The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Part 3

Part 3 wraps up the Bible time series entitled “The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” Continuing in the story form following the book of Genesis, it begins with recap and then Jacob’s dream, and ends when Jacob has met Esau again. There are 10 lessons in Part 3, including a brief overview of the life of Joseph.

The overview of Joseph was included in an attempt to help the students understand how God may use a situation for more than one reason. The situation? Rachel’s childlessness. Her childlessness was at least designed to help her realize that children come from the Lord, and not from the husband, or, worse yet, from mandrake roots. But, the fact of her long period of childlessness, the fact that this contributed to her son being the spoiled favorite of his father, hated by his brothers, was used by God to get Joseph to Egypt, where He used Joseph to grow His people group into a large, pure nation. (Egyptians detested Hebrews, so there was little chance of intermarrying; had they stayed in Canaan they could have intermarried freely with the people there.)

Core truths of this Bible time series:
1. God is a great Redeemer
2. God is a promise-keeper
3. God chose a people for Himself, so the world would clearly know who Jesus was.

God chose a people for Himself, the Jewish people, so that all the people in the world would clearly know who Jesus was. The Jewish people kept detailed geneologies, but after Jesus rose from the dead and returned to heaven, the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the geneologies were lost. The world didn’t need the geneologies anymore, because Jesus had come!

The “Covenant” is called “God’s special, eternal promise.” We emphasized 2 points of the special, eternal promise:
1. many descendants
2. becoming a blessing to all nations = Jesus!

In hindsight, I wish we had emphasized the part of the covenant to Abraham, “becoming the father of many nations” which is fulfilled in the church. But we emphasized how the covenant was transferred from Abraham to Isaac (his only son by his wife) to Jacob (just one of the twins) but then to all the 12 sons, who each became the father of a tribe.

The “God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob” Bible time series was originally written and used in Japan in 1996. The story nature of the series really seemed to resonate with Japanese people, and for the first time we had students who missed their English lesson but showed up for Bible time so they “didn’t miss anything.”

01 – Story so far
02 – Jacob’s Dream
03 – Jacob Meets Rachel
04 – Jacob Marries
05 – Children
05 – Children chart
06 – More Children
07 – Joseph
08 – Jacob is afraid
09 – Jacob wrestles
10 – Jacob meets Esau

The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Part 2

The “God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob” Bible time series was originally written and used in Japan in 1996. The story nature of the series really seemed to resonate with Japanese people, and for the first time we had students who missed their English lesson but showed up for Bible time “so they didn’t miss anything.” Part 2 has twelve lessons starting with Hagar being sent away, and ending with Jacob running away. It was revised in 2009.

Core truths of this Bible time series:
1. God is a great Redeemer
2. God is a promise-keeper
3. God chose a people for Himself, so the world would clearly know who Jesus was.

God chose a people for Himself, the Jewish people, so that all the people in the world would clearly know who Jesus was. The Jewish people kept detailed geneologies, but after Jesus rose from the dead and returned to heaven, the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the geneologies were lost. The world didn’t need the geneologies anymore, because Jesus had come!

The “Covenant” is called “God’s special, eternal promise.” We emphasized 2 points of the special, eternal promise:
1. many descendants
2. becoming a blessing to all nations = Jesus!

In hindsight, I wish we had emphasized the part of the covenant to Abraham, “becoming the father of many nations” which is fulfilled in the church. But we emphasized how the covenant was transferred from Abraham to Isaac (his only son by his wife) to Jacob (just one of the twins) but then to all the 12 sons, who each became the father of a tribe.

01 – Hagar is sent away
02 – More about Hagar
03 – Abraham tested
04 – Abra in Hebrews
06 – A wife for Isaac
06 – A wife for Isaac
07 – A wife for Isaac 2
08 – Death of Abraham
09 – Birth of Jacob&Esau
10 – The birthright
11 – The trick
12 – Jacob runs away

There is a Redeemer – The book of Ruth

Reading the story of Ruth should be refreshing to the students as well as minister to their felt need for English, as storytelling is a valuable fluency activity. During these nine lessons we will look at several grand and seminal Biblical themes, especially the picture of a “Redeemer” as illustrated by Boaz’ marriage to the foreigner Ruth.

Biblical Themes in the Book of Ruth:
1) God rules what happens in the world. It was God that gave food to the people of Bethlehem, Ruth 1:6. It was God that led Ruth to the field that belonged to Boaz, Ruth 2:3. It was God that gave Ruth and Boaz a son, Ruth 4:12. When bad things happened, God still used them, Ruth 1:21. God can make good things come from bad things.
2) God loves people. He does not only love Jews. He loves people from all other countries also. He does not only love men. He also loves women, Ruth 2:10, 13. Boaz’s love for Ruth is a picture of God’s love for us. Read the *family tree of Jesus in Matthew 1. There are 4 women in it and probably 3 of them were foreign to the Jews.
3) God cares for people. This means that he gives them what they need. God cared for the family of Jesus 1000 years before Jesus came to the earth, (Ruth 4:16). God uses people to care for other people. He used Naomi to care for Ruth and Obed. Those that love Jesus are part of his family. That means that God cares for them as well.

Other points that might touch our students:
1. There were foreigners in Jesus’ family tree, although he was to be the ultimate King of Israel. Japanese may not be able to imagine foreigners in the line of their emperor. (Thanks to Abi for this one.)
2. Ruth’s good relationship with her mother-in-law
3. God’s law about gleaning – providing for the poor. Japan was criticized in the past for fencing off its overseas orchards precisely so that poor people couldn’t glean

This series could not have been written without Wycliffe’s wonderful site easyenglish.com, where you can find very easy translations of most of the books of the Bible as well as Bible study materials. It was written with especially grateful thanks to Gordon Churchyard. All of the bolded text in this series was drawn from his material.

Lesson 1 – Introduction

Lesson 2 – Ruth

Lesson 3 – Levirate Marriage

Lesson 4 – Naomi and Ruth

Lesson 5 – Gleaning

Lesson 6 – Kinsman-Redeemer

Lesson 7 – An arranged marriage

Lesson 8 – Boaz redeems Ruth

Lesson 9 – Ruth in Jesus’ family tree

Names of God

This is a 13-week Bible time series with no accompanying student handout.  Several of the Bible times were written by other Open House teachers.

1. Abba

2. My Provider, Part 1

3. My Provider, Part 2

4. Our Protection

5. Wonderful Counselor

6. Lord of all

7. I AM

8. The Lord God

9. God who sees me

10. God Almighty, Part 1

11. God Almighty, Part 2

12. Redeemer

12. The boy and the boat

13. The Lord of hosts

Beginnings – Gen. 3 (Student Handouts)

These are the weekly handouts that accompany the Bible times in the “Beginnings – Gen. 3 (Teacher’s Notes)” post. They aren’t fancy, but they’re ready to go.

1. The first man

2. The first command

3. The first woman

4. The first question

5. The first shame

6. The first fear

7. The first guilt

8. The first promise

9. The man and the woman

10. The first shedding of blood

Beginnings – Gen. 3 (Teacher’s Notes)

Explore with your students all the “firsts” that appear in Genesis 3. This 10-week series will take you through the grand themes of sin and substitutionary atonement. The accompanying student handouts are in a separate post.

Overview Chart

1. The first man

2. The first command

3. The first woman

4. The first question

5. The first shame

6. The first fear

7. The first guilt

8. The first promise

9. The man and the woman

10. The first shedding of blood

Tidbits about blood

You will surely die

Knowing good and evil

Misc. Notes

Substitution

The 12 Days of Christmas (1999)

I originally wrote the “12 Days of Christmas” Bible times in 1999. The Bible times available in this post complete the series that is posted under “12 Days of Christmas (2007)” for those who would like to use the whole song. I have also included a Bible time that covers only the “5 Golden Rings” (in the 2007 version, these were included with the 4 Calling Birds.)

Just ignore the week numbers that appear in these copies.

Five Golden Rings

Seven Swans = gifts

Eight Maids = Beatitudes

Nine Ladies = Fruit of the Spirit

Ten Lords = Commandments

Eleven Pipers = following Jesus

Twelve Drummers = tribes

Handel’s Messiah – Teacher’s Notes

This 13-week Bible time series was developed to accompany a CD of selections of Handel’s Messiah;  the CD was then our Christmas gift to the students that year.  Using Handel’s Messiah gave us the opportunity to look at some difficult passages with our students, as well as the many passages showing God’s tenderness and love.   There are student handouts for each week, available in a separate post.

Looking back over this series, I do not know how I imagined that the lesson could be completed in 20 minutes!  This series would make an excellent one hour – or even longer – Bible class.

General notes for the teachers

Overview Chart

1. Prepare the way of the Lord

2. A child is born

3. Glory to God

4. Behold thy king

5. Take his yoke

6. With his stripes we are healed

7. How beautiful are the feet

8. Their sound is gone out

9. Thou shalt break them/ Hallelujah

10. I know that my Redeemer liveth

11. Since by man came death

12. The trumpet shall sound

13. Worthy is the Lamb

Handel’s Messiah – Student Handouts

Use the beautiful music of Handel’s Messiah to share spiritual truth with your students. This 13-week Bible Time series has student handouts for each week, containing the lyrics, notes and clip art. The teacher’s notes are in a separate post.

1. Prepare the way of the Lord

2. A child is born

3. Glory to God

4. Behold thy king

5. Take his yoke

6. With his stripes we are healed

7. How beautiful are the feet

8. Their sound is gone out

9. Thou shalt break them/ Hallelujah

10. I know that my Redeemer liveth

11. Since by man came death

12. The trumpet shall sound

13. Worthy is the Lamb

Resurrection – Fact or Fiction?

Did the resurrection of Jesus Christ really happen? This Bible time series explores the clues in the Bible text that strongly suggest that it is an eyewitness account.

1. Jesus is buried

2. Guards at the tomb

3. Women

4. A possible explanation

5. Doubters

6. Forty days

7. Kingdoms

8. Power

9. The Ascension

10. The Christian hope

11. Encouragement