A Bible lesson from Genesis about God keeping his promise to Abraham about having many descendants.
Materials: Bibles, pictures of stars for counting
Lesson Introduction: Star counting. Give each child a print out of stars such as found at
https://www.firstpalette.com/printable/stars.html Having a few different kinds of pages will give more variety to the activity. Have each child count the stars on their page and record it on the board (or a large paper). Then add up all the stars together. Then have the students lay the papers side by side to form part of the sky. Then ask do you think there are more stars on our papers or in the sky at night? (many, many more at night) We are going to start our Bible Lesson now. Be listening for someone counting the stars.
Bible time: Todays lesson involves several different verses. To save time have the verses marked in a Bible ahead of time. Pass out Bibles and Read 13:14-16 These verses tell us the special message Abram received from God. This message says that he would have many descendants. That is he would have many grandchildren and great grandchildren and great, great grandchildren and it would keep going on and on. This promise from God seemed very strange to Abram and Sarai because they didn’t even have 1 child when God told him his descendants would be as numerous as the dust.
As time went on Abram and Sarai wondered about what God had promised them., but God repeated his promise. Read 15:5 Did you hear anything about counting the stars? (Abram was to see if he could) What was going to be as numerous as the stars? (Abrams offspring or descendants)
To Abram and Sarai it felt like God was running out of time. As they grew older and older It became harder and harder to believe that it would be possible to have any descendants, never the less as many as the stars.
When Abraham was 99 years old he still did not have any children. The Lord appeared to Abram again. Let’s turn in our Bibles to Genesis 17:1-8 and verses 15,16 to hear what God said this time. Read or have students read the verses.
After hearing the message again Abraham still questioned God about a man 100 years old and a women 90 years old having a child. God replied again to Abraham in Genesis 17:19. Read or have a student read.
One day a bit later Abraham and Sarah had 3 visitors that appeared like men. Let’s read what happened in Genesis 18:10. Did you notice who the verse said was the speaker (The Lord), and He repeated the promise of a son once again.
Wow we have read about God promising a son and many descendants to Abraham 5 different times. We are going to look at one more set of verses 21:1-3,5-7 *decide if verse 4 is appropriate for the class* Read or have students read. Did you catch what these verses said? These verses tell us that Isaac was born to Abraham and Sarah. The first of many descendants to Abraham.
So did God keep his promise to Abraham? Allow students to answer (Yes Isaac was the first of many descendants of Abraham)
Close in Prayer: Dear God, Thank you for keeping your promises. What you have told us in your word the Bible is filled with the promises you have given us. Help us to remember that you will keep your promises to us just as you kept your promise to Abraham.
Extra time: choice 1 Sing and do motions to Father Abraham
Choice 2: Decorate star sheets.
Choice 3: Read the near sacrifice of Isaac in Genesis 22:1-19 discussing what great faith Abraham had in God
Choice 4: Find promises in the Bible that God gave to us.