Children’s Bible Program- Level 2: Lessons 25-28 Packet: Jacob
Includes the lessons:
- Lesson 25 “Jacob and Esau”
- Lesson 26 “Jacob Flees to Padan Aram”
- Lesson 27 “Jacob’s Wives and Sons”
- Lesson 28 “Israel Returns Home”
Archive for year: 2020
Children’s Bible Program – Level 2: Lesson 29 “Pentecost and the Firstfruits”
Read Together: Through the annual Festivals, God has revealed to the Church His plan to offer salvation to every human being who has ever lived. The first steps in God’s plan are revealed with Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread which picture Christ’s sacrifice for our sins and our response to His sacrifice by repenting of our sins. The next Holy Day is the Feast of Pentecost or “The Feast of Weeks”. Once a person is called to God’s way of life and repents of breaking His law they are baptized into the body of Christ, His church. After being baptized, the person has hands laid on them to ask God to give them His Holy Spirit.Once a person receives God’s Spirit, they are then sanctified—set apart for good works, and become one of God’s firstfruits. The Day of Pentecost pictures the harvest of firstfruits, the beginning of God’s spiritual harvest of all people into His family
Read Together: Leviticus 23:15–22; John 6:44; Acts 2:38–39; Romans 6:3–4; Acts 8:14–17; Galatians 2:20; Titus 3:8; James 1:18
Discuss:
- Ask your child to explain in their own words the meaning of the feast of Pentecost in God’s plan of salvation.
- Discuss with your child the meaning of repentance. When we repent, we stop breaking God’s laws and start to obey them.
- Explain to your child that even though they are too young to be baptized, they can begin to follow God’s laws now and reap the blessings from doing so. Children of those with God’s spirit are still set apart for a special purpose.
Review Memorization.
Acts 2:38 “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’”
Children’s Bible Program – Level 1: Lesson 29 “Israel Prepares to Meet God”
Read Together: God sent Moses with only a rod in his hand to deliver Israel from Egypt, the most powerful nation on the earth at that time. With miracle after miracle, God devastated the land of Egypt. The Israelites were so excited to finally leave Egypt! God had told Moses that when they left Egypt, he was to bring the children of Israel to Mt. Sinai. So the children of Israel began to walk to the mountain of God. God told Moses to instruct the people to bathe and wash their clothes in preparation to meet Him! What an eventful meeting that would be!
Read Together: Exodus 14 – 19:1-14
Discuss:
- Israel faced many problems on the way to Mount Sinai. For example, they ran out of water to drink in the desert and God had to provide for them. The Israelites were tired and sometimes hungry. Ask your child how they might feel if they were an Israelite. Israel responded by complaining about God and Moses which did not please God. Why should we be careful not to complain?
- Why do you think God instructed the Israelites to bathe and wash their clothes before meeting Him?
Review Memorization:
Exodus 24:3 “So Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD and all the judgments. And all the people answered with one voice and said, ‘All the words which the LORD has said we will do.’”
Children’s Bible Program – Level 3: Lesson 30 “Ruth the Moabitess”
Featured Passage: Ruth 1
The book of Ruth is a story of friendship, commitment, adversity, triumph and true love. The setting is in the time of the judges. Israel had turned her back on God, so He brought a famine upon the land to punish them for their rebellion. A man named Elimelech, along with his wife Naomi and sons Mahlon and Chilion, left their home in Bethlehem, and traveled to neighboring Moab in hopes of escaping the famine. But hard times followed them. First, Elimelech died, leaving Naomi a widow. Then after ten years of marriage, Naomi’s sons Mahlon and Chilion died, leaving both of their young wives without a husband. All three women face a hopeless situation, as widows without the protection of a husband or father. One of Naomi’s daughter-in-laws, Ruth, rises to the occasion, and gives us an example of love and service that continues to inspire us today.
Discuss:
- The Moabites were descendants of Lot, Abraham’s nephew. Also, the Moabites opposed the children of Israel when they left Egypt, and there was a history of animosity between the two peoples (Deuteronomy 23:3–6).
- During the time of Ruth, women depended on their husbands or sons to protect them. Ruth knew that Naomi had neither so she volunteered to take on that role.
- Ruth showed great respect, love, and commitment to her mother-in-law She also courageously made a huge sacrifice to leave everything familiar to her to go to a place where she might not be accepted because she was a Moabitess. What do you think it was like for Ruth to make that decision?
Memory Challenge:
Ruth 1:16
But Ruth said: “Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.”
Children’s Bible Program – Level 3: Lesson 31 “Ruth in the Land of Judah”
Ruth 1-2
Ruth and Naomi arrived in Bethlehem of Judea during the spring at the beginning of the barley harvest. Naomi was well known in Bethlehem and when the people saw that Naomi had returned they were excited! Naomi told them that she was mourning. She no longer had a husband to take care of her. But, she had Ruth! God has a statute that allows the poor to gather produce that the reapers leave in the fields during harvest time. Ruth decided that she would glean in the fields to support her mother-in-law. Gleaning was very hard work but each day Ruth walked to the fields where she toiled from sunrise to sunset gathering what the reapers had left. Ruth worked very hard to take care of Naomi, and people began to notice.
Discuss:
- Ruth and Naomi arrived in Bethlehem during the barley harvest. The wavesheaf offering during the Days of Unleavened Bread marked the beginning of the barley harvest which always occurs in the spring (Leviticus 23:10–14).
- God’s law includes statutes to provide for the needs of the poor, yet the poor are still expected to work. How is this different than the way different governments take care of the poor people today?
- What are some of the ways Ruth displayed diligence?
Memory Challenge:
Ruth 1:22
So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. Now they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.
Children’s Bible Program – Level 2: Lesson 30 “Joseph the Dreamer”
Featured Passage: Genesis 37
Joseph was the first son of his mother Rachel, but he had ten older brothers. He was his father’s favorite son, and to make matters worse, Jacob gave Joseph a very special coat, with many different colors. Jacob often sent Joseph to check on his brothers to see how things were going with the flocks of animals, creating animosity between him and them. Then, Joseph began to have dreams he would one day rule over his brothers. He told his father and his brothers about the dreams. Over time, they came to resent and hate him, to the point that they were willing to kill him.
Discuss:
- Jacob grew up in a home where his parents had a favorite child. What might be a problem with a parent showing favoritism to one of their children? Does God show favoritism?.
- Why do you think Joseph told his brothers about his dreams?
- What action did his brothers take to get rid of Joseph?
- The older brothers did not seem to think about the great harm that their family would suffer as a result of their actions.What were some of the consequences of their decision? Why is it important to control your emotions and think before acting?
- It is often difficult to be a younger brother or sister. What can older brothers and sisters do to help younger brothers and sisters feel a part of the family?
Memorization Challenge:
Genesis 37:3-4
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.
Children’s Bible Program – Level 1: Lesson 30 “Isaac and Rebekah”
Featured Passage: Genesis 21-25
When Abraham was 100 years old, God fulfilled His promise and gave him a son. Amazingly, Sarah was 90 years old! Abraham and Sarah watched and guided Isaac as he grew. As God worked with Abraham, Isaac saw first-hand his father’s example of faithfulness and obedience. Once Isaac was grown, God brought him a beautiful wife from among his relatives. Her name was Rebekah. God blessed Isaac and Rebekah with a family of their own as the blessings God promised to Abraham were passed to the next generation.
Discuss:
- Isaac’s birth was the fulfillment of a promise God made to Abraham and that it was a miracle.
- Isaac was also being tested when Abraham was to offer him as a sacrifice. Isaac had to be obedient to his father and to trust God as well.
- Rebekah chose to leave her home to go to a land she did not know to marry a man she had never met. How does this show that she was a brave woman?
- How must have Isaac felt when he saw Rebekah for the first time?Isaac inherited the promises God made to Abraham.God chose to work with Abraham’s family. Why do you think He chose Abraham’s family?
Memory Challenge:
Genesis 24:60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her: “Our sister, may you become the mother of thousands of ten thousands; And may your descendants possess the gates of those who hate them.”
Children’s Bible Program – Level 2: Lesson 31 “Joseph’s Troubles”
Featured Passage: Genesis 39-40
Joseph was in trouble. His brothers had sold him to Midianite traders who took him into Egypt. There he was sold as a slave to Potiphar, a captain of the guard for Pharaoh. Joseph, despite his troubles, decided to do his best to please his master, and God blessed all that he did. However, Potiphar’s wife wanted Joseph to betray his master with her. He refused, so she lied to her husband about Joseph. Joseph was soon stuck in prison for a crime he did not commit, but he did not lose hope. Joseph continued trying to make the best of a horrible situation.
Discuss:
- How do you think it would feel to be punished for something you didn’t do? How did Joseph deal with his situation? It can help to remember what God has promised in Hebrews 13:5 and Deuteronomy 31:6.
- Joseph showed courage and bravery when he refused to sin against God. Can you think of any examples in your family when someone had to show courage and stand for what is right?
- Joseph maintained a positive attitude through each trial he faced. He continued to obey God and to practice godly principles. Can you name some of Joseph’s good character traits?
- Joseph was only a teenager when these things began to happen to him. As a young person he had already made a commitment to obey God. You are never too young to develop a relationship with God.
Memory Challenge:
Genesis 39:2-3
The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand.
Children’s Bible Program – Level 1: Lesson 31 “Jacob, and Esau, and the Promises”
Featured Passage: Genesis 25-27
Jacob and Esau were twins, but never were two people more different. Esau was hairy, but Jacob had smooth skin. Esau was a skillful hunter, but Jacob was a mild-natured shepherd. Esau was the older of the two, but God chose Jacob to inherit the promises. One day Jacob was cooking lentil stew when Esau came in from the fields. He had been hunting and was very hungry. Jacob, whose name means “supplanter” (schemer), offered to give Esau some stew in exchange his rights as the firstborn. Esau agreed because he did not value his birthright. The day came when it was time for Isaac to pass the blessings on to his sons. He wanted to give the greater blessing to Esau. Rebekah and Jacob decided to try to trick Isaac into giving Jacob the blessing. For Jacob to receive the birthright and the blessing would impact the rest of history.
Discuss:
- The twins Jacob and Esau were very different from each other in many ways. They became the fathers of distinct nations.
- What attitude did Esau display when he sold his birthright for a bowl of lentil stew? Did Esau appreciate his birthright? Talk about God’s laws concerning inheritance and the responsibilities and blessings of being firstborn in the family.
- What were some of the Commandments that were broken when Jacob and his mother tricked Isaac into giving Jacob the blessing?
- It was God’s intent for Jacob to receive the promises. However, Jacob did not wait for God to give the promises to him. He tried to take the matter into his own hands instead of relying on God.
Memory Challenge
Genesis 27:29
“Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be master over your brethren, and let your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be those who bless you!”
Children’s Bible Program – Level 3: Lesson 32 “Ruth Finds Favor with Boaz”
Featured Passage: Ruth 2
It was now up to Ruth to look after her mother-in-law. As the barley harvest began she went to a nearby grain field. Little did she know that was owned by Boaz, one of Naomi’s relatives. It was customary to let poor people pick up the leftover grain that was missed by the men who were harvesting. Ruth bent to the work, gleaning the barley, unaware that Boaz was watching. Kind-hearted Boaz asked his men who this diligent and hard-working woman was. When one of his servants explained who Ruth was, and how she had left her homeland to care for Naomi, he was deeply impressed. He spoke to Ruth, inviting her to eat and drink with his servants. He then instructed her to harvest the barley sheaves alongside his servants. No longer would she have to pick up the leftover grain. Not only did this make her work easier, but she could collect a lot more grain in the same amount of time. Boaz took responsibility to protect her and help her, just as she had done for her aging mother-in-law. When Ruth returned home and told her about the kindness of the landowner, showing her the overflowing basket of barley, Naomi asked who the man was. When she learned that this generous, caring man was her close relative, Boaz, she understood how God’s hand had turned to favor her.
Discuss:
- Ruth’s works demonstrate her character. Christ said we can know a person’s character by their fruits (Luke 6:44–45). The Bible also says that even a child is known by their deeds (Proverbs 20:11).
- Ruth had stopped serving idols to serve the one true God. She had left everything she knew to be among the people of God. We, as Christians, must be willing to forsake everything to serve God. What does it mean for us to give up everything to serve God?
- The Bible says that God rewards those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). God often does this by blessing our efforts. Ruth worked very hard, and as God promises, He blessed her efforts.
Memory Challenge:
Ruth 2:12
“The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.”