1Covenant of Love. T h e J U N E 3

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1 J U N E 3 1Covenant of Love June 3, 2018 Unit 1: Judges: Muscles, Morals, and Miracles BIBLE STUDY Judges 1 2 So God Raised Up Judges BIBLE TRUTH God blesses those who love and obey Him, but judges those who break their relationship with Him. LESSON GOALS To help preteens... Discover how God used judges during Israel s history Grow in the understanding that all choices have consequences Consider the possible consequences of certain kinds of choices VERSE-A-MONTH CLUB Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. Deuteronomy 7:9 Reflect on the Word Judges 1 2. The opening two chapters of Judges read like one of those good news-bad news stories except they re not funny. The bad news segments have had long-term residual effects. Thankfully, the good sections also have made an impact. The bad news is most pointed in Judges 2:10. Another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel. Not only was that a sad thing for Israel, but also it is still bad news in our day. Some people like to describe our time in history as post-christian. When we look around at the small number of people who seem to actually believe in God or try to live by gospel principles, we could agree. However, that is not what makes our day post-christian. Fervent Christians have been a minority in every age. Today s problem is that the great majority of people are not even aware of what they are not a part of. The Christian tradition is totally unfamiliar to them. They seem to know everything but Christianity. Like that next generation after Joshua in Israel, people in the present age are not familiar with God s reputation for decisive and beneficial action. They know nothing about how God has created and sustained His people. They ve never seen a miracle. Even worse than not knowing about God in worship, love, and obedience, they do not even know about Him. God is simply not part of the modern equation for life. The good news appears in verse 18. Whenever the LORD raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the LORD relented because of their groaning under those who oppressed and afflicted them. God was with His people when they acknowledged that they needed His help. Still, modern images we associate with the word judge might cause us to miss how good this news is. We tend to think of judges with thoughts of impressive benches in fancy courtrooms, black robes, loud gavels, and long, deliberate legal proceedings. Those ideas don t fit the Book of Judges. Instead, the judges of Israel were fighters and adventurers. They were only arbitrators in the sense of helping Israel decide which action was right. When read together, verses 18 and 19 of chapter 2 put both the good news and bad news side by side. These two verses reveal a pattern that is played out over and over throughout the rest of the Book of Judges. One way to describe it: rebellion, retribution, repentance, rescue then repeat! Is this pattern good news or bad news? It is good in that God was always faithful to help Israel in the time of trouble. It was bad in that they kept repeating the behavior that got them in trouble. Without God showing His grace through the judges time and again, Israel would have self-destructed long before David became their king. Personal Reflections 1. Reflecting on Israel s pattern (rebellion, retribution, repentance, rescue repeat), what has been the pattern of your walk with the Lord? 2. Pray right now for God s strength. Ask Him to help you stay consistently devoted to Him. He will hold you close and can keep you from stumbling. Creation The Fa ll Abraham Exodus Judges David 6 T h e Prophets The Exile Return 400

2 Connect with Your Kids Most preteens have had a fickle friend at some point and have decided that this person s friendship was not worth keeping. Preteens are learning that it takes work both to start and keep a good friendship. They know that a friendship won t survive long if one person always gives and the other always takes. This lesson will help preteens understand that the covenant relationship God made with His people was two-sided. God expects certain attitudes and actions from His people. In return, God s people can expect certain attitudes from Him. To maintain the relationship, both parties have to be working toward that goal. God provided judges to remind His people of their covenant with Him. This lesson shows God s patience and His willingness to keep His part of the covenant. By observing how the Israelites failed, preteens can avoid pitfalls in their lives. They can observe the longing of a loving God for a people who were too self-centered to fulfill their covenant with Him. They can evaluate their lives to see where they need to strengthen their relationship with God. TIPS & TOOLS Activity-specific teaching tips General teacher training tips Foundational words of the faith Spiritual formation tips J U N E 3 The ORD in CTION Important biblical and theological insights SEE HEAR & SAY SING DO SOLVE READ & WRITE A B C What is the spiritual life pattern of the preteens in your class? How will you be a leader to teach the next generation about the Lord and His ways of loving us? AT T E N T I O N G E T T E R S B I B L E E X P LO R AT I O N S CO N N E C T I O N S TO L I F E Check to Use L E S S O N P L A N N E R Lesson Xpress* A C T I V I T I E S Choices Have Consequences Talk about the natural consequences of choices. Discussion Circles In small groups, discuss topics related to choices. Decisions, Decisions, Decisions! Launch into the story of the Israelites. The Choice Is Yours Rewrite story endings to show good choices. So God Raised Up Judges Compare God s faithfulness with Israel s unfaithfulness and sin. Israel s Stubborn Ways Our Stubborn Ways Compare Israel with people today. What Could Happen? Predict the outcome of several choices. Here s the Plan, Stan Learn about a handy guide to making good choices. Covenant of Love Introduce the Verse-a-Month Club verse. Choices Prayer Take the opportunity to recommit to Christ. ACTIVITY FOCUS C U R R I C U L U M R E S O U R C E S Resources, Item 1 Connections, p. 1 Connections, p. 2; Bible Trek Time Line Connections, p. 2 Connections, p. 3 Connections, p. 4; Resources, Item 2 Passport for each preteen; Commit - ment Cards, opt. *Lesson Xpress If your class time is short, consider choosing these activities. **In addition to materials listed in this chart, you need Basic Classroom Supplies. See the inside back cover and the activities in this lesson. O T H E R M A T E R I A L S * * Zipper bag to store letters, opt. Ball or beanbag Scripture Drill cards used during So God Raised Up Judges Y ears of Silence B irth ofchris t Ministry of Jesus 7 Easter Early Church Letters Last T hings

3 ATTENTION GETTERS If you like, go ahead and tack the letters on your bulletin board. (For more helps on this bulletin board, see the diagram on page 16 of Lesson 2, as well as Teacher Connections.) Or, if you d like to do the letter-scramble activity in future lessons, consider storing them in a bag until Lesson 3, and then put them on the bulletin board. Return the letters to the zipper bag after the unit is over. During the Discussion Circles activity, walk around from group to group and help stimulate discussion. If you see that a student is not feeling comfortable contributing or is being interrupted, try to help him or her be able to contribute. One way to do this is to say something like, Jason, you were working on a good idea there. Why don t you try again to explain what you were thinking? Or say, LaTisha, I know the group would like to hear from you. What comes to mind when you hear the word rules? Choose from these activities to help focus your preteens attention and prepare them to learn today s Bible Truth. Choices Have Consequences Scramble the letters from Item 1 and spread them out on the table. Say, See if you can unscramble these letters to spell a three-word sentence about choices. Let your preteens put the letters together to spell Choices Have CONSEQUENCES. Ask a volunteer to explain the word consequences. Hold an object (like a pencil) and ask, What would happen if I let go of this? (It will fall.) Why? (Because of gravity) TRANSITION: Say, A synonym for consequence is result. The result, or consequence, of letting go of this [pencil] is that it will fall. We see consequences in the natural world around us. And we also see consequences in our own lives as our decisions or those of other people produce certain results. Today we will discover what consequences God s people experienced from their decisions. Discussion Circles Before class, write words that relate to choices (consequences, choices, rules, punishment, or rewards) on separate index cards. Make one card for every two or three students in your class. Resources, Item 1, prepared as directed on the sheet Zipper bag to store letters, opt. Index cards, one for every two or three preteens Arrange chairs to form circles of two or three. Within each circle place one of the cards. In class, instruct your preteens to divide up into groups of two or three, go to the chairs, and look at the card in that circle. Tell students to discuss the topic on the card for a couple of minutes, talking about anything related to the word: what it makes them think of, personal examples, and so on. TRANSITION: After the group has gathered back together, say, In our Bible study today, we will talk about some of these ideas as we look at choices the Israelites made. Decisions, Decisions, Decisions! Have a ball or beanbag ready. Toss the ball to a student and Ball or beanbag ask one of the following questions. After answering, this student tosses the ball to another student who responds to the same question. Let at least three students answer the same question. Then have the last student toss the ball back to you. Throw it to another student, and ask the next question. Continue this way until students have responded to all the questions. What choices did you make this morning? What do you ask yourself when you make a decision? (Will this be good for me? What will my parents say? What will my friends say? Will I like it? Is it right or wrong? etc.) Who or what influences your decisions? (Parents, friends, brothers, sisters, rules, knowing right from wrong, knowing what the Bible says to do, etc.) TRANSITION: Say, Today we re going to take a look at some of the choices the Israelites made. As we do, we can learn something about how to make good choices and avoid bad ones. The Choice Is Yours Have your students turn to Connections, page 1. Say, Every day preteens must make many decisions. Every decision has consequences. Let s look at three situations where preteens must make a choice and consider the consequences. Connections, p. 1 Pens or pencils 8

4 Explain to your preteens that they will think about each situation and decide whether the consequences would be good or bad. If they chose BAD, give them a few minutes to rewrite the last line to make the consequences GOOD. Lisa and Julie: BAD. To make it GOOD Julie might go home if Lisa insists on going, or she could offer an alternative activity. Jose and Eugene: GOOD. Aaron and Martel: BAD. A better solution would be for Aaron to talk with Martel and their parents together to set some guidelines for the brothers treatment of each other s space. TRANSITION: Say, God cares about the choices we make. He knows that the choices you make at this point in your life can affect all the rest of your life. Sometimes it helps to learn lessons from other people. Today, let s look at the people of Israel and some of the choices they made. The ORD in CTION The Book of Judges helps us realize that those who maintain a right relationship with God are blessed, but those who do not do this face God s justice. After Joshua died, the next generation intermarried with the Canaanites and turned to idol worship. God used the Israelites enemies to discipline His people. BIBLE EXPLORATIONS Choose from these activities to help preteens study the Bible passage. So God Raised Up Judges Before class, print the Scripture Drill verses (see Helping Hand) on index cards. In class, begin the Bible study with a brief time line review. Start by pointing out the figure of Noah on the Bible Trek Time Line. Ask, Who did God choose to save when He flooded the earth, and why did He save this particular person? Point out Connections, p. 2 Bible Trek Time Line Bibles 6 index cards Pen or marker Moses at the burning bush, and ask, Who is this, and how did God use Him to rescue the Israelites? Move on to the illustration of Moses receiving the Ten Commandments and ask, What did God give to the Israelites through Moses on Mount Sinai? Point to Joshua and the battle of Jericho and ask the students, What is important about this battle? (It was the first battle to conquer the Promised Land.) Why do you think God led His people to this Promised Land? Finally, after you ve shown these parts of the time line to your preteens, ask them to think of one word that describes God in the history of the Old Testament. Have a few preteens share their words. (Good, faithful, rescuer, strong, mighty) Point to the figure of Deborah on the time line. Explain that the Bible stories for the next several weeks come from the Book of Judges. Say, This book describes the history of God s people from the time Joshua died to just before they received their first king, Saul more than 300 years. During this time, the Israelites were led by men and women called judges. Today, however, we will learn about the kinds of decisions God s people were making, and why God gave them judges in the first place. Have students turn to Connections, page 2. Let volunteers read aloud, alternating sentences or paragraphs. Along the way, feel free to share insights about the judges from Reflect on the Word. Use a Scripture Drill to help preteens get a clearer picture of the choices the Israelites were making. Divide the preteens into two teams. Give a member of Team 1 the first reference card to read to Team 2 so they can look up the passage. When all Team 2 members have found it, they should stand and read the verses in unison. Then give a member of Team 2 the next reference for Team 1 to look up. Continue this way until students have looked up all the verses. Use the verses listed in the HELPING HAND. Have preteens turn in their Bibles to Judges 2:18-19 and read this aloud together. Then discuss the three questions from the end of Connections, page 2. Describe God s actions toward His people. (Kind, compassionate, ready to forgive and help. God treated the Israelites far better than they deserved.) Describe the people s actions toward God. (Stubborn and rebellious against God. They quickly forgot God s mercy and returned to disobedience.) 9 Judges 3:7-11 Judges 3:12-15a (end with Benjamite ) Judges 4:1-4 Judges 6:1-6 (Gideon became the new judge.) Judges 10:6-8 (Jephthah became the judge.) Judges 13:1 (Samson was the next judge.) JUDGE: A person chosen by God to rescue the Israelites from their enemies and lead them in obeying God. A military leader with power to make laws and enforce them. COVENANT: An agreement between two people. In Bible covenants between God and people, God always took the lead in setting up the covenant. God told the people what He would do for them and what they must do in return. Then He described the rewards for obedience and the punishments for disobedience. God used covenants as a way of creating loving relationships with His people.

5 If God were writing this passage to describe the people of our country, what do you think He would say? Thinking about people you know, what are some of the consequences they are experiencing for disobeying God? What evidence is there that God is being merciful with us as He was with the Israelites? What is the most important part of our Bible study that you want to remember? Consider breaking into groups and having each group answer a few of the questions on their own. Then they could share their findings with the class. Why did God give the Israelites judges? (The judges were military and spiritual leaders who rescued the people from their enemies and attempted to help the people live for God.) Close by asking: Why do you think God kept sending judges to His people when they repeatedly disobeyed Him and worshiped other gods? (He loved them. To show His forgiveness to them, etc.) What does this lesson say to us about our relationship to God? (If we want God s blessing instead of judgment, we must faithfully obey Him and worship Him alone. However, God is loving and merciful if we fail.) Israel s Stubborn Ways Our Stubborn Ways Use Connections, page 2, and the Scripture Drill (above) to acquaint preteens with the history of the Israelites bad choices. Then divide the group into two groups. Give each group poster board and markers. The first group is to choose words and phrases from the Scripture Drill passages to make a Bibles Connections, p. 2 Scripture Drill cards from So God Raised Up Judges 2 pieces of poster board Markers poster about Israel s evil choices. In addition to the phrase the Israelites once again did evil in the eyes of the LORD, there are several phrases describing specific evils. The second group is to change the key phrase about the Israelites into a phrase about people today: the [name of your country s people] once again did evil in the eyes of the Lord. Have this group add brief descriptions of modern-day evils. Have students run their ideas past you before writing them on the poster so you can help them express them appropriately. Have each group share their poster with the rest of the class. Then close by reading together Judges 2:18-19 from Connections, page 2 or from the Bible. Discuss the questions in HELPING HAND. CONNECTIONS TO LIFE Choose from these activities to help preteens connect the Bible Truth to life. Your preteens might enjoy doing a takeoff on the Dr. Laura advice program. Let preteens take turns being Dr. [Paul] or [Mikela]. Other preteens will take turns calling in to discuss one of the situations. For example, Dr. Paul, I d like to invite my friend Judy to church. But Judy s kind of different. I don t know how my friends will like her. What should I do? The preteen taking the part of Dr. [Paul] should suggest both the correct decision and give the consequences of both a negative and a positive choice. What Could Happen? Have your students turn to Connections, page 3. Say, Although God is a God of love and mercy, He is also a God of justice. He DID let the Israelites suffer the consequences Connections, p. 3 Pens or pencils of their disobedience to Him. Now let s take a look at some preteen choices and the possible consequences of those choices. Have preteens read each of the choices made and write about what the consequences might be. Then discuss each situation. Allow preteens to express their opinions. Here are possible answers for each situation to use as needed. However, these are only a few of the possible consequences good and bad. If Georgia invites Judy to church, Judy may become a Christian. If Georgia refuses to invite Judy, Judy may never hear about Jesus and may continue to live a sinful life. If Don steals the video, he could end up with a police record. He s allowing himself to be dishonest. If he works to pay for the video, he avoids legal problems, he ll enjoy the video more, he strengthens his character, and he pleases God. If Bob keeps saying no to smoking, he avoids health problems and wasting his money. He is a good example to Mary and other friends. If Bob gives in even once, he may find it harder to say no the next time. If Marsha disregards her parents guidelines, she could end up in a situation she isn t old enough to handle with serious consequences to herself and her family. If she chooses to obey her parents, she s obeying God, and protecting both herself and Tim. 10

6 Here s the Plan, Stan Before class, write the steps listed below on a chalkboard, dry erase board, or poster board. Cover each step with a strip of paper, attached lightly with tape or Plasti-Tak. In class, help your preteens brainstorm some steps for making good decisions. Say, We ve discovered today that making wrong choices can have some serious consequences. Let s think of some guidelines to help preteens make right choices. Let students then contribute any ideas they can think of, and encourage them with affirmations. Afterward, reveal the suggested steps listed below, one at a time, and have a different volunteer read each step aloud. 1. What do I want to do? 2. Do I feel I could honor God if I did this? (If YES, keep going.) 3. Does it go against any of the teachings of the Bible that I know of? (If NO, keep going.) 4. Would my pastor, parents, or Christian friends say this is right? (If YES, keep going.) 5. Will it make me a better person and Christian? (If YES, keep going.) 6. Do I feel a continuing inner urge from the Holy Spirit encouraging me to do this? (If YES, it s probably the right thing to do if you have been honest with yourself.) Let your students copy these down on their own paper if they d like to take them home with them. Encourage them to use this set of steps as a guide when making decisions. Covenant of Love Ask a volunteer to turn to Deuteronomy 7:9 and read the verse aloud. Explain that this is the Verse-a-Month Club verse. Show preteens Resources, Item 2, Covenant of Love, and let the whole class say the verse aloud together. Have your students turn to Connections, page 4. Hand out scissors and let your preteens cut out the four cards. Challenge them to take them home and put them in four different locations (locker, bathroom, mirror, alarm clock) where they might see them most often. Consider providing poster board in various colors and clear Con-Tact paper so preteens can attractively mount and laminate the verse cards. Say, As we learned today, God judges sin; but He is loving and merciful as well. God deeply desires a close, loving relationship with every one of us. This week, use your verse reminders to help you be faithful to God. Chalkboard or marker board Chalk or dry erase marker Strips of paper Tape or Plasti-Tak Pens and pencils, opt. Paper, opt. Connections, p. 4 Resources, Item 2 Scissors Passport for each preteen Commitment Cards, opt. (See HELPING HAND) Choices Prayer Say, Some of us may have been living our lives like the Israelites after they went into the Promised Land. Today we learned that God never left His people, even when they disobeyed Him. God did everything He could to help His people; He even raised up leaders to help His people when they cried out for help. When we make mistakes, God is there to help us too. God still loves you and wants to forgive you if you haven t been following Him. Lead your students to repeat this prayer, phrase by phrase, after you. Dear God, It is awesome that You always want to help me. Still sometimes I make mistakes and need Your forgiveness. I am sorry for my sins and ask for Your forgiveness. I believe that I can be forgiven and that Jesus can be my Savior. Help me obey Your commandments. I truly want to live my life for You. Thank You for Your forgiveness. In Jesus name I pray, Amen. Let preteens know you are available to pray with them about particular issues if they wish. Consider handing out Commitment Cards to students who make a commitment to Christ. See HELPING HAND for more on this. Give each preteen a copy of Passport. This activity recommends giving Commitment Cards to students who make a commitment to Christ. The Commitment Card functions as a spiritual birth certificate for the new Christian. It contains a picture of Jesus on the front and space on the back to put the student s name and date of conversion. At the bottom of the card is an assurance verse, John 1:12. Consider keeping a supply of the cards in your class, ready when needed. The cards come in packages of 25 each. Order from your publishing house (VE-52). 11