August 3, 2014 3rd - 5th Grade 9:30am
Leader BIBLE STUDY Use Week of: 1 The conflict between Edom and Israel goes way back. Do you remember the story of Jacob and Esau? The twins struggled in the womb, and their mother Rebekah asked why. Read Genesis 25:23 to find out God s reply. The nation of Israel descended from Jacob, and the nation of Edom descended from Esau. These were the two nations the Lord spoke of. God reaffirmed His promises to Jacob (Gen. 28:15), but Esau was a godless man who despised God s promises. (Heb. 12:16) For centuries, the two groups were at odds. When Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, the king of Edom refused to let the Israelites pass through his country to get to the promised land. (Num. 20:14-21) Edom fought against God s people on several occasions. (See 2 Chron. 20:2; 28:17; 2 Kings 8:20-22.) The Book of Obadiah is God s message about Edom in response to their sin specifically their gloating over the Babylonian invasion of Jerusalem. When the Babylonians invaded Jerusalem, the people of Edom didn t help. Like an envious brother, Edom was glad to see Judah overcome. In fact, Edom was a guilty participant in the action against Judah. Read verse 11 in Obadiah. The prophet Obadiah detailed the charges against Edom, announced their guilt, and handed down the sentence from the Lord: Edom would be totally destroyed. No remnant of Esau s family would remain. On the other hand, Obadiah said God s people the remnant of Judah would be restored. God said the people of Edom would get what they deserved. As you have done, so it will be done to you; what you deserve will return on your own head (Obad. 15). God s rule is just. The fate of the Edomites might as well be ours. But here s the reality: As you have done, it was done to Christ; what you deserve was returned on His head. Jesus is King, and one day He will deliver His people from their enemies once and for all. Older Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 21 Session 1 1
Older Kids BIBLE STUDY OVERVIEW Session Title: Obadiah the Prophet Bible Passage: Obadiah 1-21 Big Picture Question: Why did God judge Edom s pride? Pride steals God s glory. Key Passage: Zechariah 9:9 Unit Christ Connection: God saved His people who were in physical captivity as He would one day send Jesus to save and restore His people who are in spiritual captivity. U N I T 21 1 2
The BIBLE STORY Obadiah the Prophet Obadiah 1-21 God sent a message to Obadiah (oh buh DIGH uh) the prophet. The message came to Obadiah in a vision. God had news about a country called Edom (EE duhm). The people who lived in Edom were like brothers to the people in Judah. Both groups were descendants of Isaac s twin sons, Jacob and Esau. The people in Edom came from the family of Esau; God s people came from the family of Jacob. The people of Edom didn t love God. They worshiped false gods. They lived in the mountains and trusted the mountains and their own strength to protect them. The people were full of pride; they thought they were better than everyone else. The Edomites didn t get along with God s people in Judah. When the Babylonians took over the city of Jerusalem, the people in Edom just sat back and watched. They didn t try to protect Judah. The people of Edom even went into Jerusalem and took things that didn t belong to them. God said He was going to punish Edom. This is what God s message was about. God called for the nations to gather together. Get ready for battle! God said. Let s go fight against Edom. God had a message for the people of Edom. Listen up! Out of all the nations, you will be the least important. No one will like you. You were proud, and I will punish you. You thought you were safe, tucked away in the cliffs, but I will bring you down. Obadiah s message for the people of Edom was full of bad news. God said He was going to allow Edom s enemies to take away everything they had. Even the people who were their friends would steal from them. Many people would be killed. God said to the people of Edom, You were cruel to the people in Judah, so you will be punished. When Judah needed your help, you stood back and did nothing. You laughed and were happy that they Older Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 21 Session 1 3
were attacked. God reminded the people of Edom about all the wrong things they had done. They had taken things from Judah. When the people of Judah ran to get away from the Babylonians, the people of Edom captured them and sold them as slaves. Obadiah gave a warning from God. The Day of the Lord is near, he said. Every evil thing you did to others will be done to you. God said that the bad things that were happening to His people in Judah were only for a little while. God said He would deliver His people. But when I punish you, Edom, God said, everything will be destroyed. That will be the end for you. Obadiah s message from God had good news for God s people. My people will have the land that belongs to Edom, God said. The exile God s people faced had an end and God would take care of His people, but Edom s punishment was forever. Christ Connection: God used Obadiah to give a message to His people. Even though they were mistreated by the people of Edom, God was still in control. God showed His people that He is ruler of all the earth, and in the end, Jesus will set up His kingdom and make all things right. 4
Small Group OPENING Session Title: Obadiah the Prophet Bible Passage: Obadiah 1-21 Big Picture Question: Why did God judge Edom s pride? Pride steals God s glory. Key Passage: Zechariah 9:9 Unit Christ Connection: God saved His people who were in physical captivity as He would one day send Jesus to save and restore His people who are in spiritual captivity. Welcome time Greet each kid as he or she arrives. Use this time to collect the offering, fill out attendance sheets, and help new kids connect to your group. Invite kids to share highlights and lowlights from their week. Remind each kid of God s love for His people, even during the bad or sad days. Verse Tweet activity page, 1 per kid pencils Bibles, 1 per kid LOW PREP two or three small objects: balls, cars, rocks, or similar objects Activity page (5 minutes) Assist boys and girls as they complete the activity page Verse Tweet. Say What is pride? What did the verses on your activity page say about pride? Does God like pride? Why or why not? Today we will be learning about a group of people who were very proud of themselves. Session starter (10 minutes) Option 1: Hiding game Instruct kids to take turns hiding two or three objects in the room for the other kids to find. You may opt to form teams and allow one team to hide and one team to find and vice Older Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 21 Session 1 5
versa. Play several rounds. Allow kids to suggest alternate ways to play the game. Say Today we will learn about a group of people who were related to the Israelites. They were called the Edomites. The Israelites were descendants of Jacob. The Edomites were descendants of Esau, Jacob s brother. God sent a message to the Edomites. The Edomites learned that God knew everything they had done. On the Day of the Lord, none of the nations would be able to hide from God s judgment, including Edom. 6
Large Group LEADER Session Title: Obadiah the Prophet Bible Passage: Obadiah 1-21 Big Picture Question: Why did God judge Edom s pride? Pride steals God s glory. Key Passage: Zechariah 9:9 Unit Christ Connection: God saved His people who were in physical captivity as He would one day send Jesus to save and restore His people who are in spiritual captivity. hard hat tool belt or nail apron small Bible Introduce the session (2 minutes) [Large Group Leader enters wearing a hard hat and a tool belt or nail apron. Tuck a small Bible into one of the pockets of the tool belt.] Leader Hello! Who has had a good week? Awesome! It sounds like many of you have had a good week. As you can see, we have stopped on our journey through God s Older Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 21 Session 1 7
plan at a construction site. Do you know what they are building here? Yes! This is going to be a church building. Right now the church meets in a school. Soon they will have their own building to meet in. The people are so excited. Name some other types of buildings or places where people worship God together. Great answers! Timeline Map Timeline map (2 minutes) Indicate the tabernacle and temple pictures on the timeline map as you mention each one. Leader In the Old Testament, God s people didn t meet in a church building to worship God. Where did they meet? Right! First, they built the tabernacle. Later Solomon led the people to build the temple. The tabernacle and temple were both places that helped the Israelites understand that God was with His people. The tabernacle and temple were the places that the Israelites would offer sacrifices for their sin, give offerings to God, and worship Him. What happened to the temple? It was destroyed when God allowed His people to be conquered as a consequence of their sin. During the time that Judah was defeated by the Babylonians, another group of people had a choice about whether to help God s people or to mistreat God s people. Today we will learn about that group of people, the Edomites. Big picture question (1 minute) Leader The nation of Edom was not a nation that worshiped the one true God. They did not get along with God s people in Judah. The people in Edom were descendants of Isaac s son Esau. The people in Judah were descendants of Isaac s son Jacob. In a way the two 8
groups were related, but they did not act that way. Our big picture question is, Why did God judge Edom s pride? Obadiah the Prophet video Bibles, 1 per kid Bible Story Picture Slide or Poster Big Picture Question Slide or Poster Tip: A Bible story script is provided at the beginning of every session. You may use it to guide you as you prepare to teach the Bible story in your own words. For a shorter version of the Bible story, read only the bolded text. Tell the Bible story (10 minutes) Leader Let s look for the answer to our question in the Book of Obadiah. Obadiah is one of the minor prophets. His book is found right before Jonah. It is a very short book too. Open your Bible to Obadiah 1 and tell the Bible story in your own words, or show the Bible story video Obadiah the Prophet. Leader The Edomites did not worship the one true God. They were a very prideful people. They believed their ideas and beliefs were better than God s instructions. God is holy. The Edomites sin separated them from God, but they were prideful and didn t care. Obadiah s message to Edom was sad for Edom, but it was good news for Judah. The Edomites were enemies of God s people. When God s people were conquered by Babylon, the Edomites stole from God s people. The Edomites refused to help God s people. The Edomites sin, like all sin, had consequences. God told Edom that He would judge them for their sin. It would be a good thing for Judah because one of their enemies would be defeated. Our big picture question is, Why did God judge Edom s pride? Pride can become a sin. Pride steals God s glory. Read our big picture question and answer with me. Why did God judge Edom s pride? Pride steals God s glory. When we are prideful, we are self-centered. It is all about us and how awesome we are. That is the opposite of how God s people should be. God s people should be focused on giving God glory and praise. Older Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 21 Session 1 9
Our world is full of pride because our world is broken by sin. Who will make all things right one day? Yes! Jesus. Jesus will reign over all and all things will be perfect. No one will be prideful because all of God s people will be giving God praise for eternity. The Gospel: God s Plan for Me (optional) Using Scripture and the guide provided, explain to girls and boys how to become a Christian. Tell kids how they can respond, and provide counselors to speak with each kid individually. Guide counselors to use open-ended questions to allow kids to determine the direction of the conversation. Encourage boys and girls to ask their parents, small group leaders, or other adults any questions they may have about becoming a Christian. Key Passage Slide or Poster Look song Key passage (5 minutes) Leader Our key passage is from the Book of Zechariah. Zechariah recorded several prophecies about Jesus. Our key passage is one of those prophecies. Read the key passage with me. Lead kids to read the key passage together. Guide girls and boys to sing Look. Invite kids to close their eyes and try to say the first line of the key passage from memory. 10
Prayer (2 minutes) Leader How many of you knew what the Book of Obadiah was about before our Bible story today? I love when we study a book of the Bible that some of us haven t learned about yet. The Bible is amazing! Obadiah may not be the longest book, but it has a great message for all of us to learn. Why did God judge Edom s pride? Pride steals God s glory. In your small group, you will continue discussing our Bible story and big picture question. Close the group in prayer. Dismiss to small groups Older Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 21 Session 1 11
The Gospel: God s Plan for Me Ask kids if they have ever heard the word gospel. Clarify that the word gospel means good news. It is the message about Christ, the kingdom of God, and salvation. Use the following guide to share the gospel with kids. God rules. Explain to kids that the Bible tells us God created everything, and He is in charge of everything. Invite a volunteer to read Genesis 1:1 from the Bible. Read Revelation 4:11 or Colossians 1:16-17 aloud and explain what these verses mean. We sinned. Tell kids that since the time of Adam and Eve, everyone has chosen to disobey God. (Romans 3:23) The Bible calls this sin. Because God is holy, God cannot be around sin. Sin separates us from God and deserves God s punishment of death. (Romans 6:23) God provided. Choose a child to read John 3:16 aloud. Say that God sent His Son, Jesus, the perfect solution to our sin problem, to rescue us from the punishment we deserve. It s something we, as sinners, could never earn on our own. Jesus alone saves us. Read and explain Ephesians 2:8-9. Jesus gives. Share with kids that Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again. Because Jesus gave up His life for us, we can be welcomed into God s family for eternity. This is the best gift ever! Read Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21; or 1 Peter 3:18. We respond. Tell kids that they can respond to Jesus. Read Romans 10:9-10,13. Review these aspects of our response: Believe in your heart that Jesus alone saves you through what He s already done on the cross. Repent, turning from self and sin to Jesus. Tell God and others that your faith is in Jesus. Offer to talk with any child who is interested in responding to Jesus. 12
Small Group LEADER Session Title: Obadiah the Prophet Bible Passage: Obadiah 1-21 Big Picture Question: Why did God judge Edom s pride? Pride steals God s glory. Key Passage: Zechariah 9:9 Unit Christ Connection: God saved His people who were in physical captivity as He would one day send Jesus to save and restore His people who are in spiritual captivity. Key Passage Poster Bibles, 1 per kid Small Group Visual Pack Option: Retell or review the Bible story using the bolded text of the Bible story script. Key passage activity (5 minutes) Lead kids to read the passage together. Invite kids to pick a partner and spread out. Instruct partners to take turns saying one line of the key passage until they have said the entire passage. Repeat. On the third time, challenge kids to begin saying the key passage from memory. Encourage kids to focus on two or three words at a time. Say Did this prophecy already come true? When? Right, when Jesus entered Jerusalem before His death and resurrection. Bible story review & Bible skills (10 minutes) Ask for a volunteer to read Obadiah 3. Discuss what it means to have a prideful or presumptuous heart. Ask kids to name situations in which kids their age may be tempted to be prideful. Review how Edom s pride led them to treat Judah by reading or asking kids to read Obadiah 10-14. Say Often our pride doesn t only hurt us. Our pride can lead us to hurt others. Has your pride ever led you to hurt someone else? Older Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 21 Session 1 13
Why did God judge Edom s pride? Pride steals God s glory. Who will set up His kingdom one day? (In the end, Jesus will set up His kingdom and make all things right.) If you choose to review with girls and boys how to become a Christian, explain that kids are welcome to speak with you or another teacher if they have questions. God rules. God created and is in charge of everything. (Gen. 1:1; Rev. 4:11; Col. 1:16-17) We sinned. Since Adam and Eve, everyone has chosen to disobey God. (Rom. 3:23; 6:23) God provided. God sent His Son, Jesus, to rescue us from the punishment we deserve. (John 3:16; Eph. 2:8-9) Jesus gives. Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again so we can be welcomed into God s family. (Rom. 5:8; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pet. 3:18) We respond. Believe that Jesus alone saves you. Repent. Tell God that your faith is in Jesus. (Rom. 10:9-10,13) Review the timeline in the small group visual pack. LOW PREP paper measuring tape (optional) tape Activity choice (10 minutes) Option 1: Airplane contest Allow each kid to create two different paper airplanes. Hold a contest to see whose airplane flies the farthest. Create a taped line on the floor. Kids must stand behind the line when they release their airplanes. Guide kids to read Obadiah 4. Discuss the pride that Edom had. The people in Edom thought they would 14
continue to soar in greatness. Say Edom did not believe that they would be defeated. They believed they would soar like an eagle in the sky great and mighty. They did not recognize that God could bring them down. God promised to defeat Edom. They thought they were great. God was going to show them that only He is great and mighty. Why did God judge Edom s pride? Pride steals God s glory. Older Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 21 Session 1 15
Instructions: In 40 characters or less, summarize the message of five of the verses listed. UNIT 21 Session 1 Older Kids Activity Pages
Instructions: Rewrite the speeches below if the person is saying something prideful. UNIT 21 Session 1 Older Kids Activity Pages
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Zechariah 9:9 Unit 21 Key Passage Poster (ESV) OK TO PRINT
Why did God judge Edom s pride? Pride steals God s glory. Unit 21 Session 1 Big Picture Question OK TO PRINT
Unit 21 Session 1 Obadiah the Prophet OK TO PRINT
Mountain Scene Instructions: Cut off the instructions and print on heavyweight paper, one for each kid. Invite kids to paint the lightest color on the top layer, next lightest on the second, and so forth until the darkest paint is on the bottom. Unit 21 Session 1 Older Kids Bible Study OK TO PRINT