Helping children understand the concept and importance of covenant, how God is the ultimate covenant keeper, and encourage them to be COVENANT KEEPERS with him.
“Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands." Deuteronomy 7:9 NIV
Overview
Through this unit the children will learn about the concept and importance of covenant – an agreement (usually formal) that is like a promise between two or more people to do or not do something. More specifically they will learn about being COVENANT KEEPERS. The Bible teaches that God is a faithful God who keeps his covenants and expects people to do the same. Throughout history he has made covenants with different people, and groups of people, for different reasons, and for different things. Even though all people make mistakes and do not always keep their covenant promises, God is faithful and always keeps his covenants. This five lesson unit tells the stories of key Biblical figures from the Old Testament (Noah, Abraham, Isaac & Jacob, Joseph, Moses and Joshua) and their experiences with God’s covenant promises. Each lesson stresses his faithfulness in spite of the failure on the part of the people who made the covenants with him. The unit ends with a lesson about the final new and better covenant between God and all people that was made possible by the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross. Finally, they will be encouraged to live as COVENANT KEEPERS themselves as they grow to become the men and women of God he has called them to be.
Unit at a Glance
Lesson #1 — “Noah”
Going Against the Flow - Genesis 6-9
Some time after God created the earth and everything in it the wickedness and evil of the people became so great because of sin, that he sent a flood to destroy all life on earth. There was one man named Noah who was a godly man and with whom God made a covenant to save him and his family, and two of every kind of animal. After the flood God used the rainbow as a symbol of him being a COVENANT KEEPER and his promise to never destroy the earth with a flood again, just as Noah had shown himself to be a COVENANT KEEPER by obeying God with the ARK and animals.
Lesson #2 — “Abraham”
Believing in Spite of Not Seeing - Genesis 12-22
Many years after the time of Noah people had spread out all across the Earth. There was a man named Abram who was a godly man and who God chose to make a special covenant with. Abram was to travel to a land where he had never been and God would make his family into a great nation that would bring blessing to all the families of the earth. Abram believed God for this covenant, in spite of the fact that he and his wife did not have any kids of their own, and God changed his name to Abraham. God showed himself to be a COVENANT KEEPER when Abraham had a son, and Abraham showed himself to be a COVENANT KEEPER when he was willing to give up that son out of love for God.
Lesson #3 — “Isaac & Jacob”
Commitment Through Generations - Genesis 23-36
Abraham’s son Isaac, Isaac’s son Jacob, both lived their lives under the same covenant as Abraham, and God blessed their lives because of it too. They represent three generations of God’s commitment to his covenant. God brought Isaac a wife named Rebecca and then they had twin boys named Jacob and Esau. Isaac and Jacob lived their lives and raised their families under the great blessing of God, and God reminded them of his covenant promises. God showed himself to be a COVENANT KEEPER by being committed to his covenant promises through generations, and Isaac & Jacob showed themselves to be COVENANT KEEPERS when they believed God as Abraham had.
Lesson #4 — “Joseph”
Trust in God’s Plan - Genesis 37-50
Jacob had a large family with twelve sons and God’s covenant was passed on to all of them through him. God used one of the brothers named Joseph, and the trouble between him and the rest of the brothers, to save the entire family during a great famine. Through a series of amazing and difficult circumstances God placed Joseph into a position to eventually help, not only his own family, but also many, many more and Joseph never let go of his trust in God and in his plan. God showed himself to be a COVENANT KEEPER by leading and guiding Joseph to be in a position to save his family, and Joseph showed himself to be a COVENANT KEEPER when he trusted in God’s plan.
Lesson #5 — “Moses”
Following Day by Day - Exodus and beyond
Many years after God saved Jacob’s entire family, his descendants who are now called Israelites, found their safe and comfortable stay in Egypt eventually ending and they became a nation of slaves. God saw their suffering and remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and called a man named Moses to lead them out of slavery to the Promised Land. Along the way God instructed Moses to teach the people how to obey him and follow him day by day. God showed himself to be a COVENANT KEEPER by remembering his covenant and calling Moses to lead them out, and Moses showed himself to be a COVENANT KEEPER by teaching the people to obey God and follow him day by day.
Lesson #6 — “Joshua”
Choosing to Follow and Serve - Joshua 1-24
While Moses was the one who led the people of Israel TO the Promised Land, it was the leader after him, Joshua, who led the people INTO the Promised Land. God kept his covenant promise with the people, made first with Abraham many years before, by giving the land to them as he promised. Near the end of his life, Joshua made the people choose whether they would continue to follow and serve God faithfully or not. God showed himself to be a COVENANT KEEPER by giving them the land he had promised long before, and Joshua showed himself to be a COVENANT KEEPER by leading the people into the Promised Land and then making them choose to continue to follow and serve God faithfully.
Lesson #7 — “Jesus”
A New and Better Way - Hebrews 8
In all of the covenants God made with people he saw how hard it was for them to be faithful in their covenant promises to him. He understood that no one really could keep their covenant agreements so he decided to make up A NEW AND BETTER WAY to make a covenant, where he would take care of both sides of the agreement once and for all. This new and better covenant is available to everyone in the whole world and he does all the work on both sides of the agreement. This makes it possible for everyone to be a COVENANT KEEPER and all they had to do was believe and trust him. God showed himself to be the ultimate COVENANT KEEPER by providing a guaranteed way for all people to enter into covenant with him through Jesus.
This product was added to our catalog on Thursday 08 January, 2009.
