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Micah, Prophet to Judah 1st-3rd Grade Kids Bible Study Guide Unit 17, Session 1: Micah, Prophet to Judah TEACHER BIBLE STUDY “Who is a God like You, removing iniquity and passing over rebellion for the remnant of His inheritance?” (Micah 7:18) The name Micah means “Who is like Yahweh?” What a remarkable question. Micah was a prophet from Moresheth, a city in the foothills of Judah. He testified to God’s character. God’s message to Micah came hundreds of years before Jesus was born—in the days when Jotham was king of Judah, through the time of King Ahaz, and to the rule of King Hezekiah. At the beginning of Micah’s ministry, the Northern Kingdom of Israel had not yet been conquered by the Assyrians. Some of Micah’s messages from the Lord were directed toward Israel, and some were for Judah. God’s message was about the current state of affairs in Samaria and Jerusalem. Samaria was the capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, and Jerusalem was the capital of the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Israel and Judah were corrupt. A period of economic wealth gave way to idolatry, theft, false prophecies, and a love of evil. Micah’s message was similar to that of the prophet Amos. Micah addressed the sins of the people—specifically the mistreatment of the poor—and warned of the Lord’s coming judgment. “Woe to those who dream up wickedness and prepare evil plans on their beds!” (Micah 2:1). One day, Micah said, God would send a Messiah, have compassion on Israel, and preserve a remnant by which He would keep His promise to Abraham. (See Micah 7:20; Genesis 22:15-18.) So, who is like Yahweh? It’s rhetorical, but the Book of Micah is clear: no one is like Yahweh. God shows mercy to sinners through His Son, Jesus, and His promise spoken by Micah is still true for us today: “He will again have compassion on us; He will vanquish our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19). LESSON OVERVIEW/SCHEDULE Session Title: Micah, Prophet to Judah Bible Passage: Micah 1–7 Big Picture Question: What does God want us to do? God wants us to obey Him because we love Him. Key Passage: Zephaniah 3:17 Unit Christ Connection: God judges sin but redeems those who faithfully follow His commands. Redemption for all comes through faith in Jesus Christ. 1 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources 1st-3rd Grade Kids Bible Study Guide Unit 17, Session 1: Micah, Prophet to Judah Transition Time Welcome time Activity sheet/Table Centers Session starter (10 minutes) Lesson Countdown Introduce the session (1 minute) Timeline Map (1 minute) Big picture question (1 minute) Sing (5 minutes) Key passage (4 minutes) Tell the Bible story (10 minutes) Discussion starter video (3 minutes) The Gospel: God’s Plan for Me (optional) Prayer (5 minutes) Table Time Timeline map (1 minute) Bible story review (10 minutes) Large Group Review / Activities Key passage activity (5 minutes) Activity choice (10 minutes) Prayer (5 minutes) THE BIBLE STORY/OVERVIEW Micah, Prophet to Judah Micah 1–7 Micah was a prophet from a village in Judah. God’s message came to Micah in a vision, and Micah told God’s people what God said. The message was about God’s people in the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. God’s people did not love and obey God. Instead, they worshiped idols, took what was not theirs, and listened to false prophets. Micah spoke to the people. “Listen up!” he said. “God is coming to judge you for your sin.” Micah said that God was going to destroy Samaria, the capital city of Israel. He was going to break all of the idols. “You’re guilty, too!” Micah said to the people of Judah. They had also sinned against God. “Bad times are coming. Your children will be taken—exiled—far away from their homes.” 2 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources 1st-3rd Grade Kids Bible Study Guide Unit 17, Session 1: Micah, Prophet to Judah God’s people had done terrible things, and they deserved to be punished. Micah said, “This is what God says: ‘Trouble is coming, and you won’t be able to stop it. You will be ruined!’ ” “Stop it!” the people spoke up. “Stop telling us these things. They will never happen here! Not to us!” But Micah wouldn’t stop telling them God’s message. “You have done very bad things,” he said. “If you had done what was right, I’d be bringing you good news!” Next, Micah talked to the rulers of God’s people. “Listen!” Micah said. “You know what is right, but you don’t do it. You hate what is right and love what is wrong. The judges take money from the people in court. Whoever pays the most wins their case! The priests only teach the people when they have been paid. You are sinning and you don’t even care! It’s your fault Jerusalem will be destroyed.” God was right to punish the people for their sin. God had a promise for His people though. Micah’s next message from God was a message of hope. He said that one day God would restore Jerusalem to the way it was supposed to be. “One day, there will be no more fighting,” Micah said. “The people of Jerusalem who are taken away to Babylon will be saved. God will rescue you from your enemies. God will make you strong.” Then Micah told the people that someone was coming—a ruler for God’s people. He would come from Bethlehem, a small town in Judah. “He will be a king, ruling Israel with the power of God. He will lead His people like a shepherd leads a flock of sheep. The people will be safe. People all over the world will know that He is great. He will bring peace.” How should God’s people respond to this good news? Punishment was coming, but then God would save them. Micah called the people to repent—to turn away from their sins and turn back to God. “What does God want from us?” the people wondered. Maybe the people should bring burnt offerings. Would God be happy if they sacrificed their children to Him? “No,” Micah said. “The Lord has told you what is good and what He wants from you: to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God.” The prophet Micah spoke to God for the people. He confessed their sins. “No one here can be trusted,” Micah said. “None of them are friends; they are all enemies. I will look to the Lord for help. My God will hear me.” God comforted His people. One day, God would rebuild the walls, and people would come back to the land. God would do miracles like He did when He led His people out of Egypt. People would see that God is powerful. “Who is a God like You?” Micah asked. “You take away people’s guilt. You do not stay angry with people forever because You love to be kind to them.” “God will comfort us again!” he said. “He will remove all of our guilt and throw our sins into the deep sea. God will keep His promises and show us compassion like He showed Abraham long ago.” 3 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources 1st-3rd Grade Kids Bible Study Guide Unit 17, Session 1: Micah, Prophet to Judah Christ Connection: The prophet Micah gave God’s people a message of hope: a leader was coming who would free God’s people. He would be a shepherd and a king. The righteous ruler promised through Micah is the Lord Jesus Christ. TRANSITION TIME Session Title: Micah, Prophet to Judah Bible Passage: Micah 1–7 Big Picture Question: What does God want us to do? God wants us to obey Him because we love Him. Key Passage: Zephaniah 3:17 Unit Christ Connection: God judges sin but redeems those who faithfully follow His commands. Redemption for all comes through faith in Jesus Christ. Welcome time Tip: As kids arrive this is a great time to collect the offering, fill out attendance sheets, and help new kids connect to your group. Arriving Activity: Follow the Pattern Give kids visual or verbal patterns to follow as they arrive. Use clapping patterns, silly letter or sound patterns, or movement patterns. Encourage the kids to repeat the patterns correctly. Say • You did your best to follow me. To do that, you had to obey my instructions. God wants us to obey Him. Today, we will talk about why. Activities/Table Centers (5 minutes) Table centers (Miscellaneous Activities) “Matching Lambs” activity sheet / Bible Story Coloring Sheet, 1 per kid pencils, markers or crayons Guide boys and girls to complete the activity page. Say • A prophet named Micah predicted that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem many years before His birth. He also said Jesus would lead His people like a shepherd leads a flock of sheep. If time remains, allow kids to complete the coloring page provided with this session. Session Starter (10 minutes) Option 1: How Far? masking tape Tape a long start line and challenge kids to see how far they can get from the line in one step, two steps, three steps, and so forth. Mark the steps with small pieces of tape. Then, see how far they can get in one jump, two jumps, three jumps, and so forth.
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