YEA Lesson Library
I’m Lonely Still
About This Lesson
This lesson details the creation of man in God’s image. After Adam was created, Eve was formed out of one of Adam’s ribs.
Scriptures
Genesis 1:26-28
Genesis 2:4-25
Genesis 5:1-2
Psalm 8:1-9
Psalm 8:3-5
Psalm 139:13-17
2 Corinthians 3:18
Colossians 1:12-16
Words to Know
MAN - the human race, men and women
REPRODUCE - when animals have babies or plants make seeds
EXTINCT - no longer living. No animal or plant of that kind is still alive anywhere.
ORIGINALLY- at first
The Lesson
Have you ever finished a project for school and then thought, "It needs something else?" God created the universe. He created light, the sky, the sun, moon, and stars, and all plants and animals. But He wasn't quite finished with His creation. There was still something missing on the sixth day that was very much a part of what He wanted to do. He said,”Let us make a man - someone like ourselves, to be the master of all life upon the earth and in the skies and in the seas. So God made man like his Maker" (Genesis 1:26, 27 NIrV Kids Devotional Bible). God formed this man whom He called Adam, from the very dust of the ground. Then He breathed the breath of life into him. Adam became a living human being.
God brought all of the animals and birds to Adam for him to give them a name. But among all these animals there was not a suitable helper for Adam. God didn't even consider a dog to be a suitable helper, even though we call a dog "man's best friend!" God said that it wasn't good for man to be alone, and He would make him a helper.
To do this God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep. And while he was sleeping, God took out one of Adam's ribs and closed his side back up. God then formed a woman from Adam's rib. She wasn't made from the dust of the ground like Adam was. Adam now had a wife - "she was called 'woman' because she was taken out of a man. That's why a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife.The two of them will become one" (Geneses 2:24 NIrV Kid's Devotional Bible).
God put Adam in the beautiful Garden of Eden for him to live there and take care of it. It was full of trees that God had planted. He could eat the fruit from all of those trees except one. God gave Him a command. He said, "You can eat the fruit of any tree that is in the garden. But you must not eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die" (Genesis 2:16-17).
God created many incredible plants and animals, but there was something special about man. Genesis 1:26 says, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness." Hey! God didn't say that about any of the rest of His creation. Think how important you are to be made in the image of God! What does that mean? It means that, from the very beginning, man was meant to someday be part of the family of God. After all, the animals and plants all reproduced after their kind. That’s what God was doing too. He was making man after Himself. What does that mean? How are we like God? We have the ability to think and reason - and that's something that the animals can't do in the same way that we can. Another part of being made in the image of God is the ability to create. Oh, we can't create great things or give life, but we invent cars and computers and telephones.
Those are all pretty complicated. But just consider being able to do a little of what God has done! Think about the wisdom and love God had just shown in creating the universe. God intended that man would someday have that kind of wisdom and love too. That's another part of what being created in His image means.
There's something else for you to learn here in verse 26. It says, "Let us!" "Us" means more than one, right? Who is the "us"? Wasn't it just God who created the universe? It was God - the God family. God the Father created our world through the One who would become his Son, Jesus Christ, and they created us to be made in Their image. This is very important for you to understand. Jesus Christ, the One who came and died for our sins, was our Creator too.
One more thing that God said when they created man: "Let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." Psalm 8:6-8 says, “You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the sea." God intended that man would be in control of our world. That's exciting! But it’s pretty serious as well. Think about how we’ve taken care of it. Look around you in the cities and in the country. Too often we've made a mess of it. We've made so much of God's beautiful creation ugly. We've hurt some animals and caused others to become extinct. We've put pavement and concrete over so much of the land that we're affecting water, the weather, plants and animals, and ourselves. And if that isn't enough, now we've started rocketing our trash into space to get rid of it. Really! If you went for a short trip in a space shuttle, you might run into garbage. This is not the way God intended that we take care of the beautiful world He created.
God intended that all of the plants and animals multiply. God told man and woman to "be fruitful and multiply." God wanted them to have children. The neatest part about that is knowing that God wants us all to be His children! When you think about all of creation and what God has made for us, it makes us very thankful to God for what He has done! "I think about the heavens. I think about what your fingers have created. I think about the moon and stars that you have set in place. What is a human being that you think about him? What is a son of man that you take care of him? You have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings. You placed on him a crown of glory and honor" (Psalm 8:3-5 NIrV Kid's Devotional Bible). What an awesome God and Creator!
Student Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for creating mankind in your image, giving him the earth and animals to rule over, and hope of being your children. Help us to wisely live on this earth and care for it as you intended.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Daily Devotions
Sunday - Genesis 1:26-28
Monday - Psalm 8: 1-6
Tuesday - Colossians 1:12-16
Wednesday - Psalm 139:13-17
Thursday - Genesis 2:4-7
Friday - Genesis 5: 1-2
Saturday - 2 Corinthians 3:18
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
1. Identify God the Father and Jesus Christ as Co-Creators of the universe.
2. State that mankind was created on Day Six.
3. Relate that God gave man dominion over the earth, plants and animals.
4. Explain that man was made in the image of God.
5. Differentiate between Adam and Eve’s creation.
6. Explain why God created Eve.
Topics & Themes
Adam and Eve
Creation
Creator
Dominion Mandate
Garden of Eden
God’s Family
God’s Law
God’s Plan
Helpmate
Marriage
Tree of Knowledge of Good/Evil
Materials Needed
Bible, YEA students and teacher's books, Creation Concentration game, pencils, markers, crayons, jigsaw puzzle pieces from Lesson One, songbook, cassette tape/CD and player, attendance and memory verse charts, stickers
Preparation
Prior to class, make a Creation Concentration game using at least 14 cards and as many as 36 blank index cards. Leave one side blank. You may want to decorate one side with animal stickers. If you do, make sure each card is decorated exactly the same - like a deck of cards.) On the other side, write the events of creation and the days of creation. For instance, "Day One" and "Light"would be the two cards which match. Here's a list of suggested pairs: (The items for each day can be combined onto one card if you want a smaller deck.) Day One - Light; Day Two- Sky; Day Three- Land; Day Three - Seed-bearing trees and plants; Day Four - Sun; Day Four - Moon; Day Four - Stars; Day Five - Birds; Day Five - Sea creatures; Day Six - Wild animals; Day Six - Livestock; Day Six - Creatures that move along the ground; Day Six - Adam; Day Six - Eve; Day Six - Adam named the animals; Day Six - "Let us create man in our image"; Day Six - "Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." Psalm8:3- 5: "I think about the heavens. I think about what your fingers have created. I think about the moon and stars that you have set in place. What is a human being that you think about him? What is a son of man that you take care of him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings. You've placed on him a crown of glory and honor." You'll use this concentration game for the activity during class.
How to Teach This Lesson
Events of creation - review what was made each day. Then ask: What else is there in our world that we haven't talked about God creating? (mankind) Discuss how "man" means more than just men.
Creating a helper - God said it was not good for man to be alone. So what did He do? (He looked for a suitable helper, then He created Eve) Ask: How was creating Eve different from the way God created Adam?
Created in the image of God - Ask the students what that means. Discuss how God was creating a family for Himself.
Creator - Ask: Who created the world? Both God the Father and Jesus Christ. How do we know that both were involved? Read Genesis 1:26. (Note also: Hebrews 1:2, John 1:3.)
Dominion over the creation - What special things did God give man to do? (Care for the Garden of Eden, name the animals, rule over creation) Have a student read Genesis 1:28-30 and Genesis 2:19-20. Ask: How does that apply to today?
Our response - Ask: You have thought about how great God is and the wonderful things He has created. How do you feel knowing that God created mankind to be part of His family? What should we do to express our thanksgiving to Him? This is a good time to have students recite their memory verses.
Review Questions
1. Who created the universe?
2. Why does it say "Let us create man in our image?"
3. On what day was mankind created?
4. Who did God put in charge of al the animals?
5. What was the first thing Adam did with the animals? (name them!)
6. What does it mean "made in the image of God?"
7. How was Adam created?
8. What was different about the way God created Eve?
9. Why did God create Eve?
Teacher-Directed Activity
Creation Concentration: (See preparation for how to make cards.) Lay the cards out on a table or the floor with the blank or decorated side up. The students should take turns trying to find a match. If a match is found, the student may try to find another match. If a match is not found, the card must be laid back down in the same place, and the next student takes a turn. The student who ends up with the most cards, when all the cards have been matched, wins. If time allows, shuffle the cards and play again.
Encourage the students to finish their jigsaw puzzle piece, number six, from last week's lesson, as well as any additional pieces that they did not finish decorating last week. The students will complete their puzzle pieces next week.
REACH Activity
Word Study
In your memory verse, the word “mindful” comes from a Hebrew word, zakhar. It means to remember. (Source: Zodiates’ Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible, p. 1609.)
The psalmist had it right! When you think about the mighty power of God and how great He is, it is amazing and humbling to think that He even remembers us! But He does remember us! And even more, He wants a relationship with each one of us. He doesn’t want slaves. He doesn’t just want servants. He offers each one of us a place in His family. He invites us to be called His children.
Did You Know?
The name Eden may have come from one of two different places: The Sumerian word eden means “steppe” or “open field.” In the Semitic language, eden means “luxury” or “delight.” (Source: NIV Archaeological Study Bible, p. 6.) Regardless, the exact location of the Garden of Eden is unknown. But we know it was beautiful!
Back to the Bible
Psalm 104 gives a concise description of God and His creation. Take time to read this psalm and think about how it applies to what you have learned about the days of creation. There is no authorship given for this psalm, but it seems pretty clear that he appreciates God’s creation. His praise is evident in each verse. A psalm is actually a song. What better way to praise and worship God our Creator for each of his creations than through song! Surrounded by God’s world, perhaps this psalmist could find no other way to express and share his joy! Maybe he took the time to meditate on each day of creation and was describing it both for himself and perhaps a friend or two. It’s easy to take for granted what we see and have each day. Plan a day to watch the sun rise and set, and write your own psalm or observation in your Bible journal. Then, like the psalmist who wrote Psalm 104, you will be demonstrating your love and appreciation for the wonderful world God has created for us!
Just Toolin’ Around
“Fearfully and wonderfully made” is how David described himself as a creation of God. How would you describe yourself as one of God’s creations? Well, you are just as fearfully and wonderfully made as David! Are you surprised? And do you wonder what it means? Use Bible reference tools to find the meaning of “fearfully” and “wonderfully.” Write the meanings in your Bible journal. Then, write your name into Psalm 139:14. For example, “Mary praises you because she is fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful. Mary knows that full well.”
Stretch It Out
Now that you have finished your reading of Genesis 1-2, can you think of another title for this lesson? Brainstorm a list of possible titles. Narrow it down to your favorite two or three and share them with your class or family. Which titles do they like best? Discuss and defend your choices by using Scripture verses from your lesson and reading of Genesis 1-2.
Music Notes
Have you studied the body in school? Have you been amazed at how all the parts of your body work together perfectly? God did that. He is the Creator. But it’s only when we acknowledge Jesus Christ as our Savior that God becomes our Lord and Father. There’s a song in the CEM Hymnal on page 167, “Dear Lord and Father of Mankind.” As you read the words, think about God as both Creator and Father. He wants a relationship with you.
John Greenleaf Whittier never intended for his words to become a hymn. Rather, they began as a long poem entitled “The Brewing of Soma.” Soma is an intoxicating drink brewed in a Hindu sect as a part of religious rites. Once imbibed, the drinkers were said to have reached an ecstatic state, dancing and twirling, shouting and chanting in an emotional frenzy. Whittier saw the revivalist meetings near his home in 1872 in the same light as these Hindu rites. They both offended his Quaker temperament. He felt it much more appropriate to seek God through the quiet inward communication of prayer and silent meditation, as practiced by his Quaker congregation.
Because Quaker services do not include music, Whittier did not feel as if he knew enough about music to write a good hymn. In fact, he said, “A good hymn is the best use to which poetry can be devoted, but I do not claim that I have succeeded in composing one.” (Source: Hymns of Faith and Inspiration, Pamela J. Kennedy, pp. 8-9.)
Journal Jot
If you were going to write a letter to God today, what would you say? Start your letter as Whittier started his poem: “Dear Lord and Father of Mankind.” Then write down what is on your mind and in your heart.
Questions?
Reminds the child to write down (in their Bible journal) questions they may have as they are doing the activities, working through the lesson, or reading the Daily Devotionals.
Song
"He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" is on page 54 of Kids Classics Collection.
Closing Prayer
Lead the students in a prayer thanking God for creating man in His own image.
Printable Pages
