Read Together: Following God’s instructions, Noah immediately began to build an ark to save his family and the land animals from destruction. Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, may have worked on building the ark for many years. While the people surely made fun of him for building a boat on dry land, Noah warned them to repent and obey God so that they too could escape the coming Flood. No one but his family listened to Noah. In the end, there were only eight people that entered the ark: Noah, Shem, Ham, Japheth, and their wives. God sent seven pairs of every clean animal to the ark, males and females, so He could preserve their lives. He also sent two of every unclean animal, a male and a female, as well as seven pairs of birds, males and females, for Noah to keep in the ark. After Noah, his family, and all the animals were inside, God sealed the door to the ark. After seven days, it began to rain. The waters from under the earth gushed up and the rain from heaven poured down, for forty days and forty nights! The water was so high that it covered the mountains! Only those on the ark survived.
Read Together: Genesis 6:13–22; 7:1–20; 2 Peter 2:5
Discuss:
Ask your child why God destroyed all land animals, birds, and human beings. Ask why God spared Noah and his family.
Ask your child how many people were aboard the ark and who they were.
Explain to your child that during the time that he was building the ark, Noah was warning the people about the coming Flood. God was giving them an opportunity to repent and be saved. Emphasize God’s mercy in wanting the people to be saved.
Explain to your child what makes animals “clean” or “unclean.” Why did God tell Noah to take more clean animals on the ark than unclean? You may want to use this as an opportunity to talk about God’s dietary laws in Leviticus.
Review Memorization.
2 Peter 2:5 “And [God] did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly.”
https://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/009-noah-ark.jpg360480Jonathan McNairhttps://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/logo_basic-website-300x94.pngJonathan McNair2020-07-10 13:25:082026-02-13 10:34:49Children’s Bible Program – Level 1: Lesson 15 “Noah, the Ark, and the Flood”
Read Together: After the Flood was over, the ark came to rest on top of the mountains of Ararat. These mountains are in the country called Turkey today. Noah, his family, and the animals remained aboard the ark for more than a year. Wow! It took a long time before the earth was dry enough for them to live on it. After they left the ark, God told Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth that He wanted them to have big families and fill the earth with more people. God also made a new covenant with all living creatures that He would never again destroy the earth with a flood. The sign God gave of this new covenant was the rainbow.
Read Together: Genesis 8:1–22; 9:1, 11–19.
Discuss:
Ask your child, by way of review, what was the Flood? Why did God bring the Flood on humanity?
Ask your child, what was the promise God made after the Flood was over? What was the sign of that promise?
Ask your child if he or she has ever seen a rainbow. What does it look like? How would he or she describe it?
Discuss God’s command to Noah and his sons to “be fruitful and multiply.” Why did God ask them to have lots of children? Were there any people other than Noah and his family alive after the Flood?
Explain that every living human being today is descended from Noah and his sons.
Review Memorization:
2 Peter 2:5 “And (God) did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly.”
More to Do!
These activities are optional, but some children may find them enjoyable.
Your child might be interested in comparing the size of the ark with modern structures. This website had some interesting comparisons.
There are several Noah’s ark crafts available on Pinterest that your child might enjoy.
There are several videos on YouTube of the Noah’s ark replica in Kentucky. This Noah’s Ark Encounter video is short but it does mention the dimensions.
Read Together: God destroyed every human being on the face of the earth with the exception of 8 people – Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham, Japheth, and their wives. A pair of every unclean animal and seven pairs of all clean animals survived with Noah and his family on the ark. After the flood, God commanded Noah, his sons, and the animals to multiply on the earth, and that is exactly what they did. People lived longer so they were able to have many children. Soon families grew so big that they formed nations, and the nations were all separated into their own lands.
Help your child to identify the eight people that survived the flood.
Discuss with your child why God told Noah to take seven of every clean animal on the ark.
Help your child visualize what the earth might have been like after a few years with so few people and so many animals which were multiplying very quickly.
Explain to your student that though their numbers were increasing, the people were still united by language and culture.
Help your child recognize that after the flood there were only eight people, and today, about 5 thousand years later, there are almost eight billion people all of whom are descended from Noah.
Review Memorization:
Genesis 11:6 “And the Lord said, ‘Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.’”
With our recent reliance on streaming technology, including our musical praise of God, it seems appropriate to revisit our recorded versions of our hymns, and consider updating the audio using the most recent recording technology. As part of this effort, Mr. Weston has approved including additional hymns that have been written by talented musicians in the Living Church of God. As we read in Psalm 98:1, it gives glory to God to “sing to the Lord a new song!”
Thank-you to those who have contributed new compositions to our collection of songs to be considered for inclusion in our hymns! More than a dozen song-writers have participated so far.
For more information and to contribute a hymn, navigate to our Hymn Project webpage through the link below!
Pasajes Destacados: Isaías 14:12-14; Ezequiel 28:15-17; Lucas 10:18; 2 Pedro 2:4; Judas 6; Apocalipsis 12:7–9; 20:1–3,10.
Lucifer fue creado por Dios como un poderoso arcángel con grandes responsabilidades. Sin embargo, Lucifer permitió que el orgullo y la vanidad pervirtieran sus pensamientos y acciones. Lucifer comenzó a creer que él sabía más que Dios y que su camino de obtener y competir era mejor que el camino de Dios de cooperación y amor. Satanás ideó un plan para tratar de derrocar a Dios. Convenció a una tercera parte de los ángeles de rebelarse con él para tomar el trono de Dios ¡Lucifer quería la posición de Dios! Por supuesto, el ser creado no era más poderoso que su Creador. Dios arrojó a Lucifer y sus ángeles de vuelta a la Tierra. Dios nombra las cosas tal como son, así que cuando Lucifer se rebeló, Dios cambió el nombre de Lucifer a Satanás, que significa adversario o enemigo, y a los ángeles de Satanás los llamó demonios.
Discusión:
Ayude a sus hijos a demostrar que la ley existió antes que Moisés. Pídales que lean 1 Juan 3:4 y 2 Pedro 2:4 y guíelos en sus conclusiones.
Explique que no tenemos nada que temer de Satanás porque Dios está a cargo y Satanás no puede hacernos nada sin el permiso de Dios.
Explique que todos tendrán la oportunidad de estar en la familia de Dios y que solo quienes rechacen voluntariamente a Dios morirán en el lago de fuego (Malaquías 4:1,3). Ningún ser humano pasará la eternidad ardiendo en el fuego del infierno.
Memorizar y revisar:
Isaías 14:12-14 “¡Cómo caíste del cielo, oh Lucero, hijo de la mañana! Cortado fuiste por tierra, tú que debilitabas a las naciones. Tú que decías en tu corazón: Subiré al cielo; en lo alto, junto a las estrellas de Dios, levantaré mi trono, y en el monte del testimonio me sentaré, a los lados del norte; sobre las alturas de las nubes subiré, y seré semejante al Altísimo”.
https://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/tom-strecker-669343-unsplash.jpg9961500lcgadminhttps://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/logo_basic-website-300x94.pnglcgadmin2020-07-08 09:30:162020-07-08 09:30:18Programa Bíblico para Niños – Nivel 3: Lección 5 “La rebelión de Satanás”
Pasaje Destacado:Isaías 14:12-14; Ezequiel 28:15-17; Lucas 10:18
Lucifer era un poderoso arcángel con grandes responsabilidades, sin embargo, él permitió que el orgullo y la vanidad pervirtieran sus pensamientos y acciones. Lucifer comenzó a creer que él sabía más que Dios y que su camino de obtener y competir era mejor que el camino de Dios de cooperación y amor. Satanás ideó un plan para tratar de derrocar a Dios. Convenció a un tercio de los ángeles de rebelarse con él para tomar el trono de Dios ¡Lucifer quería la posición de Dios! Por supuesto, este ser creado no era más poderoso que su Creador. Dios arrojó a Lucifer y sus ángeles de vuelta a la Tierra. Dios nombra las cosas tal como son, así que cuando Lucifer se rebeló, Dios cambió su nombre de Lucifer a Satanás, que significa adversario o enemigo, y a los ángeles de Satanás los llamó demonios.
Discusión:
Satanás fue un hijo de Dios porque Dios fue su Creador. Pregunte a sus hijos si pueden pensar en alguna película, programa de televisión o ejemplo personal en el que el niño pensaba que sabía más que sus padres.
Ayude a sus hijos a comprender que no tenemos nada que temer de Satanás porque Dios está a cargo y Satanás no puede hacernos nada sin el permiso de Dios.
Explique que todos tendrán la oportunidad de estar en la familia de Dios y que solo quienes rechacen voluntariamente a Dios morirán en el lago de fuego (Malaquías 4:1,3).
Memorizar y revisar:
Isaías 14:12-14 “¡Cómo caíste del cielo, oh Lucero, hijo de la mañana! Cortado fuiste por tierra, tú que debilitabas a las naciones. Tú que decías en tu corazón: Subiré al cielo; en lo alto, junto a las estrellas de Dios, levantaré mi trono, y en el monte del testimonio me sentaré, a los lados del norte; sobre las alturas de las nubes subiré, y seré semejante al Altísimo”.
https://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/layne-lawson-101816-unsplash.jpg8601500lcgadminhttps://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/logo_basic-website-300x94.pnglcgadmin2020-07-08 09:30:112020-07-08 09:30:13Programa Bíblico para Niños – Nivel 2: Lección 5 “Lucifer se convierte en Satanás”
Dios restauró la Tierra, creando el ambiente perfecto para la humanidad. Dios siempre hace las cosas de forma planificada, así que creó a un hombre, Adán, como el comienzo de Su familia. Dios hizo a Adán del polvo de la tierra, parecido a Él mismo y sopló la vida en él. Dios colocó a Adán en el Edén, un hermoso jardín, y le dijo que lo cuidara y lo mantuviera. Todo árbol hermoso y toda planta con semillas estaban en el Edén. Los animales eran mansos y juguetones. Fue un hermoso comienzo para la humanidad. Contrario a lo que enseñan los evolucionistas, Dios literalmente creó a Adán y a Eva y los colocó en un jardín físico, y de estos dos seres humanos vinieron todas las personas que han existido durante toda la historia de la humanidad hasta el presente.
Discusión:
Ayude a sus hijos a comprender que Adán fue el comienzo del plan de Dios para tener una familia.
Pregunte a sus hijos qué trabajo le dio Dios a Adán.
Hable sobre el hermoso jardín y los animales que eran mansos como lo son mascotas familiares.
Pregunte a sus hijos qué tipo de animal les gustaría tener como mascota si fuera posible. (Use esto como una oportunidad para hablar sobre el maravilloso mundo de mañana).
Hable sobre el vínculo cercano y la relación amorosa que Adán tuvo con Dios.
Memorizar y revisar:
Génesis 1:27 “Y creó Dios al hombre a su imagen, a imagen de Dios lo creó; varón y hembra los creó”.
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Read Together: Israel did not bring a good report during their wandering in the wilderness. During this time, Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and On stirred up the people in rebellion, saying Moses and Aaron should no longer be the leaders of Israel. God had something to say about that! He caused the earth to open up and swallow these rebellious men, their families, and all their possessions. After the rebellion was put down, the Israelites complained that Moses had killed the people of God. They gathered against Moses and Aaron, but again God saved them and sent a plague that killed 14,700 more people. After a victory over the king of Arad, the people started complaining again, calling the manna worthless. This time God sent fiery serpents through the camp which killed many of the people. After Israel wandered for forty years, the time finally came for them to inherit the Promised Land. God lead Israel to defeat and take the lands of Sihon King of the Amorites, and Og King of Bashan. The Moabites heard of Israel’s conquests and were afraid. Balak, king of Moab, sent for Balaam to curse Israel, but God would not allow it, but allowed Balaam to bless them instead. However, the Israelites started worshipping idols and marrying foreign women. The Lord became angry and sent a plague that killed 24,000 people. Time and again Israel tested God. Israel failed to keep the covenant they had made with God, but their deeds were recorded for our benefit so that we can learn from their mistakes.
Remind your child that God promised Israel the land of the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, and the Hivites (Exodus 3:7–8). Their conquests were in partial fulfillment of God’s promise.
Ask your child what lessons they think we can learn from Korah’s rebellion. Use this as an opportunity to talk about God’s government and how we are to respect those God has put in leadership positions.
Read 1 Corinthians 10:6–11 with your child. Discuss how we can get caught up in the same sins that Israel committed. Help them come up with some examples.
Review Memorization.
Deuteronomy 30:15–16 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess.”
https://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/001-moses-spies.jpg360480Jonathan McNairhttps://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/logo_basic-website-300x94.pngJonathan McNair2020-07-07 17:56:042026-02-13 10:32:47Children’s Bible Program – Level 3: Lesson 18 “Forty Years in the Wilderness”
Author: Mr. Kenneth Frank | Faculty in Theology, Living Education
Estimated Reading Time:7 min.
Did you know that welcoming instruction in the Bible from others is a desirable and necessary quality for effective Bible study?
There are numerous examples in Scripture, but this article will deal with an incident involving a non-Israelite in the early years of the Church of God. This person realized that his understanding from his reading of the Book of Isaiah was limited and that he needed someone to guide him. The two individuals involved in this account from Acts 8:26-40 are Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch.
We are first introduced to Philip in Acts 6, where he was appointed as one of seven men (later known as deacons) to serve the needy widows of the church. Philip appears next in Acts 8 when he travels to the city of Samaria to preach Christ following a scattering of the church in Jerusalem due to persecution. From here on, some sources refer to him as Philip the Evangelist to distinguish him from the Apostle Philip (Acts 21:8).
Starting in Acts 8:26 we learn that God’s angel next moves Philip to head south from Jerusalem to Gaza on the main road to Egypt. There he meets a God-fearer (a Gentile who worshiped the God of Israel but was not a full convert) from Ethiopia (Nubia) who is heading home from Jerusalem where he had traveled to worship. This man is described as a eunuch (v. 26), which was either an emasculated man or a high official, who worked closely with the queen as her finance minister. While riding in his chariot (indicating he was a man of means), he reads the scroll of Isaiah (vv. 27-28). It was common then to read aloud. Philip is guided by the Spirit (v. 29) to join this man’s chariot after hearing the Ethiopian’s reading of a particular Messianic passage.
Upon approaching this man’s entourage, Philip asked the man if he understood what he was reading (v. 30). The Ethiopian could have been insulted by such a question, assuming he did not need anyone to teach him God’s written word. John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible characterizes this Ethiopian’s attitude as “…of an excellent spirit and temper; since instead of answering in a haughty and disdainful manner, as great men are too apt to do; and instead of charging Philip with, impertinence and insolence, in interrupting him whilst reading, and putting such a question to him, he expresses himself with great and uncommon modesty; with a sense and confession of his ignorance and incapacity and of the necessity and usefulness of the instructions of men, appointed of God to open and explain the Scriptures…” (e-Sword 12.1).
Instead, the Ethiopian replies in v. 31, “How can I except some man guide me?” He recognized his need for a man of God to teach him the meaning of this passage. The Pulpit Commentary explains his approach: “The humility and thirst for instruction of this great courtier are very remarkable, and the instance of the joint use of the written Word and the living teacher is noteworthy” (e-Sword 12.1). He humbled himself before this man of God, inviting Philip to climb aboard his chariot to provide spiritual instruction. He was reading a passage from Isaiah 53, one of the clearest prophecies of Jesus’ sacrifice, which is requoted in Acts 8:32-33.
In v. 34 the eunuch asked if this passage referred to Isaiah or someone else. This opened the door for Philip to preach to him Jesus as the expected Messiah (v. 35). Philip then asked the man if he believed what he read and the Ethiopian replied that he did and then asked what hindered him from baptism (v. 36). Philip baptizes him after the man professed his faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God (v. 37). Philip then is instantly guided by the Spirit on to new territory (v. 39). The eunuch never saw Philip again but continued his journey home rejoicing (v. 38-39).
This story contains a significant lesson for every serious student of God’s written word: we all need teachers. Some mistakenly believe today that when they begin to study the Bible as novices that they are already fully equipped to “rightly divide the Word of Truth” (2 Timothy_2:15 ). This self-reliant approach can lead well-intentioned but ill-equipped people to erroneous conclusions about what the Bible teaches. The Common Man’s Reference Bible annotation on John 16:13 says, “The Holy Ghost [Spirit] will guide a sincere and humble student into all truth who does not seek to justify his preconceived ideas” (Bible Analyzer 5.4.1.22).
God has provided us with trained and skilled teachers who have spent years studying the Bible and who are guided by God’s Holy Spirit with discernment, wisdom, and understanding. Each of us needs to tap into their reservoir of knowledge for principles on how to apply the Scriptures. Notice Paul’s questions about this learning process: Rom 10:14 KJV “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?”
Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible identifies this Ethiopian as: “The humble, the teachable, the prayerful, the gentle of spirit – those who are willing to learn. A proud person who supposes that he already knows enough cannot be taught; a haughty person who has no respect for others, cannot learn of them; a person who is willing to believe nothing cannot be instructed. The first requisite, therefore, in the work of religion, as in respect to all kinds of knowledge, is a meek and docile spirit. See Matthew 18:3” (e-Sword 12.1). The word of God is a large and sometimes complex book with deep spiritual concepts that are not always self-evident. We need teachers to guide us.
This is not to say we cannot learn a limited amount on our own. David Guzik’s Enduring Word Commentary adds this explanation on v. 31: “This is the proper question of anyone who wants to understand the Bible. We should never feel bad if we need to be taught before we can understand many things…It is glorious when we come to understand the great truths of Scripture on our own, but God always has a place and a purpose for teachers in the body of Christ” (e-Sword 12.1).
There is also a place for utilizing Bible reference works. The Ultimate Cross-reference Library draws this important principle about personal Bible study from v. 31: “There is no necessity to reinvent the wheel. It is the height of egotism to suppose that we can go ourselves to the Bible alone, and learn all that God has for us in His Word, never utilizing cross references, concordances, commentaries and specialized topical studies, as though the Holy Spirit never assisted the labors of the writers and scholars that have gone before us. God will hold us responsible not only for what we know, but for what we could have known had we made the proper and diligent use of the means He has made available to us. Proper spiritual growth is dependent upon our careful and systematic study of the Word of God” (e-Sword 12.1).
We all could learn much more if only we applied ourselves to studying the Bible with the assistance of those who have “blazed the trail” before us! This enriching Bible narrative from Acts is for our learning (Romans 15:4). Let us all model this humble Gentile’s approach to biblical instruction.
Kenneth Frank was born and raised in New Jersey, USA, and attended Ambassador College, graduating in 1973. He served in the Canadian ministry from 1973-1999, after which he returned to the USA to pastor churches in Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina for 15 years. Having earned a BA degree from Ambassador College he later earned a MA degree from Grand Canyon University before being assigned to the Charlotte office to teach at Living University, now Living Education. Currently, he teaches the Survey of the Bible course to the on-campus students and writes the Digging Deeper column for our online Bible study program. He is married, has four children, and seven grandchildren.
https://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/josh-applegate-g3O4mCifZEk-unsplash.jpg9991500Jonathan McNairhttps://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/logo_basic-website-300x94.pngJonathan McNair2020-07-07 17:16:422021-08-12 17:24:21Digging Deeper: A Lesson From the Ethiopian Eunuch
Read Together: After the flood, people began to raise families, and gradually moved further and further away from where the ark had come to rest. The Bible tells us about the families of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and how they began to populate the earth. We read about one man who became famous as a great hunter. This man’s name was Nimrod, and he was the grandson of Ham, one of Noah’s three sons. As his fame grew, he was idolized by many. In fact, some people began to look to Nimrod instead of God for protection and leadership. They called him “the mighty hunter before [“instead of” or “in place of”] the Lord” (Genesis 10:9). Remember, God had commanded the sons of Noah to fill the earth (Genesis 9:1). But proud Nimrod rebelled against God, building cities and a kingdom. One of the cities he built was the famous Babel, where the people began to build a giant tower, reaching into the sky.
Read Together: Genesis 10:6, 8-12
Discuss:
Help your child to understand that the people were looking to Nimrod as their provider and protector and not looking to God. Remind your child that God is our ultimate provider and protector.
Nimrod was setting up a kingdom for himself to make himself the ruler over the people. You may want to take this opportunity to explain that in God’s government, men do not choose to be in charge themselves. God selects the leaders.
Explain to your child that moving people into cities as Nimrod did was not what God intended. Imagine and discuss what cities may be like in the wonderful world tomorrow and how they will be much different than the cities of Nimrod or of today
Help your child to understand that Nimrod was leading the people away from God.
Review Memorization:
Genesis 11:6 “And the LORD said, ‘Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.’”
Read Together: After the flood, people began to raise families, and gradually moved further and further away from where the ark had come to rest. The Bible tells us about the families of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and how they began to populate the earth. We read about one man who became famous as a great hunter. This man’s name was Nimrod, and he was the grandson of Ham, one of Noah’s three sons. As his fame grew, he was idolized by many. In fact, some people began to look to Nimrod instead of God for protection and leadership. They called him “the mighty hunter before [“instead of” or “in place of”] the Lord” (Genesis 10:9). Remember, God had commanded the sons of Noah to fill the earth (Genesis 9:1). But proud Nimrod rebelled against God, building cities and a kingdom. One of the cities he built was the famous Babel, where the people began to build a giant tower, reaching into the sky.