Teacher Bible Study Lesson Overview

4th-6th Grade Kids Bible Study Guide Unit 17, Session 5: Nahum, Prophet to Ninevah TEACHER BIBLE STUDY Nahum was a prophet to Nineveh, the capital of Assyria. He wasn’t the first. Remember Jonah? Jonah reluctantly went to Nineveh, saying, “In 40 days Nineveh will be demolished!” (Jonah 3:4). The Ninevites immediately repented, and God spared them.

So what was Nahum doing in Nineveh? Well, it wasn’t long after Jonah’s visit that the people went back to their old ways. Assyria had defeated Israel and was a constant threat to Judah. The people were strong and wicked. Nahum described Nineveh as “the city of blood, totally deceitful, full of plunder, never without prey” (Nahum 3:1). Nahum went to Nineveh to say that God’s judgment was coming. “The Lord will never leave the guilty unpunished” (Nahum 1:3).

God had shown grace to the people of Nineveh in the time of Jonah, but their sin made them guilty. Nahum echoed parts of Exodus 34:6-7: “Yahweh is … slow to anger … But He will not leave the guilty unpunished.” God was going to judge Nineveh. (See Nahum 1:2.) He would make war against them and defeat them. (Nahum 1:6)

In addition to the message of judgment, Nahum—whose name means “comfort”—had a message of comfort for God’s people: When God’s judgment came upon Nineveh, His people would be safe. (Nahum 1:7)

The day of judgment against Nineveh foreshadows the coming final day of judgment. On that day, Jesus will come and judge the earth. He will defeat His enemies—sin, Satan, and death—and He will rescue His people.

God will not leave the guilty unpunished. Those who do not trust in Jesus’ payment for their sin on the cross will face eternity in hell. Everyone is born an enemy of God (Ephesians 2:3), and God is gracious and patient; He wants all to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9) The day of judgment is coming. God’s enemies will be defeated, and those who are in Christ will find comfort and peace.

LESSON OVERVIEW/SCHEDULE Session Title: Nahum, Prophet to Nineveh Bible Passage: Nahum 1–3 Big Picture Question: How did God help Judah? God protected His people from their enemies. 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.

Transition Time Welcome time

4th-6th Grade Kids Bible Study Guide Unit 17, Session 5: Nahum, Prophet to Ninevah

Activity Sheet/Table Centers Session starter (10 minutes)

Lesson Countdown Introduce the session (2 minutes) Timeline map (2 minutes) Tell the Bible Story (10 minutes) Big picture question (1 minute) The Gospel: God’s Plan for Me (optional) Key passage (5 minutes) Discussion starter video (4 minutes) Sing (4 minutes) Prayer (2 minutes)

Table Time Bible story review & Bible skills (10 minutes) Key passage activity (5 minutes) Activity choice (10 minutes) Prayer (5 minutes)

THE BIBLE STORY/OVERVIEW

Nahum, Prophet to Nineveh Nahum 1–3

God gave a message to Nahum (NAY huhm) the prophet. Nahum took God’s message to Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria. The Assyrians were mean, evil people. They were enemies of God’s people, and God was going to punish them. This is the sad message about the city of Nineveh. This is what God is like: He is a jealous God. That means He wants people to worship only Him. Only God deserves to be worshiped. When people worship created things, they are saying that those things are like God. But nothing is like God! Also, God punishes the guilty—those who do wrong. He is angry with His enemies, and He will punish them. God does not lose His temper; He is patient and powerful. When God comes, He will make the sea and the rivers dry up. The land—all the plants and flowers—will die. The mountains will shake, and everyone will be afraid. No one can stand up against the power of God. The Lord is good. When there is trouble, He is a safe place. He takes care of people who trust in Him. But the people of Nineveh did not trust in Him. They were God’s enemies, and He was going to destroy them. God said to His people, “The Assyrians are strong. Their armies are big. But I will defeat them. You have been hurt, but you won’t hurt anymore.” The Assyrians had power over God’s people, but God

4th-6th Grade Kids Bible Study Guide Unit 17, Session 5: Nahum, Prophet to Ninevah

was going to set His people free! This message was bad news for Nineveh and good news for the people of God. God told the king of Assyria that he was going to die. He wouldn’t have any children or grandchildren to carry on his family name. This was good news for God’s people. Peace was coming! Now they could worship God and obey Him freely. Their enemies would be gone! Nahum gave a warning to the people of Nineveh. “Get ready for war. Get ready to fight!” Nahum said. “An enemy is coming. Their soldiers will come with their horses and chariots. They will come into the city of Nineveh and destroy the king’s palace.” The enemy would take the treasures of Nineveh: silver and gold. Nineveh would be empty. The people would be too afraid to fight. What happened to the great city of Nineveh? It used to be a place where people felt safe. But now God was against Nineveh. Nineveh was strong, but the people would never fight a war again. This would be a terrible day for Nineveh—a city of violence. God said, “People will look at you and laugh. When you are destroyed, no one will feel sorry for you.” God had judged other strong cities, like the Egyptian city of Thebes (THEEBS). The people in Thebes were forced from their homes, and their leaders became prisoners. Was Nineveh any better than Thebes? No. Nineveh would be punished too. Nahum said, “Your enemies are coming. You won’t be able to stop them. No one can help you now. Everyone who hears about Nineveh will clap. They will be happy because the people of Nineveh got what they deserved.”

Christ Connection: Nahum brought a message of comfort to God’s people, reminding them that God loves His people and will protect them from their enemies. Jesus also brought a message of comfort to His people. Jesus assured us of salvation and peace. All of the enemies of God and the enemies of God’s children were defeated at the cross. In the end, all evil will be finally punished.

TRANSITION TIME Session Title: Nahum, Prophet to Nineveh Bible Passage: Nahum 1–3 Big Picture Question: How did God help Judah? God protected His people from their enemies. 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 Greet each kid as he or she arrives. Use this time to collect the offering, fill out attendance sheets, and help new kids connect to your group. Invite kids to complete the sentence, “The Lord is … .” Discuss each answer and invite kids to share

4th-6th Grade Kids Bible Study Guide Unit 17, Session 5: Nahum, Prophet to Ninevah

why they chose the answer they chose. Say • In today’s Bible story, one of the prophets wrote, “The Lord is good.” Why does God want His people to know He is good?

Activity page Table Centers (Miscellaneous Activities) “Kitchen Matching” / “The Prophets” activity page, 1 per kid pencils markers Lead girls and boys to complete the activity page “Kitchen Matching.” Say • Name a time when you might need to remember some of these verses. How do you remember each day that God protects His people?

As time allows, lead kids to complete the activity page “The Prophets.” Help girls and boys to unscramble each prophet’s name and fill in the missing letters from the names.

Session starter (10 minutes) Option 1: Hop Relay prophet name cards 3 lunch sacks labeled: Israel; Judah; Other Kingdoms Cards with the following prophets names are provided: Jonah, Habakkuk, Amos, Joel, Isaiah, Micah, Jonah, Zephaniah. Three lunch sacks have been labeled: Israel, Judah, Other Kingdoms. Divide the children into two teams. Challenge each kid to take turns drawing a card, hop on one foot to the paper bag labeled for the kingdom her prophet spoke to, drop her prophet card into the correct bag, and hop back on the other foot, tagging the next player in line. Say • Today we will be studying a new prophet. Which of our previous prophets spoke to the Assyrians in the city of Nineveh? Jonah. Today our prophet is Nahum. Nahum spoke to the Assyrians in Nineveh many years after the prophet Jonah.

Option 2: Comfort Cards heavyweight paper note card or invitation size envelopes markers stickers glitter glue scraps of scrapbook paper Bibles Provide kids with supplies to make cards. Say • Today in our Bible story we will be talking about the word comfort. What does comfort mean? What are some ways you could comfort someone? We are going to comfort someone using our words by making cards. You may use any of the supplies provided. Include at least one Scripture in your card.

4th-6th Grade Kids Bible Study Guide Unit 17, Session 5: Nahum, Prophet to Ninevah

Remind kids to mail or deliver their cards during the week.

Transition to large group

LESSON Session Title: Nahum, Prophet to Nineveh Bible Passage: Nahum 1–3 Big Picture Question: How did God help Judah? God protected His people from their enemies. 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.

Countdown countdown video (insert provided DVD with lesson videos and worship) Show the countdown video as you clean-up table centers, set up classroom chairs for lesson and set it to end as large group time begins.

Introduce the session (2 minutes) apron ice cream scoop [Large Group Leader enters wearing an apron and carrying an ice cream scoop.] Leader • Welcome back to Chef [your name]’s Kitchen. I am so glad to see you here today! Someone tell me, when you are having a bad day or don’t feel good, is there a certain food that you like to eat? Select several kids to answer. Leader • All of those foods sound so good! Often we call those foods comfort foods. They are favorite foods that we enjoy. Today, we are making comfort foods here in our kitchen. Earlier we made some amazing mac and cheese. Then we made chicken noodle soup. We also made brownies. Now we are making “Nahum’s Comfort Ice Cream.” I love ice cream. It’s so yummy. It’s so creamy. It’s so cool on a hot day. When I have been grilling outside all day, I love to have a little bit of ice cream. I named our treat after the prophet Nahum. He had a message of comfort for God’s people.

Timeline map (2 minutes) Timeline Map – small group visual pack (Additional copies provided for Table Time Review) Point out Jonah and Nahum on the timeline map as you discuss each prophet. Leader • Today’s Bible story is really interesting. Wait! I say that about the Bible stories all the time.

4th-6th Grade Kids Bible Study Guide Unit 17, Session 5: Nahum, Prophet to Ninevah

The Bible is full of story after story, person after person, prophet after prophet. All of them are interesting! God’s plan to send Jesus is special, and I love reading about it in the Bible. So today, we are looking at the prophet Nahum. Nahum was a prophet with a message for Nineveh, a city in Assyria. God called another prophet to speak to Nineveh. Do you remember who else God called? Jonah. What did Jonah do? Jonah got on a boat going away from Nineveh. But that didn’t really work did it? No. Jonah ended up going to Nineveh, and he told the people to repent. Who remembers what the people did? They repented! And what did Jonah do? He got mad. He wanted God to punish the Assyrians. He didn’t want God to forgive them. But God told Jonah that He cared about the Assyrians. God wanted them to repent and follow Him. Let’s look at Nahum and find out what message God had for the people of Nineveh this time.

Tell the Bible Story (10 minutes) “Nahum, Prophet to Ninevah” video Bibles, 1 per kid Bible Story Picture – 11x17 poster provided Big Picture Question: “How did God help Judah?” – 11x17 poster provided

Tip: A Bible story script is provided at the beginning of every session. You may use it to guide you as you prepare to teach the Bible story in your own words. For a shorter version of the Bible story, read only the bolded text.

Open your Bible to Nahum 1 and tell the Bible story in your own words, or show the Bible story video “Nahum, Prophet to Nineveh.” Leader • The Assyrians forgot about God. They had repented after Jonah spoke to them, but then they started sinning again. They were really, really, really, really mean people. They were enemies of the people of Judah. The capital of Assyria was Nineveh, and the people of Nineveh worshiped things that were not the one true God. That is definitely sin! And sin has consequences. Nahum said the people of Nineveh would lose everything. Their homes would be destroyed. They would lose all of their gold and silver. The city would be defeated and destroyed. The people of Nineveh thought they were strong. They thought their city was strong. They thought they were super, super powerful. But who is all-powerful? God is. God told Nineveh that they would be punished because they did not follow Him. God takes care of people who trust in Him. But people who don’t love and follow God are enemies of God. Today’s story was really sad. It is sad to hear that some people won’t follow God. But it is also a good story. God won’t leave sin unpunished. God knew we need a Savior, so He sent Jesus. Jesus defeated all of God’s enemies when He died on the cross and rose again. Jesus gives everyone who repents and trusts in Him salvation and peace forever. One day Jesus will come again, and all evil will be punished once and for all!

4th-6th Grade Kids Bible Study Guide Unit 17, Session 5: Nahum, Prophet to Ninevah

Big picture question (1 minute) 11x17 poster provided Bibles Leader • Our big picture question is, How did God help Judah? Who believes they know the answer? Raise your hand, and I’ll ask a couple of you to share your thoughts. Select a couple of kids to respond. Leader • You were very close to our big picture answer. Good job listening today! How did God help Judah? God protected His people from their enemies. The Assyrians were enemies of Judah. They did not follow God, and they did not treat God’s people right. God will always take care of His people. How did God help Judah? God protected His people from their enemies. When Nineveh was destroyed, the people could not harm the people of Judah anymore. God will always protect His people, even if we don’t see it or understand it. That doesn’t mean that bad things will never happen to God’s people. It means that God can use the bad things that do happen for good. He will help His people through the bad times. He will comfort His people. The Gospel: God’s Plan for Me (optional) Using Scripture and the guide provided, explain to boys and girls how to become a Christian. Tell kids how they can respond, and provide counselors to speak with each kid individually. Guide counselors to use open-ended questions to allow kids to determine the direction of the conversation. Because some kids are not comfortable responding during a large group time, encourage boys and girls to ask their parents, small group leaders, or other adults any questions they may have about becoming a Christian.

Key passage (5 minutes) Key Passage Poster: Zephaniah 3:17 (11x17 poster, provided) Worship Song: “Yahweh Your God” (on provided DVD) Leader • Stand with me and sing our key passage song. Lead girls and boys to sing “Yahweh Your God.” Leader • What does this passage tell you about how God treats His people? Select a few volunteers to respond. Guide kids to say the key passage together at least once.

Discussion Starter Video (4 minutes) Unit 17, Session 5 discussion starter video (on provided DVD) Leader • How did God help Judah? God protected His people from their enemies. Think about God’s protection of His people as you check out this video. Show the “Unit 17 Session 5” video. Leader • What did all of the items in the video have in common? They all were used to protect the catcher while he played baseball. God’s protection for His people is not always visible to us like a catcher’s mitt or mask, but God protects His people. How did God help Judah? God protected His people from their enemies. How does Jesus protect us from our enemies? Jesus defeated death and sin at the cross, and in the end all evil be punished.

4th-6th Grade Kids Bible Study Guide Unit 17, Session 5: Nahum, Prophet to Ninevah

Sing (4 minutes) Worship Song: “One True God” (on provided DVD) Leader • Did the Assyrians worship the one true God? No. Nahum’s message for the Assyrians was a sad message, but Nahum’s message for God’s people was good. The one true God will always protect His people. He is good. He is a safe place. Join me in worshiping Him. Sing “One True God.” You may wish to select some kids to help lead the group.

Prayer (2 minutes) How did God help Judah? God protected His people from their enemies. God protects His people today. In your small group, you will continue to discuss Nahum, God’s comfort, and God’s protection. Close in prayer.

Dismiss to small groups for Table Time

The Gospel: God’s Plan for Me Ask kids if they have ever heard the word gospel. Clarify that the word gospel means “good news.” It is the message about Christ, the kingdom of God, and salvation. Use the following guide to share the gospel with kids. God rules. Explain to kids that the Bible tells us God created everything, and He is in charge of everything. Invite a volunteer to read Genesis 1:1 from the Bible. Read Revelation 4:11 or Colossians 1:16-17 aloud and explain what these verses mean. We sinned. Tell kids that since the time of Adam and Eve, everyone has chosen to disobey God. (Romans 3:23) The Bible calls this sin. Because God is holy, God cannot be around sin. Sin separates us from God and deserves God’s punishment of death. (Romans 6:23) God provided. Choose a child to read John 3:16 aloud. Say that God sent His Son, Jesus, the perfect solution to our sin problem, to rescue us from the punishment we deserve. It’s something we, as sinners, could never earn on our own. Jesus alone saves us. Read and explain Ephesians 2:8-9. Jesus gives. Share with kids that Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again. Because Jesus gave up His life for us, we can be welcomed into God’s family for eternity. This is the best gift ever! Read Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21; or 1 Peter 3:18. We respond. Tell kids that they can respond to Jesus. Read Romans 10:9-10,13. Review these aspects of our response: Believe in your heart that Jesus alone saves you through what He’s already done on the cross. Repent, turning from self and sin to Jesus. Tell God and others that your faith is in Jesus. Offer to talk with any child who is interested in responding to Jesus.

4th-6th Grade Kids Bible Study Guide Unit 17, Session 5: Nahum, Prophet to Ninevah

TABLE TIME LEADER Session Title: Nahum, Prophet to Nineveh Bible Passage: Nahum 1–3 Big Picture Question: How did God help Judah? God protected His people from their enemies. 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.

Bible story review & Bible skills (10 minutes) Bibles, 1 per kid Timeline – small group visual pack “Nahum, the Prophet” megaphone

Option: Retell or review the Bible story using the bolded text of the Bible story script.

Add the “Nahum, the Prophet” megaphone to the “Other Kingdoms” chart in your classroom.

Invite kids to review part of Nahum’s message. Ask for volunteers to read Nahum 1:2-7. Discuss God’s power. Remind kids that God does not lose His temper. He wants people to love and follow Him. When people sin, God must punish sin. Help kids understand that God is good. He protects those who look to Him for refuge. Say • How did God help Judah? God protected His people from their enemies. What does Jesus assure us of? (Jesus assured us of salvation and peace. All of the enemies of God and the enemies of God’s children were defeated at the cross. In the end, all evil will be finally punished.) If you choose to review with boys and girls how to become a Christian, explain that kids are welcome to speak with you or another leader if they have questions. God rules. God created and is in charge of everything. (Genesis 1:1; Revelation 4:11; Colossians 1:16- 17) We sinned. Since Adam and Eve, everyone has chosen to disobey God. (Romans 3:23; 6:23) God provided. God sent His Son, Jesus, to rescue us from the punishment we deserve. (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9) Jesus gives. Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again so we can be welcomed into God’s family. (Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 3:18) We respond. Believe that Jesus alone saves you. Repent. Tell God that your faith is in Jesus. (Romans 10:9-10,13)

Review the timeline in the small group visual pack.

4th-6th Grade Kids Bible Study Guide Unit 17, Session 5: Nahum, Prophet to Ninevah

Key passage activity (5 minutes) “Apron Pockets” Instructions Key Passage Poster: Zephaniah 3:17 (provided) laminated poster pieces (3 sets per classroom) Apron (x 3 per classroom) Hang an apron from the wall or tie one around a chair. The key passage poster has been cut into pieces. Place the pieces in the pockets of the apron. Invite kids to take turns walking to the apron and retrieving one piece of the poster. You may opt to instruct kids to walk sideways, crawl, or tiptoe. Once kids have retrieved all of the pieces and reassembled them in order, invite kids to recite the passage from memory. Assist each kid as needed. You may opt to group kids in pairs or trios to recite the passage. Say • Our God is a mighty God, just as Zephaniah said. He will protect those who trust in Him. He will comfort His people.

Option: For larger groups, divide children into two or three groups. Tie or hang an apron for each team. Three aprons are provided for each classroom. Allow the teams to do a relay race to retrieve the poster pieces from the apron pockets. Encourage the teams to work together to reassemble the puzzle and recite the verse together. The first team to complete the task is the winner.

Activity choice (10 minutes) Option 1: Muffin Pan Review Game table tennis balls (3 per classroom) muffin pans answer cards Laminated “answer cards” are provided to place in each cup of the muffin pan. Allow kids to decide on the correct answer. Allow each kid to bounce a table tennis ball into the muffin pan with the correct answer. You may also opt to ask kids to locate each Scripture reference.

God gave a message to the prophet ______. (Nahum, Nahum 1:1) Nahum took God’s message to the city of ______. (Nineveh, Nahum 1:1) Nahum said God is a ______God. He wants people to worship only Him. (jealous, Nahum 1:2) Nahum also said that God is ______. (good, Nahum 1:7) God takes care of people who ______in Him. (trust or take refuge, Nahum 1:7) Nineveh was going to be ______. (destroyed, Nahum 1:8) God said the leader of Assyria would ______. (die, Nahum 1:14) When Nineveh was punished, God’s people would have what? (peace, Nahum 1:15) The enemy would take these two treasures ______and ______. (silver and gold, Nahum 2:9) Nahum said that God had also judged what great city? (Thebes, Nahum 3:8) All the people who hear about Nineveh will ______. (clap, Nahum 3:19)

4th-6th Grade Kids Bible Study Guide Unit 17, Session 5: Nahum, Prophet to Ninevah

Option 2: Shield oval shaped paper plates magazine and newspapers glue scissors markers stickers decorative supplies Invite each kid to create a shield with the supplies. Kids may choose to depict any of God’s characteristics on their shields: His goodness, His protection, His jealousy, His peace, His love, His forgiveness, and so forth. Say • When your life is overwhelming or you feel really vulnerable or unsure about things, look at your shield and remember who God is. He promises to protect those who trust Him. How did God help Judah? God protected His people from their enemies. Preteen option: Create aprons by cutting T-shirts and decorating with markers. Search online for instructions on how to cut the T-shirts into aprons without needing to sew. Talk about how an apron protects your clothing when cooking, cleaning, and so forth. Connect how God protected the people of Judah to how He protects His followers today.

Prayer (5 minutes) Say • How did God help Judah? God protected His people from their enemies. Take a moment and think about all God does for His people. Do His people deserve any of it? Close the group in prayer by thanking God for all He gives His people, especially the gift of forgiveness through Jesus.

Clean-Up Room

Instructions: Match each kitchen item to the item it is designed to protect.

Instructions: Match each Scripture reference about God’s protection to the correct description.

UNIT 17 • Session 5 • Older Kids Activity Pages J udah, The Southern Kingdom

© 2013 Lifeway Instructions: Unscramble the name of each prophet. Each name is also missing a letter. Fill in the missing letter too. Use your Bible to help. hiclaM kkukHaa hano leo reZachha Mach omA seaH ephinaah huma iabOdh gaHai

UNIT 17 • Session 5 • Older Kids Activity J udah, The Southern Kingdom

© 2013 Lifeway Family Journal Page Judah, the Southern Kingdom Nahum, Prophet to Nineveh Send each family member or a team of family members on a Nahum 1–3 photo scavenger hunt looking for items that protect people. Preschool Provide each team or family member with a camera or cell Key Passage: Zephaniah 3:17 phone to photograph items. Set boundaries of where the family Big Picture Question: Why did God destroy Nineveh? members may and may not go and set a time limit. Meet The people of Nineveh didn’t love God or His people. back to see who found the most items. Talk about how God Christ Connection: Nahum told God’s people something that would make them feel better. He said protects us much better than any of the items they found. In that God loves His people and takes care of them. Jesus the space below, write ways God has protected your family. has good news for people who know and love Him. One day, Jesus will take away all bad things.

Kids Key Passage: Zephaniah 3:17 Big Picture Question: How did God help Judah? God protected His people from their enemies. Christ Connection: Nahum brought a message of comfort to God’s people, reminding them that God loves His people and will protect them from their enemies. Jesus also brought a message of comfort to His people. Jesus assured us of salvation and peace. All of the enemies of God and the enemies of God’s children were defeated at the cross. In the end, all evil will be nally punished.

UNIT 17 • Session 5 © 2013 LifeWay OK TO PRINT The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. Zephaniah 3:17