TEACHER BIBLE STUDY 4 th -6 th Grade Kids Bible Study Guide Josiah was 8 years old when he became king. His father, Amon, had been assassinated by his own servants, and the people of Judah made Josiah king. (2 Kings 21:23-24) Think of the 8-year-olds you know. Are any of them suited to rule over a kingdom? Josiah did well as king of Judah, and he didn t step into the easiest of circumstances. Amon s reign was short, but he was a wicked king, and Judah was corrupt with idolatry. Amon abandoned the Lord God of his ancestors and did not walk in the way of the Lord (2 Kings 21:22). Josiah was not like his father. When he was a teenager, he began to seek God the God of his ancestor David. Then Josiah made changes in Judah. He tore down the altars and idols of false gods, and he initiated the repairing of the Lord s temple. During the temple repair, the high priest found the book of the law of the Lord. The court secretary read the book of the law to Josiah, and Josiah tore his clothes. He knew the Lord s righteous requirements, and the people of Judah fell short. Josiah gathered the people and read the law aloud. He made a covenant to follow God and obey His commands, and then those listening vowed to do the same. When Josiah died, he was remembered as the greatest king in Judah. (2 Kings 23:25) When we stand before the law, we too should mourn over our sin. We have fallen short of God s standard and are cursed. (Romans 3:23; Galatians 3:10) But the gospel is good news. When Jesus came to earth, He fulfilled the law by obeying it perfectly. He died on the cross to pay for our sins. When we trust in Him, His righteousness is credited to us. Our debt is laid on Him, and He redeems us. (Galatians 3:13) LESSON OVERVIEW/SCHEDULE Session Title: Josiah s Reforms Bible Passage: 2 Chronicles 34 35 Big Picture Question: How did Josiah help the people of Judah? Josiah led the people to obey the Word of God. 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. Transition Time Welcome time 1
Activity Sheet/Table Centers Session starter (10 minutes) Lesson Countdown Introduce the session (2 minutes) Timeline map (2 minutes) Tell the Bible Story (10 minutes) Big picture question (1 minute) The Gospel: God s Plan for Me (optional) Key passage (5 minutes) Discussion starter video (4 minutes) Sing (4 minutes) Prayer (2 minutes) Table Time Bible story review & Bible skills (10 minutes) Key passage activity (5 minutes) Activity choice (10 minutes) Prayer (5 minutes) THE BIBLE STORY/OVERVIEW Josiah s Reforms 2 Chronicles 34 35 Josiah became king of Judah when he was a young boy just 8 years old! He was a good king like his ancestor David. Josiah lived in a way that pleased God. He did what was right. When Josiah was a teenager, he started to follow God. And a few years later, Josiah started to make changes around his kingdom. He decided to get rid of the things in Judah that were not pleasing to God. Josiah watched as the people tore down the altars to false gods. They broke the idols and crushed them until they were dust. When Josiah was a young man, he wanted to repair the temple of the Lord. He put three men in charge of making it happen. Money was collected from all the places in the kingdom, and the men took the money to the high priest. The money was for the builders, carpenters, and workmen who would fix up the temple and make it like new again. As the temple was being repaired, the high priest found a very important document. I have found the book of the law in the Lord s temple! the high priest said. He gave the book to Shaphan (SHAY fan), the secretary. Shaphan took the book to King Josiah. Everyone is working in the temple and doing just what you said to do, Shaphan reported. And here is a book the high priest gave to me. 2
Shaphan read from the book of the law. When King Josiah heard the words of the law, he tore his clothes! He told Shaphan, the high priest, and some other men to go and ask God about the book of the law. God is very angry with us! Josiah said. Our ancestors did not obey God. They did not do everything this book says to do! So the men went to a prophetess named Huldah (HUHL duh). Huldah gave the men a message from God. God said, I am going to punish the people of Judah because they turned away from me and worshiped other gods. But God had a special message for Josiah: Because you were humble and were sorry for your sin when you heard the law, you will die in peace. You will not see the punishment I am bringing on the people. Then the men told Josiah what God said. Josiah went to the temple and gathered all the men of Judah and all the people in the city of Jerusalem. He read the words of the law that had been found. Then Josiah made a promise to God. He promised to follow God and obey Him like the book of the law said to do. The people at the temple also agreed to follow God and obey Him. And as long as Josiah was king, the people followed God and obeyed Him. When it was time to celebrate Passover, King Josiah wanted to do everything just like God wanted. Josiah and the priests made sure everything was ready. The priests made offerings for the people and killed the Passover lambs. Everything was done as God said to do in the law. All the people celebrated the Passover like they were supposed to, remembering the first Passover when God passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt and struck down the firstborn of the Egyptians. Christ Connection: Josiah had great respect for God s law. He allowed God s word to control what he did as a king. Josiah wanted God s people to love God and obey the law too. When Jesus came to earth, He fulfilled the law by obeying it perfectly. TRANSITION TIME Session Title: Josiah s Reforms Bible Passage: 2 Chronicles 34 35 Big Picture Question: How did Josiah help the people of Judah? Josiah led the people to obey the Word of God. 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. Welcome time Bibles, 1 per kid 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 about a favorite Bible verse or Bible story. 3
Activity page Table Centers (Miscellaneous Activities) In the Bible? / Who s In Control? activity page, 1 per kid Bibles pencils markers Lead girls and boys to identify the words of wisdom they believe are found in the Bible on the activity page In the Bible? Review the Scriptures to locate the answers. Say Sometimes people think they know what the Bible says, but they are confused. In our Bible story today, people found a copy of God s law. When they read the law, the people were sad to discover they had not been obeying God s rules. As time allows, lead kids to complete the activity page Who s in Control? Session starter (10 minutes) Option 1: Simon Said What? OPTION: Play a traditional game of Simon Says. Play a version of Simon Says using unusual commands. Suggested commands: hug your knee, sit down and close your eyes, use your hands to make a fish face, squint your eyes while hopping on one foot, and so forth. Say What is the goal of Simon Says? Yes. The goal is to listen carefully so you can follow the instructions. How did you know what instructions to follow? Simon told you. Why do you want to obey Simon s instructions? Do you obey Simon because you love him? No. Why do we want to obey God s instructions? We obey God because we love God. How do we know what instructions God wants us to follow? We can know what God wants by reading the Bible. In our Bible story today, the people learned about God s laws when someone read God s Word. Option 2: Magnet Bible Bookmark self-adhesive button magnets elastic jewelry string scissors circle stickers markers (optional) OPTIONS: Adapt this craft in a number of ways. Substitute a washer for one of the magnets. Tie the end of the string around the washer and secure with a dot of glue. Substitute scrap paper for the stickers. Guide kids to trace around the magnet and cut out the circles. Place the string on the sticky magnet and cover it with the paper circle. Embroidery thread or yarn can be used for the elastic string. Lead kids to select the Scripture they want to mark and measure the string length according to that specific spot in their Bible. Guide kids to place the end of the string on the sticky side of the magnet and cover the magnet and string with a sticker. Help kids place the string inside their Bible and wrap it around the front cover. Guide kids to cut the string and place the end on the sticky side of a second magnet. Cover the string end with a circle sticker and position the magnets to stick together. 4
Say How do we know what God s Word, the Bible, says? We read it. The more we read God s Word, the more we can know and love God. In our Bible story, a group of people discovered they were disobeying God s Word because they didn t know what it said. Listen to find out what happened. Transition to large group LESSON Session Title: Josiah s Reforms Bible Passage: 2 Chronicles 34 35 Big Picture Question: How did Josiah help the people of Judah? Josiah led the people to obey the Word of God. 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. Countdown countdown video (insert provided DVD with lesson videos and worship) Show the countdown video as you clean-up table centers, set up classroom chairs for lesson and set it to end as large group time begins. Introduce the session (2 minutes) apron oven mitts [Large Group Leader enters wearing an apron and oven mitts.] Leader Welcome back to Chef [your name] s Kitchen. Did you enjoy last week s Bethlehem Apple Delight? This week, I m making food like the Israelites ate when they remembered the Passover. Who remembers why the Israelites celebrated the Passover every year? Yes! God wanted the Israelites to remember how He had rescued them from slavery in Egypt. So God instructed the Israelites to observe the Passover every year so they could explain to their kids and grandkids and great-grandkids how God protected His people. The Passover was also a picture of how Jesus would eventually come and rescue God s people from sin. So today, I am making unleavened bread. Do you know what unleavened bread is? It is bread made without any yeast. Yeast is what people put in bread dough to make it rise up nice and fluffy. On the night of the first Passover, God instructed the people to get ready to leave Egypt. He told them to prepare a special meal and make bread that didn t have yeast in it. Bread with yeast takes time to make more time than the Israelites had. God wanted them to be ready to go when the time was right. 5
I m going to call my special bread recipe Josiah Bread. Do you know who Josiah is? Well, come with me to the timeline map. Timeline map (2 minutes) Timeline Map small group visual pack (Additional copies provided for Table Time Review stack of notebooks Leader Josiah was one of the kings of the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Josiah was 8 years old when he became king. Raise your hand if you or your brother or sister is 8 years old. Imagine an 8-year-old becoming king! What do you think? Josiah s story is recorded in 2 Chronicles. Who knows where 2 Chronicles is located in the Bible? Right. It is one of the books of History. Last week we were talking about Micah, and now we are looking at 2 Chronicles. Is it confusing that the books of the Bible aren t in order? Maybe I can explain a little about all of this chronology. What if I gave everyone in our class a notebook and everyone wrote down everything they did every day this week? You might write about soccer games, school, homework, your siblings, helping your mom, buying new ballet shoes, everything. At the end of the week, you would bring your journals back. [Indicate the stack of notebooks.] Now I would have all these journals to organize into one book for people to read. What are some ways I could organize them? I could organize the journals in alphabetical order of your names; all the boys together and all of the girls together; all the same topics together. I have many different ways to put them in order, but when did they all happen? The same week! So every story I read every detail in every journal all happened during the same week. Journal 1 and Journal 20 both record what happened during the exact same week. It is a little like that with the Bible. Some people in the Bible lived at the same time and wrote down messages from God. Later, the books were organized by what they had in common or the type of book they were. So when we read Isaiah and Micah, we have to remember that they lived during the same time, even though their books aren t next to each other. Even though 2 Chronicles isn t located after Micah, it records events that happened after Micah. Now let s open our Bibles and listen to our Bible story. Tell the Bible Story (10 minutes) Josiah s Reforms video Bibles, 1 per kid Bible Story Picture 11x17 poster provided Big Picture Question: How did Josiah help the people of Judah? 11x17 poster provided 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. Open your Bible to 2 Chronicles 34 and tell the Bible story in your own words, or show the Bible story video Josiah s Reforms. 6
Leader When Josiah was a teenager, he began to follow God. Josiah led the Israelites to destroy the altars that had been built for false gods. The kings before him had not taken care of the temple. Josiah sent men to collect money to repair the temple. During the repairs, the high priest found a very important book. Who remembers what the book was? He found the book of the law. Moses wrote down God s commands and laws so they could be read and remembered. But the leaders hadn t been reading God s law to the people. When Josiah heard the law, he was very upset. The people had broken God s laws. They would face consequences. Because Josiah followed God, God promised that the Israelites would not face the consequences for their sin until after Josiah died. Josiah read the book of law to the people. Now they knew what God said and what they needed to do to obey Him. The people agreed to follow God s laws. They observed the Passover and remembered how God had rescued His people from Egypt. Big picture question (1 minute) 11x17 poster provided Bibles Leader Our big picture question is, How did Josiah help the people of Judah? Josiah did a lot of things to help the Israelites, and they can be summed up in our big picture answer. Josiah led the people to obey the Word of God. How did Josiah help the people of Judah? Josiah led the people to obey the Word of God. Who else led God s people to obey God s Word? Jesus. Jesus is the only One who has ever obeyed God s Word perfectly. He fulfilled the law. He died to rescue us from sin. Because He obeyed the law perfectly, He could be the sacrifice for our sin. 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 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. Key passage (5 minutes) Key Passage Poster: Zephaniah 3:17 (11x17 poster, provided) Worship Song: Yahweh Your God (on provided DVD) Leader Read our key passage with me. Lead kids to read Zephaniah 3:17 together. Help kids locate Zephaniah 3:17 in the Bible. Sing Yahweh Your God. Leader Next week, we will learn why Zephaniah wrote this key passage. It is an important truth about God. 7
Sing (4 minutes) Worship Song: One True God (on provided DVD) Leader Join me in singing some more truths about God. Sing our theme song One True God with me. Join boys and girls in singing One True God. Leader Do you think Josiah followed God like our song talks about? Following God is a choice we have to make every day. We need to ask God to help us follow Him. Discussion Starter Video (4 minutes) Unit 17, Session 2 discussion starter video (on provided DVD) Leader The Israelites were not following God s laws. They had lost His Word and didn t know what it said. Have you ever lost your Bible? Were you upset you couldn t find it? Think about your response as we watch this video. Show the Unit 17 Session 2 video. Leader Anyone recognize that scene? Anyone ever been that kid searching right before you go to church for your Bible and you can t remember where you left it? Most of us are probably guilty of that at some point. What should that scene look like? How do we treat God s Word? Do we take it for granted? Prayer (2 minutes) Leader Can you tell me our big picture question and answer again? How did Josiah help the people of Judah? Josiah led the people to obey the Word of God. Close in prayer. Dismiss to small groups for Table Time 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. 8
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. TABLE TIME LEADER Session Title: Josiah s Reforms Bible Passage: 2 Chronicles 34 35 Big Picture Question: How did Josiah help the people of Judah? Josiah led the people to obey the Word of God. 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. Bible story review & Bible skills (10 minutes) Bibles, 1 per kid Timeline small group visual pack Option: Retell or review the Bible story using the bolded text of the Bible story script. King Josiah crown Add the King Josiah crown to the Southern Kingdom chart in your classroom. Lead boys and girls in reading 2 Chronicles 34:1-2. Discuss the description of Josiah. Explain that because Josiah was a part of David s family, he was a part of Jesus earthly family. Use the timeline in the small group visual pack to help kids trace events from David to Josiah. Review today s Bible story by leading kids to find 2 Chronicles 34:29-33. Ask kids to read the verses silently. After a few minutes, invite kids to share about what they read. Encourage kids to ask any questions they have about the verses. It is OK to admit if you don t know the answer to a question. Offer to look for the answer during the coming week, or suggest the kid ask his parents to help him locate the answer. Say How did Josiah help the people of Judah? Josiah led the people to obey the Word of God. Who fulfilled the law? (When Jesus came to earth, He fulfilled the law by obeying it perfectly.) If you choose to review with boys and girls how to become a Christian, explain that kids are welcome to speak with you or another leader if they have questions. 9
God rules. God created and is in charge of everything. (Genesis 1:1; Revelation 4:11; Colossians 1:16-17) We sinned. Since Adam and Eve, everyone has chosen to disobey God. (Romans 3:23; 6:23) God provided. God sent His Son, Jesus, to rescue us from the punishment we deserve. (John 3:16; Ephesians 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. (Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 3:18) We respond. Believe that Jesus alone saves you. Repent. Tell God that your faith is in Jesus. (Romans 10:9-10,13) Key passage activity (5 minutes) Create the Correct Recipe Instructions Key Passage Poster: Zephaniah 3:17 (provided) recipe cards Write the key passage on recipe cards. Add some additional words on additional recipe cards and mix them into the pile. Invite kids to identify the correct cards and arrange them in order. Say What does this key passage tell us about God? Activity choice (10 minutes) Option 1: Beanbag Flip beanbag answer cards spatula or other kitchen utensil The Scripture references from the answers to the following questions have been provided on individual Answer Cards. The answer to the question is printed on the reverse side of the cards. Ask a question and guide kids to look up the references and find the one that provides the answer to the question. Challenge kids to take turns flipping a beanbag from a spatula onto the answer of their choice. When the beanbag lands on the correct reference, instruct kids to flip over the reference to reveal the answer. How old was Josiah when he became a king? (8 years old, 2 Chronicles 34:1) The Bible says Josiah was a good king like whom? (King David, 2 Chronicles 34:2) What did Josiah lead the Israelites to get rid of? (false idols, 2 Chronicles 34:3-4) What did Josiah decide to repair? (the temple, 2 Chronicles 34:8) What did the high priest find in the temple? (the book of the law, 2 Chronicles 34:14) When Josiah heard the law, what did he do? (tore his clothes, 2 Chronicles 34:19) Which prophetess did Shaphan, the high priest, and other men visit? (Huldah; 2 Chronicles 34:20,22) What did Huldah say? (Judah would face the consequences of their sin, but Josiah would not see the consequences of Judah s sin; 2 Chronicles 34:23-28) What did Josiah read to the people of Judah? (the book of the law, 2 Chronicles 34:30) What did Josiah lead the people of Judah to observe? (the Passover, 2 Chronicles 35:1) How did Josiah help the people of Judah? Josiah led the people to obey the Word of God. 10
Option 2: Recipe Holders index cards index card holders markers Bibles, 1 per kid OPTION: If it is too expensive to provide kids with index card holders, hole punch the cards and slide them on a key ring. Say We are exploring a kitchen this unit. When you are cooking, what are you supposed to follow? The recipe! The recipe outlines exactly how to make the food you want. If you follow the recipe, you have success. If you do not follow the recipe, the food may not turn out the right way. It s the same way with our lives. When we follow God s recipe for our lives God s laws we learn how to follow and love God. We obey Him. When we don t follow God s laws, we can end up in disaster. We face consequences for our sin. So how do we know what God s Word says? We read it. We memorize it. We study it. Lead boys and girls to create recipe cards containing different verses from the Bible. Provide each kid with an index card holder to decorate and store his or her recipe cards. Say How did Josiah help the people of Judah? Josiah led the people to obey the Word of God. Prayer (5 minutes) Say How did Josiah help the people of Judah? Josiah led the people to obey the Word of God. How are you leading others to obey the Word of God? Allow a few children to respond. If you aren t currently leading others, how can you lead others to obey the Word of God? Allow children to respond. Close the group in prayer. Clean-Up Room 11
Instructions: Circle the words of wisdom you think are from God s Word, the Bible. 3. Money is the root of all evil. 2. Obey your parents. 1. Cleanliness is next to godliness. 7. God helps those who help themselves. 6. An apple a day keeps the doctor away. 4. He who 5. God loves a cheerful giver. doesn t work, doesn t eat. 10. There is a time or season for everything. 9. Love God with all your heart, mind, and soul. 8. Pray constantly. Check out Ephesians 6:1; 2 Corinthians 9:7; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Matthew 22:37; 2 Thessalonians 3:10; Ecclesiastes 3:1. Check out 1 Timothy 6:10 to find the phrase that is almost right but often messed up by people. UNIT 17 Session 2 Older Kids Activity Pages Judah, The Southern Kingdom 2013 Lifeway
Instructions: Identify if the kids in each picture are allowing God s Word to control their actions. Check out the Scripture verses to see what God s Word says about each situation. Draw a corrected picture if needed. UNIT 17 Session 2 Older Kids Activity Pages Judah, The Southern Kingdom 2013 Lifeway
Family Journal Page Judah, the Southern Kingdom rite Bible story vo fa a se oo ch to r be Ask each family mem e week. You may also th in r te la ily m fa e to share with th a graph about why it s ra pa a te ri w to em encourage th their draw a picture about to s id k r ge un yo w lo e, favorite. Al h, even at a young ag sia Jo w ho t ou ab lk share favorite story. Ta d is to read, obey, and or W s d Go t an rt po realized how im each ferences for the stories re e bl Bi e th te ri W. with others. family member shared Josiah s Reforms 2 Chronicles 34 35 Preschool Key Passage: Zephaniah 3:17 Big Picture Question: How did Josiah help God s people? Josiah helped the people obey God. Christ Connection: Josiah respected God s law. He obeyed God and did what God said. Josiah wanted God s people to love God and obey the law too. When Jesus came to earth, He obeyed the law perfectly. Kids Key Passage: Zephaniah 3:17 Big Picture Question: How did Josiah help the people of Judah? Josiah led the people to obey the Word of God. Christ Connection: Josiah had great respect for God s law. He allowed God s Word to control what he did as a king. Josiah wanted God s people to love God and obey the law too. When Jesus came to earth, He fulfilled the law by obeying it perfectly. UNIT 17 Session 2 2013 LifeWay OK TO PRINT
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) 2013 LifeWay OK TO PRINT Judah, the Southern Kingdom