The Biblical Path of Life

Tag: Quarter 4

  • Lesson 6: Zechariah and Ezra 6 God’s Plans for the Future and the Temple Completed

    Key Verse

    Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

    —Philippians 1:6

    Key Verse Thought: Read the Key Verse. Try to understand that God promised to help His people. When we give our heart and life to Jesus, He will help us live faithfully for Him.  Perform means “to complete; to finish.” In this lesson, we will see the Israelites finish rebuilding the Temple. They had laid the foundation, but then the enemies stopped the work. Nevertheless, God sent someone to encourage them to finish. God promised to help us complete the work He has for our lives.

    Emphasis: Christians are to read the Bible, understanding that God will encourage us through His Word. We are to remember that God sent Jesus, just as He promised, to take away the sin of man.

    Lesson Summary: As we begin this lesson, we need to remember that the building of the Temple had been stopped. Haggai encouraged them to begin again, but the enemy had returned to stop the work. The governor of the land had sent a letter for the king to search the records and find out if the people had permission to rebuild. In the meantime, God sent another prophet to encourage His people.

    Zechariah was a priest and prophet. He prophesied at the same time as Haggai also encouraging God’s people. He wanted to let them know that God was not finished with them yet – for God had many mighty plans in store. Many of those plans were revealed in the visions that God gave Zechariah. Among the most familiar: a man with a measuring line, Joshua with the filthy garments, a golden candlestick, and the flying scroll. For lack of time, we will not study them all, but we will look at Joshua with the filthy garments. 

    Joshua was the high priest at this time, and he was a representation between sinful man and God. We will learn that the Angel of the Lord (remember we learned through previous lessons that this is the pre-incarnate Christ) removed the filthy garments from Joshua. We will find out the significance of that event today.

    Zechariah understood that Jesus would come – just as God had promised. Just as Isaiah was the Major Prophet with the most prophesies about Christ, Zechariah was the Minor Prophet with the most prophesies about Christ.   

    Zechariah especially had words of encouragement for Zerubbabel. He especially reminded Zerubbabel that when God asks His people to do something, he gives them the strength to complete it. Zechariah had a message of encouragement to the people as well. With those words of encouragement, the Temple was completed.

    Y2Q4 – Lesson 6 Questions

    Y2Q4 – Lesson 6 Children’s Worksheets

    If you are teaching this to younger children, the following is a craft idea to help them remember this lesson:

    We made frames with stickers and the verse Zechariah 9:9 to remember that Zechariah gave a great prophecy of Jesus that was fulfilled on what we now call Palm Sunday.

  • Lesson 3: Daniel 1-4 Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon

    Key Verse

    Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.    

    —Matthew 10:16

    Key Verse Thought: Read the Key Verse. What do you think would happen to a sheep that was sent into the midst of a bunch of wolves (i.e.:  chased, surrounded, killed, eaten, etc.). In this lesson, we will learn of four young men who were taken from their own people to live among an enemy nation who did not know God. We will learn how they were wise (as serpents – serpents means “the emblem of wisdom or cunning”) and harmless (harmless means “without any mixture of deceit or any defiling material”) as doves.

    Emphasis: In this lesson, we will learn to understand that we are a witness to this lost generation – just as Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were a life changing witness to Nebuchadnezzar – for he was saved because of their lives.

    Lesson Summary: The book of Daniel contains some of the more familiar events in the Bible. Most people have probably heard these “stories” often. We will recognize that these are not just “stories” and, we will begin to understand them even better. First, we will consider their place in history. Daniel lived during the lives of the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Daniel and his three friends were most likely taken during the first siege of Nebuchadnezzar when many nobles and princes were taken captive (Daniel was of the kingly lineage of Judah). Remember that God allowed Babylon to come up against Jerusalem because of the condition of the Israelites – especially during the reign of their last four kings (for they had predominately forsaken God for idol worship).       

    In this lesson, we learn of four particular young men who were carried captive into the enemy king’s household: Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. We find that they chose to obey God rather than the king, and God blessed them for that choice. They became rulers in the enemy land. The familiar events we will learn about today:

    1. Daniel and his three friends refuse to eat the king’s meat, but they are found wiser than all of the wise men in Babylon.
    2. Nebuchadnezzar had a troubling dream that he could not remember. Although none of the wise men of Babylon could tell him the dream or the meaning, Daniel prayed with his friends and God revealed to Daniel the dream and the meaning of that dream.
    3. When King Nebuchadnezzar erected a ninety-foot statue, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow and were cast into the fiery furnace. When Jesus was in the fire with these three, Nebuchadnezzar again acknowledged God was real.
    4. Nebuchadnezzar had another dream, and Daniel warned him to repent of his sins. Instead, Nebuchadnezzar lived as a wild animal for seven years. Nevertheless, when he acknowledged God as the most High God, he was finally saved – all because of the witness of these four men.

    Y2Q4 – Lesson 3 Questions

    Y2Q4 – Lesson 3 Children’s Worksheets

    If you are teaching this to younger children, the following is a craft idea to help them remember this lesson:

    We used stickers to help us remember that God took care of them in the fiery furnace.