Noah: God s promise to save

Transcription

1 LOWER PRIMARY 7 Noah: God s promise to save Genesis 6 9 Lesson aim To help students to understand that God always cares for people who put their trust in him. Lesson outcomes Students will learn about: how Noah was saved because he loved and trusted God the rainbow as a sign of God s promise. Students will learn to: recognise Noah s trust in God appreciate that God always keeps his word. Memory verse Your way is perfect, LORD, and your word is correct. 2 Samuel 22:31a (CEV)» Bible background The story of Noah is a dramatic example of a cycle throughout the Old Testament: humankind sins, God justly punishes, but in mercy and love he sends a saviour to rescue those who respond in faith to his grace. After the fall, things went from bad to worse outside the garden. Chapter 6 describes how humanity had become so wicked that every inclination of the thoughts of [his] heart was only evil all the time (Genesis 6:5, NIV). God was sorry he had ever made humans, and vowed to destroy all living things (Genesis 6:6 7). Yet God s judgement is always tempered with mercy. One man pleased God, and so God chose him to save a small sample of people and animals. Noah was of the godly line of Seth, Adam and Eve s third son. Noah walked with God (verse 9, NIV) and obeyed God when instructed to build an ark. Noah trusted God s word that the flood was coming (Hebrews 11:7). God had promised that Noah and his family would be saved (Genesis 6:18), and Noah believed him. God was faithful to his word. Noah again acted in full expectation that the waters would recede. When the land was dry and Noah, his family and the animals left the boat, the first thing Noah did was to offer a thanksgiving sacrifice to the Lord. God carried out his promised judgement but nothing more. His covenant promise to Noah, that he would not destroy every living thing again in that way (Genesis 8:21), was sealed with the sign of the rainbow. God announced a new world order where humanity s responsibility for the stewardship of creation was reaffirmed, where animals could now be used for food, and where Noah was made responsible for controlling lawlessness and revenge, and preserving human and animal life (Genesis 9:1 7). Humanity had been rescued from judgement through Noah s faith, but sin had not been dealt with. God knew that all [people] have evil thoughts from the time they are young (Genesis 8:21, CEV). Indeed, Noah went on to disgrace himself and his sons acted shamefully. Chapter 12 of Genesis introduces God s plan of salvation, promised through Abraham and realised through Jesus. God always keeps his promises and we can have confidence in our salvation. Just as, in Noah s day, salvation could only take place through one who was chosen by and obedient to God, people can only be saved from God s final judgment by faith in God s obedient and righteous son, Jesus Christ (John 3:16). 66 connect teacher s manual

2 » You will need 3 4 household items for the Way in (see Before you start...) HOW and WHY flash cards from Visual aids on page XX or whiteboard marker Visual aids on pages XX-XX of Noah constructing the ark and The ark on the water Blu-Tack Visual aids on pages XX of the Memory verse pieces and cardboard backing (from lesson 5) A CEV Bible marked at Genesis 6:5 7, 9:11 13 Activity books Noah (track 5): CEP Lower Primary CD CD player Noah constructing the ark, The ark on the water, Noah leaving the ark and Noah from the Coloured Visual aid pack Materials for Taking it further (optional). Other resources If your lessons are longer than the standard, you may find the following resources useful. The Lord is king, track 15 of Colin Buchanan s 10, 9, 8... God is great CD or track 9 of Colin Buchanan s Colin s favourites CD. Love the Lord (hey, hey) track 3 of Colin Buchanan s Jesus rocks the world CD. Time life Bible stories: Genesis DVD. Before you start Remove the Memory verse puzzle pieces from the cardboard backing so the puzzle can be solved again this week during the Way in. Use Blu-Tack to assemble the Memory verse pieces onto the cardboard backing. Choose a few items as teaching aids for the Way in. Select items that have a special purpose, e.g a comb, a stapler, a toothbrush and a measuring cup, spoon or tape. Avoid items that have a similar use. This lesson involves interactive storytelling. Read the lesson with expression and emphasise the words to which the students need to respond. Caution some students may be concerned about those who perished in the flood. Be sensitive to this response. You may point out that the ark was for all of the people who chose to follow God. If anyone else had chosen to follow God, they would have been saved by God too.» Teacher s prayer Thank God for his plan of salvation and his mercy shown through Jesus. Pray that the students will understand what it means to trust God s promises. Pray for wisdom as you teach this lesson about God s righteous judgement and saving grace. 7 T C E N N C O 67

3 7» Way in Reveal the everyday items that you have brought, one at a time. Ask students to explain the purpose of each item as you hold it up (e.g. comb, stapler, toothbrush and measuring cup, spoon or tape). Now ask how whether one item could be suitable for the task that another item does (e.g. Can we clean our teeth with a comb? Can we measure ingredients with a stapler?). Just as these items are all made for a special purpose, God made the world for a purpose too. When God made the world, how did he describe everything he made? (Good, very good.) When God made humans, what special task did he give them? (To care for his creation, to know him, to care for each other, to live in his good creation.) When God made the world everything was good. God made people to be rulers in his good world and wanted people to be his friends forever. This is how the world works best, because this is what it is made for. Today we are learning about what happened to God s good world.» Bible focus We ve heard how ignoring God affected the lives of Adam and Eve, and their family. Well, time went on and there were more and more people living in the world. These people built houses, which grew into cities. They invented tools to help them with farming. They even created musical instruments. God had made people pretty clever. Do you think many people remembered to thank God for making them able to create things? (Accept responses. Not many!) Not only did people forget to thank God, they also forgot to live his way. Just like Adam and Eve, they thought they knew better than God. They were proud and pleased with themselves for what they had achieved. They treated God as if he wasn t necessary in their lives. They decided what was good and bad and didn t want to hear what God had to say. Let s think back to the world God created. Encourage students to complete the sentence: God said everything he made was good. God wanted his world to be a good place to live. But let s hear what the Bible says it had become. Read Genesis 6:5-7 from a CEV Bible. Display the HOW flash card as you ask the question. HOW did God feel about the world he made now? (He was sad.) Display the WHY flash card as you ask the question. Why do you think God felt this way? (Accept responses. Everyone was choosing to do evil instead of good.) God did not make the world to be evil and he could not let it continue this way forever. But there was one man who still loved God and trusted God. His name was Noah and God had a plan to save Noah and his family and give the world a fresh start. Divide the class into three groups to help tell the story. Ask the first group to respond when they hear the words but Noah by saying who loved God and trusted God. Ask the second group to respond when they hear the words all the animals by making a variety of animal noises. Ask the third group to respond when they hear the word rain by tapping their hands on their thighs and the word water by saying splish splash. Practise the responses and ask students to listen carefully for their part. God told Noah (who loved God and trusted God) to build a boat, a giant wooden boat with lots of rooms inside. God explained exactly how big the boat should be. The ark was so big and there was no water anywhere near, so can you imagine what people might have said? (Accept responses.) But Noah (who loved God and trusted God) and his family kept building the ark just as God asked. Display the coloured poster of Noah constructing the ark or the Visual aid on page XX. 68 connect teacher s manual

4 It was enormous! But it needed to be big enough to fit a pair of all the animals birds and reptiles inside (animal noises). When the ark was finished, Noah (who loved God and trusted God) and his family collected pairs of animals (animal noises) and all the food they needed. Then they all went into the ark, just as God had asked. God shut the door of the ark and Noah (who loved God and trusted God), his family and all the animals (animal noises) waited inside. They waited and waited, then after seven days the rain (tapping hands) began to fall. More and more rain (tapping hands) until the water (splish splash) began to rise around the boat. The water (splish splash) rose higher and higher until there was so much water (splish splash) the ark floated away. But Noah (who loved God and trusted God), his family and the animals (animal noises) were safe inside. It rained and rained (tapping hands) for forty days and nights. The water (splish splash) rose high and higher until the whole earth was covered. Display the coloured poster of The ark on the water or the Visual aid on page XX. But Noah (who loved God and trusted God), his family and the animals (animal noises) were safe inside. Again they waited and waited inside the ark for the water (splish splash) to go down. For 300 days the ark floated over the earth with Noah (who loved God and trusted God), his family and the animals (animal noises) safe inside. Finally it came to rest near Mount Ararat and again they waited and waited inside the ark for the water (splish splash) to go down. When it was time for Noah (who loved God and trusted God), his family and the animals (animal noises) to leave the boat, what a relief it must have been! Display the coloured poster of Noah leaving the ark, if you have it. The first thing they did was to thank God for saving them from the great flood. God said, The world is having a new start. You and your family are to have lots of children and spread all over the world. God also gave Noah (who loved God and trusted God) a promise. We can read about this promise in Genesis 9: Invite a student to read Genesis 9:11 13 to the class from a CEV Bible.» Connections Noah (who loved God and trusted God) chose to live God s way and so God saved him. He had faith in God and his promises. This faith made him live God s way and he was part of God s fresh start for the world. The decision to live God s way is a choice that we need to make too. God calls us to put our trust in him. What has God given us to help us understand how to live his way? (Accept responses. The Bible) Display the pieces of the Memory verse and invite students to solve the puzzle. Distribute the puzzle pieces and Blu-Tack to the students so they can assemble the puzzle. God s way is good and perfect and that is the way God made the world to work. But even after this fresh start that God gave the world, people continued to live their own way and ignore God. Even Noah (who loved God and trusted God) did not always live God s way. But God had another rescue plan to save his people. Next week, we ll hear why Jesus is the one we need to trust so that we can be friends with God forever. Thank the students for their participation in the lesson. Distribute the Activity books and direct the students to page 7.» Concluding prayer Dear God, thank you that you care about your people and your world and that you have promised to save your people. Just like Noah, help us to put our trust in you. Thank you for sending Jesus. Please help us to have faith in Jesus as the one who saves us and helps us to live your way. Amen. 7 Lower primary 69

5 7» Taking it further Singing Noah (track 5): CEP Lower Primary CD. Supplementary songs are also included in Other resources at the start of the lesson. Remember the animals Invite the students to write the story of Noah and the flood from the perspective of one of the animals on the boat. Or Challenge the students to make up a word search using animal names. Arrange to have these word searches photocopied so that other students can complete them. Mt Ararat The boat came to rest on a mountain in the Ararat range. Mount Ararat is a mountain in modern Turkey. Find Mount Ararat in an atlas. Some archaeologists believe they have discovered the remains of Noah s boat on this mountain. Do you think this is possible? Give reasons for your answer. Animal game Before class, write out animal names onto strips of paper. One animal name should be written on each strip of paper. Each animal name should be written out twice. There should be one strip of paper for each student. In class, give out the animal names randomly. On go, the students must make their animal noise to find their partner. CD icon Music icon Boat blueprint Word icon Draw a plan or a blueprint of the boat you imagine God told Noah Maths to & build. Logic Label icon the rooms where the people and the animals would be accommodated. Body icon Modern Ark Space & Vision icon As a class Interpersonal collect pictures icon of animals that are endangered. Draw the outline of an ark and paste these pictures Self icon inside the ark. Around the ark list ways that people can help save these endangered species. Nature icon Wall hanging Bible Exploration icon Read Hebrews 11:7 to the students from a CEV Bible. Discuss what this verse means. How does someone please God? What are God s blessings for people today? Invite the students to make a wall hanging as a reminder of God s promise to care for his people. Begin by asking the students to cut out a variety of animals from magazine pages. Use these animals to form a border around a page. Inside this border draw an outline of a boat. On the boat, write out this verse with a dark marker pen.» Teacher reflections Were the students able to appreciate that Noah trusted God so much that he was prepared to do whatever God asked of him? Are the students actively participating in the lesson or are they easily distracted? What can I do to encourage enthusiastic participation?» For the next lesson You will need to prepare the letters T, S, O, L and the two sets of descriptions of Zacchaeus from the Visual aids on pages XX-XX. You will need a whiteboard and marker or a large sheet of paper to note responses during the Way in. 70 connect teacher s manual

6 2010 The purchaser of this manual is entitled to photocopy this page for classroom purposes. Lower primary 71

7 2010 The purchaser of this manual is entitled to photocopy this page for classroom purposes. 72 connect teacher s manual