Preschool. May 25, :45am

Transcription

1 Preschool May 25, :45am

2 Leader BIBLE STUDY Use Week: May 25, 2014 Nahum was a prophet to Nineveh, the capital of Assyria. He wasn t the first. Remember Jonah? Jonah reluctantly went to Nineveh, saying, In 40 days Nineveh will be demolished! (Jonah 3:4). The Ninevites immediately repented, and God spared them. So what was Nahum doing in Nineveh? Well, it wasn t long after Jonah s visit that the people went back to their old ways. Assyria had defeated Israel and was a constant threat to Judah. The people were strong and wicked. Nahum described Nineveh as the city of blood, totally deceitful, full of plunder, never without prey (Nah. 3:1). Nahum went to Nineveh to say that God s judgment was coming. The Lord will never leave the guilty unpunished (Nah. 1:3). 5 God had shown grace to the people of Nineveh in the time of Jonah, but their sin made them guilty. Nahum echoed parts of Exodus 34:6-7: Yahweh is slow to anger But He will not leave the guilty unpunished. God was going to judge Nineveh. (See Nah. 1:2.) He would make war against them and defeat them. (Nah. 1:6) In addition to the message of judgment, Nahum whose name means comfort had a message of comfort for God s people: When God s judgment came upon Nineveh, His people would be safe. (Nah. 1:7) The day of judgment against Nineveh foreshadows the coming final day of judgment. On that day, Jesus will come and judge the earth. He will defeat His enemies sin, Satan, and death and He will rescue His people. God will not leave the guilty unpunished. Those who do not trust in Jesus payment for their sin on the cross will face eternity in hell. Everyone is born an enemy of God (Eph. 2:3), and God is gracious and patient; He wants all to come to repentance. (2 Pet. 3:9) The day of judgment is coming. God s enemies will be defeated, and those who are in Christ will find comfort and peace. 1 Preschool Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 17 Session 5

3 Preschool Bible study OVERVIEW Session Title: Nahum, Prophet to Nineveh Bible Passage: Nahum 1 3 Big Picture Question: Why did God destroy Nineveh? The people of Nineveh didn t love God or His people. Key Passage: Zephaniah 3:17 Unit Christ Connection: God judges sin but redeems those who faithfully follow His commands. Redemption for all comes through faith in Jesus Christ. Small Group Opening Large Group Bible Study U N I T 17 5 Small Group Activities Snack and Transition 2

4 The BIBLE STORY Nahum, Prophet to Nineveh Nahum 1 3 God spoke to Nahum (NAY huhm). Nahum was a prophet, and God gave him an important message. Nahum listened to God s message. Then he went to Nineveh (NIN uh vuh), a big city in a country called Assyria (uh SIHR ih uh). The people who lived in Assyria were mean people. They did not like God s people, and they fought with them. God s message was for the people who lived in Nineveh. God said He was going to punish the people in Nineveh. This is the sad message Nahum spoke about the city of Nineveh. What is God like? Nahum told the people about God. God is jealous. That doesn t mean God wants something that isn t His. It means only God deserves to be worshiped, so He does not want people to worship other things. Also, God punishes people who do wrong things. God is fair. He does not get angry easily. God is powerful. He has power over everything because He created it. God can make the sea and the rivers dry up. When God comes to punish Nineveh, the mountains will shake and the earth will move. People will be afraid because God is so powerful. God is good. When bad things are happening, He can keep people safe. He takes care of people who know and love Him. But the people in Nineveh did not know God. They did not love Him, and they did not trust Him. The people in Nineveh were enemies of God, and God was going to punish them. God spoke to His people. He said, The people in Assyria are strong. They have big armies. But I will win against them. You have been hurt, but you won t get hurt anymore. The people in Assyria had taken over God s people, but God was going to set His people free! God s message from Nahum was bad news for the people of Nineveh, but it was good news for the people of God. 3 Preschool Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 17 Session 5

5 God said that the king of Assyria was going to die. God s people would live in peace. They could worship God and obey Him. Their enemies would be gone! Nahum told the people in Nineveh to get ready for war. Get ready to fight! he said. An enemy is coming to Nineveh. The soldiers will destroy the city and take everything you have. Nineveh used to be a place where people who lived there felt safe, but they wouldn t be safe anymore. Their enemies were coming, and there was nothing they could do about it. The people of Nineveh used to be strong, but they were going to lose this battle. They would be too afraid to fight. This was a bad day for Nineveh, but everyone else would clap their hands. Everyone else would be happy because the people of Nineveh got what they deserved. Christ Connection: Nahum told God s people something that would make them feel better. He said that God loves His people and takes care of them. Jesus has good news for people who know and love Him. One day, Jesus will take away all bad things. 4

6 Small Group Opening Session Title: Nahum, Prophet to Nineveh Bible Passage: Nahum 1 3 Big Picture Question: Why did God destroy Nineveh? The people of Nineveh didn t love God or His people. Key Passage: Zephaniah 3:17 Unit Christ Connection: God judges sin but redeems those who faithfully follow His commands. Redemption for all comes through faith in Jesus Christ. What a Mighty God We Serve song offering basket Welcome and Session Starter Play What a Mighty God We Serve in the background. Set an offering basket near the door. Count the Gates activity page, 1 per kid crayons Activity Page: Count the Gates Say Some very mean people lived in Nineveh. They had a big army, and their city had a very high, strong wall around it. People went in and out of the city through big gates. Count the gates in the city wall. LOW PREP rubber ball Name a friend Sit in a circle and roll a ball to a friend. Instruct kids to say the name of the friend they roll the ball to. Include teachers in the circle to be sure kids know teachers names. Say Today you will hear a story about a man who brought a message of comfort to God s people. His name was Nahum (NAY huhm). 5 Preschool Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 17 Session 5

7 Jonah, Prophet to Nineveh picture Be a whirlwind Say The people in Nineveh were very mean, they weren t fair, and they worshiped idols instead of God. God sent Jonah to preach to them. [Show the picture Jonah, Prophet to Nineveh or point to it on the timeline.] The people listened and obeyed God for a while but not for long! They began sinning again. The time came for God to judge and punish them. Nahum said that God waits patiently for evil people to change, but when God acts, He is like a whirlwind and a storm. He acts fast! Kids can turn in circles like tornadoes. Talk about how kids feel during a big storm. Transition to Bible study clap a simple rhythm for children to copy to gain attention. Say God is powerful! Walk to the Bible study showing your powerful muscles. 6

8 Large Group Bible Study Session Title: Nahum, Prophet to Nineveh Bible Passage: Nahum 1 3 Big Picture Question: Why did God destroy Nineveh? The people of Nineveh didn t love God or His people. Key Passage: Zephaniah 3:17 Unit Christ Connection: God judges sin but redeems those who faithfully follow His commands. Redemption for all comes through faith in Jesus Christ. Large Group Bible Study What a Mighty God We Serve song Timeline Map Introduce the Bible story Sing What a Mighty God We Serve. Do motions as you sing. Say God showed how mighty He is in today s Bible story. Today s story is again about Nineveh, that wicked and strong city where very mean people lived. People in other places were very afraid of Nineveh. [Show the timeline picture of Jonah.] Do you remember what Jonah did when God first told him to go preach to the people in Nineveh? (He left on a boat going in the opposite direction. He spent three days inside a fish.) Jonah finally went to warn the people in Nineveh that God was going to punish them because they sinned. The people of Nineveh were sorry. They told God they were sorry. God did not punish them. He showed them mercy. Do you remember how mad that made Jonah? But the people of Nineveh weren t sorry for long. They became enemies of God. The Lord is slow to anger but very powerful, and His enemies will be punished. On the timeline map, show the city of Nineveh burning. 7 Preschool Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 17 Session 5

9 Nahum, Prophet to Nineveh picture Bible Tell the Bible story Say Watch what God promised would happen to the scariest, most powerful neighbors of the land of Israel. Tell the Bible story with your Bible open to Nahum. 8 Bible Story Picture Poster Big Picture Question Poster Key Passage Poster Yahweh Your God song Tip: Do activities one of these ways: as a group, all at the same time in small groups that rotate through each activity set up as centers, allowing preschoolers to browse and choose Talk about the Bible story Say Nahum told what God is like. Tell whether these statements are true; say yes or no. Only God deserves to be worshiped. (yes) God never gets angry. (no) God gets angry slowly. (yes) God is powerful. (yes) God is afraid of earthquakes. (No! He can make them happen.) God is good. (yes) Nineveh was strong enough to win a battle against God. (no) Why did God destroy Nineveh? The people of Nineveh didn t love God or His people. Nahum told God s people something that would make them feel better. He said that God loves His people and takes care of them. Jesus has good news for people who know and love Him. One day, Jesus will take away all bad things. Sing Yahweh Your God. Transition to small groups Describe the activities you have prepared. Say God said He would mow down His enemies. Pretend to mow with a lawnmower on your way to the activities. Or if kids might think God is pushing a lawnmower, suggest they wiggle like flames of fire as they go because God said He would destroy Nineveh with fire.

10 Small Group Activities Session Title: Nahum, Prophet to Nineveh Bible Passage: Nahum 1 3 Big Picture Question: Why did God destroy Nineveh? The people of Nineveh didn t love God or His people. Key Passage: Zephaniah 3:17 Unit Christ Connection: God judges sin but redeems those who faithfully follow His commands. Redemption for all comes through faith in Jesus Christ. Small Group Activities LOW PREP straws cotton balls Blow clouds Each child needs a partner and a straw. Place a cotton ball in the center of a table between each pair of kids. Each kid should blow through the straw and try to move the cotton ball cloud toward the other kid. Say Nahum wrote about what God is like. God is powerful: Nothing and nobody is as powerful as God. He makes the mountains shake, and the clouds are like dust under His feet. God is good: He takes care of people who trust Him. God is jealous: He is greater than anyone, and He is the only God. Why did God destroy Nineveh? The people of Nineveh didn t love God or His people. 9 Preschool Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 17 Session 5

11 blocks blue paper Note: Mighty Nineveh was the capital of Assyria; it was wealthy because it was on trade routes crossing the Tigris River. Parts of the city of Mosul, Iraq, lie over its ruins. What a Mighty God We Serve song hoops Build Nineveh Invite kids to build the city of Nineveh with blocks. Add a wall around the city, and build palaces. Place blue paper nearby to be the Tigris River. Say Nineveh was a powerful city. The people thought their wall would protect them. God is stronger than a tall wall and big palaces. Why did God destroy Nineveh? The people of Nineveh didn t love God or His people. Find a safe place Play What a Mighty God We Serve while kids move around any way they choose. Say that the hoops are houses. When you stop the music, kids must stand in a house. Several kids may stand in the same house. Vary the game by callinlg the hoops"nests." Boys and girls may pretend to be birds and fly around the room to music. When the music stops, they must get inside a nest. Think of other ways animals protect their babies. Talk about ways parents protect their kids, such as by using seatbelts, holding their hands in the store, or making safety rules. Say God protects His people. Nahum told God s people that God loves them and takes care of them. Jesus has good news for people who know and love Him. One day, Jesus will take away all bad things. 10

12 yarn necklaces with signs: Nineveh, Nahum, wall (3 wall signs) Review the Bible story Assign parts to five people and give them signs to wear: Nineveh (an adult), Nahum, three people to be parts of the wall. All others will be people of Judah, reacting with happy or sad faces. Wall kids surround Nineveh. People of Judah stand facing Nineveh in a group. Nahum stands between Nineveh and the people of Judah. He faces the people of Judah in order to give them messages from God. Say Nineveh was a powerful city surrounded by a big wall. The people who lived in Nineveh did bad things. They did not love God, and they treated God s people badly. People in Judah were very sad and frightened because the people in Nineveh were mean to them. [Show sad or frightened faces.] One day, Nahum came to the people of Judah. Nahum had a message from God. He said, God is good. He cares about you, and He will destroy Nineveh. God wants you to celebrate because your enemies will not bother you again. Nahum s words came true. The people of Judah were happy and clapped their hands. [Show happy faces and clap hands.] Why did God destroy Nineveh? The people of Nineveh didn t love God or His people. Nahum told God s people something that would make them feel better. He said that God loves His people and takes care of them. Jesus has good news for people who know and love Him. One day, Jesus will take away all bad things. 11 Preschool Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 17 Session 5

13 Snack and Transition Take a restroom break. Wash hands well with soap and water. Ask for volunteers to help set out the snack if that works in your routine. Kids may wish to take turns thanking God for the snack, or a leader may pray. Journal Page crayons Transition - Journal Page As kids finish eating, dispose of leftovers and trash and guide them to draw on their journal pages something from today's Bible story such as Nineveh's wall. 12

14 Journal Page May 25, 2014 Key Passage: Zephaniah 3:17 Session1: Micah, Prophet to Judah Micah 1 7 Session 2: Josiah s Reforms 2 Chronicles Session 3: Zephaniah, Prophet to Judah Zephaniah 1 3 Session 4: Habakkuk, Prophet to Judah Habakkuk 1 3 Session 5: Nahum, Prophet to Nineveh Nahum 1 3 OK TO PRINT

15 The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. Zephaniah 3:17 UNIT 17 Key Passage Poster (ESV) OK TO PRINT

16 Why did God destroy Nineveh? The people of Nineveh didn t love God or His people. UNIT 17 Session 5 Big Picture Question OK TO PRINT

17 Count the Gates Instructions: Some very mean people lived in Nineveh. They had a big army, and their city had a very high, strong wall around it. People went in and out of the city through big gates. Count the gates in the city wall. UNIT 17 Session 5 Preschool Activity Pages

18 Nahum, Prophet to Nineveh Nahum 1 3

19 UNIT 17 Session 5 Nahum, Prophet to Nineveh OK TO PRINT

20 UNIT 17 Session 5 Jonah, Prophet to Nineveh Picture OK TO PRINT