Get Ready!
God's people were still far from the promised land. Many were captives. Some lived in Babylon. Some in Persia.
But God was with them. He allowed some of His people to be advisors to the kings who ruled over them. Daniel was second in command during much of this time. One of David's children's children ate at the same table as the king of Babylon! Later, Nehemiah would serve as the cup bearer to the king in Persia. And, after the events of our story today, Esther would become the queen! Through her actions, God would save all of the people. Then, Mordecai would become the second in command of the whole kingdom.
Clearly, God did not stop loving His people. God had planned all along to care for them, even while they were away from the promised land. Even though they had rebelled against God, God's people realized that they were made to love Him!
If you have followed Jesus, the same is true for you! Before you were born, you were formed by the hands of your Creator. You were formed in the image of God to love Him!
Intro
God's people were going back to the promised land! It wasn't going to be easy, but God was going to provide for them in amazing ways at every step.
Watch Today's Lesson: "Get Ready"
God never gives up on His people!
Read the Story for Yourself!
Nehemiah 8
Take a sec to read the story directly from God's Word! You can find it in Nehemiah 8.
A great way to read it is in the International Children's BIble (ICB) translation. It's a simple and accurate Bible translation designed for kids. Adults, like me, like it too!
Click here to read Nehemiah 8 in the ICB on Bible Gateway.
Click here to buy the same ICB Prayer Bible that I use to prep for lessons!
QUIZ TIME!
Extra Time
As Ezra and Nehemiah spoke to the people, they grew super sad. But, instead, Nehemiah told the people...
Verse for the Week
"Salvation comes from the Lord."
Jonah 2:9
Sample Prayer
Father God, You never give up on Your people. You did amazing things to help Your people when they returned home. Would You help me follow You all the days of my life?
AMEN
Review Activity
Click the button below to access the review activity for this week's lesson. It might be a good idea to print this out and complete it mid-week to help remember the lesson!
God never gives up on His people!
God helped His people as they returned home through kings, as well as through Ezra and Nehemiah. He showed them how to follow Him again.
But God was not done working for the good of His people. The time had almost come for the greatest of rescuers. This would be the King promised from the garden of Eden. The King who would be one of David's children's children. He would come to save His people. One day, He would wipe away every tear from every eye. This would be the one every story in Bible points toward.
After all, the Bible is about this rescuer. It's a map that leads us to one thing! It leads us to Jesus.