Judah, the Southern Kingdom

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Micah, Prophet to Judah Micah 1–7

Preschool Key Passage: Zephaniah 3:17 Big Picture Question: What does God want us to do? God wants us to obey Him because we love Him. Christ Connection: Micah had good news for God’s people. A leader was coming who would save them. He would take care of them and lead them. Jesus is the perfect ruler God promised.

Kids Key Passage: Zephaniah 3:17 Big Picture Question: What does God want us to do? God wants us to obey Him because we love Him. Christ Connection: The prophet Micah gave God’s people a message of hope: a leader was coming who would free God’s people. He would be a shepherd and a king. The righteous ruler promised through Micah is the Lord Jesus Christ.

UNIT 17 • Session 1 © 2013 LifeWay OK TO PRINT

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Josiah’s Reforms 2 Chronicles 34–35

Preschool Key Passage: Zephaniah 3:17 Big Picture Question: How did Josiah help God’s people? Josiah helped the people obey God. Christ Connection: Josiah respected God’s law. He obeyed God and did what God said. Josiah wanted God’s people to love God and obey the law too. When Jesus came to earth, He obeyed the law perfectly.

Kids Key Passage: Zephaniah 3:17 Big Picture Question: How did Josiah help the people of Judah? Josiah led the people to obey the Word of God. Christ Connection: Josiah had great respect for God’s law. He allowed God’s Word to control what he did as a king. Josiah wanted God’s people to love God and obey the law too. When Jesus came to earth, He fulfilled the law by obeying it perfectly.

UNIT 17 • Session 2 © 2013 LifeWay OK TO PRINT

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Zephaniah, Prophet to Judah Zephaniah 1–3

Preschool Key Passage: Zephaniah 3:17 Big Picture Question: What will happen at the end of time? At the end of time, God will rescue His people and punish evil. Christ Connection: Zephaniah told the people about a special day when God will punish sin and Jesus will return. Jesus will make everything right.

Kids Key Passage: Zephaniah 3:17 Big Picture Question: What will happen on the Day of the Lord? God will judge sinners and save those who trust in Jesus. Christ Connection: Zephaniah prophesied about the Day of the Lord—a day when God will judge the world for its sin and Jesus Christ will return. Jesus will make everything new, and everyone who trusts in Him will be safe.

UNIT 17 • Session 3 © 2013 LifeWay OK TO PRINT

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Habakkuk, Prophet to Judah Habakkuk 1–3

Preschool Key Passage: Zephaniah 3:17 Big Picture Question: How do God’s people live in bad times? God’s people trust God to take care of them. Christ Connection: Habakkuk lived when bad things seemed to be happening everywhere. He trusted God to take care of His people and rescue them. Bad things happen today, but we can trust that Jesus will come back one day and make everything right.

Kids Key Passage: Zephaniah 3:17 Big Picture Question: What do we do when it seems God isn’t listening? We trust that God will take care of those who love Him. Christ Connection: Habakkuk lived at a time when evil seemed to be everywhere. By faith, he trusted God’s promise that God would deliver His people. Injustice, violence, and wickedness surround us today, but we can live by faith and trust that Jesus will return to make all things right.

UNIT 17 • Session 4 © 2013 LifeWay OK TO PRINT

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Nahum, Prophet to Nineveh Nahum 1–3

Preschool Key Passage: Zephaniah 3:17 Big Picture Question: Why did God destroy Nineveh? The people of Nineveh didn’t love God or His people. Christ Connection: Nahum told God’s people something that would make them feel better. He said that God loves His people and takes care of them. Jesus has good news for people who know and love Him. One day, Jesus will take away all bad things.

Kids Key Passage: Zephaniah 3:17 Big Picture Question: How did God help Judah? God protected His people from their enemies. Christ Connection: Nahum brought a message of comfort to God’s people, reminding them that God loves His people and will protect them from their enemies. Jesus also brought a message of comfort to His people. Jesus assured us of salvation and peace. All of the enemies of God and the enemies of God’s children were defeated at the cross. In the end, all evil will be finally punished.

UNIT 17 • Session 5 © 2013 LifeWay OK TO PRINT

The L ORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. Zephaniah 3:17

UNIT 17 • Key Passage Poster (ESV) © 2013 LifeWay OK TO PRINT

Judah, the Southern Kingdom

Kids Connection Page Unit 17: Session 1: Micah, Prophet to Judah Micah 1–7 Christ Connection: The prophet Micah gave God’s people a message of hope: a leader was coming who would free God's people. He would be a shepherd and a king. The righteous ruler promised through Micah is the Lord Jesus Christ. Adult Connection Point: The Bible is a historical book. The events it describes took place in history. The Bible does not contain theological truths unrelated to history. History matters! We have many reasons to believe the Bible is what it claims to be—the very Word of God. Here is just one way: we trust the Bible because of its unity. The biblical story is one grand story from Genesis to Revelation. This story unfolds through multiple plots and subplots. In the midst of all the themes, all the people, and all the stories, there is one central theme through the Scriptures—the promise and fulfillment of a messianic King who is establishing an eternal kingdom for God. This grand story points to one Person, Jesus Christ (Luke 24:27). In the Old Testament, Christ is promised to the people of God. In the New Testament, He arrives (Matt. 5:17-18). The detailed nature of the prophecies fulfilled in Jesus is one of the clearest signs that the Bible is no ordinary book. Family Devotion: Direct your family to tell about their favorite book. Who are some of the characters? Why do they like the book? If the book is easily accessible, bring the book back to the group and show it. Challenge your family to find the Book of Micah. (Use the table of contents, if necessary.) Then recall the story. Ask: “What wrong things were God’s people doing that deserved His punishment?” Micah told the people that they did not love and obey God, worshiped idols, took what was not theirs, and listened to false prophets. Remind your kids that God is always providing a way for His people to come back to Him. God sent Micah to warn His people of their punishment, but He also gave them a message of hope. Micah said a ruler would come out of Bethlehem, and He would shepherd the people. Jesus is the only Person who fulfilled this prophecy in Micah. Jesus is the One Micah spoke of who would free us from our sins. Ask: “What makes the Bible different from our other favorite books?” We can know the Bible is true because it is the very Word of God. When we find prophecies spoken in the Old Testament and fulfilled in Jesus Christ, we can know the words in the Bible are true. Pray, thanking God for sending a ruler and shepherd. Sing a Scripture song and continue to learn it throughout the week.

Kids Connection Page Unit 17, Session 2: Josiah’s Reforms 2 Chronicles 34–35 Christ Connection: Josiah had great respect for God's law. He allowed God's Word to control what he did as a king. Josiah wanted God's people to love God and obey the law too. When Jesus came to earth, He fulfilled the law by obeying it perfectly. Adult Connection Point: As Josiah began his reforms, he had to take a stand for what was right in God’s eyes. The traditional definition of tolerance accepts the existence of other viewpoints and recognizes that other people have the right to hold different beliefs or practices. The newer understanding of tolerance means one accepts the other viewpoints as true or valid. D. A. Carson writes: “To accept that a different or opposing position exists and deserves the right to exist is one thing; to accept the position itself means that one is no longer opposing it.” 1 People in our society often confuse religious tolerance with relativism. Rightly understood, tolerance is accepting that people should be able to coexist with different religious beliefs. Wrongly understood, tolerance means all religious beliefs are equal—“What’s true for you may be true for you but not for me.” Jesus shatters this notion. Standing against the idea that all religions lead to God are the words of Jesus Christ. In John 14:6, Jesus made a claim to be the exclusive path to God, saying, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” 1 D.

A. Carson, The Intolerance of Tolerance (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2012) 3.

Family Devotion: Materials: family Bible Hide the family Bible, and then give your kids time to find it. If you have a competitive bunch, hide a Bible for each child. Once kids retrieve the Bible, recall the story about King Josiah. Ask: “What were some of the reforms or changes Josiah made during his reign as king?” The Bible says Josiah “did what was right in the Lord’s sight” (2 Chron. 34:2). Even at a young age, in the midst of many foreign gods, Josiah took a stand for God. He did not worry about what other people thought, but he sought and obeyed God. Josiah tore down carved and cast images, repaired the temple, and—in the process—discovered the book of the law written by Moses. Remind your family that as good of a king as Josiah was, even he could not keep all the commandments and neither can we. Only Jesus kept the law perfectly. Because Jesus never sinned, He is the only way to have a relationship with God the Father. Ask: “Do you know friends who follow a different religion?” Talk about how following Jesus is different than following a religion. Remind your family that Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Pray, thanking God that your family knows Jesus never sinned, and He died on the cross so you could have a relationship when you put your faith and trust in Him.

Kids Connection Page Unit 17, Session 3: Zephaniah, Prophet to Judah Zephaniah 1–3 Christ Connection: Zephaniah prophesied about the Day of the Lord—a day when God will judge the world for its sin and Jesus Christ will return. Jesus will make everything new, and everyone who trusts in Him will be safe. Adult Connection Point: Christian philosopher William Lane Craig notes, “If life ends at the grave, then it makes no difference whether one has lived as a Stalin or as a saint. Since one’s destiny is ultimately unrelated to one’s behavior, you may as well just live as you please.” 1 Solomon described that situation as “vanity of vanities”—all life becomes meaningless. If there is no judgment for humanity, then human life is of no consequence, and furthermore, human life has no meaning. But if God ultimately judges human beings, it means that humans are the sort of being that is worthy of being judged. Do you see? The idea of judgment assumes that people are responsible and important, that their actions have real consequences. The worth of a human is shown beautifully through Jesus’ teaching. He described the Creator of the universe—the kind of Being who can make powerful stars such as our sun—as knowing the number of hairs on your head (Luke 12:7). If God knows each and every sparrow (a bird of relative insignificance in Jesus’ day), then how much more does He know about and care about you, the one made in His own image? (Gen. 1:27) 1 William

Lane Craig, Reasonable Faith (Wheaton: Crossway, 2008), 74.

Family Devotion: Hold a family court. Direct each of your kids to find a stuffed animal, action hero, or doll. Guide the kids to think of something each of the “guilty persons” could have done wrong, and then bring each one before the judge (dad or mom). As judge, ask: “What did you do wrong? Are you sorry for what you have done? Will you do it again?” Allow each child to respond for his “accused person.” The judge can then decide if the “person” is guilty or not. After “court” is out of session, recall what Zechariah prophesied about the Day of the Lord. Remind your kids that the Day of the Lord was coming to Judah because of the people’s continual sin and refusal to return to the Lord. On the Day of the Lord, those who do not follow Jesus will be judged, but those who believe and follow Jesus will be safe. Ask: “How does that make you feel that some will be punished but those who know Jesus will be rewarded?” (See Rev. 11:18.) Know that Jesus loves all people and wants them to follow Him. When we trust Jesus as Lord and Savior, we are now His and safe from His judgment. Jesus invites everyone to believe He loved us and died for us. Pray, thanking God for sending Jesus that we can live forever with Him. Pray for those who do not know Jesus.

Kids Connection Page Unit 17, Session 4: Habakkuk, Prophet to Judah Habakkuk 1–3 Christ Connection: Habakkuk lived at a time when evil seemed to be everywhere. By faith, he trusted God's promise that God would deliver His people. Injustice, violence, and wickedness surround us today, but we can live by faith and trust that Jesus will return to make all things right. Adult Connection Point: Is God a moral monster? No. Without God, we are the moral monsters! We are the creatures that contaminated creation, the ones who provoke a holy and just God to righteous anger. “I was like a beast toward You,” the psalmist correctly confessed (Ps. 73:22). The anger of God is His right reaction to evil. But the love of God and the compassion of God will exist long after evil is abolished. Listen to what God told Isaiah: “In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you” (Isa. 54:8). God is good. And not just good, He’s great! Death defeated, sin crucified, God is in the process of reversing the effects of the fall. And God will not tolerate sin in this world much longer. At the cross of Jesus Christ, the question shifts from “Is God angry?” to “Is God angry forever?” With a heartfelt hope experienced by all of God’s people throughout history, we can confidently exclaim no! Because of Christ’s work, a day is coming when that which makes God angry—and that which makes us angry—will forever be forgotten. Sin will be no more. Death will die. No more evil, famine, or war. As God Himself said, “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins” (Isa. 43:25). Family Devotion: Materials: current newspaper, large pot of water Heat a large pot of water on the stove. Periodically, choose a child to see if the water is boiling. While you wait, locate a newspaper and paraphrase stories that reveal the sinfulness of people or nations. Direct your kids to give a thumbs up or thumbs down in relation to the action taken. Recall the Bible story from Habakkuk. Ask: “What was Habakkuk complaining about to God?” Even though God used a wicked nation (Babylon) to punish the Israelites, Habakkuk trusted what God was doing. He trusted God, knowing He is a compassionate and loving God. Even though today we see wickedness all over, we can trust that God is in control and is still compassionate and faithful toward those who love Him. Ask: “How does it make you feel to know wickedness continues to thrive in our neighborhoods and world?” Remind your children that God wants people to love Him and hate sin. It may seem He is slow in punishing our enemies just like the water is slow to boil, but because of Jesus’ death on the cross, a day is coming when there will be no more evil, war, or famine; rather, all will be right in the world. End your family time with a song of praise remembering God’s goodness and faithfulness. Pray, thanking God that He is faithful, good, and loving toward your family.

Kids Connection Page Unit 17, Session 5: Nahum, Prophet to Nineveh Nahum 1–3 Christ Connection: Nahum brought a message of comfort to God’s people, reminding them that God loves His people and will protect them from their enemies. Jesus also brought a message of comfort to His people. Jesus assured us of salvation and peace. All of the enemies of God and the enemies of God’s children were defeated at the cross. In the end, all evil will be finally punished. Adult Connection Point: God is the Redeemer of moments both small and large. God gathers up our tears and holds them in His hands. The truth is, what people in pain need, more than answers, is God. And when we are willing to push deeply into pain and the questions that come with it, we don’t necessarily find all the answers—but we find God. He’s at the core of our questions. And He Himself is the answer to our pain. Through our suffering, God bonds us together in the church. We serve as tangible expressions of the deep and abiding love and care of Jesus Christ to each other. This is especially important for us because, no matter how rock solid our faith might seem to be, we are incredibly forgetful people. We know God is loving. We know this not only because the Bible tells us it’s true but because we believe that the love of God is demonstrated in the cross of Jesus Christ. We also know that God is wise. Though we might not understand the reasons behind our suffering, we know they are there. We further know that God is powerful and faithful and a host of other things. But there’s nothing like a diagnosis, an end to a relationship, a job loss, or some other jarring life transition to make us temporarily forget those things. (See 2 Cor. 1:37.) “If we again ask the question: ‘Why does God allow evil and suffering to continue?’ and we look at the cross of Jesus, we still do not know what the answer is. However, we now know what the answer isn’t. It can’t be that he doesn’t love us. It can’t be that he is indifferent or detached from our condition. God takes our misery and suffering so seriously that he was willing to take it on himself.” 1 —Tim Keller 1 Timothy

Keller, The Reason for God (New York: Penguin, 2008), 3031.

Family Devotion: Materials: candle, matches Play a game of hide and seek with your family with a different twist. Direct your kids to hide in the spot where they feel most safe when life is chaotic. After giving them time to hide, go find your family members and bring them back as a group. Ask each child, “Why did you choose the spot to hide in?” Light the candle and review the Bible story. Recall how God had sent Jonah to warn the people of Nineveh once before, but they returned to their evil ways. God sent another prophet, Nahum, to warn the people of Nineveh that they would be destroyed because of the evil things they had done.

Remind your kids that God hates evil and will punish it. Even though the Ninevites thought they would be safe within their city walls, God is more powerful than His greatest enemy. Direct your kids to look at the candle and estimate how long it could burn. Even though God hates evil, He is patient and will wait a long time for people to return to Him—but not forever. Those who love God can run to Him and find protection from the Enemy because the Enemy was defeated at the cross. We can find comfort in the fact that all our enemies will be defeated in the end. Pray, thanking God, that we can find comfort and protection in Him. Ask God to protect your family and keep them safe.