Have you ever seen someone repeat someone else’s mistake? Perhaps you were sitting outside of a locked door and you saw a person try to open it only to see a second person who saw the first try the same thing. Or maybe you saw someone drive over an object in the road only to see the next car drive over it too. Now, be honest. How did you feel about the two people? Likely, you cut the first one some slack, but the second one left you giggling. How foolish can you get for repeating a mistake you just saw someone else make, right? This session might feel quite familiar to you, and it should. Just a few weeks ago we covered Israel being taken captive. So why did we include this session too then?
Two reasons: Biblical History
The main reason we wanted to include this session is because it helps kids learn the big story arc of Scripture. Earlier we saw how the United Monarchy fell apart and two kingdoms were formed: Israel and Judah. Then we saw Israel be taken into captivity. But what of Judah? We wanted to be sure kids learned that they too were hauled away into a foreign land as judgment of their sin. This is also important to make sense of what will follow in the next volume—God bringing His people back to a destroyed Jerusalem. This session explains why that would happen.
The Depth of Sin
The second reason we wanted to include this session takes us back to the opening illustration of this post. We will see Judah repeat the exact same mistake as Israel did. And we would be right to see them as even more culpable for their sin. They should have known better, right? Not only did God give them the prophets, but they also had a front-row seat to see God discipline Israel for their idolatry—the same idolatry they were practicing. So why didn’t Judah change? Because that is the depth and firmness of sin’s grasp on the human heart, including our own. And that is what we want kids to rub shoulders with this week. We want them to cast some shade toward Judah. We want them to wonder aloud how Judah could have been so clueless. Because then, after that, we can move the discussion to our lives. How often do we commit the same sins that we have seen others get burned by? How often do we live just as foolishly? Just as Judah was in desperate need of God’s grace and His transforming power, so are we. That’s the take-away of a session that intentionally will feel redundant.
Preschool Tip: Preschools make the same mistakes, and so do we. This session offers a great opportunity to talk with your preschoolers about how to see the repeated mistakes—wrong choices or sins—they make and how God sees them to. Just as God gave His people many opportunities—evidence of His grace—to repent, so does He always welcome us back to Him after we sin because of what Jesus has done.
Kids Tip: Remember that kids learn by repetition, so even if this feels repetitive to you this week, understand that it is helping your kids. With that said, this might be a good session to review the history of the Israelites that led to this point, including Israel’s earlier fall. Use this session as an opportunity to make sure that your kids have a strong understanding of the narrative flow of the Old Testament. [1] Timothy Keller, Judges for You (Purcellville, VA: The Good Book Company, 2013) [Wordsearch].
-From Brian Dembowczyk at TGP website
#JesusJams for today!
---> CLICK HERE for this weeks story summary
Christ Connection: God was right to punish His people because they sinned. But God still loved them, and He was going to give His people a good king, just like He said He would. Many years later, God sent His Son, Jesus, to be our King forever. Jesus took the punishment we should get for our sin.
If you have a bible at your house, turn to 2 Chronicles 36. Read it with your family this week! If you don't have one, that's okay! CLICK HERE.
OPTION 1: Cheer with pom-poms Invite kids to make cheer pom-poms by taping strips of streamers or ribbons to paper towel tubes or craft sticks. Play music and encourage preschoolers to cheer while moving to the music. Lead kids in cheering the big picture question and answer. SAY • When we think about what Jesus has done for us, we want to tell other people about Him! That’s what missionaries do. They want people to know that God sent His Son, Jesus, to fix what sin broke. God sent Jesus to be our King forever. Jesus took the punishment we should get for our sin. How did God plan to fix what sin broke? God planned to send Jesus.
OPTION 2: Look at maps Show younger kids the distance between Jerusalem and Babylon on the “Old Testament Mediterranean Map.” To give children context, find your hometown on a local map and point out a comparable distance, explaining how long it would take to walk there. Ask the kids about distant places they have traveled and show them the places on a map. Talk about what it would feel like to have to stay there for the rest of your life. SAY • Judah did not listen to God’s warning, so God allowed the king of Babylon and his armies to attack the people in Judah. The king of Babylon took the people all the way to Babylon, and he did not allow them to return home. God was right to punish His people because they sinned. But God still loved them, and He was going to give His people a good king, just like He said He would. Many years later, God sent His Son, Jesus, to be our King forever. Jesus took the punishment we should get for our sin.
OPTION 3: Crime and punishment Invent a series of silly laws. Then ask the kids to come up with silly punishments that might fit the crime of breaking the silly law. Here are some examples:
•Everyone must dye his or her hair green. Those who don’t must have their heads shaved. •Walking is outlawed in favor of skipping. Those who walk will have their shoes taken away.
SAY • Breaking God’s law is no laughing matter! Today we will learn what happened to God’s people because of their sin.
Unit 15 Discussion:
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