Jehoshaphat sends teachers with the Word of God
key words
biblical reference
2 Chronicles 17:3-9
lesson objective
To help the children learn that the Bible teaches us more about God.
memory verse
“Be good to your servant while I live, that I may obey your Word” (Psalm 119:17, NIV*).
prepare yourself to teach
Jehoshaphat, son of Asa, is known as one of the kings of Judah who did good in the sight of God. Even though not all of his decisions were correct, he sought the will of God and tried to live according to the commandments written in the “Torah,” the Hebrew Scriptures. As a result of his loyalty, God blessed him.
Jehoshaphat wanted God to be in his personal life, just as in his reign. A theocratic regime ruled Judah. That is, God was the highest authority, and his commandments were the laws. Something very important that Jehoshaphat did was to mention the commandments of God to his people.
Jehoshaphat destroyed the altars of Baal. After that, he sent teachers to teach the Word of God to the people. This group of teachers was made up of government officials, Levites, and priests. What they taught was perhaps what we now know as the “Pentateuch,” which are the first five books of the Bible, and perhaps some other writings of that time.
This story reflects the importance of learning the Word of God. Only through its teachings can we be faithful to the Lord. The people who heard the message of God through Jehoshaphat responded appropriately. While he lived, the people faithfully obeyed God.
In the second letter of Paul to Timothy (3:16-17) we find the biblical basis for this truth: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the person of God may be perfect, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
From this passage, we can understand that God was involved in all that was written in the Bible. In this way, we reaffirm our confidence that the Word of God is living and effective.
The Bible is a very special book, by which we know more about God and have a personal
relationship with him. This is what children should learn during the following four lessons. They need God. Help them discover more about the Bible. Keep in mind that preschoolers love to hear stories, and the Bible is full of them.
Watch your children as they explore the Bible with you. Do they show interest in learning? Are their questions answered during the Bible story? These are just a few signs that they are growing in their knowledge of the Word of God.
Encourage children through these lessons to love the sacred Scriptures.
introduce the lesson
A special place for the Bible
If possible, find a special place in your classroom where you can put a Bible and illustrated Bible storybooks. (It might be a little table in a corner.) Take a moment to ask the children which Bible story is their favorite. Give them time to look at the stories.
This special place can be decorated with children’s drawings, flowers, colored papers, etc. Use your creativity to make the place look special.
teach the lesson
Prior to this session study 2 Chronicles 17:3-9. If the children made crowns, have them wear their crowns while sitting in a circle on the floor. Encourage them to listen carefully to what happened in the Bible story with King Jehoshaphat. Keep the Bible open and in a visible place while you narrate.
Jehoshaphat’s role
Jehoshaphat was a king and, like all kings, he wore a crown. He loved God very much and God also loved him. The townspeople brought gifts for being a good king.
The king read something very important written on a scroll. Scrolls were used for writing, just as we might use sheets of paper. Jehoshaphat read the Word of God. It helped people know how to act right toward God and toward their neighbors. God wanted his people to love him and worship him alone.
Ask the group: “What do we have that helps us know what God wants us to do?” (The Bible.) Say: “The Bible is the Word of God, and it helps us to learn more about him and to know him better.”
Jehoshaphat wanted to be a good king, so he read the God’s Word many times. That helped him obey God through what he learned. He wanted all the people to hear about the Lord, so he sent several people to help him teach the people. Those who helped him were priests who loved God and obeyed him in everything.
God wants us to learn more from him when we read his Word, which is the Bible.
connect the lesson
Jehoshaphat’s role
Distribute Student Activity Sheet #36-A and #36-B. Help the children cut out the figure of King Jehoshaphat in Student Activity Sheet #36-B. Ten ask them to glue it in the center of the scroll in Student Activity Sheet #36-A.
Trace the Word of Faith (Bible), and write their name on the bottom. Ask them to cut the bottom strip along the dotted lines and roll the sheet into a scroll.
Tell your children that the scroll King Jehoshaphat read was very important because it contained the Word of God. They had no books, yet God gave them the Bible to read, study, and obey.
Cultivate in your children the discipline of prayer, intercede for them and their families during each class. If they have many requests, a good idea would be to write them on a large piece of paper and display it in the classroom to remember them. They can also put a star on those that have already been answered.
Encourage the children to take home the activity sheets and share the lesson with their friends and family.
practice the memory verse
Write the memory verse in large print on posterboard or cardboard and display it so everyone can read it. Guide your children in reading, and repeating it several times. Remind them that they can use the Bible of posterboard/ cardboard to study the text and learn it.
wrap-up
Pray
Pray for the group thanking God for giving us the Bible as a guide and faithful help.
Encourage
To finish the class, sing a song that talks about the Bible. Encourage them to read it with their families during the week. (Most will need their parents or other family members to read it.)
Invite
Thank the children for attending today’s session and invite them to attend the next session.
* 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.™