Teacher BIBLE STUDY - Clover...

When Abraham was well over 100 years old, he got another message from God. It was a test, actually. God instructed Abraham to take his son Isaac, the son of promise, and sacrifice him on a mountain God would tell him about. Abraham had waited so many years for this child!

But instead of reacting harshly, Abraham obeyed. He got up early the next day and left for his trip. Not waiting around to see if God would change His mind, he saddled the donkey, took the wood, two servants, and his son, and left on the journey God commanded.

Can you image the conversation on that three-day journey? Scripture leads us to believe that they didn’t talk about their destination until after the site had been revealed.

Was Isaac excited about going to sacrifice with his father? We soon get a glimpse into Isaac’s thoughts when he questioned Abraham about the lamb for the sacrifice. Abraham answered that God Himself would provide. And God did indeed.

By this point, Abraham had supreme faith that God was able to do anything. Hebrews 11:17-19 gives us a peek inside Abraham’s mind: “He considered God to be able even to raise someone from the dead.”

God provided a ram for the burnt offering, and after what we might imagine was quite a worship service, Abraham and Isaac returned home.

The parallel to Christ in this story is very clear. You can almost see the cross of Christ in the background. God provided a real lamb for Abraham, but for all of humanity He has provided the Lamb: His Son, Jesus Christ—the ultimate sacrifice for sin.

Teacher BIBLE STUDY

Preschool Bible Study Leader GuideUnit 2 • Session 3

1 © 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources

God’s Covenant with People

Session Title: God Tested AbrahamBible Passage: Genesis 22:1-19Big Picture Question: How can we show we believe God’s plan? We obey

God.Key Passage: Genesis 17:7Unit Christ Connection: Jesus is the true Son of promise whom God

provided as the ultimate sacrifice for sin.

Small Group Opening (15–20 minutes)

Large Group Bible Study (10–15 minutes)

Small Group Activities (20–25 minutes)

Snack and Transition(20 minutes)

Preschool BIBLE STUDY OVERVIEW


God Tested AbrahamGenesis 22:1-19

Abraham and Sarah were very old when their son Isaac was born. God had promised they would have more descendants than anybody could count—as many as the stars in the sky! All of the people on earth would be blessed because of Abraham and Sarah’s family. So their son Isaac was very, very special.

Later God made a test to prove that God was really more important to Abraham than anything or anyone else. God told Abraham to do something that sounded strange. Abraham was to take Isaac to a special mountain and offer him to God.

Long ago, in the Bible, people gave offerings to God to show they loved Him, to thank God for something, or to say to God “I’m sorry; please forgive me.” These offerings were called sacrifices. When the offering was an animal, the animal was killed when it was sacrificed. People offered God the best animal from their flocks. This time, though, God told Abraham to give Isaac as a sacrifice.

What could that mean? Abraham loved Isaac very much. God had said that Isaac would have children—Abraham’s grandchildren. How could that happen if Abraham gave Isaac as a sacrifice?

Abraham believed that God would make things turn out right. He did not know how God would do it, but Abraham believed God would keep His promises about Isaac. So Abraham obeyed.

Early in the morning, Abraham, Isaac, and two helpers took a donkey and the supplies they needed. They walked for three days until they came to the place God had told Abraham about. Then Abraham and Isaac went by themselves up the mountain.

“What are we going to sacrifice to God?” asked Isaac. Abraham replied, “God will give us a lamb to sacrifice.” Abraham built the altar and prepared to offer Isaac to God.

A voice called to them from heaven and said, “Abraham, I see that you were willing to do what I said. You do not have to offer your son Isaac.” Abraham looked up and saw a fine sheep caught in the bushes. God had

The BIBLE STORY




sent a lamb to sacrifice instead of Isaac. God, Abraham, and Isaac could see that Abraham loved God most of all.

God said to Abraham, “Because you obeyed, you will have as many descendants as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. All the world will be blessed because you obeyed Me.”

How did Abraham show that he believed God’s plan? Abraham obeyed God.

How can we show we believe God’s plan? We obey Him.

Christ Connection: Abraham showed his faith in God when he was willing to sacrifice Isaac. Isaac also showed he was ready to do what his father said. This is a clear picture of God who was willing to sacrifice His only Son, and of Jesus who was willing to do what was necessary for God’s plan of salvation. Isaac’s life was spared because God provided a substitute. We need a perfect sacrifice as our substitute for sin. God provided a perfect sacrifice in His Son, Jesus Christ.


Small Group OPENING

Welcome and Session Starter (15–20 minutes)Welcome parents and preschoolers; follow your church’s security procedures for signing in preschoolers. Offer the preschooler one or both of the following activities to set the stage for today’s lesson. Remember to spend more time in the morning talking to the children rather than to adults. Their relationship with you now will help lay groundwork for their relationship with God.

Activity Sheet: Trace the TripTrace Abraham and Isaac’s trip to the mountain and back. Tell kids that on this trip Abraham proved that he believed God’s promises.Say • How did Abraham show that he believed God’s plan?

Abraham obeyed God.

Lay a fireAsk kids to help you make “logs” by rolling pages of newspaper into log shapes and securing each one with tape. When you have several logs, lay fire in one of two ways. Put a few shreds of paper in a small heap to resemble kindling. Then, either build a tepee with logs, or build a

• Prepare: Play “Promises” in the background.

• Set an offering basket near the door.

• Post the allergy alert for the snack ingredients.

• Set out a few favorite toys such as puzzles and blocks.

PREPLOW

• “Trace the Trip” , 1 per kid

• newspapers• masking tape• shredded paper (or craft sticks)







“log cabin” fire. Lay two logs parallel on opposite sides of the kindling, lay two logs across those to make a square frame, and build up from those, making a layer of three or four logs in one direction and the next layer in the opposite direction. Say • Today’s Bible story is about a sacrifice. Often a

sacrifice needed a fire. We are going to lay a pretend fire. Abraham chopped the wood for his fire by himself.

As an alternate discussion, relate building a cooking fire to cooking on Abraham and Isaac’s journey.

Transition to Bible study time Secure attention by the bell, the video, or clapping a simple rhythm, such as the beginning of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.” Announce that you will pretend to take a trip to the large group area, walking a road through the hills, like the path in the activity sheet maze.

• countdown video or bell (optional)


Large Group Bible Study Time (10-15 minutes)

Introduce the Bible story Lead in a brief exercise time; do three or four jumping jacks or toe touches. Tell kids to sit and freeze in their own space.

Make two little platforms side by side, using two blocks to support each cross piece. Put the long wooden block across one pair of blocks and the paper or magazine across the other pair of blocks.

Explain that you will perform a test to find how good each platform is. Vote about which will prove to be a good platform and which will be not as good as it looks.

Ask a volunteer to stand on each, and determine which is a good choice for a platform and which is not.Say • Do you remember that God chose Abraham to be part

of God’s plan for the world? In today’s story from the Bible, God made a test to show that Abraham was a good choice.

Watch or tell the Bible storyTell the Bible story, or, if you choose, show the Bible story video “God Tested Abraham.”

• 5 wooden blocks (one long enough to stand on)

• magazine or piece of construction paper

• “God Tested Abraham” video




Large Group BIBLE STUDY




Talk about the Bible storyPoint to Abraham on the timeline. Ask the following questions.

• How many descendants did God promise Abraham? (like the number of stars in the sky—couldn’t count them) • Who was the son that God promised Abraham? (Isaac) • What did God ask Abraham to do? (sacrifice Isaac) • How did Abraham show He believed God? (He obeyed.) • How can we show we believe God’s plan? We obey God.

Read the key passage from the poster. Ask where we can read it. (Genesis, in the Bible) Show the verse in the Bible. Recall the meaning of covenant. (a promise) Ask what God’s promise to Abraham in this covenant was. (to be your God) Sing “I Will Keep.”

Transition to small groupsDescribe the activities you have chosen to set up. Send a few preschoolers at a time to do or choose an activity. Call them by color of hair, color of shoes, or some other characteristic; for example, “Everyone with red hair choose an activity.”

• Bible• Use the timeline from the Timeline Map or Small Group Visual Pack.

• Big Picture Question Poster

• Key Passage Poster • “I Will Keep”

Tip: Do activities one of these ways:

• at the same time as a group

• in small groups that rotate through each activity

• set up as centers, allowing preschoolers to browse and choose


Small Group Activities Time (20-25 minutes)During each activity, ask the big picture question; train the kids to respond with the answer. Explain that when Abraham obeyed God, he showed that he believed God’s plan that he would have many descendants.

Play “Who Has the Sheep?”This is the game “Who’s Got the Button?” Show the object and say that it is a pretend sheep. Kids sit in a circle with their hands cupped in front of them and their eyes closed. Put the “sheep” in a kid’s hand and tell everyone to pretend they have it hidden in their hands. Then they may open their eyes.

Each kid can have a turn to guess who has the sheep. The first one who guesses correctly gets to place it in someone’s hand in the next round of the game. Ask kids to give different people a turn.Say • Abraham looked up and saw a sheep in the bushes.

God had sent the sheep to be the sacrifice instead of Isaac.

Tip: Select activities you can staff and which interest your class.

• Limit the number who can work an activity if necessary.

PREPLOW

• small toy ram (or something small like a marker cap)




Small Group ACTIVITIES




Move the woodTalk about how Abraham cut firewood and carried it for three days to the place God had told him about. Make a bumpy road. Tape parallel lines to be the road, wide enough for your vehicle. Scatter bumps along the road using broken crayons, or make “rocks” out of old play dough. Pile some blocks on the truck or wagon and move it along the bumpy road. Say • Roads long ago were often very bumpy. Which do

you think would be easier, moving wood on a bumpy road with a wheeled wagon or carrying the wood on someone’s back? Either way would have been hard work! Abraham obeyed God. He went where God told him to go. He did not argue about it.

Paint with twigsPour tempera paint into a shallow pan. If you have two or three colors, put each color in a separate pan. Lay a sheet of paper and a twig with leaves at each workspace on a table.

Tell the kids to hold a stem, dip the twigs into a color of paint, and paint on the paper. They might prefer to press the twigs on the paper. Remind kids about the sheep in the bushes which God provided for the sacrifice.Say • Abraham obeyed God. He believed God had a plan.

Abraham looked and saw the sheep in the bushes. God had provided a sheep for the sacrifice.

• big toy truck or wagon

• blocks• masking tape• broken crayons or play dough

• twigs with leaves• shallow pans or plates

• tempera paint• paper


Play a sequencing gamePrint the pictures on heavyweight paper or print and tape them to cardboard. Tape each picture to a block or upside-down paper cup. Challenge the children to put the pictures in the order they happened. Explain that this game shows what new things they have learned. Ask them to recall one special thing about each person or event. Say • We have heard some important things that happened

in God’s story so far. (1) God created a perfect world. Adam and Eve chose to sin, and God had a plan to send Jesus who would keep safe people who deserved to be punished. (2) God judged the world with a flood when everybody but Noah was very bad. The rainbow reminds us that God promised not to flood the whole world again. (3) God chose Abraham’s family for the one Jesus would be born into many years later. Abraham’s son was Isaac.

Learn about the ram and the shofarExplain that a baby sheep is a lamb, a mother sheep is a ewe, and a daddy sheep is a ram. Talk about the value of sheep: wool, meat, leather, cheese. On the timeline picture, show that the ram has curved horns. Explain that God provided a ram for Abraham to sacrifice.

Just for information, explain that a special horn called a shofar was made from a ram’s horn; the shofar was used to announce the beginning of a holiday or to frighten the enemy in battle. Sometimes it reminded people that God is King. Play kazoos along with recorded music, or make loud sounds with them, as if blowing a shofar.Say • God sent the ram for Abraham to use as a sacrifice.

God made His plan happen as He promised.

• “Stand-Up Pictures” • heavyweight paper• scissors• tape• 6 blocks or paper

cups

Tip: Save the picture of Jacob for use at a later date. Also omit Isaac’s family unless you explain that Isaac had sons who were grandsons of Abraham. Save all these pictures to use in the next unit.

• toy shofars or kazoos

• recorded music• picture of a ram with horns or timeline picture “God Tested Abraham”

Tip: You can order toy shofars or use kazoos to blow along with music of your choice. You can find instructions online for making toy kazoos using paper towel rolls or rolled-up construction paper, rubber bands, and aluminum foil or wax paper.




Snack Time and Transition (20 minutes)Signal for attention. Announce that it is time to put supplies away, go to the bathroom, and wash hands or use hand sanitizer before the snack.

Recruit helpers with clean hands to help set napkins and cups of water on the table. Remind kids not to begin eating until everyone has been served and the blessing has been said. Encourage them to say thank you to teachers and helpers who set the table and distribute food.

Give a few pretzel sticks and candy corns to each child. Suggest that they build a pretzel-stick fire with candy corn flames. Relate the “fire” to the sacrifice fire or to cooking food on the journey. Before eating, thank God for the snack.

TransitionWhen a child has finished his snack, tell him to throw away his trash and select a book or puzzle to look at, draw on his journal page, color the Bible story coloring page, or work quietly by himself at something else he chooses. Suggest that kids who want to work on a journal page draw a sand picture: God promised Abraham that he would have as many descendants as the sand on the seashore.

Welcome parents or the next session teachers and softly tell them what they need to know about their child (or the children who are present).

• countdown video or bell (optional)

• paper cups and napkins

• water• pretzel sticks• candy corn (optional)

• allergy alert

• journal page • Bible story coloring page

• crayons


God’s Covenant with PeopleKey Passage: Genesis 17:7

Session 1: God’s Covenant with Abraham Genesis 12:2-3; 15:1-21; 17:1-9

Session 2: The Sons of Abraham Genesis 16:1-16; 17:15-22; 21:1-7

Session 3: God Tested Abraham Genesis 22:1-19

UNIT 2 • Journal Page© 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources.

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Journal Page

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How can we show we believe God’s plan?

We obey God.

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UNIT 2 • Session 3 • Preschool© 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources.

Big PictureQUESTION God’s Covenant with PeopleUNIT 2 • Session 3 • God Tested Abraham

© 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources.

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God’s Covenant with PeopleBig PictureQUESTION

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I will keep My covenant between Me

and you, . . . to be your God.

Genesis 17:7

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UNIT 2 • Session 1-3 • Preschool© 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources.

Key PassagePOSTER HCSB God’s Covenant with PeopleUNIT 2 • Key Passage Poster (HCSB)


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God’s Covenant with PeopleKey PassagePOSTER HCSB

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And I will establish my covenant between

me and thee, . . . to be a God unto

thee.Genesis 17:7

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UNIT 2 • Session 1-3 • Preschool© 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources.

Key PassagePOSTER KJV God’s Covenant with People

UNIT 2 • Key Passage Poster (KJV)© 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources.

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God’s Covenant with PeopleKey PassagePOSTER KJV

12UNIT 1 • Session 1 • Preschool Bible Study

© 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources.In the Beginning

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Instructions: Print this poster, or laminate it and reuse it throughout the quarter. Use a dry erase marker to fi ll in the necessary information when bringing food,

animals, things to smell, or nature items that might cause allergic reactions. Display the poster where parents can see it when they arrive with their children.

Today your child will be tasting/touching/sniffi ng

Please notify a teacher if your child should notparticipate in this activity.

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UNIT 1 • Allergy Alert© 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources.

OK TO PRINTIn the Beginning



God Tested AbrahamGenesis 22:1-19

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UNIT 2 • Session 3 • Preschool Bible Study© 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources. 8God’s Covenant with People

Instructions: Print these pictures on heavyweight paper or print and glue them to

cardboard. Tape them to blocks for children to put in sequence. Save these pictures.

Stand-up Pictures

God promised that if Adam and Eve ate the fruit of one particular tree, they would die. They ate, and eventually they died.

God told Abraham that he and Sarah would have a baby boy, Isaac, and they did. Their family grew to have as many people in it as there are stars in the sky.

God told Noah He would destroy the creatures in the world with a fl ood because they were so wicked.

God told Isaac not to move his tents to another place because God would give Isaac and his family all the land around where they were living.

God promised there would never again be a fl ood to destroy the world. He has kept that promise.

When Jacob was traveling, God promised in a dream that He would watch over Jacob wherever he went and bring him home safely. Jacob set up the stone he slept on to help him remember.

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UNIT 2 • Session 3 • Stand-up Pictures© 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources.

OK TO PRINTGod’s Covenant with People

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