It's May. That is both exciting and scary! So many fun and good things happen, but also so many things happen period. We will have our annual Moving Day on June 2nd, when all ages of Children at IBC will advance to the next age/grade level. And then we will start the cycle over again. It's a lot like the Book of Judges. (Did you like that segue?) It's actually only like the book of Judges in that Israel experienced a regular cycle during the time of the Judges, and that pattern is what we started to learn about this morning.
After their leader Joshua died, the Israelites did things on their own getting deeper into their sin. Their sin deserved and received punishment from God, until they begged Him to help. God then raised up a leader - a judge - to help bring them back to order. And everything was hunky-dory for a time until they got lazy and repeated the cycle. Over and over again.
In the next few weeks, we will talk through a few stories of the judges during this time, and we will see that the Israelites were always longing for a true king who would lead them well. The time of the judges would lead into the time of the kings, but not until Jesus, the best example of a humble king, would there be a permanent, lasting solution for sin. This week, as you continue the conversation, talk about cycles that you have been or are prone to get hung in and what helps you get out of them.
Here are some starter questions:
Elementary
- Is it easier to do the right thing with a leader around or when there is no leader? Are all leaders good? What kind of leader do you want to follow?
- Why do you think the Israelites keep doing the wrong thing over and over throughout their history? Do you think God was wasting His time on them? Why would God not choose people who were always faithful to Him?
Preschool
- What things do you know that happen in cycles? The water cycle? The circle of life from The Lion King? The never-ending laundry cycle?
- Do you think the Israelites wanted to keep on making bad choices?
Remember, I am always available to help with questions or concerns along the way. Don't hesitate to reach out to me. Feel free to email me at [email protected].