BIG PICTURE QUESTION & ANSWER HOW DID GOD PLAN TO FIX WHAT SIN BROKE? Before He created the world, God planned to send the Messiah to save sinners. Hezekiah and Josiah loved God and wanted to follow His commands. They wanted God's people to love God and obey the law too. MEMORY VERSE READ THE STORY:
After God’s people split into two kingdoms—the kingdom of Israel and the kingdom of Judah—each nation was ruled by a series of kings. The Southern Kingdom of Judah was ruled by mostly bad kings (like Ahaz who worshiped idols and did not respect God, God’s law, or God’s prophets) and a handful of good kings. Hezekiah and his great-grandson Josiah were two notable reformers who had a lasting impact on Judah. Hezekiah took the throne after evil Ahaz. During Hezekiah’s reign, the kingdom of Israel—which had endured more than 200 years of bad kings—was captured by Assyria and ultimately destroyed. Hezekiah “did what was right in the LORD’s sight just as his ancestor David had done” (2 Chron. 29:2). He destroyed the places of idol worship and cleansed the temple. The Lord was with Hezekiah, and Hezekiah prospered. Then Hezekiah’s son Manasseh became king. For 55 years, he led the people of Judah away from God, essentially reversing the progress Hezekiah had made. Manasseh’s son Amon followed in his father’s evil ways but was assassinated by his own servants. The people of Judah made Amon’s son Josiah king when he was just 8 years old. Unlike his father, Josiah began to seek God. He tore down the altars and idols of false gods, and he initiated the repairing of the Lord’s temple. During the temple repair, the discovery of the book of the law of the Lord led Josiah to make a covenant to follow God and obey His commands. Those who heard the law vowed to do the same. When Josiah died, he was remembered as the greatest king in Judah. (2 Kings 23:25) As you talk with your kids this week, remind them that Hezekiah and Josiah loved God and wanted to follow His commands. They 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. GOSPEL APPLICATION K-2nd:
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BIG PICTURE QUESTION & ANSWER HOW DID GOD PLAN TO FIX WHAT SIN BROKE? Before He created the world, God planned to send the Messiah to save sinners. God planned all along that Jesus would die on the cross for our sin. Seven hundred years before Jesus was born, the prophet Isaiah wrote that this would happen! MEMORY VERSE READ THE STORY:
King Uzziah’s death marked the end of an era. His reign had been long and prosperous. Uzziah became king when he was 16, and he reigned over Judah for 52 years. Then Uzziah died. Under Uzziah’s leadership, God’s people had turned away from the promises of God and trusted in the promises of the world around them. God had promised to bless the entire world through Abraham’s family, but God’s people were rebellious. Instead of blessing, they set themselves up to receive God’s judgment. But God’s plans and promises were not thwarted. God sent the prophet Isaiah to preach a message of hope. Even though God was going to correct His people through judgment, His purpose was one of grace through which God would receive glory. God planned to send a Messiah who would bring salvation to the world. Isaiah 6 opens with Isaiah’s worshiping in the temple. God gave Isaiah a vision. Isaiah saw God sitting on a throne. The magnitude of God’s holiness made Isaiah realize the magnitude of his own sin. His response? “Woe is me!” God extended His grace to Isaiah. He took away Isaiah’s guilt, and sent him to His people. Isaiah 53 records the fourth and final Servant song in the Book of Isaiah, describing God’s plan of redemption. We see a vision of the promised Messiah, the innocent substitute who would suffer for the sake of sinners. Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecies of a Suffering Servant. People assumed God had cursed the Suffering Servant for His own sins. But no, Jesus was sinless. Isaiah wrote that He was pierced because of our transgressions and crushed because of our iniquities. His punishment is what brought our peace. The Suffering Servant died the death we deserve. This week, remind your kids that God planned all along that Jesus would die on the cross for our sin. Seven hundred years before Jesus was born, the prophet Isaiah wrote that this would happen! Jesus is the Servant who suffered so that those who trust in Him would be forgiven. When we trust in Jesus, our sins are wiped away and His righteousness is credited to us. GOSPEL APPLICATION K-2nd:
BIG PICTURE QUESTION & ANSWER WHY SHOULD WE OBEY GOD? We should obey God because He made us, He loves us, and HIS plans are good. When the Israelites disobeyed God again and again, God punished them by removing them from His presence. MEMORY VERSE READ THE STORY:
God’s people had a history of disobeying God. Sin separated them from God. But man was created to know and love God, and God was working out a plan to bring His children back to Himself. Like any good father, God knows that disobedience needs to be punished. “For the LORD disciplines the one he loves, just as a father disciplines the son in whom he delights” (Prov. 3:12). After the tribes of Israel split into the Northern Kingdom and Southern Kingdom, God sent prophets to both kingdoms to warn the people to turn from their sins and obey God. Over the course of 200 years, the prophets Elijah, Elisha, Jonah, Amos, and Hosea spoke to Israel and warned them of the consequences of their idolatry. They called for Israel to repent and turn back to God. But Israel did not listen. God had been very patient with the Israelites. He had helped them in times of trouble and delayed their punishment because He is gracious and compassionate. (See 2 Kings 13:23.) But God knew His people would not love Him with all their hearts. Finally, God had had enough. Evil King Hoshea ruled over Israel, and God allowed Israel’s enemies to send the people into exile. The king of Assyria attacked Israel and laid siege to Samaria. Assyria captured Samaria and forced the people to leave the city. The Northern Kingdom of Israel was destroyed and the people were scattered, just as God had said it would be. (See 1 Kings 14:15.) Israel’s exile was God’s judgment on their sin but God was not finished working among His people. God was still working out His plan to keep His covenant promises. As you talk with your kids this week, point them to Jesus, the answer to God’s promises. When the Israelites disobeyed God again and again, God punished them by removing them from His presence. We disobey God, but Jesus took the punishment for our sin upon Himself. Jesus brings us into God’s presence and keeps us there. GOSPEL APPLICATION K-2nd:
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