1st - 2nd Grade 8:00am & 11:00am March 23, 2014
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 Younger Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 15 Session 3
Younger 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. 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 Younger 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. dry erase board and markers long sheet of paper (optional) markers (optional) tape Pray Maze activity page, 1 per kid pencils coins LOW PREP Welcome time Arriving Activity: Prayer sheet Before class, tape a long sheet of paper to a wall or use a dry erase board already in the classroom. Write Prayer Requests at the top. Provide markers, and ask the kids to write any prayer requests they have. For younger kids, invite an adult to write the kids requests. Say Today, we are going to talk about prayer. Let s take a few minutes to pray for the requests you have. Activity page (5 minutes) Guide boys and girls to complete the activity page. Say Today s Bible story is about a king who prayed to God. God heard his prayers. Session starter (10 minutes) Option 1: Collect the change Hide a few coins throughout the room, and see who can find the most money. Another option is to scatter several coins and invite the kids to find one specific coin, like a coin with a specific date or picture on the back. Repeat using either option. 5 Younger Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 15 Session 3
Say Today, we will meet a king who looked for any money he could find, even in the temple. construction paper decorative adhesive bandages markers Option 2: Get-well card Provide each kid with a piece of construction paper, and demonstrate how to fold it in half lengthwise to make a card. Distribute markers and four or five decorative adhesive bandages to each kid. Encourage the kids to make a get-well card using the bandages as decorations. Let the kids be creative, but give them some suggestions. They may choose to draw smiley faces on the bandages or line them up in a certain pattern on the front or inside. Invite the kids to write a special get-well message on the inside. Collect and distribute the cards to a church hospital ministry, or keep them to send to kids in the class who are sick. Say Cards are great, but the best gift for someone who is sick is prayer. We ll see an example of that in today s Bible story. Transition to large group 6
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. earbuds Timeline Map Introduce the session (1 minute) [Large groups leader enters holding earbuds.] Leader Hi there! I hope you are ready for our third week studying Farming 101. That s why I have these. A lot of people think a farm is a quiet, peaceful place. Wrong! Sometimes it is, but plenty of things make loud noises on a farm. There are the farm animals, tractors, and other equipment to keep a farm working. Plus, if someone is having a conversation I don t want to be part of, I just slip these in my ears and listen to a little music. Have you ever ignored someone that way? Well, aren t you glad God doesn t do that when we pray? He likes it when we talk to Him. You know, that reminds me of a Bible story about a king named Hezekiah. Timeline map (1 minute) Leader For the last few weeks, we ve been talking about a prophet. Does anyone remember his name? (Isaiah) 7 Younger Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 15 Session 3
Isaiah saw a vision of God. Isaiah knew he was too sinful to stand in God s presence, so God took away Isaiah s sins using a hot coal. How could Isaiah stand before God? Isaiah could stand before God because God took away Isaiah s sin. Who takes away our sin? (Jesus) Isaiah volunteered to be a messenger or prophet to God s people in Judah. Last week, we saw how Isaiah delivered a message to Ahaz. Does anyone remember what it was? God wanted Ahaz to trust Him. God even told Ahaz about a sign God would give to prove He could be trusted. God promised a baby boy would be born of a virgin, and His name would be Immanuel. Who is our Immanuel? Jesus is God with us. The problem was that Ahaz was not a good king. He worshiped other gods, and we don t see evidence that he really trusted God. After Ahaz died, Isaiah served a new king, Ahaz s son. His name was Hezekiah. Big picture question (1 minute) Leader God s people sure didn t act like God s people. We ve studied bad kings from Israel and Judah. Most of the kings of Judah didn t love and obey God. Do you think Hezekiah was any different? How could you find the answer to that question? That s right! You could use the Bible. Who has their Bible today? Awesome. The Bible is a great reminder that every story answers some important questions about God and how we fit into God s plan. That s why we have a big picture question each week. This week s question is, How should we pray? 8
Key Passage Slide or Poster All We Like Sheep (Thank You, God) song Hezekiah, Judah s Faithful King video Bibles, 1 per kid Bible Story Picture Slide or Poster Key passage (4 minutes) Leader We can very easily question how God s people in Israel and Judah could be so sinful, but we are not any different. We all sin and need a Savior. Our key passage talks about that Savior. We call Him Jesus. Show the slide or poster of the unit s key passage, Isaiah 53:6. Lead the boys and girls to read the verse together. Sing All We Like Sheep (Thank You, God). Tell the Bible story (10 minutes) Leader Open your Bibles to 2 Kings 18 20. Let s see if Hezekiah was any different than most of the other kings in Israel and Judah. We ll also discover the answer to the big picture question, How should we pray? Show the Hezekiah, Judah s Faithful King video, or choose to tell the Bible story in your own words using the script provided. For a shorter story, read only the bold text. Leader Was Hezekiah any different than his dad, Ahaz? Yes! He destroyed the false gods his dad worshiped. Hezekiah worshiped the one true God. Hezekiah still wasn t perfect. He became afraid after Assyria destroyed Israel and forced God s people to leave their homes. Hezekiah had stopped paying Assyria to protect Judah, and now their army was approaching. Hezekiah tried to 9 Younger Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 15 Session 3
buy his way out of trouble by giving the Assyrian king gold and silver. Finally, Hezekiah prayed. He asked Isaiah to pray too. He prayed that God would protect His people. God was pleased that Hezekiah had prayed to Him, and He heard Hezekiah s prayer. God sent Isaiah to Hezekiah with this message: God was going to take care of the large army and even kill the Assyrian king. Judah would be saved. God kept His promise, and the king died. Later, Hezekiah became sick. Isaiah told him he was going to die. Hezekiah prayed to God for healing. God heard that prayer too and healed the king. Hezekiah had confidence to pray to God even though Isaiah told him he was going to die. We should not be afraid to pray to God either. How should we pray? We should pray with confidence. God hears our prayers. Ask the following questions: 1. How was Hezekiah different from Ahaz? (He followed God, 2 Kings 18:5-6) 2. Which country conquered Israel and promised to do the same to Judah? (Assyria, 2 Kings 18:10-13) 3. What did Hezekiah do when Assyria was about to attack and when he became sick? (He prayed; 2 Kings 19:14-19; 20:1-3) 4. How should we pray? We should pray with confidence. God hears our prayers. 5. How did Hezekiah react to news that Babylon would one day take everything from Judah, including his family? (He didn t care because he would be dead before then, 2 Kings 20:19) 10
The Gospel: God s Plan for Me (optional) Use Scripture and the guide provided with this session to explain to boys and girls how to become a Christian. Assign individuals to meet with kids who have more questions. If this is not possible, encourage boys and girls to ask their parents, small group leaders, or other Christian adults any questions they may have about becoming a Christian. Big Picture Question Slide or Poster Prayer (5 minutes) Show the big picture question slide or poster. Leader Did anyone hear the answer to the big picture question? How should we pray? We should pray with confidence. God hears our prayers. As you repeat the question and answer, invite the kids to grasp their hands together when they say pray and prayers and cup their hands to their ears for the word hears. Before transitioning to small group, make any necessary announcements. Lead the kids in prayer. Thank God for hearing us when we pray to Him. Dismiss to small groups 11 Younger 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. 13 Key Passage Slide or Poster dry erase board and markers (optional) tape marker Bibles, 1 per kid Small Group Visual Pack Big Picture Question Slide or Poster Key passage activity (5 minutes) Make sure the key passage, Isaiah 53:6, is visible for each child, either as the printed poster or written on a dry erase board. Read the verse together. Say Hezekiah was a perfect example that even good kings sin. God knew that and had a plan ready. His plan was to send a Savior. God told His chosen people that plan long before Jesus was even born here on earth. Write the key passage on small pieces of tape one word at a time. Distribute one piece of tape to each kid, and instruct each kid to place the tape in her palm. If you have more words than kids, play the game in parts. Explain that some people hold their palms together when they pray. When a leader gives the command to go, the kids must hold out their palms and stand in the correct order. If the leader says prayer time, the kids must freeze and put their hands together as if praying. Repeat until the verse is completed. Bible story review (10 minutes) Encourage the kids to find 2 Kings 18 20 in their Bibles. Help them as needed. Say Is 2 Kings located in the Old Testament or in the New Testament? (Old Testament) Second Kings is Younger Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 15 Session 3
in the division of the Bible called History. It tells us of the history of Israel and Judah, and how sin led to enemies forcing God s people to leave the promised land. Use the small group visual pack to show kids where today s Bible story is on the timeline. Review the Bible story provided by using the bold text or summarize the story in your own words. Choose one kid to act out the part of Hezekiah, or stop the story at any point and choose another kid to play the part. Say Hezekiah was a good king. He prayed to God, and God heard his prayers. Hezekiah s story is proof that we can pray to God too. How should we pray? We should pray with confidence. God hears our prayers. Hezekiah was the most obedient king to God since David, but he still sinned. He didn t trust God when Assyria first attacked, and he was prideful by showing off the kingdom to Babylonian authorities. He didn t even care when Isaiah told him that Babylon would one day take Judah captive. Only one king lived a perfect life. Does anyone know who that is? That s right! He s Jesus. Hezekiah needed someone to live a perfect life for him. We need the same thing because we sin too. Jesus lived that perfect life, and He took our punishment on the cross. Because of that, we can pray to God and know He will hear us. Show the big picture question slide or poster. Say Our big picture question is, How should we pray? We should pray with confidence. God hears our prayers. 14
LOW PREP shoe boxes, small bags or ziplock bags markers or crayons stickers small pieces of paper Activity choice (10 minutes) Option 1: Prayerwalk Invite the kids to take a walk through the church. Pray for the people in the halls, in the classrooms, and in worship. If people are in the hallways, invite a kid to ask if they have anything the class can pray about for them. Look out the windows and pray for the families in homes near the church too. Make sure you remind the kids to be quiet and respectful as you walk through the church. Say This is a reminder that you can pray for a lot of things. How should we pray? We should pray with confidence. God hears our prayers. Option 2: Prayer boxes Distribute a shoe box or other container to each kid. You may even substitute a bag or ziplock bag if necessary. Invite the kids to write My Special Prayers on the container and decorate it with markers or crayons and stickers. Encourage the kids to keep the containers. Provide them with some small pieces of paper to put in their prayer boxes. Invite them to write a prayer request on one piece of paper each day this week and place it back in the container. Nonwriters may draw a small picture of the request if they would like. Ask them to make their first request now. Say Each day this week, take out the prayer requests you have added and pray for each one. How should we pray? We should pray with confidence. God hears our prayers. 15 Younger Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 15 Session 3
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:6 UNIT 15 Key Passage Poster (ESV) 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
Pray Maze Instructions: Complete the maze by following the word PRAY from start to finish. When you get to the y in pray, look for the p to start the word again. Continue until you reach the finish mark. Start P R A Y X Z E T O D I T I O N S E U S T P B L E M V E S X U M I N B O D S Q F U R A O F U G A X N S Q F T A M R H W I C M Z L P H V C O S H X Y T J Y L E O B Y R J X E S U J Y W L B W P L B N H Q A D A L Z G V Y N R D Y J R S F Y N C I X Y N D C P F A X P L U H P Q E K Z B G T F S H Q Y T N V J R S G M C D I V J V K E L W U Z L A V I O E F L X L B L G N X Y B N Y P K Q G E J S H X E T J Y L E O B R J M X B L E M V E S X U M I N B A U S T P F V X B L U H E Q E K Z Y D Y N X Z E T O D I T I O Z L T P N S E T J Y L E O B N X Y B N H V R J F W I S J V T E L W U Z L M V O A S E L W U Z L M V O Q W I S J V T Y Finish Unit 15 Session 3 Younger Kids Activity Pages
Hezekiah, Judah s Faithful King 2 Kings 18 20
Unit 15 Session 3 Hezekiah, Judah s Faithful King OK to print