Job
Objectives:
- Children should be able to tell the story of Job – his losses and his struggle with Satan.
- Children should know that Job did not curse God.
Possible Lesson Plan:
- Open with prayer.
- Read the story of Job from the Arch Book on Job. It’s not in our storybooks. Or use this condensed version: There was a man in the Old Testament in the Bible named Job and he lived in UZ. He was faithful to God. Job was married and had 7 sons and 3 daughters. He was considered very wealthy and had 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys and a very large household.
One day, Satan told God that the only reason Job was faithful was because he had so much and he had an easy life. God told Satan that he could do anything to Job, except lay a hand on him.
Soon after that, a servant came to Job and told him that while the oxen were plowing and the donkeys were eating beside them, the Sabeans came and took them and killed all the servants except for him. While that servant was talking, another servant came and told Job that a fire came from heaven (probably lightening) and burned up the sheep and those servants, all except for the one that came to talk to Job. While the servant was talking, the Chaldeans took the camels and killed all the servants, except for the one that told Job what happened. Again, while that servant was talking, another servant came and told Job that all his children were eating a meal and a great wind (probably a tornado) came and killed everyone, except for the servant talking.
Job stood up and tore off his robe and shaved his head. He fell to the ground and said "The Lord gives and He takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord." No, Job didn’t get angry and shout at God for his misery! He didn’t blame God for what happened either.
Satan spoke to God again and said that Job was faithful because those things (the servants, animals, and his children) that were taken away didn’t hurt him physically. So, God told Satan that he could do what he wanted except kill Job. The first thing Satan did was put painful boils all over Job, from his feet to the top of his head. Job used a broken pot to scrape himself!
Then, Job’s wife began to tell Job to curse God because of what happened to him. Job told her that sometimes there’s good in life and sometimes there’s bad; but Job would not curse God or sin. When his 3 friends went to see Job, they didn’t even recognize him! They ate with Job for 7 days and nights and they didn’t even talk! They did talk after that and Job stayed faithful and didn’t blame God. But Job did have questions for God. (38:1) and God answered Job out of a whirlwind. Job said “I know You can do anything (42:2).
When Job prayed for his friends, God gave Job back all that Job had lost, He even doubled it! (42:10) God blessed the last days of Job and gave him (42:1212-13):
- 14,000 sheep
- 6,000 camels
- 1,000 oxen
- 1,000 female donkeys
- 7 sons & 3 beautiful daughters
Add Job to your timeline.
- Feed the Elephant True/False questions:
True False
God allowed Satan to hurt Job. God hurt Job.
Job loved God. Job hated God.
God rules all the world. Satan rules all the world.
God gave Job a new family and riches. Job died sick and poor.
Talk about sickness and sadness: Have we ever been sad or sick? How do we feel? How should we treat others who are sick or sad? Did Job’s friends show love for him? Make “Get Well” cards for a hospital or nursing home. Who will deliver them?
- Make a Job plate face:
Cut mouth and eye openings from a paper plate.
Cut a nose from the left-over pieces.
Place a second plate under the first.
Poke a hole through both plates and fasten
with a brad.
Draw eyes and a smiling face on the second
plate where the openings are in the first.
Turn the second plate 180 degrees.
Draw a sad mouth and crying eyes in the
new blank areas.
Glue the nose over the brad.
Retell the story of Job with the children turning their faces from smiling to sadness to smiling again at the appropriate times.
- Close with prayer.