Always be honest
key words
biblical reference
Genesis 31:1-35; Exodus 20:4, 15-16
memory verse
“Obey the Lord your God and follow his commands and decrees that I give you today” (Deuteronomy 27:10, NIV*).
lesson objective
To help children understand why it is important not to lie and to faithfully tell the truth.
prepare yourself to teach
Genesis 31:1-35. The story of Rachel and Leah is full of envy and jealousy. They were sisters and daughters of the same father as well as wives to Jacob. They competed all the time and allowed Laban, their father, to treat Jacob unfairly.
One day, Jacob decided to leave the land of his father-in-law and go to Canaan, his home area. He took with him his wives, children, and livestock. Because of the resentment she felt toward her father, Rachel stole the idols that Laban had in his house. These idols were a common part of the religion of Mesopotamia and held special value to their owner.
Laban went looking for Jacob and charged him with theft. Jacob did not know that Rachel had hidden the idols she had taken, so he gave permission for Laban to search through the camp and he said whoever was found guilty of the theft would die.
Rachel was a smart woman, so she very carefully hid the idols in a camel’s saddle, and sat on it. When her father came to where she was, she said she could not get up because she was not feeling well. She knew no one could force her to move. Rachel not only stole the idols, but she lied to hide what she stole and to protect herself.
We find no biblical evidence that would reveal what happened after Rachel’s deception. However, God was aware of the situation and knew her behavior.
The story today shows us how painful and how damaging it can be to relationships if we lie and steal. Jacob and his father-in-law were angry with each other, and Rachel and her children never saw Laban (her father and their grandfather) again. Not long after this, Rachel died while giving birth to Benjamin.
Exodus 20:4, and 15-16. The Ten Commandments explain the property rights of individuals. Theft is forbidden by the 8th commandment, “You shall not steal” (Exodus 20:15.)
Likewise, God condemns lying. The 9th commandment says, “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor” (Exodus 20:16). Stealing and lying can damage relationships between people, and more importantly our relationship with God.
adaptation
Children at this age have many conflicts with lying, as it is a common practice in many societies today. The same applies to stealing. During this class, it is necessary to emphasize the importance of guarding with love the laws of God that are contained in the Ten Commandments.
Remind your children that they should not rely on their own strength to follow God’s rules. He wants to help us to obey him and he forgives those who have done something wrong.
introduce the lesson
Introduce the lesson by using a story that your children can participate in. Ask them to imagine they have a new bike and one day after playing, they forget to put it away. Ask: “How would you feel if someone had stolen your new bike?” Let children respond and say: “Now imagine that the next day you see one of your friends using your new bike and, when you ask them about it, they say that it was a gift from their parents. How would you feel now?”
Help your children understand that lying and stealing always hurts people.
teach the lesson
Invite someone to come to your class and represent Rachel and tell today’s story. Tell her to prepare by reading Genesis 31:1-35, Exodus 20:4 and 15-16. It is important to start from the moment that we meet Jacob until he flees to Canaan. It is essential to emphasize the consequences that stealing and lying brought Rachel.
If possible, get an object that can represent the idols of Laban and a pillow or mat to serve as a saddle. Act out the part of the story where Rachel hides and sits on the idols. This way they can imagine the way that Rachel hid what she had stolen.
Allow time for your children to ask questions and also tell about their experiences with stealing and lying.
Read Exodus 20:1-17 and have children identify the commandments that today’s lesson refers to.
connect the lesson
The different faces of the robber
Have crayons and pencils for the children to use to complete Student Activity Sheet #113-A.
Give them time to draw the faces, and then talk about the different expressions Rachel had while she was stealing and lying. Provide them with crayons and pencils to complete this activity.
Remind them that when we lie or steal we always hurt someone. God gave these rules to protect his people and to help them live in peace with others.
Would you do that to someone you love?
You will find this activity on Student Activity Sheet #113-B. Help your children complete the activity. They should mark the pictures that show something they would not do to a person they love. Help your children draw conclusions from what they have learned in class and encourage them to think about how they can apply what they’ve learned to their daily lives.
practice the memory verse
Provide paper and crayons for your children. Give them time to write the memory verse out and decorate it how they want to. When finished, allow your children to show their work to the group and say the verse out loud.
They can take their pictures home to put up where they can see it during the week and review their verse.
wrap-up
Pray
Close with prayer and intercede for the specific needs of your children. Remember, during this unit, we are asking for the guidance of the Holy Spirit to give opportunities to present the plan of salvation to your children, and to give the invitation to children who have not made the decision to accept Christ as their Savior. Ask: “Would you like Jesus to be your Savior and best Friend and would you like to begin to live as a child of God?”
Say: “It is easy!
A: Admit that I have sinned and I need God to forgive me and to help me change.
B: Believe that God loves me and sent his only Son, Jesus, so I can be forgiven.
C: Receive Jesus as my Savior and claim my new identity as a child of God.”
Encourage
Before ending the class, clarify any doubts your children may have about the lesson and help them complete their work. Encourage them to practice the commandments they learned today throughout the week, and to tell today’s Bible story to their friends and family.
Invite
Say something interesting about the next session so the children will be excited to attend.
* Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™