October 5, 2014
2-5 Grades–Unit 21, Session 5
Morning – At – Glance
SESSION TITLE: The Temple WasCompleted / Bible Passage: Ezra 4:24 – 6:22
BIG PICTURE QUESTION & ANSWER / Why did the people rebuild the temple? The people rebuilt the temple to worship God.
UNIT CHRIST CONNECTION / God saved His people who were in physical captivity as He would one day send Jesus to save and restore His people who are in spiritual captivity.
MEMORY VERSE
NEW – We’re adding a verse each month until we finish the whole chapter! New verse is bold. / “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.”
Psalm 23: 1-3 ESV
9:00/11:00 – 9:25/11:25
WELCOME & CONNECT / SUPPLIES: SG Binder, Books of the Bible Cards, memory verse cards, cups), dry erase board & marker, whiffle ball
Offering
Take Attendance
Big Picture Concentration
Books of the Bible
Memory Verse Review
9:25/11:25 – 9:30/11:30
PLUG IN & OPENING QUESTION / SUPPLIES: “Then” & “Now” signs
What seems to take forever?
9:30/11:30 – 10:10/12:10
LARGE GROUP & PRAYER / Take your SG Binder with you – Attendance Roster and Shepherding Guide are inside
10:10/12:10 – 10:25/12:25
BIBLE STORY REVIEW / SUPPLIES: Bibles, timeline, map of the return, bean bags
10:20/12:20 – 10:25/12:25
PREPARE FOR PARENT PICK-UP / Hand-out Big Picture Cards & connect with parents
BIBLE STORY -- The Temple Was Completed
Ezra 4:24–6:22
(The bolded script highlights the most important points when you review with your kids.)
When God’s people returned to Jerusalem to rebuild God’s temple, they built the foundation of the temple. But their enemies didn’t want them to build the temple. God’s people didn’t want any trouble, so they stopped. God sent the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to encourage the people. So the leaders—Zerubbabel and Jeshua [Joshua]—started working on the temple again.
At this time, a governor named Tattenai (TAT ih nigh) saw the rebuilding had started again. Tattenai worked for King Darius (duh RIGH uhs), the king of Persia. Tattenai had been put in charge of some of the land, including Judah.
Tattenai talked to Zerubbabel and the others working on the temple. “Do you have permission to rebuild this temple?” Tattenai asked. Tattenai sent a report to King Darius. While he waited for an answer, God’s people kept building.
This is what Tattenai’s letter to King Darius said: “To Darius the king—This letter is to tell you that the people in Judah are building the temple of the great God. They are working very hard and will complete the temple soon. I asked them if they had permission to rebuild the temple, and they said King Cyrus gave them permission. Please search the royal records to see if this is true. Then please write us back to let us know what you find.”
King Darius read the letter and told his officials to search the royal records for Cyrus’s order.They found it—a scroll with a record from King Cyrus. This is what was written on the scroll: “Let God’s temple be rebuilt. It will be a place to offer sacrifices. Let its foundation be rebuilt.”
King Cyrus had also ordered for the cost of building the temple to be paid for out of the royal treasury. He ordered all the gold and silver things that King Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the first temple to be returned to Jerusalem.
So King Darius sent a letter back to Tattenai. He gave this order: “Stay away from the workers in Jerusalem. Don’t bother them, and don’t try to stop them. Give them whatever they need. And if anyone tries to destroy God’s temple, may God destroy that person!”
Tattenai and the other officials obeyed King Darius’s order. The Jewish leaders kept building, and they finally finished the temple of God. What a happy time that was! The people celebrated and made offerings to God. They chose priests and assistants to serve in the temple.
Then God’s people celebrated the Passover. They killed the Passover lamb and ate the Passover meal. God’s people were so happy because God had changed King Darius’s heart so that he wanted to help them. Now the temple of God was finally complete.
Christ Connection: God’s people rebuilt the temple so they would have a place to worship God. Years later, God sent His Son, Jesus, to be with His people. Now God dwells not in the temple, but directly with His people. Because of Jesus, we don’t need a temple anymore.
BIBLE STUDY
With the encouragement of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, God’s people resumed the work of rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. Approximately 15 years had passed without progress. At this time, Darius was king of Persia. The Persian Empire was vast, so Darius appointed governors over the provinces. A man named Tattenai watched over the province that included the land of Judah.
Tattenai noticed the work of God’s people, and he was concerned. He sent a letter to King Darius. “Is this allowed?” he asked. “The people say that King Cyrus said they could rebuild the temple and the city. Please investigate this matter.”
King Darius did investigate, and Cyrus’s decree was located in the Babylonian records. Darius instructed Tattenai to allow the people to rebuild the temple and the city. “In fact,” Darius wrote, “give them whatever they need from the royal treasury. And if anyone gives them any trouble, he will be punished.”
God had turned the heart of the king for His people’s favor. (See Prov. 21:1; Ezra 6:22.) The people completed the temple. They dedicated it joyfully and observed the Passover.
God declared in Haggai 2:9 that the glory of this second temple would be greater than the first. This prophecy was fulfilled by the presence of the Messiah, the Son of God. Jesus said that He is greater than the temple. (Matt. 12:6) Charles Haddon Spurgeon explained, “He who dwells in the house is greater than the house in which he dwells.”
In Christ, we find the substance of which the temple was a shadow. The Lord was not confined to a building, yet God lives fully in Christ. (See Col. 2:9.) Jesus is our high priest. He entered the most holy place for us. (Heb. 6:19-20) The priest offered the blood of animals, but Christ offered His own blood once and for all. (Heb. 9:25-26) He gives us access to the throne of grace. (Heb. 10:19-22)
9:00/11:00 – 9:15/11:15
WELCOME & CONNECT 15 minutes
SUPPLIES: SG Binder, Books of the Bible cards, memory verse cards, Dry Erase board & markers, whiffle Ball
❖Offering: As kids arrive, have them place their offering in the basket on the stage.
❖Take Attendance: Fill out the attendance roster with the children’s first & last names. ONLY children who are not listed on your printed roster should be added to the “GraceKids Roster.”Please be sure to check each child’s tag to see if they are in the correct group. If a tag says “Unassigned”, please talk with the parents at drop-off and pick-up to find out which service time they will be regularly attending so that we can “assign” their child to a small group.
**Remember, the focus of the opening time is to build relationships. Do not worry if you are not able to complete all of the activities. But try and complete one to prepare the kids for the Bible story.
❖Books of the Bible: Review the OT books.
❖Memory Verse Review:(Choose ONE)
➢Card Mix-Up: (Supplies: Memory Verse Cards) Scramble the cards with the words of the memory verse. Time the kids to see how quickly they can place them in order.
➢Missing Card: (Supplies: Memory Verse Cards) Lay the memory verse cards on the floor. Have the kids read the verse several times. Then, remove several cards and have the kids try again. Remove cards and recite the verse until all the cards are gone.
➢Concentration: (Supplies: Memory Verse Cards) Lay the memory verse cards face down. Each child takes turns turning over two cards. If one of those are the first words of the verse, they set them out and can go again. Each child takes turns turning over two cards and setting out the next words of the verse.
➢Dry Erase-A-Word: (Supplies: Dry erase board, dry erase marker, paper towel) Write out the words of the memory verse on the board. Have the kids recite the verse. Then, erase one or two words and have the kids recite the verse. Continue erasing and reciting until all the words are gone and the kids have the verse memorized.
➢Whiffle Ball Games: (Supplies: Whiffle ball) As you throw the ball, each child says the next word of the verse when they catch the ball.
9:15/11:15 – 9:30/11:30
PLUG IN & OPENING QUESTION 15 minutes
SUPPLIES: Then and Now signs
Opening Question -- What seems to take forever? Examples might include waiting for Christmas, waiting for food at a restaurant, a school day. Connect to the lesson: After returning from Babylon to the Promised Land, God’s people seemed to be taking forever to do something God asked of them. Do you remember what that is?
Plug-In Activity #1 – “Then & Now”: Place the “Then” and “Now” signs on opposite signs of your small group area. Explain: I will read a series of worship actions. If the action is something that was practiced during the Old Testament, go stand by the “Then” sign. If it is a current worship practice, go stand by the “Now” sign.
●Animal sacrifices are offered to seek God’s forgiveness. (then)
●People who are lame or blind can not enter. (then)
●People sing songs praising Jesus. (now)
●Only the high priest can go into all the places. (then)
●People gather to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. (now)
Connect to the lesson: The tabernacle, temple, and church are all different buildings that God has used to help people worship Him. Today, because of what Jesus did when He came to earth, we do not need to offer animal sacrifices or go to a high priest to approach God. Explain: At the moment when Jesus died on the cross, the veil in the temple that separated The Most Holy Place from the Holy Place was torn -- from the top down to the floor. God was showing the people that we can all now approach His throne to receive His grace and forgiveness. Jesus gave us access to God. We can talk to God and ask Him for forgiveness anytime, any place. Today, we’ll be learning how the people celebrated because the temple was finally finished and they could worship God.
Plug-In Activity #2– “King/Queen, May I?”: Play a variation of “Mother, May I?” Lay a long Velcro strip starting line and finish line. Choose a volunteer. The volunteer will face away from the rest of the kids, who will be lined up at the starting line. Choose a kid who will ask, “King/Queen, May I?” followed by a request to move forward. For instance, they might say “May I jump forward three times?” Give them four options: jump, skip, wak, and crawl. The volunteer may approve or deny the request by saying “Yes, you may,” or “No, you may not.” BEFORE the game, tell the volunteer one of the four options that he may not deny. If a kid requests that option, the volunteer must approve it. The first person to reach the volunteer replaces him. Repeat as time allows. Connect to the lesson:God’s people faced a challenge from a Persian official as they rebuilt Jerusalem. We will see if they were granted permission to continue.
Clean Up and Transition to Large Group
**Kids should use the bathroom BEFORE Large Group – NOT during Large Group.
9:30/11:30 – 10:10/12:10
WORSHIP & BIBLE STORY & PRAYER 40 minutes
SUPPLIES: Small Group Binder
Prayer Time will be directed from the Bible Story Teacher at the end of Large Group.
●Take requests:Record the date, child’s name and request on the Shepherding Guide n your SG Binder.
●kidZone Requests: AOET sponsor children, Helen &Siras, and our Compassion sponsor children, Emely and Anthony.
●Last year, the kids learned to pray using the word ACTS to help them learn the different aspects of prayer. Each letter is the beginning of a word that describes something they can talk to God about.
Adoration:Telling God how awesome we know He is -- “God, You are...”
Confession:Saying “I’m sorry” and telling God about what we have done. He will forgive us.
Thanksgiving:Thanking God for all the good things in your life. “Thank you for...”
Supplication:Asking God for help for ourselves and others. “Please help…”
You may want to use this model with your kids, or focus on one particular aspect each week. If you have questions about leading the kids in prayer, please talk with your Team Coach.
When you are finished praying with your group, quietly return to your small group area.
10:10/12:10 –10:25/12:25
BIBLE STORY REVIEW 15 minutes
SUPPLIES: Bible, timeline, map of the return, bean bags
Review the timeline with the kids pointing out the fall of the Southern Kingdom of Judah and the exile. Explain that our story takes place after some of the Jews have returned to Jerusalem.
Encourage the kids to open up their Bibles to Ezra. Where is Ezra in our Bible – the Old or New Testament? Yes, Old. It is grouped with the books of History. Explain: Ezra describes the Israelites’ return to their homeland after being held captive in Babylon and how God enabled them to rebuild His temple.
Read: Ezra 6:1-12 Ask: Are you surprised to read how God used King Darius to help God’s people build the temple. (You may want to share about a time in your life when God surprised you by how He brought something about.) Explain: We don’t need a temple anymore to worship God. Jesus came to earth so each of us could be a temple. When we repent and trust in Jesus, the Holy Spirit dwells in us. We can worship God anywhere we go.
**Optional – Charades: Have the kids pair up. Explain: We are going to play a quick version of charades, but I have changed the game. First, all of the answers are places where the clues happen. So each volunteer will act out an action, and the rest of you will guess where it is you do the activity that is being acted out.
shoot basketball (basketball court or gym)eat (table)
dance (dance class)ride a roller coaster (amusement park)
read a book (library)buckle seatbelt (car)
fishing/cast a line (pond or lake)worship God (church)
Connect to the lesson: Can you do any of those actions in more than one place? Name somewhere you can eat that is not at a table. A picnic is a time you eat but you sit on a blanket, not at a table. Can you read a book outside the library? Yes. It’s a good thing you can, or some of you would never be able to finish your homework. Name a place you can worship God that is not at church. Great answers! Because of Jesus, we don’t need a temple anymore. We can worship God anytime and anywhere.
**Optional – Bible Beanbag Grab: Create two teams. Have the teams line up facing each other behind two Velcro strips placed about 5 ft. or more apart. Number the members of the teams. Both teams should have a one, two, etc. If there is an odd number either: give one person two numbers, have the extra person read the questions, or you can play. Place two beanbags in the middle of the two teams separated by about one ft. Read the Bible Beanbag question and then call out one of the assigned numbers. The person on each team who has that number must run to the middle, grab the bean bag, get back across the Velcro line, and hold the bean bag in the air above their head. The first one to do this, gets a chance to answer the question. If they get it correct, their team gets a point. If they miss it, the other team gets a chance to steal the point. Repeat calling numbers at random.
●Who were the leaders of God’s people when they returned to Jerusalem? (Zerrubbabel and Joshua/Jeshua)
●Name one prophet sent to encourage the Israelites to continue building the temple. (Haggai or Zechariah, Ezra 5:1)
●Who was the governor in charge of the land including Judah? (Tattenai, Ezra 5:3)
●To which king did Tattenai send a letter to ask about the Jews rebuilding the temple? (King Darius, Ezra 5:6)
●Where did Darius’ officials search to find an answer for Tattenai? (the royal records of Cyrus, Ezra 5:17-6:1)