June 12 in FirstLook and KidQuest

FirstLook on June 12
Though they enjoyed 80 years of peace, the Israelites once again turned from the Lord and worshipped false gods. Because of their disobedience, God gave the people of Israel over to the hands of Jabin, a cruel Canaanite king. Oppressed and desperate, the Israelites cried out to God for help. In His great mercy, God responded.

Deborah, a prophetess and faithful judge of the nation, led the Israelites during this time. She was a woman of God, one with whom God spoke and gave directions.

The Lord instructed Deborah to send for a man named Barak. Deborah told Barak about the specific instructions God gave to defeat King Jabin’s army. When Deborah and Barak arrived at Mount Tabor, they saw that the Lord had sent an unseasonal rain upon the battlefield. But this was the dry season; Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, would not have brought his chariots into battle if there was any hint of wet weather. “The Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots … Sisera abandoned his chariot and fled on foot” (Judges 4:15). The word translated “routed” here means confused or thrown into a panic. (This is similar to what God did to Pharaoh’s charioteers who were pursuing the Israelites across the Red Sea.) The Canaanite army was in confusion and chaos. The strength of the Israelites grew until they finally destroyed King Jabin completely.

In the midst of their disobedience, God delivered His people. On the day of this victory, Deborah and Barak sang a song telling of God’s redemption. The heart of this story is true for every generation that followed. We are shaped by the stories and events of the past. Our stories are impacted by the messages of those who have gone before us proclaiming the truth of God.

This week, Just for fun, gather some pots and pans or toy instruments (anything your children can use to create “music”). Then read the account of Deborah (Judges 4:4–7, 23–24 and 5:1–9) together as a family. At the end of each section, think of questions for your children that reflect what they just read, such as, “What did Deborah tell Barak to do?” and “What kinds of things did Deborah praise God for?”

Explain to your children that after God helped the Israelites win an important battle, Deborah praised Him. Invite your children to begin making a “joyful noise to the Lord” by using their instruments as you read Deborah’s song in chapter 5:1–9. At the end of each verse, encourage your children to join you in declaring, “Praise the Lord!”

Explain to your children that what they just heard is true and part of The Big God Story. Remind them they’ll learn more about God’s redemption and deliverance while they’re at church this week. Come together to pray as a family, thanking God for the mercy He shows your family each day.

KidQuest on June 12
Before the coming of the Messiah, God commanded Israel to make offerings and sacrifices. There were a number of different rituals, such as peace offerings and guilt offerings. The sin offering, however, is the one we can most easily relate to as Christians. Jesus’ death on the cross was the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

The sin offering was a sacrifice made to amend the broken relationship between humans and God. The type of offering depended on a person giving the sacrifice. For example, a high priest offered a young bull. A person considered royalty gave a young male goat. All others gave a young female lamb or goat. If an individual could not afford these animals, a turtledove was sufficient. Regardless, every sacrifice was unblemished and pure.

To give the sin offering, the person giving the sacrifice laid hands on the animal and confessed his sins over its head. Once killed, the blood of the animal was collected in a container. The rest of the blood was poured out, the container smashed, and the animal’s fat and organs burned. Later, the priest and his family ate the flesh of the sacrifice. After the sacrifice on the Day of Atonement, the people cleansed themselves, left their old garments behind, and replaced them with new clothing.

Like the sacrificial animals in the Jewish sin offerings, Jesus was unblemished, pure, and without sin. Yet, He took on our sins, and died for them. His blood was spilled out, and His earthly body smashed. As modern-day priests, we consume the elements at communion as symbols of His body and blood. Through Christ’s atoning sacrifice, we are cleansed, made new, and given new identities as His children.

Read the biblical account of Jesus’ death and resurrection in Luke 23:44–49 and 24:1–12 with your children. Spend some time discussing what they just heard. Have they already chosen to follow Christ? If so, what does this mean to them? What does this look like in their life?

If your children have not accepted Christ, go back and read John 3:16. Talk to them about the amazing promise of eternal life Jesus makes in this verse, and how it starts the moment we choose to follow Him. If they want to choose to follow Jesus for the first time (and it’s okay if they don’t), just pray with them. Don’t worry so much about choosing the perfect words. Explain that they only need to tell God they want Him in their lives, realize their need for forgiveness, and want to follow Him. Then let your children pray in their own words.

Explain to your children that what they just heard is true and is part of The Big God Story. Remind them they will learn more about how God restores relationship while at church this week. Pray together, thanking God that He loves us and wants us to be a part of His family.