Preschool July 20, 2014 8:45am
Leader BIBLE STUDY Use Week of:july 20, 2014 This week s Bible story opens with a feast a great banquet hosted in the palace by King Belshazzar. A thousand of his nobles were in attendance. The supply of wine was plentiful. King Belshazzar and those closest to him drank from the holy vessels that Belshazzar s ancestor, King Nebuchadnezzar, had taken from the house of God in Jerusalem. They drank and praised their false gods. 3 Several years had passed since King Nebuchadnezzar s reign. Babylon had seen a handful of successions, and though still served the king, he had likely lost his high-ranking position after Nebuchadnezzar s death. The great feast was suddenly interrupted when a human hand appeared; its fingers wrote a message on the wall. The king did not understand the message. Neither did the astrologers or wise men. The queen (possibly Belshazzar s grandmother) remembered and his ability to understand dreams and signs. God had given wisdom to understand visions and dreams of every kind. (Dan. 1:17) read the words on the wall: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN. As verbs, these Aramaic words mean numbered, weighed, and divided. They can also be interpreted as a series of weights: a mina, a mina, a shekel, and half-shekels. interpreted the message. God had evaluated Belshazzar and found that he wasn t good enough. God was bringing his reign to an end. The kingdom would be divided. Belshazzar, who had witnessed the consequences of Nebuchadnezzar s sinful pride, did not humble himself before the Lord. That very night, Belshazzar was killed and the Persians took over the kingdom. Darius the Mede became king. God is opposed to the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. (See 1 Pet. 5:5.) If God were to weigh us, we too would be found deficient, lacking, not good enough. But when we put our trust in Christ, who humbled Himself on a cross, God will raise us up with Him. (Phil. 2:8; Eph. 2:4-6) Preschool Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 19 Session 3 1
Preschool BIBLE STUDY OVERVIEW Session Title: God Gave Wisdom Bible Passage: 5 Big Picture Question: How did God help help the king? God gave wisdom. Key Passage: 6:27 Unit Christ Connection: Despite captivity, God used faithful people to continue His plan to provide salvation through Jesus Christ. Small Group Opening U N I T 19 3 Large Group Bible Study Small Group Activities Snack and Transition 2
The BIBLE STORY God Gave Wisdom 5 The king of Babylon had a big party! He invited lots of friends, and there was food and drinks for everybody. The people ate food, and they drank from special bowls or cups. The cups were from God s temple. The cups were not for drinking; they were for worshiping God. The king and his friends did the wrong thing. All of a sudden, a man s hand appeared! The fingers started to write something on the wall. It was a message for the king. The king was scared! He read the message, but he did not know what it meant. The king asked for the wise men in Babylon to come and read the message. Maybe they knew what it said. The king promised to give gifts and an important job to anyone who could figure out what the message meant. The wise men came. They read the message, but they did not know what it meant. The king and his friends were upset. The queen said, Don t be upset. I know someone who is very wise. He will know what the message says. The queen was talking about. came to the king s palace. The king said, If you tell me what this message means, I will give you gifts and an important job. didn t care about the king s gifts. He said, I will tell you what this message says. First, told the king something important. A man who was king before you, King Nebuchadnezzar (neb yoo kad NEZ uhr), was very powerful. He thought he was better than anyone else, so God punished him. The king of Babylon was a lot like Nebuchadnezzar. He did not love God. He loved himself the most. The message on the wall is from God, said. He is in charge of your life. read four words: MENE (MEE nih), MENE, TEKEL (TEK uhl), Preschool Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 19 Session 3 3
PARSIN (PAHR sin). Each word had a special meaning. told the king God s message. The king was not going to be king anymore. God was not happy with the king. The kingdom of Babylon was going to be taken over by its enemies. The king gave gifts like he had said he would do, and he gave an important job. That night, God s message came true. The king died, and a man named Darius (duh RIGH uhs) became the new king. Christ Connection: God made wise. told the king God was going to punish him. The king thought he was better than God. No one is better than God. Jesus is God s Son, and even He obeyed God. Jesus left His place in heaven to come to earth and rescue us from sin. 4
Small Group OPENING Session Title: God Gave Wisdom Bible Passage: 5 Big Picture Question: How did God help help the king? God gave wisdom. Key Passage: 6:27 Unit Christ Connection: Despite captivity, God used faithful people to continue His plan to provide salvation through Jesus Christ. Awesome Is the Lord Most High song Welcome and Session Starter Position an offering basket near the door. Play Awesome Is the Lord Most High in the background. Greet each kid with a warm smile at eye-level. Tell them that you are glad to see each one today. LOW PREP Match the Dishes activity page, 1 per kid crayons Activity Page: Match the Dishes Follow directions and help kids pick out the one cup or bowl that is unique or the two that are the same. Each group of dishes will have two that are identical. Say God told His people to make special cups, plates, and bowls that would only be used in His temple. The king of Babylon wanted to use them to worship false gods. The king didn t have any respect for God. Do you think God would be very happy with that? In our story today, we ll find out what God did when the king didn t show Him respect. Preschool Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 19 Session 3 5
large sheet of paper markers Define idol and write on the wall Remind preschoolers that an idol is anything that people love more than God. An idol takes our attention away from loving and obeying God. Help children think of examples of what an idol might be. Hang a large piece of paper on the wall where kids can easily reach it. Ask preschoolers to draw pictures of the things they think could be idols. (Examples: playing games, watching TV, friends) Say An idol is anything we love more than God. God deserves to be loved the most. He made everything in the whole universe. He made you and me, and He loves us so much! When we choose to love other things more than God, this is not right, and it s not good for us. s friends understood that, and they didn t let anything prevent them from worshiping only God. Transition to Bible study 6
Large Group BIBLE STUDY Session Title: God Gave Wisdom Bible Passage: 5 Big Picture Question: How did God help help the king? God gave wisdom. Key Passage: 6:27 Unit Christ Connection: Despite captivity, God used faithful people to continue His plan to provide salvation through Jesus Christ. Large Group Bible Study Bible Key Passage Poster Big Picture Question Poster bag cups of various styles and sizes God Gave Wisdom picture Introduce the Bible story Review the key passage, emphasizing the sentence about God s wonders. From a bag or box, bring out several different types of cups, one at a time. Ask kids to guess what kind of occasion they would use each cup for. Say Last week we learned that the people in Judah were attacked by Babylon and that some people from Judah were taken to Babylon to live. and his friends were some of the people whom the king took. God blessed them with great wisdom and understanding so that they could help the king and people of Babylon. Because God gave wisdom, people who had never known God before saw how powerful and wonderful God is. In our story today, dealt with a new king who didn t know or respect God. How did God help help the king? God gave wisdom. Tell the Bible story Say Our Bible story is found in 5. [Point to 5.] Are the people in this story real? (Yes! The Bible says they are.) Listen for how God helped Preschool Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 19 Session 3 7
and how God treated the king who did not respect Him. Tell the story with your Bible open. Timeline Map Bible Story Picture Big Picture Question He Rescues and Delivers song Talk about the Bible story Show kids how to make three letters by writing in the air with their fingers. Teach them the capital letters G for God, K for King, and D for. Say When I ask a question about the story, answer by writing in the air the letter of one of these three people: G for God, K for King, or D for. 1. Whom were the special cups made for? (God) 2. Who used the cups when he was not supposed to? (King) 3. Who was most important to the king? (King) 4. Who was most important to? (God) 5. Whom did the king ask to read the writing? () Say God made wise. How did God help help the king? God gave wisdom. told the king that God was going to punish him. The king thought he was better than God. No one is better than God. Jesus is God s Son, and He obeyed God perfectly. Jesus left His place in heaven to come to earth and rescue us from sin. Play the song He Rescues and Delivers and invite kids to sing along with words they know. Transition to small groups Describe the small group activities to the preschoolers. Invite the preschoolers to use their wisdom to think about which small group activity to do. Dismiss kids to small groups one at a time. 8
Small Group ACTIVITIES Session Title: God Gave Wisdom Bible Passage: 5 Big Picture Question: How did God help help the king? God gave wisdom. Key Passage: 6:27 Unit Christ Connection: Despite captivity, God used faithful people to continue His plan to provide salvation through Jesus Christ. Small Group Activities Make sure to reinforce the big picture question and answer and the Christ connection in each small group activity. LOW PREP white crayon white paper watercolor paint paintbrushes Act scared, act smart Direct preschoolers to practice acting scared. They can shake their bodies, knock their knees together, pretend to bite their fingernails, or hide their faces. Tell them to pretend to be scared when you say, The king was scared! They can also play out being smart or wise when you use the phrase, God made wise. They can scratch their chins, point to their brains, or hold their index finger up like they just had a bright idea! Say The king was scared when he saw the fingers writing on the wall. He asked to help him figure out God s message. How did God help help the king? God gave wisdom. Write a secret message Using a white crayon, write hidden messages on white paper such as, God is great or God gives us wisdom. Give one to each child. Guide each kid to paint over their paper with watercolor paint. As kids paint over the writing, they Preschool Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 19 Session 3 9
will reveal their messages. Tell kids what each message says. Say God wrote a message on the wall for the king, but God used to tell the king what it said. How did God help help the king? God gave wisdom. images of choices printed from the Internet such as candy and fruit, coat and shorts, umbrella and backpack, and so forth. Choose wisely Remind kids that when we are wise, we make good choices. Show kids a set of images and ask them to pick which picture is the wisest choice. Ask: Which is best for you to eat: candy or fruit? (fruit) When it is cold outside, which clothing is best to wear: a coat or shorts? (coat) If it is raining, what is best to take with you: umbrella or backpack? (umbrella) Say Sometimes knowing what choice is the wisest is hard. We can ask God to give us wisdom to know what to do. prayed for wisdom to help the king. How did God help help the king? God gave wisdom. We can pray for wisdom too! 10
Snack and Transition Take a bathroom break and wash hands. Choose volunteers to help set up for the snack; remind kids during snack time to say please and thank you. Thank God for the snack. Journal Page crayons Transition - Journal Page When a child finishes his snack and throws away the trash, offer the journal page for drawing something related to the Bible story. If parents are picking up their children at this time, tell them something positive about their child s day. Inform incoming leaders if there is something they need to know about a particular child. 12
Journal Page July 20 2014 Key Passage: 6:27 Session1: and His Friends Obeyed God 1 Session 2: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego 3 Session 3: God Gave Wisdom 5 Session 4: Was Rescued from the Lions 6 OK TO PRINT
He delivers and rescues; he who has saved from the power of the lions. 6:27 Unit 19 Key Passage Poster (ESV) OK TO PRINT
How did God help help the king? God gave wisdom. Unit 19 Session 3 Big Picture Question OK TO PRINT
Unit 19 Session 3 God Gave Wisdom OK TO PRINT
Match the Dishes Instructions: The Babylonians took all the holy dishes, candlesticks, and other gold and silver things out of the temple to Babylon. The king had a party where the people drank from dishes meant for God s temple. Find two dishes in each group that are the same. UNIT 19 Session 3 Preschool Activity Pages
God Gave Wisdom 5