Leader BIBLE STUDY He s a chip off the old block. Like father, like son. The apple doesn t fall far from the tree. These idioms exist because sons tend to look and behave like their fathers. When it comes to Hezekiah and his father, Ahaz, however, the two were far from similar. When Ahaz was king of Judah, he did not respect God, God s law, or God s prophets. He worshiped idols. Ahaz did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord his God (2 Kings 16:2). He led the people away from God, evoking God s wrath and anger. Hezekiah, on the other hand, did what was right in the Lord s sight just as his ancestor David had done. Hezekiah destroyed the places of idol worship and cleansed the temple. (See 2 Chron. 29.) The Lord was with Hezekiah, and Hezekiah prospered. Hezekiah was a faithful king who led the people of Judah to worship God like they were supposed to, but even good kings are sinners. His wealth and success led to pride. How did Hezekiah react when God said everything in his palace would be carried off to Babylon? Who cares? I ll be dead by then. Jesus is our faithful King who never sinned. Check out some of these definitions for the word faithful: strict or thorough in the performance of duty; true to one s word, promises, or vows; steady in allegiance or affection; loyal; constant; reliable, trusted, or believed; adhering or true to fact, a standard, or an original; accurate. Jesus completed His work the redemption of sinners. He said on the cross, It is finished! (John 19:30). Jesus is faithful over God s house as a Son. (Heb. 3:6) His obedience is steadfast. (Isa. 50:4-10) Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8). One day Jesus will return to make all things the way they are supposed to be. (Rev. 1:1-6) 1 Older Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 15 Session 3
Older Kids BIBLE STUDY OVERVIEW Session Title: Hezekiah, Judah s Faithful King Bible Passage: 2 Kings 18 20 Big Picture Question: How should we pray? We should pray with confidence. God hears our prayers. Key Passage: Isaiah 53:6 Unit Christ Connection: God s promised Messiah comes out of David s family and is described in Isaiah s prophecy. Small Group Opening Welcome time Activity page (5 minutes) Session starter (10 minutes) Large Group Leader Countdown Sing (4 minutes) Introduce the session (2 minutes) Timeline map (1 minute) Big picture question (1 minute) Tell the Bible story (10 minutes) The Gospel: God s Plan for Me (optional) Key passage (5 minutes) Discussion starter video (5 minutes)5 Prayer (2 minutes) Small Group Leader Key passage activity (5 minutes) Bible story review & Bible skills (10 minutes) Activity choice (10 minutes) Journal and prayer (5 minutes) 2
The BIBLE STORY Hezekiah, Judah s Faithful King 2 Kings 18 20 Hezekiah was a young man when he became Judah s king. He did what was right before God, just like King David did. Hezekiah changed the way people in Judah worshiped. He destroyed the bronze snake Moses made because the people had started to worship it. Hezekiah trusted God and obeyed His commands. God was with Hezekiah and made Hezekiah successful; his army conquered the Philistines and he stood up to the enemy king of Assyria. One day, Assyria attacked Israel and its capital city, Samaria. The Assyrian army made all the people leave their homes and go to Assyria. A few years later, the king of Assyria and his army came to Judah. Hezekiah was afraid. He didn t trust God to protect His people. Instead, Hezekiah sent a message to the king of Assyria. Hezekiah said, I m sorry. I shouldn t have stood up to you. Please go away; I ll give you as much money as you want. The king of Assyria demanded eleven tons of silver and one ton of gold. Hezekiah didn t have that much money! Hezekiah took the silver stored in God s temple and in the palace. He took the gold off the doors and doorposts in the temple and gave it to the king of Assyria. Still, the king of Assyria was not happy. He sent his huge army and three leaders to talk to Hezekiah. They brought Hezekiah a message from the Assyrian king. The leader spoke loudly so the people of Judah could hear. Whom are you trusting to protect you? The king of Assyria had armies that were much better than Judah s armies. If Judah and Assyria fought each other, Assyria would easily win. You might as well just give up now, the leaders of Assyria said. The people of Judah stayed quiet. They didn t say anything to the leaders of Assyria. Hezekiah sent a message to the prophet Isaiah. Pray for us! Hezekiah said. Ask God to protect us! Isaiah responded, God says: Do not be afraid of Assyria. I ll take care of the king; he will go back to his country and he will be killed there. Later, Hezekiah got a letter from Assyria that said, Do you really 3 Older Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 15 Session 3
think that God will protect you? The Assyrian army has taken over all these other lands; what makes you think we won t take over Jerusalem too? Hezekiah read the letter. He took it to the temple and prayed. God, You made everything, Hezekiah prayed. Please hear me. Save us from Assyria so that everyone on earth will know that You are the one true God. Then Isaiah came to Hezekiah with a message from God. God had heard Hezekiah s prayer. God was not going to let Assyria attack Jerusalem. The rest of God s message was for the king of Assyria and his leaders. Don t you know who I am? I am in charge! Anytime you win a battle, it s because I let you win the battle. God also said, I will defend this city and rescue it for My sake and to keep the promise I made to My servant David that his kingdom would not be destroyed. That night, the angel of the Lord went into the camp of the Assyrian army and killed thousands of them. The next morning, the king of Assyria went home and was killed, just as God had said. One day, King Hezekiah got very sick. Isaiah said to Hezekiah, You are going to die. You are not going to get better. Then Hezekiah turned away, and he prayed to God. Lord, please remember my faithfulness. I did what is right. Then Hezekiah cried. Isaiah started to leave, but he stopped when God gave him another message. I have heard Hezekiah s prayer and have seen him crying. I am going to heal him. The king of Babylon sent a gift to Hezekiah, and Hezekiah showed the king s messengers everything he owned. Isaiah came to Hezekiah and asked him about the messengers. They are from Babylon, Hezekiah said. I showed them everything in my house. A day is coming, warned Isaiah, when everything you have will be taken away. Even your sons will be taken, and they will work in the palace of the king of Babylon. Hezekiah wasn t upset at Isaiah s prophecy because he knew he would die before this happened. Christ Connection: Hezekiah was a faithful king who led the people of Judah to worship God like they were supposed to. But even good kings sin. Jesus is our faithful King who never sinned. One day He will return to make all things the way they are supposed to be. Jesus is our King forever. 4
Small Group OPENING Session Title: Hezekiah, Judah s Faithful King Bible Passage: 2 Kings 18 20 Big Picture Question: How should we pray? We should pray with confidence. God hears our prayers. Key Passage: Isaiah 53:6 Unit Christ Connection: God s promised Messiah comes out of David s family and is described in Isaiah s prophecy. 5 chart paper markers Prayer Verse Match activity page, 1 per kid pencils Bibles ball LOW PREP 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. Direct kids to work together to create a list of things they know about prayer. Invite kids to create a separate list of questions they have about prayer. Activity page (5 minutes) Assist girls and boys in locating each verse in the Bible and matching it to the correct description on the activity page Prayer Verse Match. Help kids understand that more than one verse may match a description. Say Name a time you prayed for something and God said yes. Name a time when you prayed for something and God said no. Why doesn t God always give us what we pray for? Session starter (10 minutes) Option 1: Back and forth Form two teams. Instruct both teams to line up single file, facing one another, about 6 feet apart. Hand the ball to one Older Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 15 Session 3
player. The player must call out the first book of the Bible and toss the ball to a player on the opposite team. The next player will catch the ball, announce the second book of the Bible, and toss the ball to a player on the opposite team. Teams should continue calling the next book of the Bible and tossing the ball back and forth. If a team makes a mistake by calling the wrong book, the opposite team earns a point. Play should continue from the last book announced. Say Today we are going to study a king who was faithful to God. How do we know how to be faithful to God? While knowing the books of the Bible is good, we need to know what God says in the books of the Bible. His words are a gift to us. We can read them, study them, and memorize them to help us understand how to be faithful to God. 6 stickers scissors glue powdered soup packets, 1 per kid church prayer list heavyweight paper card or invitation envelopes markers Option 2: Cup of soup Allow boys and girls to create get-well cards for people on your church s prayer list. Kids may choose to cut their cards in the shape of a bowl or mug. Place a package of powdered soup inside each card. Suggest that kids write the church s name and address in the top left corner of the envelope and the recipient s name and address in the lower right center area. Help kids place cards inside envelopes. Say Who remembers the last time you were sick? Did your parents or guardians do something that made you feel better? (made chicken soup, took you to the doctor, gave you medicine, gave you an ice pop to eat) In our Bible story today, a king became very ill. He was told that he would die. The king prayed to God. Listen closely to discover what he prayed and how God responded to the king s prayer.
Large Group LEADER Session Title: Hezekiah, Judah s Faithful King Bible Passage: 2 Kings 18 20 Big Picture Question: How should we pray? We should pray with confidence. God hears our prayers. Key Passage: Isaiah 53:6 Unit Christ Connection: God s promised Messiah comes out of David s family and is described in Isaiah s prophecy. countdown video Countdown Show the countdown video as your kids arrive, and set it to end as large group time begins. Your Love Never Fails song leader attire potted plant trowel or other garden tool Sing (4 minutes) Leader Hello! Stand with me and sing our theme song. Lead girls and boys to sing Your Love Never Fails. Leader Who can tell me a time in your life that you know God s love didn t fail you? Select a few kids to share their thoughts. Introduce the session (2 minutes) [Large Group Leader enters wearing overalls over a T-shirt, boots or tennis shoes, and a baseball hat. Tuck a handkerchief in a pocket of the overalls. Carry a potted plant and a trowel or other garden tool.] Leader Well, it sure is nice to see you back at Grow and Go Farm. Great-Great-Grandpa Isaiah sure would have enjoyed studying the life of Isaiah with you. Today we are going to look at the story about Isaiah and King Ahaz s son. What type of king was Ahaz? Call on a couple of kids to respond. 7 Older Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 15 Session 3
Leader Great answers! Ahaz was a bad king. He worshiped false idols. He didn t trust God. But his son was very different. Ahaz s son Hezekiah became the king of Judah, the Southern Kingdom, when he was 25 years old. Let s locate Hezekiah on our timeline map. Timeline Map Timeline map (1 minute) Indicate each king on the timeline map as you discuss him. Leader Last week we learned about King Ahaz, and next to him is King Hezekiah. Our picture shows Hezekiah with a piece of paper. I wonder where Hezekiah is? I wonder what this paper is? I can t wait to explore our story and find an answer. Can anyone name another king who was faithful to God? Good answers. I always think about King David when I think about faithful kings. David loved God. He wasn t perfect, but he worshiped only God. Our Bible story today reveals that King Hezekiah was a lot like King David. 8 Bibles, 1 per kid Hezekiah, Judah s Faithful King video Bible Story Picture Slide or Poster Big Picture Question Slide or Poster Big picture question (1 minute) Leader Our Bible story today will help us answer our big picture question. Our big picture question is, How should we pray? Open your Bible and find 2 Kings 18. If you aren t sure where to find a book of the Bible, you can always turn to the beginning of your Bible and find the table of contents. The table of contents lists each book of the Bible and the page number you can find the beginning of the book on. Tell the Bible story (10 minutes) Open your Bible to 2 Kings 18 and tell the Bible story in your own words, or show the Bible story video Hezekiah,
Judah s Faithful King. Leader What an interesting story! Hezekiah understood that praying to God was important. He understood the answer to our big picture question. The question was, How should we pray? The answer to our big picture question is, We should pray with confidence. God hears our prayers. Read the question and the answer with me. How should we pray? We should pray with confidence. God hears our prayers. Was Hezekiah a perfect king? No. He messed up a couple of times. He sent gold and silver to the king of Assyria. Some of the gold and silver was even taken from God s temple. Hezekiah forgot to trust God. Hezekiah also showed the messengers from Babylon everything he owned. He did not make a wise decision. He showed the Babylonian messengers all of the things that the people of Babylon would one day come and take away from Hezekiah. Although Hezekiah wasn t perfect, he was faithful to worship God and only God. He led the people in Judah to worship God alone. He destroyed the bronze snake Moses made because the people of Judah had turned it into an idol. Hezekiah obeyed God s commands. And most of the time, he trusted God. He prayed to God to protect the Southern Kingdom from Assyria. He prayed to God when he was sick and dying. God heard Hezekiah s prayers. How should we pray? We should pray with confidence. God hears our prayers. The Gospel: God s Plan for Me (optional) Using Scripture and the guide provided, explain to boys and girls how to become a Christian. Tell kids how they 9 Older Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 15 Session 3
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. If you cannot provide a response time, 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 All We Like Sheep (Thank You, God) song 10 Unit 15 Session 3 discussion starter video Key passage (5 minutes) Leader Who remembers where our key passage is found in the Bible? Isaiah 53:6 is correct. Form two groups. Lead the first group to say the key passage and the second group to say the reference. Lead the second group to say the key passage and the first group to say the reference. You may want the kids to stand when they are saying their part of the passage. Join girls and boys in singing All We Like Sheep (Thank You, God). Discussion starter video (5 minutes) Leader What are some of things you pray about? Think about your answer while you watch this video. Show the Unit 15 Session 3 video. Leader Has anyone ever prayed a prayer like one of those? At some point we probably have all prayed a prayer like the ones we saw. Sometimes we pray for stuff we don t need. Sometimes we pray to praise God. Sometimes we pray to God to ask for help. Remember our big picture question? How should we pray? We should pray with confidence. God hears our prayers. Just because God hears our prayers doesn t mean we should pray for just anything we want, does it? Should I pray for a new phone and a new car and a new boat
and an airplane and a new TV? Is it OK to pray for all of those things? Depends on why I am asking for them, right? What should I pray for? God hears my prayers. Does He always say yes to my prayers? No. Sometimes He says no because He knows what is best for me. I have to trust Him to answer my prayers the way that He knows is best for me. Prayer (2 minutes) Leader I ve enjoyed meeting you at Grow and Go Farm to learn more about Isaiah, but our time is up for today. In your small group today, you will learn more about King Hezekiah and prayer. How should we pray? We should pray with confidence. God hears our prayers. Do I have a volunteer who would like to close our group time by praying? Allow a volunteer to close in prayer. Leader Watch your small group leader for your turn to go to small group. Dismiss to small groups 11 Older Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 15 Session 3
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: Hezekiah, Judah s Faithful King Bible Passage: 2 Kings 18 20 Big Picture Question: How should we pray? We should pray with confidence. God hears our prayers. Key Passage: Isaiah 53:6 Unit Christ Connection: God s promised Messiah comes out of David s family and is described in Isaiah s prophecy. paper plates from previous session tape Key Passage Poster Tip: To create a new set of plates, print the key passage on paper plates, 1 word per plate. Key passage activity (5 minutes) Attach the paper plates to the wall, tables, doors, floor, and so forth. Plates should be in random order. Challenge kids to hold hands as a group and move to the first plate of the key passage. Every kid must tag the plate and say the word(s), then resume holding hands to travel to the second plate of the key passage. Continue until the kids have tagged and said the entire key passage. Remove some of the plates and prompt kids to say the key passage. Remove more plates and encourage kids to say the key passage together. Say Why have we gone astray? (We sin.) Who came to rescue us from our sin? Jesus! Bibles, 1 per kid Small Group Visual Pack Israel, Judah, and Other Kingdoms charts from unit 13 paper glue scissors markers 13 Bible story review & Bible skills (10 minutes) Update the charts made at the beginning of unit 13. If you have not updated lately, kids may need to add megaphones for Amos and Hosea (prophets to Israel); Jonah (prophet to Nineveh); and Joel (prophet to Judah). Add crowns for Uzziah, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (kings of Judah); and Jeroboam II (king of Israel). Review the timeline in the small group visual pack. Older Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 15 Session 3
Help boys and girls recap the description of Hezekiah in the Bible story by locating and reading 2 Kings 18:3-6. Say Hezekiah prayed for help more than once during a time of trouble. Who heard Hezekiah s prayers? Read and discuss 2 Kings 19:20; 20:5. Say How should we pray? We should pray with confidence. God hears our prayers. Who is our faithful King? (Jesus is our faithful King who never sinned. One day He will return to make all things the way they are supposed to be. Jesus is our King forever.) 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 leader 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) 14 LOW PREP Small Group Visual Pack Activity choice (10 minutes) Option 1: Faithful or not Guide boys and girls to take turns describing someone in the Bible without saying his or her name. The remaining
kids will attempt to guess who is being described. After kids guess correctly, ask them to determine whether or not the person was faithful to God. Encourage kids to explain their answers. Continue until everyone has had at least one turn or time runs out. If kids have trouble thinking of a person, urge them to look at the timeline in the small group visual pack. To make the game more challenging, allow kids to describe people that you have not learned about together as a class. Say Hezekiah is known as being a faithful king of Judah. Was Hezekiah always wise in the choices he made? Why or why not? Did Hezekiah believe God heard his prayers? How should we pray? We should pray with confidence. God hears our prayers. table tennis ball hook-and-loop fasteners thick cardboard or foam board covered with flannel permanent marker tape Option 2: Flannel toss game To create a flannel toss board, cover a piece of thick cardboard or foam board with flannel fabric. Secure the flannel in place. Using tape, divide the flannel board into four sections. With a permanent marker, label each section with one of the following types of prayer: Praise, Thanksgiving, Others, and Personal Requests. Attach the stiff half of the hook-and-loop fasteners to several sides of the table tennis ball. Challenge kids to toss the ball onto the flannel board. Kids should voice one thing they could pray that fits in the category the ball landed in. (Example: Praise category I can praise God for creating the world.) Say Name one thing Hezekiah prayed to God about. (protection from Assyria and healing from his illness) How should we pray? We should pray with confidence. God hears our prayers. 15 Older Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 15 Session 3
pencils journals Bibles Journal Page, 1 per kid Turn the Shapes activity page, 1 per kid Journal and prayer (5 minutes) Distribute prayer journals and pencils to girls and boys. Say How should we pray? We should pray with confidence. God hears our prayers. How easy or difficult is it for you to believe that God hears you? What kinds of things do you talk with God about? List in your prayer journal some of the prayers you have prayed that God has answered. Provide kids with a few minutes to write. Encourage boys and girls to also list any prayer requests, praises, or thanksgiving they have for God. Ask for a volunteer to close the group in prayer. As time allows, lead kids to complete the activity page Turn the Shapes. Kids must rearrange the letters inside the shapes to solve the puzzle. 16
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:6 UNIT 15 Key Passage Poster (NIV) OK TO PRINT
How should we pray? We should pray with confidence. God hears our prayers. Unit 15 Session 3 Big Picture Question OK TO PRINT
Instructions: Match each sentence about prayer to a Scripture reference. More than one Scripture reference may apply. Unit 15 Session 3 Older Kids Activity Pages
Instructions: Unscramble the letters to complete the sentences about today s Bible story. We should co nf pr id ay en with. ce God hears our prayers. Jesus is our who never. ki fa ng si it nn hf ed ul Instructions: Draw a picture of someone you can pray for this week. Unit 15 Session 3 Older Kids Activity Pages
Unit 15 Session 3 Hezekiah, Judah s Faithful King OK TO PRINT