A Bride for Isaac

Genesis 24-25

When Isaac grew up, his father, Abraham, wanted him to get married.  Abraham told one of his servants, “Go to my homeland.  There you will find the perfect bride for Isaac.”

So Abraham sent the servant on his way with ten camels and a lot of jewelry and clothes.  They were gifts for Isaac’s new bride.

The servant reached Abraham’s homeland.  He stopped by a well and prayed, “Dear God, please show me the woman you have chosen for Isaac. 

I will know she is the one if she offers water to me and my camels.”

Before he finished praying, a young woman with a jar walked toward the well.  After she filled her jar, the servant asked her for a drink.  She gave him a drink.  Then she gave water to his camels.  She was the answer to his prayer!  Her name was Rebekah.

The servant gave her the gifts, and they went to meet her father.  The servant asked for his permission to take Rebekah to Isaac.  Rebekah told the servant she would be happy to go.

When Isaac saw Rebekah, he fell in love with her.  Soon, they got married.  Isaac and Rebekah had twin boys named Esau and Jacob.

Discussion Questions

• What did Abraham want for Isaac?  He wanted him to get married.

• How did Abraham help Isaac meet his wife? He sent his servant to his homeland with ten camels and gifts for Isaac’s future bride.

• Once the servant arrived what did he do?   He stopped at a well and prayed for God to show him the woman he had chosen for Isaac.

• How will the servant know it is the right bride for Isaac?  She will offer water to him and his camels.

• Before he was done praying what happened? A woman walked toward the well and gave water to him and his camels.

Prayer

Dear God, thank you for this story.  May we always pray for our future and follow your lead for our lives.  Amen 

Memory Verse

“Do not be afraid, for  I am with you.”   Genesis 26:24

Craft:  Necklace or Bracelet

Use items in your house to make jewelry.  You can use pipe cleaners, ribbons, or yarn to hold the jewels.  For the jewels you can use pasta or beads….get creative!

Activity:  Camels

Supplies:  Brown paper bags or brown construction paper, scissors, cloths pins, google eyes, brown marker, and glue.

Instructions:  Sketch a camel on the paper, cut it out, glue eyes on, and draw mouth with brown marker.  While the glue dries, color the cloths pins with brown marker.  

While you are helping your child with the project talk about how the camels are incorporated into the story.

Abraham, Sarah and the Visitors

Genesis 17-18

One hot day, Abraham was resting near his tent.  He heard footsteps.  Three men were standing nearby.  Abraham went out to greet him.  “Would you like to rest in the shade?  We have plenty of cool water to drink.  Can I get you something to eat?”

Abraham told Sarah about the visitors.  He asked her to make a tasty meal.  

While they were eating, three visitors shared some exciting news.  They said, “Your wife is going to have a son.”

Sarah heard what they said.  She laughed, thinking, I am too old.  God asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh?  Anything is possible with the Lord.”

Sure enough, the next year, Sarah had a baby boy.  They named him Isaac.

Discussion Questions

• Who visited Abraham?  Three men

• What was the message they had for Abraham and Sarah? They told them they would have a baby boy.

• What was Sarah’s reaction?   She laughed and laughed because she thought she was too old.

• Is anything possible with God? Yes!

• What did they name the baby?  Isaac

Prayer

Dear God, 

Thank you for this amazing story of Abraham and Sarah.  May we always remember to be patient and wait on your timing.  We thank you for the plans you have in our lives.  Amen 

Memory Verse

“Do not be afraid, for  I am with you.”   Genesis 26:24

Song:   Father Abraham

Father Abraham

Had many sons

Many sons had Father Abraham 

I am one of them

And so are you

So let’s just praise the Lord

Right arm (while you repeat the song, swing your right arm)

When you get to the end say each body part that you have already sang and add a new one)

Left arm

Right foot

Left foot

Nod your head

Turn around

Sit down – when you get here...you are finished!

Activity: Tent Time

Let children cover a table with sheets or blankets and have part of their class under the table in the new tent. Talk about the Bible story and children can quote Bible verses about God's love and caring for them.

The Tall Tower

The Tall Tower - Genesis 11

After the flood, everyone spoke the same language.  One word meant “hello.”  One word meant “Mom,” and one word meant “Dad.”

The people said, “If we work together, we can do anything.  Let’s build a tower that goes all the way up to heaven.  Then everyone will see how great we are!”

The people worked on their tower.  They built it taller and taller.  They began to brag.  God did not like the way they were acting.

It was as if they no longer needed him.

So God mixed up their language.  When they tried to talk to each other, it sounded like “babble.”  Everyone was confused!

Then God scattered the people all over the earth.  They had to stop building their tower.  From then on, the tower was called “Babel.”

Discussion Questions

• What did the people work together to build?  A tall tower
• Did they want to build it all the way to heave? Yes
• They built it taller and taller and began to brag.  Did that make God happy?   No, God was very sad.
• God did not like the way they were bragging and acting like they didn’t need Him.  What did He do? God mixed up their language.  It sounded like “babble” and everyone was confused.

Prayer

Dear God,  thank you for the story of the tall tower.  Please help us to always remember to not brag on ourselves but to give all the glory to you.  Amen 

Memory Verse

“Do not be afraid, for  I am with you.”   Genesis 26:24

Crafty Snacks:

Ingredients:

 • your favorite crackers

 • peanut butter or marshmallow cream

Directions:    Tower of Babel--build a tower with using graham crackers.  To hold your crackers together use peanut butter or marshmallow cream.

Activity:

Use several styrofoam cups (or any cups that are the same size) and stack them making a pyramid.  With each cup that is added try to learn a new word to say hello!  Discuss with your children that after the flood everyone spoke the same language but once the people began acting like they didn’t need God he mixed up their language to sound like babble.

Noah’s Ark - Genesis 6 - 9

Noah’s Ark - Genesis 6 - 9

After Adam and Eve left the garden, many people were born.  

The people kept doing bad things, and they forgot about God.

Except Noah.  Noah loved God.

God was sad that everyone but Noah forgot about him.

He told Noah about his plan to start over.  “Make yourself an ark,” God said. “Here’s how.”  So Noah and his family began working on the ark.

When it was done, God said, “Take your family and two of every animal into the ark.” Animals creeped, crawled, hopped and galloped onto Noah’s new boat.

After everyone was inside, the rain began to fall.  And fall.  And fall.  The ark rocked this way and that way on the rising water.

Finally, the rain stopped.  Water covered everything!  Everyone inside the ark was safe.  Noah and his family were very happy.

One day, Noah sent a dove to find land.  It flew and flew but never found any.  So it came back.  One week later, Noah sent the dove out again.  This time it brought him an olive leaf.  Noah cheered, “It must have found land!”

The ark finally came to rest on top of a mountain.  God told Noah to leave the ark.  Noah and his family praised God.  God put a beautiful rainbow in the sky.  It was a sign of his promise to never flood the whole earth again.

Discussion Questions

• Why was God sad?  Everyone except Noah forgot about God.
• What did God ask Noah to do? Build an ark
• Who did God want on the ark?   Noah’s family and two of every animal.
• It rained and rained until water covered everything.  How did they know they could come out of the ark? They sent a dove out to find dry land.  When it returned with an olive leaf they knew it was safe to leave.

Prayer

Dear God, 

Thank you for the story of Noah’s Ark. and the promise of the rainbow, that you will never flood the whole earth again.  Help us to follow your ways.  Amen 

Memory Verse

“Do not be afraid, for  I am with you.”   Genesis 26:24

Experiment: Catching a Rainbow Indoors 

Materials:

Clear glass or medium size clear jar
Water
Window Sill
Bright sunlight
White paper
Watercolor paints or crayons 

1.   Fill a glass or clear jar with water to the top. 

2.   Set the glass or jar on the window sill in bright sunlight.        

3.   The glass or jar should stick out over the ledge just a little bit. 

4.   Place a white piece of paper on the floor in front of the window 

(tape together 2 pieces to form a poster size and obtain a bigger rainbow image). 

5. A rainbow will be reflected on the paper. This will greatly depend on how bright the

sunlight is and the positioning of the class jar, so move the jar side to side on the window

sill to help the process until you see the rainbow reflected on the paper.    

6. Quickly draw lines to capture the rainbow on the piece of paper; your child can paint

 directly on the paper on the floor as the rainbow is reflected there.