YEA Lesson Library
God’s Promise
About This Lesson
This lesson teaches that God promised Abraham and Sarah many children. God kept His promise by giving them Isaac. The student can trust God to keep all of His promises.
Scriptures
Genesis 15:1-18
Genesis 15:6
Genesis 17:7-9
Genesis 18:1-15
Deuteronomy 7:9
Psalm 105:7-11
Galatians 3:8-9
Hebrews 6:13-15
Hebrews 11:11-12
Words to Know
BLAZED - burned brightly
WAITER - one who serves food in a restaurant
The Lesson
Has anyone ever made a promise to you, and then forgotten that promise? When you say that vou are going to do something, do you ever get busy and forget? When Mom says to pick up your toys do you ever get busy playing with them and forget?
There was a man in the Bible named Abram. God changed his name to Abraham. He made a promise to bless Abraham. God said that Abraham would be the father of many, many children. But, that was years ago. Abraham still didn't have any children!
Abraham thought God had forgotten.
Abraham and Sarah thought they would help God out. Sarah was getting too old to have babies. So, she gave Abraham one of her servants. Sarah said, "Maybe God wil give us a child by her." And, Hagar had a son. Abraham named him Ishmael. But this was not part of God's plan.
The day was hot and the air was dusty. The sun blazed in the sky. Abraham and Sarah sat in the shade of their tent. It was too warm to be out in the sun. They fanned themselves to try to stay cool. Abraham squinted - what was that in the distance? It looked like strangers coming toward them. Why would anyone be walking in the heat of the day? Abraham stood and went to meet the three men.
'The men were hot and dusty from their trip. Abraham called his servant to bring a pan of cool water. They could wash the dust from their faces and feet to help them cool off. Then Abraham asked them to stay for dinner.
Sarah went inside the tent to cook a nice meal for her guests. They would have fresh bread and butter to eat. There would be milk to drink. Abraham cooked the meat over an open fire. He wanted his guests to feel welcome.
Abraham and Sarah made a table under the shade of a tree. They spread out the meal. But, they didn't sit down. Instead, Abraham stood by waiting, like a waiter in a restaurant. Sarah went back to the tent.
Sarah heard the men talking to Abraham. These guests were not just men. They were messengers from God. They reminded Abraham of God's promise to bless him with many children and grandchildren. They said God had not forgotten His promise. Sarah would be the mother of a child.
Abraham was happy to hear the message from God. He was glad that God had not forgotten His promise. But, Sarah couldn't believe her ears. "Me, have a baby?" Sarah laughed quietly to herself. "I'm too old for that!'
Outside, the men asked Abraham why Sarah laughed. 'They hadn't heard her, but they knew. They said, "Is there anything too hard for the Lord?" They said that Sarah would have a son. And she did! They called his name Isaac, which means laughter.
God has made us many promises in the Bible. He promised that He would always be with us. We do not have to be afraid. He promised to take care of us. He promised to hear our prayers. God promised that one day we would live with Him forever. He will not forget His promises to us. We can count on Him!
Student Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
I'm glad that you kept your promise to Abraham and Sarah. Thank you for al of your promises to me. I know vou will
keep them, too.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Daily Devotions
Sunday - Hebrews 6:13-15
Monday - Genesis 15:3-5
Tuesday - Genesis 17:7-9
Wednesday - Psalm 105:7-11
Thursday - Hebrews 11:11-12
Friday - Deuteronomy 7:9
Saturday - Galatians 3:8-9
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, the children will be able to:
1. Identify the three messengers as being sent from God.
2. Tell what Sarah did when she heard what the messengers said.
3. Give the name of Sarah's son, and tell what his name means.
Topics & Themes
Abraham
Angels
Belief
Children
Chosen
God’s Plan
God’s Promises
Hagar
Isaac
Ishmael
Laugh
Obedience
Sarah
Tents
Trusting God
Materials Needed
Bible, YEA students' and teacher's books, attendance and memory verse chart, stars, music player and music tapes or CD, songbook, construction paper, glue, scissors, stapler, magazines, crayons, table and sheet or fabric
Preparation
It only takes one broken promise to erode a child's faith in someone they trusted. In our world of self-absorbed, career-minded adults, promises to children are often considered of little consequence. If some of your kids struggle to believe that God does keep all His promises, understand that they may have been disappointed in the past. Help reestablish their trust by emphasizing the character and attributes of God.
Before class, fill in the reminder on the back of the teacher's book. Include as the assignment for this book for the students to learn the 12 tribes ofIsrael to recite in ten weeks. They are Dan, Asher, Reuben, Judah, Issachar, Levi, Benjamin, Zebulun, Gad, Naphtali, Joseph, and Simeon. Repeat this assignment on weekly reminders.
Before the children arrive, build a tent by covering a table with a sheet or piece of fabric, allowing three sides to hang down to the floor. Leave one side open for a doorway.
How to Teach This Lesson
Spend time sharing and talking about promises. Ask the children to tell about a promise they have made to someone. Lead the discussion around to God's promises. Ask them to think of some of the promises that God has made to us. Ask: Does God keep His promises? Emphasize that we can trust God to keep His promises because God is so good and we know Him. We know that He does not lie. We know that He does what He says- we can count on Him. He loves us very much and wants the best for us. And, He has power to keep His promises!
God promised Abraham that he would become a great nation.Yet after years of waiting, Sarah still had no children. So Abraham took matters into his own hands - he became a father by Sarah’s servant. Hagar gave birth to Abraham's son, Ishmael. But, that was not part of God's plan. And because Abraham and Sarah ran ahead of God, there has been trouble among Abraham's people until this day. Ishmael's people are the Arab nations. Isaac's people are God's chosen people.They are called Israelites. Twelve tribes made up the nation ofIsrael. One of them was Judah. Judah is called Jews today. Both Jews and Arabs claim to own the land that God promised to Abraham because they were both his sons.
Seat the children inside the tent or in the doorway as you tell the story. Be descriptive and make the children “feel” the desert heat and fan to keep cool.
Tell the children to look all around them as if looking for someone. Abraham and Sarah didn’t recognize the three visitors at first, yet they treated them kindly. They didn't have an air-conditioned house to cool them off. Ask: What would you do to make these visitors feel comfortable? They provided them with water to cool and refresh the men. They worked hard to prepare a special meal, and Abraham waited on the table.
Even when Sarah heard the message that she would have a son, she didn't want to be rude. Ask: How did Sarah react? She laughed to herself instead of laughing out loud. Yet her laughter was heard. And the son that she gave birth to was named Isaac, which means laughter.
There were many times in the lives of Abraham and Sarah when they failed God. There were times when they questioned whether God's promise would ever be fulfilled. But God never failed Abraham and Sarah. God had a perfect plan. And even though it was 25 years from the time God promised to bless Abraham until Isaac was born, God kept His promise! And He will keep his promises to you and me! Ask: How can you show God that you believe He will keep His promises? (By doing what He tells us in His Word - obeying Him.)
Review Questions
1. Who do you think sent the visitors to Abraham and Sarah? Why?
2. What did Abraham and Sarah do to make the men comfortable?
3. Where was Sarah while Abraham and the men talked?
4. What message did the visitors bring to Abraham?
5. How did Sarah react?
6. Name some promises that God has made to you and me.
Teacher-Directed Activity
Give each child two pieces of construction paper. Fold the paper in half and staple together on the side to form a booklet. Have the kids cut out pictures from the magazines to show an old man and woman, their tent home, the meal, the three visitors and a baby boy. Glue the pictures inside the booklet to depict their Bible story in a modern setting. Details can be drawn in.
REACH Activity
1. Abram could have been afraid if his enemies wanted to get even. Ask: When have you ever been afraid? Have the children write a prayer asking God to help them when they are afraid. The kids can draw a circle or a shield, then write the prayer on one side, and “I am your shield, your very great reward,” on the other. Put the date on the back.
2. If possible, take everyone outside one clear night and gaze at the sky. If there are stars, start counting. Ask: How many did you count? God made Abram a promise. His family would be counted like stars, many in number! Ask: How many are in your family? Families are very important to God and He blesses us all. If you have a camera, let the kids take pictures of as many family members as they can. Or, have them draw their pictures. When pictures are finished, they should glue the pictures on a piece of paper and write kind words next to their family members. This is a special way to thank God for the blessing of their family.
3. Names are important. Let children look up the names Abraham, Sarah, and Isaac to find what they mean.
4. God told Abraham that they would have a son named Isaac. Ask: What does his name mean? What do you think his parents thought each time they called his name? Have children make a door hanger for their room, but instead of their name, they should write the meaning of their name on it. Let them decorate it with appropriate pictures or designs.
5. Have the children ask their parents why they named them what they did.
6. Theater under the Stars: With friends or family, let the kids write and put on a play of Genesis 18:1-15. You may decide to do it outside so you can pitch a tent. Make it as authentic as possible with costumes and by providing real food: water, meat, bread, etc.
7. Children can write an acrostic poem for P-R-O-M-I-S-E. They should define “promise” in the poem.
Note: Acrostic poem: Each letter of a word begins a line of the poem; i.e., in a “P-R-O-M-I-S-E” acrostic poem, “P” starts the first line, “R” starts the second line, “O” the third, etc.
8. Have kids list three promises they are glad their Mom and Dad kept.
9. Then they can list three promises that were hard for them to keep.
10. Promise Keeper: Children are to use their Bibles to make a list of Scriptures that specifically speak of God’s promises to us. For example, Genesis 9:8-17. Then they can choose their favorite and make a bookmark with that Scripture on it for each family member.
11. Promise Jar: Using their Bibles, let children write God’s promises to us on strips of paper. Fold them and put them in a coffee can or plastic jar. They can decorate it and label it “God’s Promises.” Put the jar in a special place. When they, a family member, or a friend, feels sad or tired, they can pull a “promise” from the jar/can and read it to them.
12. Ask: What promises has God given to us? Have children draw a rainbow and write one promise in each arc of color.
13. Sing that Tune: After reading the lesson, let the kids write a song about it to the tune of “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”
14. After reading the lesson, children can write down the most important facts on index cards. Tell them to write neatly. They should not number or put Scripture verses on the cards. Have them write at least eight to ten facts. Mix the cards. Pull out one and let them explain how it relates to the lesson. Mix the cards again. Then they can put them in the correct order.
Other Ideas:
The biography cards can be used in so many ways. They can eventually be kept in a file of Who’s Who in the Bible. Store in a plastic card file box. The cards can be separated by men and women of the Bible; people of the Old and New Testament; prophets; kings, etc. Cards can be used to record information on Bible foods, animals, and places. Cards come in different sizes and colors!
The biography cards can also be used as “note cards” for a future book about that person. Books come in all shapes and sizes, and are a very creative way for a young person to express themselves. Be sure to make an author’s page.
Cartography (making and drawing maps) is very interesting and fun for young children. Paper towel rolls will help keep the storage issue under control for small paper maps. For the study of one specific area, a floor map would be fun. Use a shower curtain instead of paper. Fold and store in a plastic zipper bag.
Dramatic play is an area children usually love. Save old shirts and belts, hats and scarves, and let them play dress up. Acting out a story makes it easier to remember as well as making a lesson more relevant to them.
Song
“Every Promise in the Book is Mine” is on page 15 of Kids Classics Collection.
Closing Prayer
Lead the children in prayer, thanking God for keeping His promise to Abraham and Sarah, and for keeping His promises to us.
Printable Pages
