Hezekiah 2 Chronicles 29:3-11, 15-36

Transcription

1 Winter 2017 ~ Primary Lesson #1 Hezekiah 2 Chronicles 29:3-11, Memory Verse And when they had finished offering, the king and all who were present with him bowed and worshiped. --2 Chronicles 29:29 (NKJV) Bible Lesson Message: God wants us to worship Him with our whole hearts! 2 Chronicles 29:3-36 (NIRV) In the first month of Hezekiah s first year as king, he opened the doors of the LORD s temple. He repaired them. He brought the priests and Levites in. He gathered them together in the open area on the east side of the temple. He said, Levites, listen to me! Set yourselves apart to the LORD. Set apart the temple of the LORD. He s the God of your people who lived long ago. Remove anything unclean from the temple. Our people weren t faithful. They did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD our God. They deserted him. They turned their faces away from the place where he lives. They turned their backs on him. They also shut the doors of the temple porch. They put the lamps out. They didn t burn incense at the temple. They didn t sacrifice burnt offerings there to the God of Israel. So the LORD has become angry with Judah and Jerusalem. He has made them look so bad that everyone is shocked when they see them. They laugh at them. You can see it with your own eyes. That s why our fathers have been killed by swords. That s why our sons and daughters and wives have become prisoners. So I m planning to make a covenant with the LORD, the God of Israel. Then he ll stop being angry with us. My sons, don t fail to obey the LORD. He has chosen you to stand in front of him and work for him. He wants you to serve him and burn incense to him. All these Levites gathered the other Levites together. They set themselves apart to the LORD. Then they went in to purify the LORD s temple. That s what the king had ordered them to do. They did what the LORD told them to. The priests went into the LORD s temple to make it pure. They brought out to the temple courtyard everything that was unclean. They had found unclean things in the LORD s temple. The Levites took them and carried them out to the Kidron Valley. On the first day of the first month they began to set everything in the temple apart to the LORD. By the eighth day of the month they reached the LORD s porch. For eight more days they set the LORD s temple itself apart to him. They finished on the 16th day of the first month. Then they went to King Hezekiah. They reported, We ve purified the whole temple of the LORD. That includes the altar for burnt offerings and all its tools. It also includes the table for the holy bread and all its objects. We ve prepared all the things King Ahaz had removed. We ve set them apart to the LORD. Ahaz had removed them while he was king. He wasn t faithful to the LORD. Those things are now in front of the LORD s altar. 1

2 Bible Lesson Continued Early the next morning King Hezekiah gathered together the city officials. They all went up to the LORD s temple. They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven male lambs and seven male goats with them. They sacrificed the animals as a sin offering for the kingdom, for the temple and for Judah. The king commanded the priests to offer them on the LORD s altar. The priests were from the family line of Aaron. They killed the bulls. Then they splashed the blood against the altar. Next they killed the rams and splashed the blood against the altar. Then they killed the lambs and splashed the blood against the altar. The goats for the sin offering were brought to the king and the whole community. They placed their hands on them. Then the priests killed the goats. They put the blood on the altar as a sin offering. It paid for the sin of the whole nation of Israel. The king had ordered the burnt offering and the sin offering for the whole nation. Hezekiah stationed the Levites in the LORD s temple. They had cymbals, harps and lyres. They did everything in the way King David, his prophet Gad, and Nathan the prophet had required. The LORD had given commands about all these things through his prophets. So the Levites stood ready with David s musical instruments. And the priests had their trumpets ready. Hezekiah gave the order to sacrifice the burnt offering on the altar. The offering began. Singing to the LORD also began. The singing was accompanied by the trumpets and by the instruments of David. He had been king of Israel. The whole community bowed down. They worshiped the LORD. At the same time the musicians played their musical instruments. The priests blew their trumpets. All of that continued until the burnt offering had been sacrificed. So the offerings were finished. King Hezekiah got down on his knees. He worshiped the LORD. So did everyone who was with him. 30 The king and his officials ordered the Levites to praise the LORD. They used the words of David and Asaph the prophet. They sang praises with joy. They bowed down and worshiped the LORD. Then Hezekiah said, You have set yourselves apart to the LORD. Come and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to his temple. So the whole community brought sacrifices and thank offerings. Everyone who wanted to brought burnt offerings. The whole community brought 70 bulls, 100 rams and 200 male lambs. They brought all of them as burnt offerings to the LORD. The total number of animals set apart as sacrifices to the LORD was 600 bulls and 3,000 sheep and goats. But there weren t enough priests to skin all the burnt offerings. So their relatives, the Levites, helped them. They worked until the task was finished. By that time other priests had been set apart to the LORD. The Levites had been more careful than the priests when they set themselves apart. There were large numbers of burnt offerings, along with the drink offerings and the fat from the friendship offerings. They were offered along with the burnt offerings. So the service of the LORD s temple was started up again. Hezekiah and all the people were filled with joy. That s because everything had been done so quickly. God had provided for his people in a wonderful way. Talk About It In today s story, King Hezekiah restored the worship in the temple of the Lord. When he did this, there was a great celebration. We can also celebrate the fact that we can worship the Lord anywhere or anytime. In fact, we can worship the Lord anywhere or anytime we want to. Remind your child that there are many countries and places in this world where people are not allowed to worship God freely. They are not allowed to even pray or read their Bible. Say a prayer and thank God for giving you the freedom to worship Him and learn about Him all the time. Talk about it. 2

3 Winter 2017 ~ Primary Lesson #2 Josiah 2 Kings 22:1-2, 23:1-23 Memory Verse Bible Lesson Now before him there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might --2 Kings 23:25 (NKJV) Message: Humble obedience pleases God. 2 Kings 22:1-2 Josiah was eight years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 31 years. His mother s name was Jedidah. She was the daughter of Adaiah. She was from Bozkath. Josiah did what was right in the eyes of the LORD. He lived the way King David had lived. He didn t turn away from it to the right or the left. 2 Kings 23:1-23 ~ Josiah Promises Again to Obey the Covenant Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. He went up to the LORD s temple. The people of Judah and Jerusalem went with him. So did the priests and prophets. All of them went, from the least important of them to the most important. The king had all the words of the Book of the Covenant read to them. The book had been found in the LORD s temple. The king stood next to his pillar. He agreed to the terms of the covenant in front of the LORD. The king promised to serve the LORD and obey his commands, directions and rules. He promised to obey them with all his heart and with all his soul. So he agreed to the terms of the covenant written down in that book. Then all the people committed themselves to the covenant as well. Certain things in the LORD s temple had been made to honor other gods. They were the god named Baal, the female god named Asherah and all the stars in the sky. The king ordered Hilkiah the high priest to remove those things. The king ordered the priests who were next in rank and the men who guarded the doors to help Hilkiah. Josiah took those things that had been in the LORD s temple and burned them outside Jerusalem. He burned them in the fields in the Kidron Valley. And he took the ashes to Bethel. Josiah got rid of the priests who served other gods. The kings of Judah had appointed those priests to burn incense. They burned the incense on the high places of the towns of Judah. And they burned it on the high places around Jerusalem. They burned incense to honor Baal and the sun and moon. They burned it to honor all the stars. Josiah removed the Asherah pole from the LORD s temple. It had been used to worship the female god named Asherah. He took it to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem. There he burned it. He ground it into powder. And he scattered it over the graves of the ordinary people. He also tore down the rooms where the male temple prostitutes stayed. Those rooms were in the LORD s temple. Women had made cloth for Asherah in them. Josiah brought all the priests from the towns of Judah and destroyed the high places. He destroyed them from Geba all the way to Beersheba. The priests had burned incense on them. Josiah broke down the gate at the entrance of the Gate of Joshua. It was on the left side of Jerusalem s city gate. Joshua was the city governor. The priests of the high places didn t serve at the LORD s altar in Jerusalem. In spite of that, they ate with the other priests. All of them ate bread made without yeast. 3

4 Bible Lesson Continued Josiah destroyed the high place at Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom. He didn t want anyone to use the high place to sacrifice his son or daughter in the fire to the god named Molek. Josiah removed the statues of horses from the entrance to the LORD s temple. The kings of Judah had set them apart to honor the sun. The statues were in the courtyard. They were near the room of an official named Nathan-Melek. Josiah burned the chariots that had been set apart to honor the sun. He pulled down the altars the kings of Judah had set up. They had put them on the palace roof near the upstairs room of Ahaz. Josiah also pulled down the altars Manasseh had built. They were in the two courtyards of the LORD s temple. Josiah removed the altars from there. He smashed them to pieces. Then he threw the broken pieces into the Kidron Valley. The king also destroyed the high places that were east of Jerusalem. They were at the southern end of the Mount of Olives. They were the ones Solomon, the king of Israel, had built. He had built a high place for worshiping Ashtoreth. She was the evil female god of the people of Sidon. Solomon had also built one for worshiping Chemosh. He was the evil god of Moab. And Solomon had built one for worshiping Molek. He was the god of the people of Ammon. The LORD hated that god. Josiah smashed the sacred stones. He cut down the poles used to worship the female god named Asherah. Then he covered all those places with human bones. There was an altar at Bethel. It was at the high place made by Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit sin. Even that altar and high place were destroyed by Josiah. He burned the high place. He ground it into powder. He also burned the Asherah pole. Then Josiah looked around. He saw the tombs on the side of the hill. He had the bones removed from them. And he burned them on the altar to make it unclean. That s what the LORD had said would happen. He had spoken that message through a man of God. The man had announced those things long before they took place. The king asked, What s that stone on the grave over there? The people of the city said, It marks the tomb where the man of God is buried. He came from Judah. He spoke against the altar at Bethel. He announced the very things you have done to it. Leave it alone, Josiah said. Don t let anyone touch his bones. So they spared his bones. They also spared the bones of the prophet who had come from the northern kingdom of Israel. Josiah did in the rest of the northern kingdom the same things he had done at Bethel. He removed all the small temples at the high places. He made them unclean. The kings of Israel had built them in the towns of the northern kingdom. The people in those towns had made the LORD very angry. Josiah killed all the priests of those high places on the altars. He burned human bones on the altars. Then he went back to Jerusalem. The king gave an order to all the people. He said, Celebrate the Passover Feast to honor the LORD your God. Do what is written in this Book of the Covenant. A Passover Feast like that one had not been held for a long time. There hadn t been any like it in the days of the judges who led Israel. And there hadn t been any like it during the whole time the kings of Israel and Judah were ruling. King Josiah celebrated the Passover Feast in Jerusalem to honor the LORD. It was in the 18th year of his rule. Talk About It In today s lesson, we learn about young King Josiah and how he obeyed God and His Law with his whole heart, mind and soul. God wants us to do the same thing King Josiah. He has given us His Word to study and to learn more about Him and what He wants us to do and how He wants us to be. We have our Bible to help us do that each day! It is our tool to show us how to live for Jesus, how to obey God, how to serve Him, and how to grow in our faith. Encourage your child to read a little bit each day. Talk about it. 4

5 Winter 2017 ~ Primary Lesson #3 Job Job 1:1-22; 2:1-10; 42:10-17 Memory Work I know that you can do anything. No one can keep you from doing what you plan to do. --Job 42:2 (NIRV) Bible Lesson Message: God wants us to trust Him. Job 1 ~ The Story Begins There was a man who lived in the land of Uz. His name was Job. He was honest and he did what was right. He had respect for God and avoided evil. Job had seven sons and three daughters. He owned 7,000 sheep and 3,000 camels. He owned 500 pairs of oxen and 500 donkeys. He also had a large number of servants. He was the most important man among all of the people in the east. His sons used to take turns giving big dinners in their homes. They would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. When the time for enjoying good food was over, Job would have his children made pure and clean. He would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them. He would do it early in the morning. He would think, "Perhaps my children have sinned. Maybe they have spoken evil things against God in their hearts." That's what Job always did for his children when he felt they had sinned. Job Is Put to the Test One day angels came to the Lord. Satan also came with them. The Lord said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered, "From traveling all around the earth. I've been going from one end of it to the other." Then the Lord said to Satan, "Have you thought about my servant Job? There isn't anyone on earth like him. He is honest. He does what is right. He has respect for me and avoids evil." "You always give Job everything he needs," Satan replied. "That's why he has respect for You. Haven't you guarded him and his family? Haven't you taken care of everything he has? You have blessed everything he does. His flocks and herds are spread all through the land. But reach out your hand and strike down everything he has. Then I'm sure he will speak evil things against You. In fact, he'll do it right in front of You." The Lord said to Satan, "All right. I am handing everything he has over to you. But do not touch the man himself." Then Satan left the Lord and went on his way. One day Job's sons and daughters were at their oldest brother's house. They were enjoying good food and drinking wine. During that time a messenger came to Job. He said, "The oxen were plowing. The donkeys were eating grass near them. Then the Sabeans attacked us and carried the animals off. They killed some of the servants with their swords. I'm the only one who has escaped to tell you!" While he was still speaking, a second messenger came. He said, "God sent lightning from the sky. It struck the sheep and killed them. It burned up some of the servants. I'm the only one who has escaped to tell you!" 5

6 Bible Lesson Continued While he was still speaking, a third messenger came. He said, "The Chaldeans separated themselves into three groups. They attacked your camels and carried them off. They killed the rest of the servants with their swords. I'm the only one who has escaped to tell you!" While he was still speaking, a fourth messenger came. He said, "Your sons and daughters were at their oldest brother's house. They were enjoying good food and drinking wine. Suddenly a strong wind blew in from the desert. It struck the four corners of the house. The house fell down on your children. Now all of them are dead. I'm the only one who has escaped to tell you!" After Job heard all of those reports, he got up and tore his robe. He shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground and worshiped the Lord. He said, "I was born naked. And I'll leave here naked. You have given, and you have taken away. May your name be praised." In spite of everything, Job didn't sin by blaming God for doing anything wrong. Job 2 ~ Job Is Put to the Test Again On another day angels came to the Lord. Satan also came to him along with them. The Lord said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered, "From traveling all around the earth. I've been going from one end of it to the other." Then the Lord said to Satan, "Have you thought about my servant Job? There isn't anyone on earth like him. He is honest. He does what is right. He has respect for me and avoids evil. You tried to turn me against him. You wanted me to destroy him without any reason. But he still continues to be faithful." Satan replied, "A man will give everything he has to save himself. So Job is willing to give up the lives of his family to save his own life. But reach out your hand and strike his flesh and bones. Then I'm sure he will speak evil things against you. In fact, he'll do it right in front of you." The Lord said to Satan, "All right. I am handing him over to you. But you must spare his life." Then Satan left the Lord and went on his way. He sent painful sores on Job. They covered him from the bottom of his feet to the top of his head. He got part of a broken pot. He used it to scrape his skin. He did it while he was sitting in ashes. His wife said to him, "Are you still continuing to be faithful to the Lord? Speak evil things against him and die!" Job replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. We accept good things from God. So we should also accept trouble when he sends it." In spite of everything, Job didn't say anything that was sinful. Job 42 Eventually, the Lord made Job successful again. He gave him twice as much as he had before. All of his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came to see him. They ate with him in his house. They showed their concern for him. They comforted him because of all of the troubles the Lord had brought on him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring. The Lord blessed the last part of Job's life even more than the first part. He gave Job 14,000 sheep and 6,000 camels. He gave him 1,000 pairs of oxen and 1,000 donkeys. Job also had seven sons and three daughters. Job's daughters were more beautiful than any other women in the whole land. Their father gave them a share of property along with their brothers. After all of that happened, Job lived for 140 years. He saw his children, his grandchildren and his great-grandchildren. And so he died. He had lived for a very long time. 6

7 Talk About It In today s lesson, we learned about Job and how difficult his life was. Many horrible things happened to him, and yet he still believed in God and His power over his life. Talk with your child about sometimes our friends or people around us are going through tough times just like Job, and we don t even know it. It is important that we are sensitive to what others might be going through. We can always pray for others so that they may receive help and strength from God. God wants us to trust Him and rely on Him for help, even when we may not understand what others are facing. God always wants us to put our complete trust in Him. Talk about it. 7

8 Winter 2017 ~ Primary Lesson #4 Ezekiel Ezekiel 2:1-3:15 Memory Work Don t just listen to the word. You must do what it says. --James 1:22 (NIRV) Bible Lessons Message: To love God is to obey Him. Background Information: Ezekiel was a man who chose to obey God. He was a priest as well as a prophet and served God by actively preaching His Word. He preached to everyone, telling them about God s judgment and salvation, and calling them to repentance and obedience. Ezekiel lived out what he preached. The love that Ezekiel had for God was shown by his obedience to do what God wanted. He loved God and he obeyed Him. The people of Israel had become captive to another nation because of their disobedience to God. The Israelites in exile had lost their perspective on God s purpose and presence in their life. Ezekiel would be commissioned by God to remind them of His love and purposes for them and to warn them that sin will only bring destruction. In today s lesson, we see that Ezekiel faced a tremendous challenge to obey God among a hardhearted and stubborn people. Ezekiel 2 ~ The Lord Chooses Ezekiel (God is speaking to Ezekiel) He said to me, "Son of man, stand up on your feet. I will speak to you." As he spoke, the Spirit of the Lord came into me. He raised me to my feet. I heard him speaking to me. He said, "Son of man, I am sending you to the people of Israel. That nation has refused to obey me. They have turned against me. They and their people before them have been against me to this very day. The people I am sending you to are very stubborn. Tell them, 'Here is what the Lord and King says.' They might listen, or they might not. After all, they refuse to obey me. But whether they listen or not, they will know that a prophet was among them. Do not be afraid of them or of what they say. Do not be afraid, even if thorns and bushes are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say. Do not be terrified by them. They always refuse to obey me. You must give them my message. They might listen, or they might not. After all, they refuse to obey me. Son of man, listen to what I tell you. Do not be like those who refuse to obey me. Open your mouth. Eat what I give you." Then I looked up. I saw a hand reach out to me. A scroll was in it. He unrolled it in front of me. Both sides had words written on them. They spoke about sadness, sorrow and trouble. Ezekiel 3 He said to me, "Son of man, eat what is in front of you. Eat this scroll. Then go and speak to the people of Israel." So I opened my mouth. And he gave me the scroll to eat. Then he said to me, "Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you. Fill your stomach with it." So I ate it. And it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth. 8

9 Bible Lesson Continued Then he said to me, "Son of man, go to the people of Israel. Give them my message. I am not sending you to people who speak another language that is hard to learn. Instead, I am sending you to the people of Israel. You are not being sent to many nations whose people speak other languages that are hard to learn. You would not be able to understand them. Suppose I had sent you to them. Then they certainly would have listened to you. But the people of Israel do not want to listen to you. That is because they do not want to listen to me. All of the people of Israel are very stubborn. But I will make you just as stubborn as they are. I will make you very brave. So do not be afraid of them. Do not let them terrify you, even though they refuse to obey me." He continued, "Son of man, listen carefully. Take to heart everything I tell you. Go now to your own people who were brought here as prisoners. Speak to them. Tell them, 'Here is what the Lord and King says.' Speak to them whether they listen or not." Then the Spirit of the Lord lifted me up. I heard a loud rumbling sound behind me. May the glory of the Lord be praised in the place where he lives! The sound was made by the wings of the living creatures. They were brushing against one another. The sound was also made by the wheels beside them. It was a loud rumbling sound. Then the Spirit lifted me up and took me away. My spirit was bitter. I was burning with anger. The strong hand of the Lord was on me. I came to my people who had been brought as prisoners to Tel Abib. It was near the Kebar River and I went to where they were living. There I sat among them for seven days. I was shocked by everything that had happened. Talk About It In today s lesson, Ezekiel demonstrated his love for God even though he was troubled by the task he was asked to complete. Ezekiel obeyed God because of his love for Him. Remind your child of the commandments and how they were given to us by God in order to follow and obey Him. Sometimes if we break a commandment we can be punished by law (for example, if we murder someone), and sometimes not (if we lie about something). But if we love God then we must obey Him. The memory verse tells us: Don t just listen to the word. You must do what it says. There will be times in our life when it will be easy to feel close to God and to follow Him, and there will be times when it is very hard because of our struggles and the things that weigh us down. Choose to obey God no matter what because YOU love Him. Talk about it. 9

10 Winter 2017 ~ Primary Lesson #5 Memory Verse Daniel A Man of Honor Daniel 1:1-21 A child is known by his actions. He is known by whether his conduct is pure and right. --Proverbs 20:11 (NIRV) Bible Lesson Message: Choose to honor Him. Daniel 1 ~ Daniel Is Trained in Babylon It was the third year that Jehoiakim was king of Judah. Nebuchadnezzar came to Jerusalem. His armies surrounded the city and attacked it. Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylonia. The Lord handed Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, over to him. Nebuchadnezzar also took some of the articles from God's temple. He carried them off to the temple of his god in Babylonia. He put them among the treasures of his god. The king gave Ashpenaz an order. Ashpenaz was the chief of Nebuchadnezzar's court officials. The king told him to bring in some of the Israelites. He wanted nobles and men from the royal family. He was looking for young men who were healthy and handsome. They had to be able to learn anything. They had to be well educated. They had to have the ability to understand new things quickly and easily. The king wanted men who could serve in his palace. Ashpenaz was supposed to teach them the Babylonian language and writings. The king had his servants give them food and wine from his own table. They received a certain amount every day. The young men had to be trained for three years. After that, they could begin to serve the king. Some of the men were from Judah. Their names were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. The chief official gave them new names. He gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar. He gave Hananiah the name Shadrach. He gave Mishael the name Meshach. And he gave Azariah the name Abednego. Daniel decided not to make himself "unclean" by eating the king's food and drinking his wine. So he asked the chief official for a favor. He wanted permission not to make himself "unclean" with the king's food and wine. God had caused the official to be kind and friendly to Daniel. But the official refused to do what Daniel asked for. He said, "I'm afraid of the king. He is my master. He has decided what you and your three friends must eat and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men who are the same age you are? When he sees how you look, he might kill me." So Daniel spoke to one of the guards. The chief official had appointed him over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. Daniel said to him, "Please test us for ten days. Give us nothing but vegetables to eat. And give us only water to drink. Then compare us with the young men who eat the king's food. See how we look. After that, do what you want to." So the guard agreed. He tested them for ten days. After the ten days they looked healthy and well fed. In fact, they looked better than any of the young men who ate the king's food. So the guard didn't require Daniel and his friends to eat the special food or drink the wine. He gave them vegetables instead. 10

11 Bible Lesson Continued God gave knowledge and understanding to those four young men. So they understood all kinds of writings and subjects. And Daniel could understand all kinds of visions and dreams. The three years the king had set for their training ended. So the chief official brought them to Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them. He didn't find anyone equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. So they began to serve the king. He asked them for advice in matters that required wisdom and understanding. He always found their answers to be the best. In fact, the men were ten times better than anyone in his kingdom who claimed to get knowledge by using magic. Talk About It In today s lesson, we learn that Daniel's reputation was very strong. No matter what situation he found himself in, he always chose to honor God. He was known to many as a man of honor. Talk with your child about the word reputation. A person s reputation is built by doing something over and over again. If you do what is right over and over, you build a reputation for doing the right thing. If you do what is NOT right over and over, you build a reputation for NOT doing the right thing. The stronger your reputation is for doing what is right, the closer you will feel to God, and the easier it will be to continue doing what is right. Talk about it. 11

12 Winter 2017 ~ Primary Lesson #6 The Fiery Furnace Daniel 3:1-30 Memory Verse Be strong and brave. Do not be terrified. Do not lose hope. I am the Lord your God. I will be with you everywhere you go. --Joshua 1:9 (NIRV) Bible Lesson Message: God wants us to worship only Him. Daniel 3 ~ Daniel's Friends Are Thrown Into a Blazing Furnace King Nebuchadnezzar made a statue that was covered with gold. It was 90 feet tall and 9 feet wide. He set it up on the flatlands of Dura near the city of Babylon. Then the king sent for the royal rulers, high officials and governors. He sent for the advisers, treasurers, judges and court officers. And he sent for all of the other officials of Babylon. He asked them to come to a special gathering to honor the statue he had set up. So the royal rulers, high officials and governors came together. So did the advisers, treasurers, judges and court officers. All of the other officials joined them. They came to honor the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. They stood in front of it. Then a messenger called out loudly, "Listen, you people who come from every nation! Pay attention, you who speak other languages! Here is what the king commands you to do. You will soon hear the sound of horns and flutes. You will hear zithers, lyres, harps and pipes. In fact, you will hear all kinds of music. When you do, you must fall down and worship the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. If you don't, you will be thrown into a blazing furnace right away." All of the people heard the sound of the horns and flutes. They heard the zithers, lyres, harps and other musical instruments. As soon as they did, they fell down and worshiped Nebuchadnezzar's gold statue. They had come from every nation and language. At that time some people who studied the heavens came forward. They spoke against the Jews. They said, "King Nebuchadnezzar, may you live forever! You commanded everyone to fall down and worship the gold statue. You told them to do it when they heard the horns, flutes, zithers, lyres, harps, pipes and other musical instruments. If they didn't, they would be thrown into a blazing furnace. But you have appointed some Jews to help Daniel govern Babylon and the towns around it. Their names are Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. They don't pay any attention to you, King Nebuchadnezzar. They don't serve your gods. And they refuse to worship the gold statue you have set up." Nebuchadnezzar burned with anger. He sent for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So they were brought to him. The king said to them, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, is what I heard about you true? Don't you serve my gods? Don't you worship the gold statue I set up? You will hear the horns, flutes, zithers, lyres, harps, pipes and other musical instruments. When you do, fall down and worship the statue I made. If you will, that's very good. But if you won't, you will be thrown at once into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to save you from my powerful hand?" 12

13 Bible Lesson Continued Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king. They said, "King Nebuchadnezzar, we don't need to talk about this anymore. We might be thrown into the blazing furnace. But the God we serve is able to bring us out of it alive. He will save us from your powerful hand. But we want you to know this. Even if we knew that our God wouldn't save us, we still wouldn't serve your gods. We wouldn't worship the gold statue you set up." Then Nebuchadnezzar's anger burned against Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. The look on his face changed. And he ordered that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual. He also gave some of the strongest soldiers in his army a command. He ordered them to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Then he told his men to throw them into the blazing furnace. So they were tied up. Then they were thrown into the furnace. They were wearing their robes, pants, turbans and other clothes. The king's command was carried out quickly. The furnace was so hot that its flames killed the soldiers who threw Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego into it. So the three men were firmly tied up. And they fell into the blazing furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet. He was so amazed he asked his advisers, "Didn't we tie three men up? Didn't we throw three men into the fire?" "Yes, we did," they replied. The king said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire. They aren't tied up. And the fire hasn't even harmed them. The fourth man looks like a son of the gods." Then the king approached the opening of the blazing furnace. He shouted, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, come out! You who serve the Most High God, come here!" So they came out of the fire. The royal rulers, high officials, governors and advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire hadn't harmed their bodies. Not one hair on their heads was burned. Their robes weren't burned either. And they didn't even smell like smoke. Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "May the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be praised! He has sent his angel and saved his servants. They trusted in him. They refused to obey my command. They were willing to give up their lives. They would rather die than serve or worship any god except their own God. No other god can save people that way. So I'm giving an order. No one from any nation or language can say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. If they do, they'll be cut to pieces. And their houses will be turned into piles of trash." Then the king honored Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. He gave them higher positions in the city of Babylon and the towns around it. Talk About It In today s lesson, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego decided to stand up for their belief in God, even knowing what might happen to them. It was most important to them that they serve the God that they loved. All over the world today there are countries where the ruling government does not allow them to freely worship God. In fact, those people also face strict consequences when they choose to worship Him. Talk with your child about what he thinks it would be like if he was not free to worship God. How would that change your lives or your family s lives? Would you stand up in the face of persecution for having a relationship with Jesus today, like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did in order to serve God? Remind your child that God wants us to only worship Him. We want to remember to pray for the people who love God but live in those countries where they are not free to worship Him. Talk about it. 13

14 Winter 2017 ~ Primary Lesson #7 Memory Verse Nebuchadnezzar and the Writing on the Wall Daniel 5:1-31 honor the God who holds in His hand your very life and everything you do. --Daniel 5:21 (NIRV) Bible Lesson Message: Honor God with your words and your actions. Daniel 5 ~ A Hand Writes on the Palace Wall King Belshazzar gave a big dinner. He invited a thousand of his nobles to it. He drank wine with them. While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to his servants. He commanded them to bring in some gold and silver cups. They were the cups his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem. Belshazzar had them brought in so everyone could drink from them. That included the king himself, his nobles, his wives and his concubines. So the servants brought in the gold cups that had been taken from God's temple in Jerusalem. The king and his nobles drank from them. So did his wives and concubines. As they drank the wine, they praised their gods. The statues of those gods were made out of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood or stone. Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared. They wrote something on the plaster of the palace wall. It happened near the lamp stand. The king watched the hand as it wrote. His face turned pale. He became so afraid that his knees knocked together. His legs couldn't hold him up any longer. The king sent for those who try to figure things out by using magic. He also sent for those who study the heavens. All of them were wise men in Babylon. He ordered that they be brought to him. He said to them, "I want one of you to read this writing and tell me what it means. If you do, you will be dressed in purple clothes. A gold chain will be put around your neck. And you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom." Then all of the king's wise men came in. But they couldn't read the writing. They couldn't tell him what it meant. So King Belshazzar became even more terrified. His face grew more pale, and his nobles were bewildered. The queen heard the king and his nobles talking. So she came into the dining hall. "King Belshazzar, may you live forever!" she said. "Don't be afraid! Don't look so pale! I know a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. He has understanding and wisdom and good sense just like the gods. That was discovered when your father Nebuchadnezzar was king. Nebuchadnezzar appointed him chief of those who tried to figure things out by using magic. He also put him in charge of those who studied the heavens. The man's name is Daniel. Your father called him Belteshazzar. He has a clever mind and knowledge and understanding. He is also able to tell what dreams mean. He can explain riddles and solve hard problems. Send for him. He'll tell you what the writing means." So Daniel was brought to the king. The king said to him, "Are you Daniel? Are you one of the prisoners my father the king brought here from Judah? I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you. I've also heard that you have understanding and good sense and special wisdom. The wise men and those who practice magic were brought to me. They were asked to read this writing and tell me what it means. But they couldn't. I have heard that you are able to explain things and solve hard problems. 14

15 Bible Lesson Continued I hope you can read this writing and tell me what it means. If you can, you will be dressed in purple clothes. A gold chain will be put around your neck. And you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom." Then Daniel answered the king. He said, "You can keep your gifts for yourself. You can give your rewards to someone else. But I will read the writing for you. I'll tell you what it means. King Belshazzar, the Most High God was good to your father Nebuchadnezzar. He gave him authority and greatness and glory and honor. God gave him a high position. Then all of the people from every nation and language became afraid of the king. He put to death anyone he wanted to. He spared anyone he wanted to spare. He gave high positions to anyone he wanted to. And he brought down anyone he wanted to bring down. But his heart became very stubborn and proud. So he was removed from his royal throne. His glory was stripped away from him. He was driven away from people. He was given the mind of an animal. He lived like the wild donkeys. He ate grass just as cattle do. His body became wet with the dew of heaven. He stayed that way until he recognized that the Most High God rules over all of the kingdoms of men. He puts anyone he wants to in charge of them. But you knew all of that, Belshazzar. After all, you are Nebuchadnezzar's son. In spite of that, you are still proud. You have taken your stand against the Lord of heaven. You had your servants bring cups from his temple to you. You and your nobles drank wine from them. So did your wives and concubines. You praised your gods. The statues of those gods are made out of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood or stone. They can't see or hear or understand anything. But you didn't honor the God who holds in his hand your very life and everything you do. So he sent the hand that wrote on the wall. Here is what was written: mene, mene, tekel, parsin. "And here is what those words mean: #1 means that God has limited the time of your rule. He has brought it to an end. #1 means that you have been weighed on scales and you haven't measured up to God's standard. #1 means that your authority over your kingdom will be taken away from you. It will be given to the Medes and Persians." Then Belshazzar commanded his servants to dress Daniel in purple clothes. So they did. They put a gold chain around his neck. And he was made the third highest ruler in the kingdom. That very night Belshazzar, the king of Babylonia, was killed. His kingdom was given to Darius the Mede. Darius was 62 years old. Talk About It In today s lesson, King Belshazzar did not demonstrate self-control very well. He knew what was right in the eyes of God, and had seen what happened to his father, King Nebuchadnezzar, and yet his actions and his words were not pleasing to God. He did not honor Him. He was very busy enjoying his life and did not pay much attention to putting God first and worshipping Him. Remind your child that self-control is a fruit of the spirit, a characteristic that we all have to work hard to grow in. How can others know we have Jesus living in us if what they see (from our actions) or hear (from our words) does not bring honor to God? When we choose to behave badly, or are selfish, or angry, or we talk back to our parents, our actions and words certainly are not pleasing to God. God wants us to honor Him in everything we say and do. Talk about it. 15

16 Winter 2017 ~ Primary Lesson #8 Memory Verse Daniel in the Lion s Den Daniel 6:1-28 God s grace has saved you because of your faith in Christ. --Ephesians 2:8 (NIRV) Bible Lesson Message: Do what is right in the eyes of the Lord. Daniel 6 ~ Daniel Is Thrown Into a Den of Lions It pleased Darius to appoint 120 royal rulers over his entire kingdom. He placed three leaders over them. One of the leaders was Daniel. The royal rulers were made accountable to the three leaders. Then the king wouldn't lose any of his wealth. Daniel did a better job than the other two leaders or any of the royal rulers. He was an unusually good and able man. So the king planned to put him in charge of the whole kingdom. But the other two leaders and the royal rulers heard about it. So they looked for a reason to bring charges against Daniel. They tried to find something wrong with the way he ran the government. But they weren't able to. They couldn't find any fault with his work. He could always be trusted. He never did anything wrong. And he always did what he was supposed to. Finally those men said, "It's almost impossible for us to come up with a reason to bring charges against this man Daniel. If we do, it will have to be in connection with the law of his God." So the two leaders and the royal rulers went as a group to the king. They said, "King Darius, may you live forever! All of the royal leaders, high officials, royal rulers, advisers and governors want to make a suggestion. We've agreed that you should give an order. And you should make sure it's obeyed. Here is the command you should give. King Darius, during the next 30 days don't let any of your people pray to any god or man except to you. If they do, throw them into the lions' den. Now give the order. Write it down in the laws of the Medes and Persians. Then it can't be changed." So King Darius put the order in writing. Daniel found out that the king had signed the order. In spite of that, he did just as he had always done before. He went home to his upstairs room. Its windows opened toward Jerusalem. He went to his room three times a day to pray. He got down on his knees and gave thanks to his God. Some of the other royal officials went to where Daniel was staying. They saw him praying and asking God for help. So they went to the king. They spoke to him about his royal order. They said, "King Darius, didn't you sign an official order? It said that for the next 30 days none of your people could pray to any god or man except to you. If they did, they would be thrown into the lions' den." The king answered, "The order must still be obeyed. It's one of the laws of the Medes and Persians. So it can't be changed." Then they spoke to the king again. They said, "Daniel is one of the prisoners from Judah. He doesn't pay any attention to you, King Darius. He doesn't obey the order you put in writing. He still prays to his God three times a day." When the king heard that, he was very upset. He didn't want Daniel to be harmed in any way. Until sunset, he did everything he could to save him. Then the men went as a group to the king. They said to him, "King Darius, remember that no order or law you make can be changed. That's what the laws of the Medes and Persians require." 16

17 Bible Lesson Continued So the king gave the order. Daniel was brought out and thrown into the lions' den. The king said to him, "You always serve your God faithfully. So may he save you!" A stone was brought and placed over the opening of the den. The king sealed it with his own special ring. He also sealed it with the rings of his nobles. Then nothing could be done to help Daniel. The king returned to his palace. He didn't eat anything that night. He didn't ask for anything to be brought to him for his enjoyment. And he couldn't sleep. As soon as the sun began to rise, the king got up. He hurried to the lions' den. When he got near it, he called out to Daniel. His voice was filled with great concern. He said, "Daniel! You serve the living God. You always serve him faithfully. So has he been able to save you from the lions?" Daniel answered, "My king, may you live forever! My God sent his angel. And his angel shut the mouths of the lions. They haven't hurt me at all. That's because I haven't done anything wrong in God's sight. I've never done anything wrong to you either, my king." The king was filled with joy. He ordered his servants to lift Daniel out of the den. So they did. They didn't see any wounds on him. That's because he had trusted in his God. Then the king gave another order. The men who had said bad things about Daniel were brought in. They were thrown into the lions' den. So were their wives and children. Before they hit the bottom of the den, the lions attacked them. And the lions crushed all of their bones. Then King Darius wrote to the people from every nation and language in the whole world. He said, "May you have great success! I order people in every part of my kingdom to respect and honor Daniel's God. He is the living God. He will live forever. His kingdom will not be destroyed. His rule will never end. He sets people free and saves them. He does miraculous signs and wonders. He does them in the heavens and on the earth. He has saved Daniel from the power of the lions." So Daniel had success while Darius was king. Things went well with him during the rule of Cyrus, the Persian. Talk About It Our memory verse tells us we are saved by grace through our faith. Daniel was one of the many great men of faith. Although he knew that disobeying the law meant death, he would not give up his faith, even if it meant his own life. We will never know if Daniel went into the lion's den believing he would survive. What we do know is that he prayed to God for help. Daniel knew that he was in God s care, and that God would only allow what He wanted to happen to him. Having faith in God means to allow Him to be in complete control of our lives. If we faithfully obey and give Him our praise, He will give us the courage to do whatever He wants us to do, or go wherever He wants us to go. When you pray, give God control of your life and ask Him to show you what He wants for you. Ask him to help you to always do what is right in His eyes. Talk about it. 17

18 Winter 2017 ~ Primary Lesson #9 Memory Verse Jonah and the Big Fish Jonah 1:1-2:10 blessed are those who hear God s word and obey it. --Luke 11:28 (NIRV) Bible Lesson Message: Obey God the first time! Jonah 1 ~ Jonah Runs Away From the Lord A message from the Lord came to Jonah. He was the son of Amittai. The Lord said, Go to the great city of Nineveh. Preach against it. The sins of its people have come to my attention." But Jonah ran away from the Lord and he was heading for Tarshish. So he went down to the port of Joppa and there he found a ship that was going to Tarshish. He paid the fare and went on board and began to sail away for Tarshish. Jonah was running away from the Lord. But the Lord sent a strong wind over the Mediterranean Sea. A wild storm came up. It was so wild that the ship was in danger of breaking apart. All of the sailors were afraid. Each one cried out to his own god for help. They threw the ship's contents into the sea. They were trying to make the ship lighter. But Jonah had gone below deck. There he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. The captain went down to him and said, "How can you sleep? Get up and call out to your god for help! Maybe he'll pay attention to what's happening to us. Then we won't die." The sailors said to one another, "Come. Let's cast lots to find out who is to blame for getting us into all of this trouble." So they did. And Jonah was picked. They asked him, "What terrible thing have you done to bring all of this trouble on us? Tell us. What do you do for a living? Where do you come from? What is your country? What people do you belong to?" He answered, "I'm a Hebrew. I worship the Lord. He is the God of heaven. He made the sea and the land." They found out he was running away from the Lord because Jonah had told them. Then they became terrified. So they asked him, "How could you do a thing like that?" The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, "What should we do to you to make the sea calm down?" "Pick me up and throw me into the sea," he replied. "Then it will become calm. I know it's my fault that this terrible storm has come on you." Instead of doing what he said, the men did their best to row back to land. But they couldn't. The sea got even rougher than before. Then they cried out to the Lord. They prayed, "Lord, please don't let us die for taking this man's life. After all, he might not be guilty of doing anything wrong. So don't hold us accountable for killing him. Lord, you always do what you want to." Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard. And the stormy sea became calm. When the men saw what had happened, they began to have great respect for the Lord. They offered a sacrifice to him. And they made promises to him. But the Lord sent a huge fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights. 18