YEA Lesson Library
A Wise Decision
About This Lesson
This lesson teaches that Josiah made a wise choice to follow God and celebrate the Passover. The student is given reasons why he should likewise celebrate the Passover every year.
Scriptures
Exodus 12:3
Exodus 12:12
Leviticus 23:5
Numbers 9:1-3
Deuteronomy 16:1
2 Kings 22
2 Kings 23
Matthew 26:2
Mark 14:1, 2
1 Corinthians 11:23-24
Words to Know
WISE - being able to make a good decision, knowing what is important and what is not
DECISION - act or process of making a choice
WISDOM - having the ability to make a good decision based on what is important
REPENT - to say you are sorry and stop doing that action
COMMEMORATE - to honor the memory of with a ceremony
The Lesson
"I wish I were a king," Shawn grumbled. “Then I wouldn't have to go to bed right now." Shawn was eight years old. He was older than his baby brother. But not old enough to stay up late with the adults. And tonight he really wanted to. He just knew he was missing something. But his mom had told him it was bedtime. So he was going to bed. But he didn't like it.
As Shawn pulled on his pajamas, he thought about what else he could do if he were king. He could wear the clothes he wanted to wear. He could eat what he wanted to eat. He would have the toys he always wanted to play with. He would get to decide what games he’d play. Oh, it would be so much fun to be king!
Shawn was so excited about the idea. He brushed his teeth and climbed into bed, still thinking about being king. Then his mom came up to tuck him into bed. Shawn told her, “You know, if I were king, I would not have to got o bed right now. I could stay up and hear what you are talking about tonight."
Shawn's mom sat on the bed. "Being king is not about you. It is not so you can get everything you want," she said. "It is about being a leader for a country. You have to make wise decisions for many people. A bad king thinks it is all about him. He only lives for himself. He thinks the people should all serve him. In Bible times, some kings were bad. But there were some good kings in the Bible too. King David was a good king.
"Even today, some countries have a king. A good king cares about the people. He wants to make the people happy. He tries to make good decisions. He knows that his decisions can make life better for the people. But he can also make a bad decision and make life worse for the people. How do you think he knows how to make a good decision?”
"He had to listen to his parents when he was little?" Shawn grumbled.
His mom laughed. She knew he still did not like the idea of going to bed. "Yes. He had to listen to his parents. But where do you think his wisdom came from?”
Shawn thought for a moment. "From God?”
"Yes," his mom agreed. "The best kings went to God and asked for His help in being king.
"So if I were king, I would still have to eat food that was good for me and still have to got o bed at the right time?"
"If you were a good and wise king, you'd want to do the right things, Shawn's mom agreed. "Sometimes that means eating what is good for you even if you don't like it. And sometimes you have to do things you do not like because it is the right thing to do. But sometimes you get to do something that is wonderful because it is the right thing to do. That's what happened when Josiah was made king when he was eight years old."
Josiah's father, Amon, was a bad king. He did not follow God's ways. He did not rule very long. Josiah's grandfather, Manasseh, was one of the worst kings Judah ever had. He built altars to false gods. He led the country away from worshiping God. He was evil. He ruled for a long time and the people didn't worship God the right way.
When Josiah became king, the Temple of God was falling apart. So he ordered that the Temple be repaired. When the workers started fixing the Temple, they found the Book of the Law. They took it to Josiah and read it to him. Josiah knew that the book they found was very important. He also knew that the whole country had sinned against God. Josiah went to God and repented.
Josiah tore down the altars his father and grandfather built. He got rid of the worship of false gods. He told the people to worship God the way He should be worshiped. He told them, "Celebrate the Passover to the LORD your God, a sit is written in this Book of the Covenant" (2 Kings 23:21).
Do you know what happened?"Not since the days of the judges who led Israel, nor throughout the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah, had any such Passover been observed” (2 Kings 23:22). The people had a Passover more joyful and wonderful than any since before King Saul and King David.
"Josiah did a wonderful thing when he was eight years old. He made a wise choice to serve God. He wanted to do things God's way. So he told the people to celebrate the Passover. We are to remember that God freed the Israelites from being Egyptian slaves. When the people celebrated God's Passover, it was wonderful," his mom said. "The people obeyed God and remembered what God had done for Israel. So God blessed them with a wonderful celebration. Today we celebrate the Passover and remember that Christ died to set us free from our sins. We make a promise each Passover to obey God. Celebrating the Passover is very important. You know, whether you are a king or not, you have to decide if you will celebrate the Passover. You have to do what is right and good. And one of the wise decisions you will make is celebrating God's Passover."
Student Prayer
Dear Father,
Thank you that theBook of the Law was found. Thank you that King Josiah got rid of false gods and told the people to worship you and celebrate the Passover.
In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen.
Daily Devotions
Sunday - Exodus 12:3
Monday - Exodus 12:12
Tuesday - Leviticus 23:5
Wednesday - Numbers 9:1-3
Thursday - Matthew26:2
Friday - Mark 14:1, 2
Saturday- 1Corinthians 11:23, 24
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
1. Say that Josiah was a wise king because he chose to follow God.
2. Tell that Josiah commanded the people to
celebrate the Passover.
3. Relate how that celebration was like none since the times of the judges.
4. Explain why we celebrate the Passover.
5. State that wise choices include following God, making choices that are good for you, and celebrating God’s holy days.
Topics & Themes
Choices
Follow God
God’s Law
Idols/Idolatry
Josiah
Obedience
Passover
Repentance
Temple
Wisdom
Materials Needed
Bible, YEA Students' and Teacher's books, attendance and memory verse charts, stars, songbook, CD, music player, building blocks, Legos or dominoes, enough 8" x 12" felt pieces for each student, dowel rods or straws, foam letters, glue, yarn, string or ribbon, dry erase board, markers
Preparation
Primaries are so visual. They love good storytelling. These teaching elements are most effective when the teacher is well prepared. Begin preparation early in the week. Let the lesson simmer in your thoughts all week. That way you'll be ready to make the best presentation possible. It'll also give you ample time to collect what you'll need for class.
Too often, we fail to teach our children what a joyous blessing God's holy days are. We should emphasize their meaning and importance while demonstrating they are true celebrations through our actions. These lessons will reinforce the idea that God's holy days are celebrations. Begin collecting a box of projects you or the students have made on/during each holy day. Each successive year, pull these projects out. Seeing them will remind the students of those lessons. For new students, they become a fascinating display. Find building blocks, Legos, or dominoes to take to class. As students arrive, greet them and ask them to help you build.
How to Teach This Lesson
Open the class with prayer then begin the lesson.
Building Blocks - Ask students how they like building and what is their favorite thing to build. Be prepared for answers that range from a parking garage and castle to a dinosaur and cheeseburger. Then ask: What would happen if you built
something in your living room and then left it for several days?Would pieces get knocked off? Would it begin to fall down?Would your little sister come along and destroy the whole thing? How would that make you feel?
Josiah and his family - Tell the story of Josiah. Explain how his father, Amon, and his grandfather, Manasseh, were very wicked kings.They did not obey God. In fact, they built altars to worship pagan, false gods and led the whole country of Judah away from God. Explain how the Temple of God, God's house, was not used and was allowed to fall into disrepair. When Josiah became king, he was only eight years old. He started work on rebuilding the Temple. In the process, the Book of the Law was found. It was taken before Josiah and read. Josiah tore his clothes and repented before God that Judah had not followed Him and obeyed His commands.
Celebrating the Passover - Say: One of the commands Josiah gave the people was to celebrate the Passover as it was commanded in the Book of the Law. He didn’t say “observe” or “keep.” He told them to celebrate. What does it mean to celebrate?
God’s Blessing - Tell the students that the people obeyed Josiah. They celebrated the Passover. 2 Kings 23:22 says, “Not since the days of the judges who led Israel, nor throughout the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah, had any such Passover been observed.” Ask: Can you think of a king? Wait for answers. Then tell them this scripture says that the Passover celebration was better than it had been even in the time of King David and King Solomon. Say: That’s pretty awesome! Because the people obeyed God and celebrated His holy days, the Bible says that the Passover was better than any since the time of the judges.
Why Celebrate the Passover? - Who can tell us why we celebrate the Passover? The Israelites were slaves in Egypt and God heard their cry. He wants us to celebrate the fact that He rescued His people every year. God's Son, Jesus, died for our sins on the Passover. He wants us to remember that event too by celebrating Passover every year. Celebrating these events will help us understand why we should promise to always obey Him.
Personalize - Say: You aren't a king or queen. You're not leading a country with your decisions. But God still expects you to celebrate His feasts. Notice what happened with Josiah. It wasn't just the king who celebrated. It was the whole country - all of the people celebrated. God's holy days are for you too — and God wants you to celebrate!
Brainstorm - with the students ways to celebrate God's feasts that are pleasing to Him. For example, singing songs of praise is appropriate; singing songs from popular artists may be fun, but may not celebrate God's holy days if they have nothing to do with God and His ways.
Review Questions
1. How old was Josiah when he became king of Judah?
2. What were Josiah's father, Amon, and grandfather, Mannaseh, like?
3. What happened to God's Temple during the times of Amon and Mannaseh?
4. As Josiah began rebuilding the Temple, what was found?
5. What was Josiah’s reaction when he heard the Book of the Law read to him?
6. What did Josiah command the people to do?
7. What description of this Passover celebration is given in 2 Kings 23:22?
8. Why should you celebrate the Passover?
Teacher-Directed Activity
Give each student alight, solid color, 8" x 12" piece of felt. Using stick-on foam letters, make a banner saying: Celebrate God's Feasts! Attach the peel and stick letters to the felt, roll the top edge over a dowel rod (Straws can be substituted for
dowel rods by scrunching one end of a straw into another straw). Glue the felt over the dowel rod (or straws). Tie yarn to the end of the rods to make a hanger.
REACH Activity
1. Concentration. Begin constructing a concentration game of God’s Holy Days. For this lesson, create four cards: Passover, King Josiah, Book of the Law found, Temple Repaired. Plan to add four more cards to go with the next lesson. Create an answer booklet too.
2. Family Tree. Create a chart showing King Josiah’s lineage, when each man began to reign and how long each was king. Josiah began reigning when he was 8 years old - and he reigned for 31 years. His father was King Amon. He was 22 years old when he became king, and he reigned for two years (2 Kings 21:19-26). He was a wicked king. Josiah’s grandfather was Manasseh - one of the most wicked kings in Judah’s history (2 Kings 21:1-18). Manasseh reigned for 55 years!! He was 12 when he began to reign. 2 Chronicles 33:1-20 describes how Assyria captured Manasseh and bound him with hooks and chains to Babylon (vs. 11) and how Manasseh repented and God brought him back to Jerusalem (vs. 13). Josiah’s great-grandfather was Hezekiah, who reigned in Judah for 29 years. He was 25 years old when he began to reign. (2 Kings 18-20). Note that Hezekiah’s mother’s name is mentioned (2 Kings 18:2); Manasseh’s mother’s name is mentioned (2 Kings 21:1); Amon’s mother’s name is mentioned (2 Kings 21:19); Josiah’s mother’s name is mentioned (2 Kings 22:1).
3. Reasons Why. Write an essay explaining why we celebrate the Passover today. Use at least three scriptures in your essay. Share it with you family. Then keep it in the “Holy Day” section of your Bible notebook.
4. Celebrate. What does it mean to celebrate? Does God want you to have fun on His Holy Days? Find three scriptures to support your answer. Share this with your family. Then come up with a family plan for celebrating God’s holy days. Put specific plans on the family calendar. Be intentional about making it happen so that God’s holy days are truly a celebration.
5. Quiz Time. Is there a right way and a wrong way to celebrate? Make up a quiz to give to your friend in Sabbath class. It can be a true-false quiz, i.e. 1) Staying up all night playing board games is a good way to celebrate the Passover; 2) Making unleavened bread with Mom is a good way to celebrate the Passover; 3) Taking a long walk and looking at all the spring blooms is a good way to celebrate the Passover. Anything that points you back to God, anything that causes you to be thankful for what He has done, anything that causes you to praise Him and think about what He’s doing in your life - any of those kinds of celebratory things are very good. Anything that doesn’t have anything to do with God, something that is just about you, those are probably not the best choice. Be mindful of what you choose to do.
6. Commandments. What does God say we should do for the Passover? Why? What do these things mean? Are we supposed to sacrifice a lamb like they did in 2 Kings and in Exodus 12 - 14? Why or why not? Write down your thoughts in your Bible notebook. Then talk about it at supper with your family Friday night.
7. Josiah’s Reasons. King Josiah lived a long time after the Exodus from Egypt. Some scholars think it was even 800 years! Why would King Josiah keep the Passover? Why would God want him to keep the Passover? (Hint: 2 Kings 23:21; Leviticus 23:4-5) Write about this in your Bible notebook.
8. Drawing. Draw a before and after picture of the Temple. Divide an 18 x 12 piece of drawing paper in half. On the left side, draw a depiction of the Temple and its disrepair; on the right side, draw a depiction of it once it was all cleaned up. Use the description in 2 Kings 22 to give you some inspiration.
9. Cleaning Up Our Lives. If we are the temple of the living God (2 Corinthians 6:16), and we are, is there a principle that we should be applying to our lives prior to celebrating Passover? Are there other scriptures which point to cleaning up our lives (2 Corinthians 6:17-7:1; 1 Corinthians 5:6-8)? Think about this. Write a prayer to God asking Him to show you what changes you need to make?
10. Sing: From the CEM Hymnal: “He Keeps Me Singing” on page 38 and “In My Heart There Rings a Melody” on page 127;
From Kids Classics Collection: “Come and Go With Me” on page 85, “I Will Sing of the Mercies of the Lord Forever” on page 17, “Jesus Bids Us Shine” on page 37.
From The Group Songbook: “I Will Celebrate” on page 49.
11. Banner. Design a banner to encourage others to celebrate God’s holy days. Use an 18 x 12 piece of drawing paper. Include the lyrics from a song/hymn about celebrating God’s holy days. (You can use REACH #10 sings if you wish.) Use your favorite coloring tools to add bright colors. Remember to fold over the top portion of the paper. Tape the fold on the back so you can slide a dowel rod through the sleeve; then you can hang the banner for others to see.
12. Sword Drill. Do a sword drill with the daily devotionals. (Read the Scripture reference to the child. Then start the timer. When the child has found the verse, stop the timer. Read the verse and talk about how it relates to the lesson. Challenge the child to see how quickly he/she can find each of the verses in the Bible.)
13. Reader’s Theatre. Do a Reader’s Theatre presentation of 2 Kings 22 - 23. Write out the script with your friends. Choose parts. Practice. Then present your Reader’s Theatre presentation during the Night To Be Much Observed or during the Days of Unleavened Bread. (Reader’s Theatre defined: In reader's theater, students “perform” by reading scripts created from grade-level books or stories. Usually they do so without costumes or props. Reader's theater is a strategy that combines reading practice and performing.)
14. Celebrate Scriptures. Look up celebrate in the concordance. Find three scriptures that talk about celebrating. Write them down in your Bible notebook.
15. Grocery Store. Did you know that the Bible says there’s not supposed to be any leavening on your property? (Deuteronomy 16:4) Can you imagine how empty the grocery store would look if there was no leavening during the Days of Unleavened Bread. Make a list of things that would be gone.
Song
"If You're Happy' is on page 47 of Kids Classics Collection.
Closing Prayer
Lead the students in prayer thanking God for the Passover and what it mean to us. Ask for His help in making a promise each Passover to keep His Law and to honor His Son, Jesus Christ.
Printable Pages
