to wander through the streets of their destroyed cities. These people God would scatter throughout the nations of the world; they would know disease, famine and violent deaths. A Heavy Yoke: Jeremiah 27:1 22 God told Jeremiah to assemble representatives from the nations surrounding Judah. Jeremiah was to wear a yoke like the ones placed around the necks of oxen. He told the nations that unless they put themselves under the yoke of the king of Babylon, they would be punished. They were not to listen to their own prophets or diviners. God had spoken and He was the sovereign ruler of all. Jeremiah told King Zedekiah of Judah that he was not to fight against the Babylonians. If he submitted to their rule, then Judah s destruction would be prevented and eventually the people could return. In the end, Zedekiah revolted and tried to fend off Nebuchadnezzar s onslaught. The land and the city of Jerusalem were destroyed and Zedekiah was taken prisoner. A FUTURE AND A HOPE God s plan for his people had included special protection in Babylon while the empires of Assyria, Egypt and Babylon struggled for world dominance. God controlled this struggle among nations. He would resolve it in His own way in His own time. He was sovereign. Jeremiah sent a message to the Jews in Babylon who had been deported first in Jeremiah 29:4 7. Do not despair. Build houses there and live in them. 167

174 JOURNEY 12 Plant crops and eat the produce. Give your sons and daughters in marriage and multiply. Seek the welfare of your captors and pray for them so that things may go well for you. After 70 years I will bring you home. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope (29:11). The people received the message with resignation and hope. They settled into the new land and did as Jeremiah instructed them. LAMENTATIONS Jeremiah remained behind in Jerusalem where he walked through the streets weeping for all that had been lost. Solomon s beautiful temple lay in ruins. How he lamented a fate that repentance could have so easily prevented! Eventually, he was forced to go to Egypt where he lived until his death. The book of Lamentations is a collection of five poems in which Jeremiah pours out his heart in grief. Yet, he anticipates the goodness and mercies of God he knows are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion... therefore I hope in Him! (Lamentations 3:23 24) PICTURES OF CHRIST FROM THE PROPHET Jeremiah believed one day God would reunite Israel and Judah in the land of promise (23:1 8). A king would rise up from the house of David and shepherd the flock of Israel again. His name would be The Lord Our Righteousness (Jeremiah 23:6). He would establish a new covenant (31:31 34) to fulfill the covenants made with Abraham, Moses and David. The New Testament contains that new covenant established through Jesus, the Son of God. 168

175 TEACHING PLAN JOURNEY 12: A Rotten Sash, a Broken Pot Jeremiah, the Weeping Prophet Key Passages Jeremiah 13:1 14; 18:1 17; 19:1 13 Key Verse For I know the plans I have for you... to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 Key Word Future Key Thought Seek God s direction to plan your future. INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY A. CONNECT the Big Room experience with the Bible story by asking the students questions about how the things they saw relate to the key word and the key thought for the day. Use the following questions to stimulate conversation. a. What issue about the future were the people dealing with? b. What were their concerns? c. What kinds of things do you hope God has placed in your future? HUDDLE GROUP 1: The Potter and the Clay CHALLENGE the students to create something that will be easily recognizable using a piece of dough or clay that you give them. COVER the tables with butcher paper and allow three to five minutes for them to shape different creations. ALLOW the students to talk about what they have made with others at their tables. Then ASK the students to consider the following ideas. Describe what you made Do you like the way it turned out? Would you want to start over? Do you think you can do it better next time? 169

176 JOURNEY 12 What if the lump looked up and said to you: I don t like the way you made me. I don t like what you are doing to me? How would you respond to the lump? LISTEN for comments you can make about the Creator being in charge. EXPLAIN that we will see this same thing happening today in our Bible lesson. The people God had made to be a special treasure to Him did not want to do what He said. They had their own ideas about the kind of god they wanted to worship. They chose the kind of lifestyle they wanted. They listened to His prophets and simply said, No Way! If you were a parent, what would you do with such a disrespectful child? Let s find out what God did. EXPLORING THE BIBLE PASSAGE HAVE the students locate the book of Jeremiah. REVIEW the stories about the other prophets we have studied: Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jonah, Amos and Hosea. RECALL the problems these prophets faced as they delivered God s message to a sinful rebellious people. REMIND the students of what happened to the nation of Israel with its 10 tribes. They were gone gone gone! In today s lesson, the same thing is about to happen to the nation of Judah. They had been able to escape the Assyrians and continue for another 130 years. However, things were not looking good and Jeremiah was the man to tell them how bad things were about to get. Jeremiah used objects familiar to the people to show them how God felt about their sin. Why didn t they get it? 170 A. The Potter s Clay: Jeremiah 18:1 17 Verse 1 4: What was the potter doing in his shop? What kind of problem was he having? What did he do to correct it? Verses 5 6: What did God tell Jeremiah that He would do to the children of Israel? Verses 11: What did God tell Jeremiah to tell the people of Judah? Verse 12: How did the people answer Jeremiah? A shocking response! Does the clay tell the potter what to do? Verses 16 17: What was God s response?

177 JOURNEY 12 B. A Shattered Jar: Jeremiah 19:1 13 Verses 1 2: Where did Jeremiah take the leaders and the priests? Verses 4 6: Why was God so upset with Judah? Verse 10: What did Jeremiah do with the clay jar? Verse 11: How did this illustrate what God was going to do? C. A Rotten Sash: Jeremiah 13:1 14 Verses 1 3: What did God tell Jeremiah to buy? (Explain loincloth.) Verses 4 7: What did God tell Jeremiah to do with it after he had worn it for a while? Verses 8 12: How did the loincloth illustrate what God thought about Judah s sin? THE BOOK OF LAMENTATIONS SAY: Jeremiah was unable to persuade the people to repent. When the end finally came and Jerusalem lay in ruins, all the prophet could do was weep, or lament, as he walked through the deserted streets. [Use a tissue and pretend to be crying as you talk about the weeping prophet. ] No matter how hard Jeremiah had tried to convince the people to repent, they would not. It was too late. He was all alone in the city. He had no family. His friends had turned on him because they did not like what he was saying (Jeremiah 18:18). HAVE the students find Lamentations in their Bible and turn to chapter 3, verses It only has five chapters. SAY: In spite of everything that had happened, the prophet could still praise God, his hope of salvation. [NOTE: The Jews have been re-gathering for hundreds of years in the land God gave them, especially after it became a nation in Their final restoration will be when they accept Jesus as Messiah at the end of the age.] THE CROSSROADS If you have a map, show how Israel and Judah lay right in the middle of a battleground between Assyria, Egypt and Babylon. Today, their country is even smaller and still lies in a dangerous area. 171

178 JOURNEY 12 The Israelites had no chance for survival unless God intervened in their behalf. His plan included saving a remnant of the tribe of Judah. Why? The exile in Babylon would be hard. They would miss their homeland. What advice did Jeremiah give them? Read aloud Jeremiah 29:4 7. Did God have a plan they didn t know about? Explain the plan and then have the students read the key verse in chapter 29:11. What was God s plan for Judah? (In 70 years they would be able to return home and rebuild their shattered country.) What is God s plan for you? This verse applies to you too. What is the very first step in God s plan for you? (salvation and believer s baptism) [Share the plan of salvation. Encourage the students to share the Gospel and read God s Word daily so that they can grow in their faith.] HUDDLE GROUP 2 PUT some of these items around the room: backpack, basket of fruit, a dirty rag, a bottle of water, a set of Popsicle sticks, a roll of Life Savers, a broken pot, a Band-Aid, a road sign, etc. HAVE each Huddle Group Leader help their group pick out three of these objects and bring them back to the Huddle Group area. The Huddle Group Leader will then lead the students in a discussion where they try to figure out how the objects they chose can be used to tell someone about Jesus. See explanations below. Backpack: Jesus can carry your load of sin. Dirty rag: Our sin is like this rag. Water: Jesus washes our sins away. Popsicle sticks: Form a cross with them. Life Savers : Jesus gives us eternal life. Basket of Fruit: Jesus gives us the fruits of the spirit. Broken pot: Sin breaks God s heart. Jesus restores what is broken. Bandage: Jesus heals the broken-hearted. Road sign: Warning! Your sins have eternal consequences. 172 If time allows, let each group share one object lesson with the entire group. Hopefully, the students will catch on and find other things to

179 use in sharing the Gospel. ENCOURAGE them to look around their house for some ideas. CHALLENGE them to share the Gospel with at least one person this next week. SCRIPTURE MEMORY: Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you... to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 JOURNEY 12 A. USE a beach ball as a visual aid. Slowly deflate the ball as you recount Jeremiah s grief over the capture and deportation of his countrymen. EXPLAIN how it would seem to the Hebrews that God had abandoned them, but that was not the case. Jeremiah sent a message to the Jews in Babylon who had been deported (Jeremiah 29:4 7). Do not despair. Build houses there and live in them. Plant crops and eat the produce. Give your sons and daughters in marriage and multiply. Seek the welfare of your captors and pray for them so that things may go well for you. After 70 years I will bring you home. Then Jeremiah wrote these words: For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). B. BEGIN to inflate the beach ball again. SAY: Just when everything looked hopeless, God sent word by Jeremiah that the Jews would have a future and that all hope was not gone. God s Spirit, like the air in this ball, was still with them. They were His chosen people. The Messiah would come through them. C. TOSS the beach ball around the room. Each student who catches the ball must repeat the key verse. Try to give all students an opportunity to catch the ball and say the verse. 173

180 JOURNEY 12 BIBLE LEARNING PROJECT: A Hope and a Future Frame Supplies: Cardboard frames, tracer sheet preprinted with an open Bible and cross, 5 metal foil squares, pens, tape, markers Distribute markers, pens, and tape to each table. Provide each student with a cardboard frame, tracer page and foil square. Instruct the students to lay the tracer page over the foil square. Using the pen, have them trace over the preprinted design, pressing hard so it leaves the image on the foil square. Once the tracing is complete, have them tape the foil to the back of the frame. Direct the students to write A Hope and a Future across the top of the frame, and Jeremiah 29:11 across the bottom. Decorate as desired. Remind the students that finding and following God s plan for their lives will lead them to happiness and fulfillment. Obeying God s Word now will help them discover His perfect will for their lives. HUDDLE GROUP 3: A Look at the Book HAVE the students look in the table of contents in their Bibles. Ask them to name the 17 books of Old Testament prophecy. Ask them to identify the one book in the New Testament that is considered to be prophecy. Ask them to explain the difference between a major prophet and a minor one. What are the names of the minor prophets? CONDUCT a quick Bible Drill activity to help the students locate the books themselves without reference to page numbers. 174

181 JOURNEY 12 REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. Who is known as the weeping prophet? (Jeremiah) 2. Is he a major or minor prophet? (major) 3. How do we know he is major? (because of the length of his writings) 4. Why was he crying? (to see the city in ruins and the people deported) 5. What other book did he write? (Lamentations) 6. What does it mean to lament? (to grieve, to cry, to regret) 7. Name one object Jeremiah used to show the people what God thought about the people s sin. (pot, rag, a yoke) 8. What group of people conquered the land of Judah? (the Babylonians) 9. What group of people conquered the land of Israel? (the Assryians) 10. When would the Jews be able to return to their land? (in 70 years) 11. What future event would take place in their land that would bless the whole world? (the birth of Christ) 12. How is Jesus connected to the people of Judah? (Mary and Joseph were both from the line of David.) 13. When will the Jews be restored to full blessing by God? (when they accept Jesus as Messiah personally; when Christ comes again to defeat Satan forever) 175

182 JOURNEY

183 J0URNEY 13 Y0U RE N0T LISTENING T0 ME!

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185 BIBLE BACKGROUND JOURNEY 13: You re Not Listening to Me! The Prophets Keep Sounding the Alarm Key Passages Selected passages from the Minor Prophets Key Verse No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Luke 13:3 Key Word Shape Up or Ship Out Key Thought Obey God s Word as a Christ-follower or suffer the consequences of your own sin. SPECIAL NOTE: This journey is an overview of the 12 minor prophets. There is enough information here to divide the lesson into two smaller ones, making Journeys 13A and 13B. You may teach it either way depending on your church calendar. The focus of the journey is the presentation of the key idea in each book and how that book portrays Christ. The main idea to be communicated centers around the repeated warnings of each prophet to God s people to repent or suffer the consequences. MINOR PROPHETS WITH MAJOR MESSAGES There are 12 books in the Old Testament classified as the Minor Prophets. They are called minor only because they wrote less material than did the Major Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel and Ezekiel. God sent them to the children of Israel to speak major messages of warning. If the people failed to repent, God would not tolerate their sin and serious consequences would follow. Hosea and Amos were sent to the 10 tribes in the north along with Elijah and Elisha, who are called the speaking prophets rather than writing prophets. Obadiah, Jonah and Nahum prophesied to the enemies of Israel and Judah. Joel, Micah, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah prophesied to Judah before the exile along with Isaiah and Jeremiah. Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi prophesied to Israel after the exile. Daniel and Ezekiel prophesied to Judah during the exile. 179

186 JOURNEY 13 MESSAGE VS. MESSENGER The prophets came from all walks of life. Some were princes, some farmers, some priests. Some had traveled the world while others knew only their own hometowns. They all had the same mission: to call the people of God back to obedience and warn them of the consequences if they didn t repent. The prophets faithfully delivered their messages but sadly, they were not well received. Rather than getting rid of their sin, the people attempted to get rid of the prophets. Their plan was simple: If you don t like the message, just kill the messenger. We have no intention of doing anything other than what we want to do. The prophets were hunted down and thrown into prison. They were taunted, tortured, and killed. When God sent other prophets to replace those who were killed, they were silenced, too. 25 In the end, the people of Israel were scattered among other nations and the tribe of Judah was in captivity in Babylon. It was not the ending God had asked for, but He would cause all things to work together so that His will would be accomplished. Prophets stood up to commoners and kings alike pronouncing the guilt of each. However, they had a more compassionate side as they declared the goodness and the grace of God in His willingness to forgive their sin if they would only repent. The warnings of God they brought should have evoked an awe and reverence in the ears of the people. Their revelation of God s character provides a panoramic scope of God s ultimate plan of redemption through the coming Messiah. THE TWELVE: A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN The following descriptions offer a summary of each prophet s focus and message. The picture of Christ the book presents is also described. This is the scarlet thread as it runs through the books of the Minor Prophets Those Grand Old Books of Prophecy, A Look at the Book by Charles Swindoll, Insight for Living, 1977, pp The following descriptions are adapted from Talk thru the Old Testament by Bruce Wilkinson and Kenneth Boa, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1983, pp

187 JOURNEY 13 HOSEA Key Word: Unfaithful Key Verse: Hosea 6:1 The prophet was heartbroken over an unfaithful wife. God told him to use his circumstances to illustrate God s unconditional love for Israel as He called her to return to Him. Hosea finally redeemed his wife from a slave market just as God will do for Israel through the life of Jesus. CHRIST: My Love Who Is Forever Faithful JOEL Key Word: Locusts Key Verse: Joel 2:28 A national disaster caused by a plague of locusts was used by the prophet to warn the people of a far worse catastrophe coming from the north in the form of the Assyrian army. If the people would repent, God promised to send blessing rather than judgment. CHRIST: The One Who Baptizes with the Holy Spirit AMOS Key Word: Plumb Line Key Verse: Amos 8:11 12 God sent a farmer and shepherd to tell Israel that her sacrifices were unacceptable and her songs were like noise in God s ears (5:21-23). Bad news in such prosperous times was very unpopular. There would be a famine of communication from God unless the people repented of their sin. CHRIST: Our Burden-Bearer OBADIAH Key Word: Brother s Keeper Key Verse: Obadiah 1:15 This is the shortest book in the Old Testament with only 21 verses. It describes how the descendants of Esau and Jacob passed their hatred for one another on to future generations. As the Babylonians marched on Judah, the descendants of Esau helped the enemy. Unwilling to be their brother s keeper, God promised they would become extinct. Christ: Our Savior 181

188 JOURNEY 13 JONAH Key Word: Fish Key Verse: Jonah 4:2 The prophet refused to preach repentance to the people of Nineveh because he knew they might repent and God would save them. After three days inside a fish, Jonah changed his mind. The preaching was successful but the preacher was angry. Christ: The Great Foreign Missionary MICAH Key Word: Day in Court Key Verse: Micah 5:2 Micah stood as a lawyer in a courtroom to accuse the people of God of their wrongdoings: greed, cruelty, violence, bribery, corruption, unfair business practices, and disregard of human suffering. Out of Bethlehem would come the Eternal Ruler of Israel who would set things right. Christ: The Ruler of Israel NAHUM Key Word: Flood Key Verse: Nahum 1:2 Having forgotten the preaching of Jonah, the Ninevites no longer feared God s wrath. Nahum pronounced the arrival of a flood from the Tigris River that would break the city walls and allow the Babylonians to enter the city. Christ: The Avenger HABAKKUK Key Word: Watchtower Key Verse: Habakkuk 2:1 3 The prophet sat in the watchtower and asked why God was silent when there was violence and injustice on every hand. Why are the wicked allowed to prosper? God s response was to trust in His Sovereignty. Christ: The Watchman 182

189 JOURNEY 13 ZEPHANIAH Key Word: Day of the Lord Key Verse: Zephaniah 3:17 The prophet declared that Judgment Day was coming; Judah would soon experience the wrath of God firsthand. After the chastening would come blessing through the Messiah. Christ: The Lord Mighty to Save HAGGAI Key Word: Temple Key Verse: Haggai 2:9 Having returned from Babylon, the people began to rebuild the temple, but gradually they became distracted with other things. Haggai arrived on the scene to call them back to finish what they had started. This would be the temple for the Messiah. God promised to restore the temple s glory along with peace on earth. CHRIST: The Restorer of All ZECHARIAH Key Word: Messiah Key Verse: Zechariah 9:9 Zechariah also encouraged the people to finish the rebuilding of the temple. The people were constructing more than a building; they were preparing for the future blessing that would come when the Messiah appeared. Get busy now! CHRIST: The King MALACHI Key Word: Hearts of Stone Key Verse: Malachi 4:2 Malachi marked the end of the Old Testament prophets. It would be 400 years before the people heard from another prophet. They appeared to have learned little from their time in captivity. With hearts of stone, they soon lapsed back into their old patterns of sin. Malachi warned that the Day of the Lord was coming. CHRIST: The Sun of Righteousness with Healing in His Wings 400 YEARS OF SILENCE 183

190 JOURNEY 13 In the small towns and villages of Judea, life continued. People lived and died, married, and had children. Yet, they heard nothing from a prophet of God. Where was God? What was He doing? Why was He silent? God was busy ordering all events, developing nations, and creating people so that in the fullness of time His plan of redemption could be revealed. God would send another prophet to announce the arrival of His Son. That prophet s name was John. Later in the New Testament, Jesus would say of John: Among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist (Matthew 11:11). John s message of repentance prepared the way for Jesus to deliver salvation to all who believe. 184

191 TEACHING PLAN JOURNEY 13: You re Not Listening to Me! The Prophets Keep Sounding the Alarm Key Passages Selected passages from the Minor Prophets Key Verse No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Luke 13:3 Key Word Shape Up or Ship Out Key Thought Obey God s Word as a Christ-follower or suffer the consequences of your own sin. SPECIAL NOTE: This will be a fun lesson to teach. If you do not have time to go over every book, choose the ones you would like to teach. The key idea to communicate is that God kept sending prophets to the people telling them to repent or suffer the consequences. They chose to disobey and punishment came. They chose to disobey no matter what the prophets spoke. INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY A. CONNECT the Big Room experience with the Bible story by asking the students questions about how the things they saw relate to the key word and the key thought for the day. Use the following questions to stimulate conversation. a. What character in today s episode was having difficulty with being obedient? b. What were the consequences of the disobedience? c. Why do people resist doing the right thing over and over? B. ASK: What do you think is the key to learning? Listen to the answers the students give and then suggest that the answer is repetition. Parents and teachers have known forever that the key to learning is repetition repetition repetition. Now what did I say is the key to learning? (repetition) Can you think of any examples that illustrate this fact? Here are some to get you started. Can you think of others? 185