The Biblical Path of Life

Tag: Old Testament

  • Lesson 12: Review: Old Testament Divisions

    Key Verse

    “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.” Ezra 7:10

    Understanding the Key Verse:  Before beginning today’s lesson, consider today’s key verse.  Christians should adhere to this verse.  We must prepare our hearts to seek the law of the Lord (God’s Word).  We must live it out in our lives, and then proceed to tell others.  Then we will be able to teach others – first by the way we live our lives, then by being a verbal witness to others.  It must happen in this order.  Just as we see it in Ezra 7:10.  It is important to know God’s Word.  That is why we are studying it in detail.

    Since this is a review, encourage your students to do most of the “telling” this week.  Encourage them to “unload” all the knowledge they have of the Old Testament on you.  This will also help you, the teacher, know where your classes’ deficiencies in Old Testament knowledge stand.  Then you can focus more on you classes’ needs.

    Always use your Bible.  Become very familiar with it.  To help in the understanding of the Old Testament, first –find Esther 10 in your Bible and hold Genesis through Esther 10 in your left hand.  Next, hold the rest of the Old Testament (Job – Malachi) in your right hand.  Understand that everything in your right hand takes place in the time-frame your left hand is holding.

    Review and be prepared to share about the following looking back to Lesson 4 for additional information.

     

    Ideas for review:

    • Make it a game for your students to tell you which book is found in which division
    • Have them tell you what each book is about.
    • Let them tell you an event from each book. (Be prepared to tell one if no one has one!)
    • Have Old Testament Bible Drills
    • Use any (or all) of the resource reviews you have made this quarter.

    Above all, encourage your students to want to know the Bible!

     

    Optional Worksheets to be downloaded:

    Lesson 12 Volume 1 Children’s Worksheet

    Lesson 12 – Volume 1 Children’s Reinforcement Worksheet

     

    Ideas for children:

    In any lesson, you may want to work on your coloring timeline – especially when it relates to the lesson.

    Display the poster of the books of the Old Testament (may be downloaded from lesson 4 blog). Review the books and the five divisions (showing them on the poster).  Review the 3×5 cards if you made them, practicing the divisions.  Focus on putting the books in order for today’s lesson.  Be encouraged to memorize them!

    If you drew pictures of different events from each division, you could compile them into folders – one for each division (see picture below).

    There are many free coloring sheets online.  Just type in a favorite for review and search away! You could always trace the child’s hand and write the five divisions on each finger – much like in lesson 4.

    One class wrote the name of each book on a clothespin and hung them in order on a hanger.

     

    Mural idea: 

    Continue adding to your wall in your classroom that is a huge mural.  For this week, have them each choose their favorite Old Testament book and write a riddle about it for someone else to try and figure out which book it is.

    Continue to have them bring a picture, a news article, a poem they have written, a picture they may have drawn, etc. of something that is relevant to each of the following week’s lessons.  Encourage everyone to participate.  Watch as it grows weekly, as they express what God is revealing to them through our study of how the Bible fits into His plan to help us become more like Him.

  • Lesson 10: Nine Pre-Exile Minor Prophets Hosea – Zephaniah

    Key Verse

    “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,”  Hebrews 1:1

    Understanding the key verse:  “God, who at sundry times (refers to the incremental and progressive manner in which God disclosed Himself up until the appearance of the Son. It was fragmentary, piece by piece – kind of like pieces of a puzzle) and in divers manners (this word is used to qualify the manner in which divine revelation during the Old Testament time-frame was given.  It shows the diverse ways through which God disclosed His word, such as dreams, visions, angelic visitation.) spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,”

    The first nine Minor Prophets are included in the final division in the Old Testament:  Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah.  Once again we see there is an obvious division:  these are pre-exile – before the people were expelled from Israel.  Something of interest:  we know very little about these prophets.  Amos was a herdsman (Amos 7:14), Micah was from an obscure town 25 miles SW of Jerusalem who preached to the poor and oppressed, and Zephaniah was a descendant of good King Hezekiah.  NOTE:  They were just ordinary men that God chose to use.

    Our emphasis today will be to understand that God revealed himself to people through the ages in different ways at different times.  He had an extra special job for the prophets.  God has an extra special job(s) for His people today as well – if we will only obey!  Make our time on earth count for God – live for him daily.  Allow God to use us.  Respond when God calls.  It may be a minor thing God asks of us in our eyes, but very important to the kingdom of God.

     

    Optional Worksheets to be downloaded:

    Lesson 10 – Volume 1 Children’s Worksheet 1

    Lesson 10 – Volume 1 Children’s Reinforcement Worksheet

     

    Ideas for children:

    In any lesson, you may want to work on your coloring timeline – especially when it relates to the lesson.

    Review the 3×5 cards if you made them, practicing the divisions.  Focus on putting the Minor Prophet books in order for today’s lesson.

    Display the poster of the books of the Old Testament (may be downloaded from the Lesson 4 Blog). Review the Minor Prophet books (showing them on the poster).  You may have them write or draw a picture of their favorite event from the first nine of the Minor Prophets.  Because Jonah’s life is such a popular event in the Bible, you may find some Jonah stickers to work on to help them remember the Minor Prophets.  Or you may find a coloring picture that fits today’s lesson.  There are many free coloring sheets online.  Just type in a favorite and search away!

    Younger classes:  You could have the room in disarray when they come to class.  Assign different children to “clean” or “organize” the clutter (i.e.:  crayons out, papers scattered, books off of the shelf, marker on the board to be erased, etc.)  Help them understand the importance of doing what they are asked to do.  God had a special job for the prophets.  God has special things for His people to do, also.  Hand out the first worksheet to complete. After the lesson, help the students do the worksheet that reinforces what they learned in the Bible lesson.

    Younger classes:  Play “Simon Says” to reinforce obedience.  Remind them the Prophets obeyed God.

     

    Youth:  Think of a time when you were told to do something you didn’t really want to do (Have someone share, but if no one says anything, give some examples:  clean your room, be home by curfew, be nice to a sibling, etc.)  Help them see the importance of obeying (once again, give examples.)  Today, we will learn about some men that God called for a special purpose.  One of these disobeyed God.  See what happened to him!

    On the wall you have chosen in your classroom to become a huge mural:  For this week, have them each choose a Minor Prophet (1 or more to include all of them.)  Have them write a few things that they learned that helps identify them from the other prophets.  Encourage them to include the time God called them to become a spokesman for God.  Have them look for opportunities that God places before them (especially this week) to be a voice for God in this world.

    Continue to have them bring a picture, a news article, a poem they have written, a picture they may have drawn, etc. of something that is relevant to each week’s lessons.  Encourage everyone to participate.  Watch as it grows weekly, as they express what God is revealing to them through our study of how the Bible fits into His plan to help us become more like Him.

    Minor Prophets Pictures