The Biblical Path of Life

Tag: Year Two

  • Search my Heart

    “23. Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24. And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

    Psalm 139:23-24

    The following is an excerpt from “The Biblical Path of Life – Year Two, Quarter Two” Lesson 4:

    “As David was addressing the people before Solomon became king, notice that he was able to proclaim that he had lived a life that was pleasing to God. As we have learned, David was not perfect, but when he sinned, he repented and God forgave. Because of that, he was in a position to be an encourager to all of Israel to seek God and obey His commands. We can read of many throughout the Bible who lived a life to the end that was pleasing to God. Read what Paul wrote to Timothy. ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith‘ (2 Timothy 4:7). Just as David’s words were an encouragement to all of Israel as he addressed them, Paul’s words were an encouragement to a young preacher named Timothy. Our goal as Christians is to be able to make the same claim: to fight a good fight, to finish the course God has for our life, and to keep the faith until the end. By living a life pleasing to God, from beginning to end, we can be an encouragement to others that they, too, can live a life pleasing to God…

    “David understood that God saw the intent of man’s heart. See what David recorded that can be an encouragement to us today: ‘23. Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24. And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting‘ (Psalm 139:23-24) and’Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart‘ (Psalm 44:21). Also see what Jeremiah recorded about God knowing man’s heart: ‘I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings‘ (Jeremiah 17:10).”

    After reading this excerpt, understand the following:

    Remember that God knows man’s heart. Christians are not perfect, however we have instructions in the New Testament helping us understand how we reveal what is in our heart by living as a Christian: “22. That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23. And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24. And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. 25. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. 26. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 27. Neither give place to the devil. 28. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. 29. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 30. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 31. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32. And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:22–32).

    Christians are not to live like the world. “17. This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, 18. Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: 19. Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness” (Ephesians 4:17–19).

    Stop and think about these verses. Be encouraged to compare your own life to these verses and see what kind of a life you live in comparison to God’s Word, and the kind of witness your life is to others.

    Read the warning Jesus gave to those who claimed to be righteous apart from Christ. “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness” (Matthew 23:27). Jesus knew their heart. He understood that they lived a life on the outside that appeared to believe, yet Jesus knew what was in their heart, “all uncleanness”. They could not hide from Jesus what was within their hearts. Jesus knew.

    After reading these verses, consider the following: Knowing that Jesus knows the heart, look into your heart and see if this verse is a picture of your life. “They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate” (Titus 1:16). This is a picture of a life that does not have Jesus in the heart (a Christian). If you do not really know Jesus, today is the day to meet Him. “9. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).

    Do you live a good life, yet with a heart that has not truly believed in Jesus?

    Knowing Jesus sees the heart, have you believed and confessed unto salvation only through Jesus?

    If you want to know how to be saved, click here: How to be saved.

  • Elijah and his Message for King Ahaziah

    “And as it is appointed unto men once to die but after this the judgment:”

    Hebrews 9:27

    The following is an excerpt from “The Biblical Path of Life” Year Two, Quarter One – Lesson 3:

    “Ahaziah, wicked King Ahab’s son, became king of Israel. As we begin 2 Kings, we learn that Ahaziah fell through a lattice in his chamber and was sick (injured). He sent messengers to inquire of Baalzebub, the god of Ekron, to see whether he would recover.

    “… The angel of the Lord appeared to Elijah with a word for the king’s messenger to take back to the king. He said, “Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron?” (2 Kings 1:3b). The message continued with the words that the king would not recover, but he would die — because he sought an answer from a false god instead of the Lord. The messenger returned to the king and delivered the message from Elijah. The king wanted to know who this man was. Read the description the Bible gives us of His prophet, Elijah. “And they answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins.  And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite” (2 Kings 1:8).

    The king sent a captain with 50 men to Elijah with a message of his own. “… Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down” (2 Kings 1:9b). Elijah’s response? “And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty” (2 Kings 1:10). The king sent another captain and his fifty with another message. “… O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly” (2 Kings 1:11b). Elijah’s response? “And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty. response? “1b).he king sent another captain and his fifty with another message. “ng to see who answered by fire; ___ ood gushe” (2 Kings 1:12). We see that the king sends a captain with his fifty a third time. However, see the difference in this captain’s actions and the words he spoke to Elijah. “13b.… And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight. 14. Behold, there came fire down from heaven, and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties with their fifties: therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight” (2 Kings 1:13b-14). When the third captain came with these words and humble attitude, the angel of the Lord told Elijah to go with him and not to be afraid. 

    When Elijah went to the king, he gave the king the same message as before: because the king had not inquired of the Lord, but of the false god, Baalzebub the god of Ekron, the king would not get up off his bed but would surely die. What happened? “So he died according to the word of the LORD which Elijah had spoken …” (2 Kings 1:17a)…

    “A Deeper Path: Aside from the fact that King Ahaziah inquired an answer from a false god, he asked the wrong question. He asked if he was going to die. He should have asked what he needed to do to be well. The question of which we need the answer is not if, or when, we will die — we know what the Bible teaches. “And as it is appointed unto men once to die …” (Hebrews 9:27a). Everyone will die sometime (unless of course Jesus returns first!). Nevertheless, see the important part of that same verse: “…but after this the judgment:” The part we should be concerned with is if we are “well” (the judgment) — whether we will live forever or spend eternity in hell. This is the question we should have answered in our hearts and lives: where will one spend eternity. To spend eternity in heaven is a gift — free; if only we will receive. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). 

    Notice that King Ahaziah was probably angry because the message Elijah sent reminded him of the God of Israel. Most people to whom you witness will not want to be reminded of God. When one is reminded of God, they become aware of the sin in their life apart from God (“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23). Does that make it harder for us to tell people about Jesus?

    Remember when the apostles were imprisoned by the religious leaders for preaching the gospel of Jesus in Acts 5? When the angel opened the prison doors and let them out of prison, he told them to “Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life” (Acts 5:20). Peter and the apostles went right to the temple, preaching the gospel of Jesus to the people. When confronted by the religious leaders who had thrown them into prison, “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). That should always be our answer. We can see by Elijah’s response that he feared the God of Israel, not the king of Israel.”

    Do you know where you will spend eternity?

    Do you share the Gospel message with others, fearing God and not man?

    How one can be saved.

  • Wicked Kings of Israel

    “Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.”

    Ephesians 4:18

    The following is an excerpt from “The Biblical Path of Life” Year Two, Quarter One – Lesson 2:

    “We read about the first three kings of Israel in our last lesson. See they are described as kings whom: “…did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin” (1 Kings 15:26). Remember that King Jeroboam made two golden calves, one in Dan and the other in Bethel, for the people to worship so that they would not return to the Temple in Jerusalem. This was sin in God’s eyes. Notice that each king after Jeroboam was compared back to him. … We will meet five more kings of Israel from 1 Kings 16.

    “Elah: When Baasha died, his son Elah became king (see 1 Kings 16:8). Elah’s servant, Zimri, conspired against him. Zimri was captain of half his chariots. After conspiring against him, Zimri killed him, becoming king in his stead (see 1 Kings 16:9-10).

    “Zimri: As soon as Zimri became king, he killed the entire house of Baasha, according to the word of the Lord (1 Kings 16:11-13). Why did he do this? “For all the sins of Baasha, and the sins of Elah his son, by which they sinned, and by which they made Israel to sin, in provoking the LORD God of Israel to anger with their vanities” (1 Kings 16:13). Zimri was king for seven days. When the people heard that he killed Elah to become king, they made Omri their king. When the people did this, Omri went (and all of Israel with him) to besiege Tirzah. When Zimri saw the city was taken, he went into the palace of the king’s house and burned it — while he was still inside, killing himself (see 1 Kings 16:18). It was the Lord’s will that he die. Why? “For his sins which he sinned in doing evil in the sight of the LORD, in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he did, to make Israel to sin” (1 Kings 16:19). However, there was a division among the people.

    “Tibni: Half of the people followed Tibni to make him king, but the other half followed Omri. “But the people that followed Omri prevailed against the people that followed Tibni the son of Ginath: so Tibni died, and Omri reigned” (1 Kings 16:22).

    “Omri: The people made Omri king and he reigned for twelve years. He bought a hill in Samaria and built a city. “25. But Omri wrought evil in the eyes of the LORD, and did worse than all that were before him. 26. For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin, to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger with their vanities” (1 Kings 16:25-26). Omri died and his son, Ahab, reigned in his stead.

    “Ahab: Ahab, son of Omri, reigned over Israel for 22 years. “30. And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him. 31. And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him. 32. And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. 33. And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him” (1 Kings 16:30-33). As we will find in our study, Ahab was a wicked king with a very wicked wife.

    “A Deeper Path: Notice that each generation seemed to be worse than the generation before them. When they rejected God and His commandments, the land filled with “darkness.”  See what Jesus said in John 3:19: “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” 

    “Remember that Jesus came to set us free from that darkness to walk as His dear children in Him (the Light). “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8).

    “A Christian cannot walk in “darkness” (sin).  “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth” (1 John 1:6).

    “As Christians (God’s people), we are to be different — not like the “nations” around us (as Israel’s kings chose to be). “17. This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, 18. Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart” (Ephesians 4:17-18).”

    Are you like the wicked kings of Israel with their understanding darkened, because of the blindness of their heart?

    Or

    Are you light in the Lord, walking as children of light?

  • A Divided Kingdom

    “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.”

    Proverbs 12:15

    The following is an excerpt from “The Biblical Path of Life” Year Two, Quarter One – Lesson 1:

    “… We must remember what God had told King Solomon before he died: because he had allowed his heart to be turned from God to idols, God would rend the kingdom away from his son – all but two tribes. His son would only be allowed to rule two tribes because of the promise God had made to David. “13b. … I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. 15. But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. 16. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever” (2 Samuel 7:13b, 15–16). Even before King Solomon died, he knew and understood that his son would only be allowed to rule over two tribes. God had already chosen Jeroboam to rule the other ten tribes (see 1 Kings 11:29–37).

    “When the people came together to make Rehoboam king, Jeroboam and all of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam. They wanted Rehoboam to lighten the burden that King Solomon had placed upon the people. If he would lighten that burden, the people would serve him. Rehoboam sought counsel; first from the old men who had advised King Solomon, and then with the young men he had grown up with — his friends. The old men’s counsel was to lighten the burden upon the people. The young men’s advice was to make the people’s burden much heavier. Read 1 Kings 12:3–19 for the complete events. Especially take not of 1 Kings 12:19: “Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the LORD, that he might perform his saying….” From that verse, we understand this was God’s plan — the people would revolt against Rehoboam, but we can also understand that is was because of the foolishness of Rehoboam’s decision. “So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day” (1 Kings 12:19).

    “It was at this time in history that the kingdom divided becoming two separate kingdoms — the Northern Kingdom (Israel) and the Southern Kingdom (Judah). Rehoboam ruled over the Southern Kingdom, Judah (containing only two tribes) because that was the tribe from which Rehoboam, Solomon, and David came. Jeroboam ruled over the Northern Kingdom, Israel, which were the remaining ten tribes.

    “In the New Testament Jesus tells us, “And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand” (Mark 3:24).

    “A Deeper Path: After learning of King Rehoboam, we can see that one of the foolish things he did that cost him the majority of his kingdom was taking the wrong counsel. He chose the counsel of his friends instead of the counsel from the older, wiser men who had counseled his father. Read some of the words his father had written before Rehoboam even became king — words Rehoboam had probably read, or at the very least, had heard:

    • “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14). Do you think Rehoboam would have lost most of his kingdom if he had taken the older men and the people’s counsel?
      • “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise” (Proverbs 12:15).
      • “Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end” (Proverbs 19:20).
      • Do you remember what we learned in Psalm 1:1a? “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly …”

    “… We continue learning about King Rehoboam in 1 Kings 14:21-31. King Rehoboam began to reign when he was 41 years old, and he reigned 17 years in Jerusalem “… the city which the LORD did choose out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there …” (1 Kings 14:21). And Judah did evil in the sight of the Lord. They continued worshiping idols and “… they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel” (1 Kings 14:24b). In the fifth year of King Rehoboam’s reign, Shishak, king of Egypt, came up against Jerusalem and stole the treasures of the king’s house and all of the shields of gold that King Solomon had made. Another interesting thing to note: “And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days” (1 Kings 14:30). King Rehoboam died, and his son, Abijam, reigned in his stead. Abijam ruled Judah for three years. The next king was Abijam’s son, Asa (see 1 Kings 15:8).

    “A Deeper Path: See the fool Rehoboam became in disregarding his father’s teachings. Remember that we learned that much of the Proverbs was written from a father (King Solomon) as instruction to his son (Rehoboam). “7. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. 8. My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: 9. For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck” (Proverbs 1:7-9).”

    Do you learn from history, recognizing the importance of seeking counsel from God’s Word?

  • Lesson 13: Remembering the Old Testament

    Key Verse

    Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,

    —Psalm 40:7

    Key Verse Thought: Read the Key Verse. We are to recognize that this verse is referring to Jesus who was to come. That is what the “volume of the book” is written about – Jesus. From the beginning all of the way through the Bible, we are to recognize that it is all and completely about Jesus. Remember that God promised immediately after man sinned, that Jesus would come (see Genesis 3:15). Throughout the Old Testament, God continued to remind His people – until Jesus was born on earth in the New Testament timeframe. That is why we are studying the Bible through from beginning to the end. It will be then that we can recognize that it was Jesus who was to come – for in the volume of the book (the Bible) it is written of Him.

    Emphasis: Through this study, we are to recognize that the Bible is about Jesus from beginning to end. In addition, we are to understand that the Bible teaches that we must know Jesus, and we are to obey God’s Word.

    Lesson Summary: This lesson is an opportune time to review what we have learned about the Old Testament. Use the following pages (and the charts in the front of your book) to remember what each book is about, and its’ placement in history. Be encouraged to recall as much information as possible. Most importantly, make sure you understand the flow of the history. As we learned of the failure of God’s people, be sure you understand that it was to help reveal the great need for Jesus. That is what the whole Bible is about: the need of a perfect propitiation for sinful man, which could only be met in Jesus – promised from Genesis 3:15. We today, are to recognize the need to have Jesus in our heart, believe in Him, and then obey God’s Word.    

    Remember that all of the Personal Books, Major Prophets, and Minor Prophets took place in the books of Genesis through Esther. We have tried to study them in historical order to understand the Old Testament even better. Once again, hold the Old Testament books from Genesis through Esther, helping you understand that all of the rest of the books left in the Old Testament take place within that group (timeframe).

    Y2Q4 – Lesson 13 in full

    Y2Q4 – Lesson 13 Questions

    Y2Q4 – Lesson 13 Children’s Worksheets

    If you are teaching this lesson to younger children, here are a couple of craft ideas to help them remember.

    We cut apart and glued the Old Testament Bible Bookshelf (found in the Children’s Worksheets) to help us remember the divisions and books.

  • Lesson 12: Jesus in the Old Testament: The Promised One and His Messenger

    Key Verse

    John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.

    —John 1:15

    Key Verse Thought: Read the Key Verse. Understand that “John” in this verse, is John the Baptist (whom we will learn about in this lesson). His job was to tell the people that God sent Jesus – the Promised One that the people had been told God would send. Jesus, who came after John (for John prepared the way for Him), really was before John (remember – Jesus is God who has always been here. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). This may be difficult to comprehend. Recognize that Jesus is the Word).

    Emphasis: We are to recognize that Jesus is the One promised from the beginning, and to remember that Jesus came to turn our hearts to God. We are faithfully to go to church, for that is where we learn more about Jesus and how to obey His commands.

    Lesson Summary: In our next lesson as we end our study of the Old Testament, we will recognize that God’s people seemed unable consistently to live according to God’s Word. God had to keep sending men to remind them. With that understanding, we find that the Old Testament closed with a curse. Nevertheless, the promise of One to set man free from that curse was found throughout the Old Testament. In this lesson, we will remember, again, that God always keeps His promises.

    In Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament, we read of a promise God made to His people to send a messenger who would prepare the way for Jesus (see Malachi 3:1-3). In this lesson, we will learn that messenger was John the Baptist (see Matthew 11:14: “And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come”). He did the job God sent Him to do:  he prepared the way for Jesus.

    When Jesus came, He came to the Temple – just as God had promised. We will see that Jesus’ parents took Him to the Temple first, but as he grew, Jesus spent much time in the Temple and even the synagogues (where the worship and instruction of God took place). When He went, some people believed, but some did not. Nevertheless, Jesus never stopped going to the synagogues or the Temple. We will learn, by Jesus’ example, the importance for us to go to church today: for that is where the worship and instruction of God continues to take place.

    Y2Q4 – Lesson 12 Questions

    Y2Q4 – Lesson 12 Children’s Worksheets

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

    As we remembered Jesus was the Promised One from the beginning, we made a nativity craft to help us remember.

  • Lesson 11: Malachi: The Last Warning

    Key Verse

    For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.

    —Psalm 5:4

    Key Verse Thought: Read today’s key verse. We are to remember that God does not like sin, and sin cannot stand in God’s presence. For that reason, God continually sent prophets to warn His people when they disobeyed God’s commands. In this lesson, will learn about the last prophet God sent to His people in the Old Testament – the final warning before a four hundred year silence of no new word from God to His people.  

    Emphasis: Christians are not to practice a religion as the priests in Malachi’s day were doing, but to live obeying God’s Word. Although going to church is very important (as we have learned), it is most important to live according to God’s Word. We should also have Christian friends to encourage us, and we should encourage them

    Lesson Summary: In our last lesson, we learned the condition of God’s people when Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem. God’s people, including the priests, had fallen deeply into sin. Nehemiah once again corrected the sin and prayed. 

    God sent Malachi with a message for His people, beginning with the priests who were just practicing a religion and not serving God according to His Word. The priests, and then the people, had fallen into sin once again. As we will learn, Malachi dealt with many of the same sins that Nehemiah dealt with in the lives of God’s people. Malachi was the last voice to God’s people before about four hundred years of silence. 

    God had Malachi remind the Jews of the great love God had for His people. The memory of Jacob and Esau was recalled – the love of Jacob and the hatred for Esau. Jacob loved and sought after the things of God, and Esau hated and despised the people and things of God. Yet, God’s people were not living as His people – for they sinned and did not even recognize how great their sin had become. God had a poignant question for them. “A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? …” (Malachi 1:6). The people needed Malachi to show them how far from God they had fallen. Nevertheless, a few people still feared God. God saw that they encouraged each other often. God knew them and wrote them in a special book of remembrance. Remember, God knows the heart. 

    We will not only learn of the condition of God’s people and the words of correction, but the promises of which God reminded His people – especially the promise of the Promised One, Jesus.  

    Malachi was not only the last prophet call to God’s people before the four hundred years of silence, but also that call ended with a promise of a curse.

    We will learn a few details of the four hundred years of silence that came after Malachi, discovering some of the changes that took place among God’s people.

    Y2Q4 – Lesson 11 Questions

    Y2Q4 – Lesson 11 Children’s Worksheets

    If you are teaching this to children, the following is a craft idea to reinforce this lesson.

    We made a “Book of Remembrance” to help us understand the importance of fearing the Lord and thinking upon Him.

  • Lesson 10: Nehemiah 7-13 Instructions for the People

    Key Verse

    But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

    —1 Corinthians 15:10

    Key Verse Thought: Read the Key Verse. The first half of the verse is helping us understand that only one who has asked Jesus into their heart and life can live a life pleasing to God, and that is only because of grace. Grace means“the favor and good will of God undeservedly given to people; the forgiveness of sin and reconciliation to a holy God.” Moreover, because it is an undeserved forgiveness of sin, Christians are to work harder than anyone else to please God, obeying His commands. We must remember that we cannot do it by ourselves. We can only do it with the help of God.

    Emphasis: We are to be strong as Nehemiah. He not only lived a life pleasing to God, but he led others to do the same. Christians are to recognize that we have God’s Spirit to help us and we are to be faithful to remove sin when we see it in our lives.

    Lesson Summary: In our last lesson, we learned how Nehemiah helped rebuild the city walls of Jerusalem, reinforcing the city. Not only that, but we learned of the many times the enemy’s plans were thwarted, and God’s people were able to complete the walls in fifty-two days.  

    Now that the city was reinforced and protected, it was time to organize the people. Nehemiah appointed jobs to people and selected men to be rulers in the city. The people gathered together and asked Ezra to read the book of the Law to them. After hearing God’s Words, the people began to live according to God’s Word. They celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles. This was followed with a time of prayer. After acknowledging their sin, they made a covenant with God to obey His commands.

    The people drew lots to find out who would live inside of the city of Jerusalem, and who would live in the cities around. Then there was a dedication of the completed walls.

    Nehemiah returned to Shushan to serve the king again – just as he had promised. After a time, he returned to Jerusalem. When he arrived, he saw much sin – beginning in the house of the Lord. Eliashib, the priest, was friends with Tobiah (their adversary) and had allowed him to move into the Temple. The Levites were working outside of the city instead of taking care of the house of the Lord. The people were working, buying, and selling on the Sabbath – breaking God’s commands. They had intermarried with the nations around, again; for the high priest’s own grandson had married the daughter of Sanballat, the enemy of God’s people. Nehemiah removed and corrected the sins of the people. He prayed for God’s people.

    Y2Q4 – Lesson 10 Questions

    Y2Q4 – Lesson 10 Children’s Worksheets

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

    We cut out a copy of the Ten Commandments and made a book of the Law to help us remember the importance of knowing God’s Word and living according to what the Bible teaches.

  • Lesson 9: Nehemiah 1-6 Rebuilding the Walls

    Key Verse

    … and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.

    —1 Peter 3:15b

    Key Verse Thought: Read the Key Verse and understand that the way to have a ready answer comes by much prayer. In this lesson, we will learn of a mighty man of prayer named Nehemiah. When the people in Jerusalem did not know what to do, Nehemiah was always ready with a word of hope and encouragement for God’s people

    Emphasis: Today, we will learn that prayer is not only important for our own personal life to know what God wants us to do, but to also be an encouragement to others with a word of hope. 

    Lesson Summary: Zerubbabel led the first of the people back into the land of Israel. We then learned that Ezra led a second group from the land of Babylon into Israel. The Temple of the Lord had been rebuilt, but we will learn today that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down and the gates were burned. No one had begun to reinforce the city of Jerusalem.

    A message of the condition of Jerusalem was delivered to a man named Nehemiah. He was the cupbearer in King Artaxerxes court. (Remember that King Artaxerxes allowed Ezra to lead a group into Israel.) When Nehemiah received the message, he immediately prayed. When the king recognized he was troubled and asked what it was, Nehemiah told the king his heart’s desire – to return to the city of Jerusalem and rebuild the walls and gates. Not only did the king send him, but gave him many supplies.

    When Nehemiah returned, he surveyed the damage. He reported to the people what needed to be done. The people agreed that the walls and gates needed to be rebuilt. So, they began. 

    And the enemies made themselves known. Today we will learn of the many troubles the enemies caused God’s people as they rebuilt the city walls and gates – and the many times the enemies plans were thwarted because of the prayers of Nehemiah and God’s people. 

    Even with the threats from the enemies to come in and kill God’s people, they remained to the task of building – many with sword or spear in hand. Nevertheless, God was with them, the gates were built, and then the walls were finished in fifty-two days.

    Y2Q4 Lesson 9 Questions

    Y2Q4 Lesson 9 Children’s Worksheets

    If you are teaching this to children, the following are a couple of ideas for a craft to help them remember Nehemiah:

    To help us remember that Nehemiah helped rebuild the walls in gates around Jerusalem, we built a “wall with gates” out of construction paper. We then added the verses Nehemiah 6:15-16 at the top.

  • Lesson 8: Ezra 7-10 Ezra Restores the Relationship

    Key Verse

    … behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.

    —Numbers 23:23

    Key Verse Thought: Read the Key Verse for this lesson. Have you ever sinned? Did you get in trouble? Do you think you have ever gotten away with something? It is important to understand that though one may not have gotten in trouble at that time, keep in mind that God sees and knows all. Be careful when you sin against God – for your sin will find you out!

    Emphasis: Christians are to prepare our hearts to serve God – no matter what task God may have for us to do. Remember: when the people of Israel sinned against God, their sin was made known. It was difficult to make it right.

    Lesson Summary: In our last lesson, we learned about Esther and the salvation of the Jews from certain death. If you think about it, without godly people like Daniel, Mordecai, and Esther about whom we have learned, the recognition of God by the people, and especially the kings, may not have been. Even in our more recent history, there are people who have made sure that future generations know of God and learn to trust in Him.  

    This week we will learn of Ezra. He led the second remnant back to Jerusalem from the land of Babylon. Before he left, he prepared his heart. He determined to go back to Israel to make sure God’s people not only had the written Word of God (for he was a scribe), but he wanted to be sure the people knew the Word of the Lord and lived it. He had no idea the challenge that lay ahead of him!

    King Artaxerxes (King Ahasuerus’ son, and possibly Esther’s son as well), issued a decree that any and all who wanted to return to Israel could go. Not only that, but he sent much silver, gold, and vessels for the house of the Lord. Ezra recognized the hand of God and the blessing of the king.

    Ezra made sure they had priests and Levites to return with them. Many of these he placed in charge of the great riches they were carrying into Jerusalem. 

    As soon as they arrived in Jerusalem, they found out that many of the men had married wives of the heathen nations around. Some even had children by them. Ezra was astonished and devastated at the condition of the people. He rent his garment and prayed. Ezra was ashamed of the great sin in which the people were living. As the people gathered, they acknowledged their great sin and were willing to do something about it. Ezra challenged the people to correct their ways. 

    The men who had married foreign women had to send them away – and the children born by them.

    Y2Q4 – Lesson 8 Questions

    Y2Q4 – Lesson 8 Children’s Worksheets

    If you are teaching this to children, the following are a couple of ideas for a craft to reinforce this lesson.

    One time we sewed a heart together with the top open, put stickers on the outside, and hid verses inside of it. Another time we made a heart frame with stickers and put the verse Ezra 7:10 in the center to help us remember how important Ezra understood that God’s Word is.