A Is for Adam: The Gospel from Genesis [Spi ed.] 0890516251, 9780890516256

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First printing: November 2011

Dedicated to Mervyn Ham Copyright © 2011 by Answers in Genesis–USA. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles and reviews. For information write: Master Books®, P.O. Box 726, Green Forest, AR 72638 Master Books® is a division of the New Leaf Publishing Group, Inc. ISBN: 978-0-89051-625-6 Library of Congress Number: 2011937099 Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.

1928-1995 This book is dedicated to our Dad, Mervyn Ham, who went home to be with the Lord June 9, 1995. A is for Adam was produced because of the legacy he left us—a love for the Word of God. Our father never had great earthly riches, but he left his six children (and children’s children) a spiritual inheritance more precious than silver or gold (Proverbs 13:22). In his last hours, he told his family that life is all about “for and with.” If you live in this world, it is for Christ and when you die it is with Christ. This book stands firm on the inerrancy and authority of Scripture while presenting the Gospel message to children and adults. It is our prayer that lives will be changed for the Lord so many will know what it means to be “for and with” as our precious Dad declared.

Please consider requesting that a copy of this volume be purchased by your local library system. PRINTED BY TOPPAN LEEFUNG PRINTERS LTD, DONGGUAN, GUANGDONG, CHINA Please visit our website for other great titles: www.masterbooks.net For information regarding author interviews, please contact the publicity department at (870) 438-5288

Reading Roundup! (You can read the complete poem on the following page to your child before beginning the individual lessons, or it can be used to help the student begin recognizing words as they follow along. Reading it intermittently between several lessons can help the child become familiar with the words before the individual letter lessons take place. You may prefer to wait and read it as a review following several lessons.)

A is for Adam; God made him from dust. He wasn’t a monkey, he looked just like us. Although some scientists don’t think it was so, it was God who was there, and He ought to know.

N is for Never, no more could they go, back to the garden, where rivers did flow. Angels with swords now stood at the gate; what was in store, and what was their fate?

B is for Bible, a book God did give, to tell where we came from and how we should live. We did not evolve, God made it so plain, people are people; we stay just the same.

O is for Offering, an animal was killed. Because of their sin, blood had to be spilled. But over and over this had to be done, till Christ on the cross the victory had won.

C is for Creatures; God made them all, some rather little, but others quite tall. He said unto Adam, “What names do you think?” Adam then named them, quick as a wink!

P is for Plan, which God always had, because he knew man, would turn very bad. A few thousand years later, God’s Son came to be, a wonderful Savior for you and for me.

D is for Dinosaur, dodo and deer; Like all of the animals, no man did they fear. But even though all was in true harmony, Adam then realized, “There’s no one like me!”

Q is for Quiet, Adam and Eve must have been, when God spoke the words, of Genesis three verse fifteen. God’s Son came to die and be raised from the dead, so to Hell we’d not go, but to Heaven instead.

E is for Eve, his beautiful bride, God made just for Adam, from part of his side. To sleep God did put him, and when he awoke, “She’s flesh of my flesh,” were the words that he spoke.

R is for Rough, how life had become, the effects of God’s curse had really begun. Adam worked hard to obtain food to eat, he made lots of sweat, so he must have been beat!

F is for Fruit, God said not to take “Because if you do, much trouble you’ll make!” They lived in the garden God specially made, and if they’d obeyed Him, they could have then stayed.

S is for Seventy, and maybe lots more. Imagine their family with children galore. Long before Moses, when people were few, brothers and sisters could marry, that’s true!

G is for Ghastly, for what happened next. Let’s go to the Bible, and look at the text. In Genesis chapter three and verse one, Eve met the serpent, but she didn’t run.

T is for Trouble, oh, such a sad day. Cain struck brother Abel, and dead there he lay. The Lord punished Cain for what he had done, but things still got worse, there was much more to come.

H is for How very sly he did sound. The Devil saw Eve and the fruit she had found. “Did God really say, ‘Don’t eat from that tree?’ It’ll open your eyes—you’ll be wise, like me.”

U is for Utterly shocking and bad. People were killing, it became quite a fad! God said, “That’s enough! The world I will judge.” He sent a great flood—which made lots of sludge.

I is for Interested, Eve did become, she picked off the fruit and then she ate some. It tasted so nice, what harm could there be? “Here Adam, eat some and come and join me,”

V is for Violent, were the waters of the flood, people and animals were buried in the mud. But God saved Noah, wife, daughters and sons, along with the animals in an ark weighing tons.

J is for Jovial, as Satan must have been. The Devil was gleeful with all he had seen. He was able to trick poor Eve with a lie, “Obey all my words, and you’ll surely not die!”

W is for Walk; they came out of the ark. The world was so different, the Flood left its mark. Had people now learned God’s Word to obey? They certainly did not, it is so sad to say.

K is for Knew; Adam saw he was bare. Both he and his wife no clothes they did wear. They sewed up some fig leaves, and then tried to hide, as they suddenly realized the Devil had lied.

X is for eXplode, the population sure grew, but what happened next, read God’s Word for the clue. They built a great tower to reach to the sky, for God’s spoken Word, they were quick to defy.

L is for Lord, who reigns up on high, the one who told Adam, “Obey, or you’ll die.” Adam and Eve couldn’t hide from their sin, “Out of my garden, and don’t come back in!”

Y is for Yes, God did soon judge their sin, by confusing their language—what a terrible din! He scattered the people all over the place, till God’s final judgment, we’ll all have to face.

M is for Moan, what a mess sin did make. Thorns, thistles and death, and cursed ground for man’s sake. God had to judge sin. He’s so holy and pure, But God is so good, He provided a cure.

Z is for Zip, so quick it will be, when Jesus comes back for you and for me. If our name is found in the “Lamb’s Book of Life,” We’ll sure live forever in a place with no strife.

Let’s Read: A is for Adam; God made him from dust. He wasn’t a monkey, he looked just like us. Although some scientists don’t think it was so, It was God who was there, and He ought to know.

The Starting Point: The Bible tells us that God has always been around. He knows everything that has ever happened. He created everything and His Word (the Bible) lets us know how that happened.

Bible Bits: (Share one at a time, and have the child repeat what you say) º All things were created by and for Jesus Christ. º God made man from dust of the earth. º God did not use monkeys or evolution to make Adam or Eve. º When Adam sinned, God said he would one day die and become dust again. º When people say Adam evolved from a monkey, they are saying what they think and what their story of Adam is. º Only God has been around forever, and only God really knows the truth about how Adam was created.

º Adam spoke after he was created and even named the animals. God also spoke to Adam and not to the animals. º When you read the Bible from the beginning, it is telling you about how everything began and was created by God in a certain order. This order helps explain things like how a man could not have been created from a monkey. º Remember, we can always trust the Bible. It is the only book that has no mistakes and can tell us the real history of ourselves and our world.

Always Remember: (The child needs to repeat this back to you.) You are special. People are special. God made us special. The Bible tells us God made us in His own image, and actually breathed life into Adam.

Stuff To Do: (Do this during a trip to a zoo or by looking through a book with pictures of animals and people. Ask the following questions and have the child either answer them verbally or write down a short answer if they have learned to write. Hint! Look for differences such as: apes cannot speak; their feet are more like hands; etc.) 1. How are you different from monkeys or apes?

Let’s Talk!

2. How are you and the monkey the same?

(Be sure that the child responds to each point and signals their understanding with an answer.)

3. Do you know why there are these things in common? (It is critical you discuss this point no matter if their response is “yes” or “no”. Explain to them how they often make drawings that look the same even if they are about different things. That is because they made the drawing – so every drawing they do is unique to them and their abilities. Monkeys and people have similarities because the same Creator God created all of us and everything else.)

º What is Adam thinking about in the picture? What is the monkey thinking about? º People and monkeys are different, and always have been. God created them differently.

Quick Review: A-NOTES pg. 53

1. Who created everything? 2. Was man created from another animal like an ape? 3. Who named the animals?

1

A is for Adam; God made him from dust. He wasn’t a monkey, he looked just like us.

Although some scientists don’t think it was so, It was God who was there, and He ought to know. 2

Let’s Read: B is for Bible, a book God did give, To tell where we came from and how we should live. We did not evolve, God made it so plain, People are people, we stay just the same.

The Starting Point: When God created people, He created them differently than He did the animals. People are not like animals. People didn’t come from earlier ape-like creatures like some want to believe.

Bible Bits: º God formed people in His own image. It was Adam and Eve. º God took dust of the ground, and breathed life into man. The man was Adam. º God made Adam fall asleep, and then made a woman, Eve, from Adam’s rib. º Only Eve was created in this way. º God commanded that animals be brought forth from the earth, but doesn’t breathe life into them.

Let’s Talk: º God made Adam special. That means that God made you special too! º Do you see the Bible in the picture? What is the Bible?

Always Remember: God created everything and He made people special and very different from animals.

Visual Vocabulary: Look closely at the image – can you find other items that begin with the letter “B” ? Can you find the words in the rhyme that use a “B”?

Stuff to Do: Help construct a chart to classify the creatures and plants God has created. Get them to put three headings: People, Animals, and Plants. Underneath the “Animal” and “Plant” headings, have them list some of their favorites. Make sure they add apes and monkeys to the animal list. You can also cut out images from magazines or newspapers to go in the columns. They can be their favorite plants and animals. Underneath the heading of “People,” have them put Adam and Eve (first parents) and the names of some Bible characters (e.g., Noah, Shem, Job, Paul, Peter, etc.). Next put their name at the bottom of the list. At the top of the chart, have them print: My name is _____________________________. I am made in God’s image. I am not an animal. Have them place their photo next to this. At the bottom of the page, they can print: I am very Special!

º It is important that we understand and listen to what God tells us in the Bible. Genesis is the very first book in the Bible. It tells us how God created the world and us!

Quick Review:

º God created something “in His own image” – what was it?

2. How was Eve created?

º In what ways are Adam and the monkey the same? In what ways are they different?

3. Whose image did God use to create Adam?

1. Did God create Adam and Eve the same way He did the animals?

B-NOTES pg. 54

3

B is for Bible, a book God did give, To tell where we came from and how we should live.

We did not evolve, God made it so plain, People are people, we stay just the same. 4

Let’s Read: C is for Creatures; God made them all, Some rather little, but others quite tall. He said unto Adam, “What names do you think?” Adam then named them, quick as a wink!

The Starting Point:

Always Remember:

God created every living animal, and He made them in every shape, color, and size. Then He told Adam to name them so Adam could see he wasn’t like any of the animals.

(The child needs to repeat this back to you.)

Bible Bits: (Share one at a time, and have the child repeat what you say) º God created everything in six days. º A day has always been a day. º God didn’t name the animals He created. º Adam was told to name the animals. º Animals were created and named before Eve was created.

Let’s Talk: (Be sure that the child responds to each point and signals their understanding with an answer.) º What animals are shown in the picture with Adam? º Is Adam smiling? Do you think Adam loved the animals? º Are any of the animals fighting?

God loves everyone no matter what they look like. When God created the world, He made things different. He made animals of every shape or size, and even people who do not look the same. But animals are always animals; people have always been people – animals never become people over time.

Visual Vocabulary: Look at the animals in the picture. Do any of them begin with the letter “C”? What about the rest of the picture. Can you find anything that begins with “C”?

Extra Activities: Research different kinds of animals – and look at their photos (ex. penguins, dogs, cats, birds). There is a lot of difference in the color and how each may look, but there are similarities that make a penguin a penguin and a dog a dog. Imagine you are Adam and come up with fun names for some animals.

º Do all the animals look the same?

Quick Review:

º Do any of the animals look like Adam?

1. Why did Adam name the animals? 2. Were any of the animals like Adam? 3. What did God do on each day of the Creation Week?

C-NOTES pg. 55

5

C is for Creatures; God made them all, Some rather little, but others quite tall.

He said unto Adam, “What names do you think?” Adam then named them, quick as a wink! 6

Let’s Read: D is for Dinosaur, Dodo and Deer, Like all of the animals, no man did they fear. But even though all was in true harmony, Adam then realized, “There’s no one like me!”

The Starting Point: God created the universe, our world, and everything in it. He also created Adam, the first man. And Adam was the only person at this time. He was all alone. God would create someone for Adam.

Bible Bits: (Share one at a time, and have the child repeat what you say) º God told Adam to name all the animals. º While the naming the animals, Adam found no one like him, a person. º Adam knew he was different from the monkeys and apes.

º The Bible tells us that animals began to fear people after Noah’s Flood. º Animals are scared of people today, but wasn’t like that at the beginning with Adam and Eve, was it? º What changed from Adam’s time to the flood that changed everything? º One day it will be like it was in the Garden of Eden again. People and animals will not fear one another.

Always Remember: (The child needs to repeat this back to you.) God made Adam and Eve different from the animals. God created the dinosaurs on the same day. People and animals, even dinosaurs, once lived in peace without fighting or death.

Visual Vocabulary:

º Both Adam and Eve were given different responsibilities.

Look closely at the image – what things begin with the letter “D”? Can you count how many times the letter “D” appears on the page? Can you find the dodo bird and the dinosaurs in the picture? Who isn’t happy in the picture? Why is Adam not happy?

º When God created Adam and Eve, He was creating the first marriage.

Stuff To Do:

º The animals, male and female, all had a mate. º God created man first for a reason.

Let’s Talk! (Be sure that the child responds to each point and signals their understanding with an answer.) º Look at the picture. The animals are not scared, are they? º Adam isn’t scared of the animals. º How many of each animal are there? º Do you know when animals became afraid of people?

Let’s pretend that you are Adam. What do you think Adam was thinking about in the picture? How would you feel when you realize you are the only person on Earth? What does it feel like to be lonely? What do you do when you feel lonely?

Quick Review: 1. Why did God have Adam name the animals? 2. Why was Adam alone? 3. Why did God create Adam first? 4. When did animals begin to fear people?

D-NOTES pg. 57

7

D is for Dinosaur, dodo and deer, Like all of the animals, no man did they fear.

But even though all was in true harmony, Adam then realized, “There’s no one like me!

8

Let’s Read: E is for Eve, his beautiful bride, God made just for Adam, from part of his side. To sleep God did put him, and when he awoke, “She’s flesh of my flesh,” were the words that he spoke.

The Starting Point: Adam was alone so God created Eve to keep him company. They were the first marriage in history.

Bible Bits: (Share one at a time, and have the child repeat what you say)

Always Remember: (The child needs to repeat this back to you.) Adam was alone – he was the only person until God created Eve to be his helper and friend. And God created Eve in a special way. God was showing us what marriage is - a man and a woman, and hopefully a lifetime together.

º Eve was not created like Adam was.

Visual Vocabulary:

º By making Eve from one of Adam’s ribs, God was making an important example of what marriage should be.

Can you find the person in the picture that has a name that begins with “E”? What do those hearts floating around Eve mean?

º God created the first family ever – a mom and a dad and then children.

Stuff To Do:

º Faith is believing what God tells us in His book, the Bible.

Let’s Talk! (Be sure that the child responds to each point and signals their understanding with an answer.)

Look at family photos for weddings that have taken place or draw a special picture that shows your own family. Talk about what it means to be part of a family, and how God blesses us with people we love and marry when we grow up.

Quick Review:

º Eve, Adam’s wife, was created while Adam was asleep.

1. Was Adam asleep or awake when Eve was created?

º God meant for Adam and Eve to be together forever.

2. Why did God make Eve?

º Marriage is for a man and a women – this is what the Bible teaches us.

3. What is a family?

º We know the real history of the world because God wrote the Bible for us.

E-NOTES pg. 58

9

E is for Eve, his beautiful bride, God made just for Adam, from part of his side. To sleep God did put him, and when he awoke, “She’s flesh of my flesh,” were the words that he spoke. 10

Let’s Read: F is for Fruit, God said not to take “Because if you do, much trouble you’ll make!”

º Look at the picture – how many kinds of fruit do you see?

They lived in the garden God specially made,

º Can you see the sign in front of a tree?

And if they’d obeyed Him, they could have then stayed.

º What does that sign mean?

The Starting Point:

º Do you think Adam and Eve are happy in the Garden of Eden?

Have the children look up Genesis 2:9:

Always Remember:

“And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” (NKJV)

(The child needs to repeat this back to you.)

Then read Genesis 2:16-17:

Visual Vocabulary:

“And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (NKJV)

Look carefully at the image and then write down anything you see that begins with the letter “F”.

Bible Bits:

Write down the name of the vegetables you like to eat. Draw a photo of your favorite fruits. Look up and see what vegetables or fruits some animals like to eat.

º God was creating trees and plants. º These fruits were to be eaten by Adam, Eve, and the animals. º There were two special trees. º God told Adam never to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Let’s Talk: º Adam and Eve are in the Garden of Eden.

God created the world and told them to eat plants. God told Adam not to eat from one particular tree.

Stuff to Do:

Discuss why God tested Adam and Eve this way? If you have a puppet, use it to explain to the children that you can make the puppet do whatever you want. You control the puppet. Explain that God did not make Adam and Eve to be puppets. He did not make them and then force them to love and obey Him. God wanted Adam and Eve to love Him because they wanted to. They had the ability to choose.

Quick Review:

º Think how many trees God may have made—maybe millions. Adam and Eve would have had lots and lots of trees from which they could eat the fruit.

1. What was the one thing God told Adam not to do?

º There was only one tree from which they were told not to eat.

2. Why do you think Adam disobeyed?

F-NOTES

3. What was it like to live in the Garden of Eden?

pg. 60

11

F is for Fruit, God said not to take “Because if you do, much trouble you’ll make!” They lived in the garden God specially made, And if they’d obeyed Him, they could have then stayed. 12

Let’s Read: G is for Ghastly, for what happened next, Let’s go to the Bible, and look at the text. In Genesis chapter three and verse one, Eve met the serpent, but she didn’t run.

º Satan was once an “anointed cherub” in heaven (Ezekiel 28:14) – what do you think of when you think of angels, cherubs, and other heavenly host?

The Starting Point:

º Why did Satan get thrown out of Heaven?

The serpent was influenced by the Devil who is also known as Satan. He likes to try and get people to disobey God.

Always Remember:

Bible Bits: (Share one at a time, and have the child repeat what you say) º Satan met Eve and spoke to her. º Eve stayed to listen to him. º Satan was once beautiful an in heaven, but he also chose to disobey God.

(The child needs to repeat this back to you.) When God tells you what to do, it is important to obey. Satan wants us to disobey like he does.

Visual Vocabulary: Are there any colors in the image that begin the letter “G”? How many people are talking to Satan? Describe what you see in the image?

º Satan was thrown out of heaven.

Stuff To Do:

Let’s Talk!

Look for things that show we are supposed to obey rules (stopping at a stop sign, the signals on a street light).

(Be sure that the child responds to each point and signals their understanding with an answer.)

Draw an angel and color it or draw the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve in it.

º It wasn’t enough for Satan to disobey God, he wanted people to disobey as well.

Quick Review:

º Who did Satan speak to?

1. What was Satan before he disobeyed God?

º What tree was Satan standing in front of? (Hint: see the sign behind it?)

2. Why is it important to obey God’s Word?

º Do you believe a serpent could actually speak to Eve? º In the picture does Eve look scared? Happy? Or thinking about what Satan is telling her?

3. Why does Satan try to make other people ignore God?

G-NOTES pg. 61

13

G is for Ghastly, for what happened next, Let’s go to the Bible, and look at the text.

In Genesis chapter three and verse one, Eve met the serpent, but she didn’t run. 14

Let’s Read: H is for How very sly he did sound, The Devil saw Eve and the fruit she had found. “Did God really say, ‘Don’t eat from that tree?’ It’ll open your eyes—you’ll be wise, like me.

The Starting Point:

Always Remember:

It is important to realize what Satan told Eve would happen if she ate the fruit. He told her she would be smart like he is.

(The child needs to repeat this back to you.)

º Adam and Even were special creations of God.

God’s Word is true and this truth never changes. Satan continues to try and be equal to God, and knows that God is very sad when Satan talks people into ignoring God. Satan lies to us and wants us to disobey God.

º God gave them a beautiful place to live and asked only for them to obey Him.

Visual Vocabulary:

º Satan urged her to question what God had told her and Adam.

Eve’s hair is what color? What is in her hand? What kind of sound does the serpent make? (hiss)

Bible Bits:

º The serpent encouraged Eve to disobey and help her husband to disobey.

Let’s Talk! (Be sure that the child responds to each point and signals their understanding with an answer.) º Satan likes to think he is as smart as God it, but he isn’t. º Do you think Eve will eat the fruit she isn’t supposed to have? º Should Eve have listened to the serpent? º Look where the serpent is in the image. What is he doing?

Stuff To Do: Think about who you want to be when you grow up. Describe that person to your parents or teacher.

Quick Review: 1. Why did Eve want to be smart like Satan? 2. Can you ever believe Satan? 3. Describe Satan in this picture.

º What about Eve? What do you think she is thinking? º What do you do when someone wants you to do something that you know will get you in trouble? º Would you have listened to the serpent?

H-NOTES pg. 62

15

H is for How very sly he did sound, The Devil saw Eve and the fruit she had found. “Did God really say, ‘Don’t eat from that tree?’ It’ll open your eyes—you’ll be wise, like me.

16

Let’s Read: I is for Interested, Eve did become, She picked off the fruit and then she ate some. It tasted so nice, what harm could there be? “Here Adam, eat some and come and join me.”

The Starting Point: Eve disobeyed but then she tried to get Adam to disobey as well. She didn’t think there were any bad consequences, but she was wrong.

Always Remember:

Bible Bits:

There are always consequences when you disobey. We are all like Adam and Eve, wanting to do things we know we shouldn’t. Don’t be afraid to pray to God to help when you need it, and it is important to do what God wants us to do.

(Share one at a time, and have the child repeat what you say) º Eve believed Satan, the serpent. º She wanted to be wise like the serpent seemed to be. º She looked at the tree, the fruit looked good, looked like it would taste good, so she ate it. º And then she got Adam to try some too.

Let’s Talk! (Be sure that the child responds to each point and signals their understanding with an answer.) º God said eating the fruit meant you would die, but Eve ate and didn’t die, or at least not in the way she feared she might. º Adam and Eve look happy in the picture, but they know they are doing something wrong.

(The child needs to repeat this back to you.)

Stuff To Do: Do you know you can talk to God about anything? He loves us and wants to care for us, and if we are in trouble, we can pray for help. Offer a prayer for someone in your life that may need help, and trust God to answer your prayer. Prayer is our way of talking to God.

Quick Review: 1. Do you think Adam and Eve should have spoken to God about what the serpent was telling them? 2. Why do you think Adam ate the fruit too? 3. Give an example of a rule that is meant to protect you.

º Sometimes it seems like you can disobey and not be punished for it, but there are always consequences. º Sadly, Eve and Adam never spoke to God about what the serpent had said before they disobeyed God. º God is always ready to help us if we ask Him to.

I-NOTES pg. 63

17

I is for Interested, Eve did become, She picked off the fruit and then she ate some. It tasted so nice, what harm could there be? “Here Adam, eat some and come and join me,” 18

Let’s Read: J is for Jovial, as Satan must have been, The Devil was gleeful with all he had seen. He was able to trick poor Eve with a lie, “Obey all my words, and you’ll surely not die!”

The Starting Point:

º Why does God blame everyone for what Adam and Eve did?

Satan lies all the time. And people believe him because they want to believe what he says is true. It is God who really loves us, and give us truth and expects our obedience. Satan is happy when people don’t listen to God.

º We are all born with sin.

Bible Bits:

Always Remember:

(Share one at a time, and have the child repeat what you say)

(The child needs to repeat this back to you.)

º When they ate the fruit, they began to slowly get old and die, they just did not know it yet.

Satan pretended to be Eve’s friend. She and Adam found out Satan can never be trusted. It is God who loves us and wants only the best for us. Even though we sin, He still loves us.

º Adam would live 930 years, but if he had obeyed, he would have never died. º There is a difference in a physical death and a spiritual death. º Look at the serpent in the picture – he looks really happy about what he did, doesn’t he? º Adam and Eve’s bad decision affected everyone, even you and me. º God is holy, which means he can have nothing do with sin. º Adam and Eve hid in shame at being naked.

Let’s Talk! (Be sure that the child responds to each point and signals their understanding with an answer.) º Adam lived a long time, and he got to speak directly with God.

º Things changed for Adam and Eve when they disobeyed – they hid from God. º Why is Satan happy when we disobey God?

Stuff To Do: Talk about the word “love”. What does it mean to love something? What do you love? Write a short letter to God. And talk about what it means to know that God is taking care of you and loves you.

Quick Review: 1. How long did Adam live? 2. How did things start to change when Adam disobeyed? 3. Why does Satan lie? 4. Who really loves us: God or Satan?

º But when he sinned, everything changed.

J-NOTES pg. 64

19

J is for Jovial, as Satan must have been, The Devil was gleeful with all he had seen. He was able to trick poor Eve with a lie, “Obey all my words, and you’ll surely not die!” 20

Let’s Read: K is for Knew; Adam saw he was bare. Both he and his wife no clothes they did wear. They sewed up some fig leaves, and then tried to hide, As they suddenly realized the Devil had lied.

The Starting Point:

Always Remember:

It seemed at first that Adam and Eve could disobey and nothing would change. But soon, we see that they realized they were naked, and they knew the Devil had lied to them. Sin changes everything.

(The child needs to repeat this back to you.)

Bible Bits:

Stuff to Do:

(Share one at a time, and have the child repeat what you say)

º They know they should not have listened to Satan.

Take a piece of construction paper. Draw the outline of a dress. Then using glue or tape, try to take a handful of leaves and make a small dress or pants and shirt. It will be easy to see why “leaf” clothes were not going to work.

º They will also understand death when their son, Abel, is killed.

Quick Review:

º Adam and Eve need clothes. (we will see what kind in the lesson for “O”)

º If they had not disobeyed God, sin and death would not have been part of the world.

Let’s Talk!

Sin changes everything. We can’t have a relationship with our holy God if we have sin in our lives. God wants to be part of our lives.

1. Do you think Adam and Eve felt bad about what they done? 2. What would you do if you could live to 930 years old? 3. Why was God going to have to provide them clothes?

(Be sure that the child responds to each point and signals their understanding with an answer.) º What are Adam and Eve doing in the picture? º What kind of “clothes” are they wearing? º Adam and Eve wanting clothes was not just about being naked. º It was about wanting to hide from what they had done. º Remember, even though they disobeyed, God never stopped loving them.

K-NOTES pg. 66

21

K is for Knew; Adam saw he was bare. Both he and his wife no clothes they did wear. They sewed up some fig leaves, and then tried to hide, As they suddenly realized the Devil had lied. 22

Let’s Read: L is for Lord , who reigns up on high, The one who told Adam, “Obey, or you’ll die.” Adam and Eve couldn’t hide from their sin, “Out of my garden, and don’t come back in!”

The Starting Point: God is the Creator of everything, and the Lord of our lives. That means He sets the rules and we are expected to obey. Because Adam and Eve disobeyed, God made them leave the beautiful Garden of Eden forever.

Bible Bits: (Share one at a time, and have the child repeat what you say) º Adam and Eve tried to hide from God, but God knows and sees everything. º They were too ashamed to face Him. º God made Adam and Eve leave so they couldn’t eat of the Tree of Life, and live forever. º If they did, they would never be able to have an opportunity to live with God again. º Sin keeps us from being with God. º You can’t hide your sin from God.

º See the plant at the bottom of the image – that is a thorn bush. Thorns didn’t exist before Adam and Eve sinned. º Do you see anything different about the clothes they are wearing in the image?

Always Remember: (The child needs to repeat this back to you.) When they ate the fruit, I don’t think Adam and Eve imagined being forced to leave the Garden of Eden. But God had to do it to make sure His plan for our salvation could happen. Always remember, sin keeps us away from God.

Visual Vocabulary: Find all the words in the rhyming verse with the letter “L”.

Stuff To Do: Go out into the yard and look at a rosebush. Imagine it never had a thorn. Now look at the other flowers – see any weeds? Imagine your backyard as the Garden of Eden. It was more beautiful than you could ever describe.

Let’s Talk!

Quick Review:

(Be sure that the child responds to each point and signals their understanding with an answer.)

1. Why did Adam and Eve try to hide from God?

º Oh no! Look at the picture. Adam and Eve are outside of the garden, and they do not look happy. They look scared, don’t they?

3. What differences happened in God’s creation because of Adam and Eve? (Hint: remember the rose?)

2. What keeps us from God?

L-NOTES pg. 67

23

L is for Lord , who reigns up on high, The one who told Adam, “Obey, or you’ll die.” Adam and Eve couldn’t hide from their sin, “Out of my garden, and don’t come back in!” 24

Let’s Read: M is for Moan, what a mess sin did make.

Let’s Talk!

Thorns, thistles and death, and cursed ground for man’s sake.

(Be sure that the child responds to each point and signals their understanding with an answer.)

God had to judge sin. He’s so holy and pure, But God is so good, He provided a cure.

The Starting Point: The disobedience of Adam and Eve didn’t just mean they had to leave the Garden of Eden. It also meant that changes took place in the world they now lived and had to work very hard to grow what is needed to survive, and fighting weeds is a part of that. Thorns and thistles are just two examples of how the world changed from a beautiful and perfect creation to one that contained pain and death. But always remember, God had a plan to save the world!

º The picture shows a much different world. Do you remember what the Garden of Eden looked like in the previous pictures? º What about this picture? Does it look as nice a place to live in as the Garden of Eden did? º How is it different? (compare to an earlier picture if the child needs help – ask them to compare the sky, the ground, flowers, etc) º What is wrong with Adam’s foot? º Do Adam and Eve look happy?

Always Remember:

Bible Bits:

(The child needs to repeat this back to you.)

(Share one at a time, and have the child repeat what you say)

When Adam disobeyed God, he never thought that the whole world would change because of what he did. He and Eve were forced to leave the beautiful Garden of Eden, and weeding and thorns are a reminder what happened.

º The world was perfect without sin – but when Adam sinned, the world changed. º God had to judge Adam for this sin – that means Adam had to face punishment because of disobedience. º Even the ground changed – making it hard work for Adam and Eve to survive. º When you see thorns or weeds, remember they exist because Adam disobeyed God. º God didn’t want people to be separate from Him forever, so even then, He was creating a plan to make a way for people to be saved from sin and death.

Stuff To Do: Help with weeding a flower bed or the garden – learn to pull out the weeds and how to know the difference between a weed and what should be there like a flower or a vegetable plant. When they were the in the Garden of Eden, they had all the food they wanted to eat and they didn’t have to do anything. But when they had to leave Eden, Adam and Eve didn’t have grocery stores, so they had to grow food to eat. Imagine having to go out every day and work all day to have food. It wasn’t easy. Then when you have time, draw a picture of a perfect world without thorns or thistles.

Quick Review: 1. Why are there weeds and thorns?

M-NOTES pg. 68

2. What was the world like before Adam disobeyed? 3. Was it easy for Adam and Eve to grow food?

25

M is for Moan, what a mess sin did make. Thorns, thistles and death, and cursed ground for man’s sake. God had to judge sin. He’s so holy and pure, But God is so good, He provided a cure.

26

Let’s Read: N is for Never, no more could they go, Back to the garden, where rivers did flow. Angels with swords now stood at the gate, What was in store, and what was their fate?

The Starting Point:

Let’s Talk!

The world after sin was not the wonderful place that Adam and Eve had lived in while in the Garden of Eden. God made them leave. They probably wanted to go back there, but God put cherubim with flaming swords so that no one could enter. Adam and Eve had disobeyed once, and if they were to be saved, they couldn’t return and eat from the special tree that would have helped them live forever. With sin in the world, living forever would mean there was no chance for people to once again have a relationship with God.

(Be sure that the child responds to each point and signals their understanding with an answer.)

Bible Bits:

Always Remember:

(Share one at a time, and have the child repeat what you say)

(The child needs to repeat this back to you.)

º Adam and Eve didn’t want to leave the Garden of Eden.

Adam and Eve had to leave the Garden of Eden forever. There was no chance to go back. God made sure of that. They would have to begin their life in a world changed because of sin.

º God made them leave – and made sure that cherubim (think of something like an angel) kept them from returning. º The cherubim had swords. º God didn’t want them to eat from the Tree of Life. º If they lived forever in sin, then God’s plan to save the world could not happen. º Adam and Eve would never go into the Garden of Eden again.

º Tell me what is happening in the picture. º The cherubim are making sure Adam and Eve stay away. º The cherubim aren’t being mean – they are doing what God told them to do. º Adam and Eve will have to live somewhere else.

Stuff To Do: Learn more about angels in the Bible. What do angels do, and what is another example of angels being part of the history presented in the Bible?

Quick Review: 1. Who said Adam and Eve had to the leave the Garden of Eden? 2. Who did God have guarding the Garden so they could not return?

N-NOTES

3. Why did God want them to stay away from the Garden? (hint: the tree that would help them live forever in sin)

pg. 69

27

N is for Never, no more could they go, Back to the garden, where rivers did flow.

Angels with swords now stood at the gate, What was in store, and what was their fate? 28

Let’s Read: O is for Offering, an animal was killed. Because of their sin, blood had to be spilled.

º Look at the picture for the letter “O”. Do you see the animal that was sacrificed?

But over and over this had to be done,

º What are Adam and Eve wearing?

Till Christ on the cross the victory had won.

º Remember how Adam named all the animals? Look at how sad he is that an animal had to be killed because Adam didn’t obey God?

(Special note: “P” represents information that is part of “O” and “Q”. The concepts may be difficult for youngsters to grasp all at once.)

The Starting Point: Remember how Adam and Eve tried to hide after they disobeyed God? They also tried to make clothes of leaves – but that didn’t work. God made clothes for them. He made them out of animal skins. This is the first time an animal died since God created the world and everything in it. Adam’s sin didn’t only mess up the earth, it also changed how animals live. Some animals began to eat other animals.

Bible Bits: (Share one at a time, and have the child repeat what you say) º To cover Adam and Eve, God killed an animal. This is known as a sacrifice. º There were rules and requirements about what kind of an animal could be killed – it had to be done in the way that God had said to do it. º Throughout the Bible we read about animals sacrificed to ask for God’s forgiveness for sin, but when Jesus came to die for our sins, we no longer needed to sacrifice animals. º Jesus’ death on the cross was God’s plan to save the world from sin.

Let’s Talk!

Always Remember: (The child needs to repeat this back to you.) Jesus was God’s plan to save us from sin. God loves us enough to sacrifice His own son so that we have the chance to be with God again. Sacrificing an animal couldn’t take sin away from the whole world. It was not until there was a perfect sacrifice, Jesus, who never sinned and could save the world from sin.

Stuff To Do: Find some leaves from the yard, and bring them inside. Using a paper doll, try to use the leaf as clothing for the doll. It doesn’t work does it? Help the child draw a new set of clothes like those you see Adam and Eve wearing. Explain why the clothing is white – it shows there is no sin. If an adult can draw the outline of the clothing, help to cut it out and then let the child place it on the paper doll.

Quick Review: 1. Why did God kill the animal? 2. Review the image for “P”. Make sure the child knows what each individual image in the sign means. 3. Who did God send to die for us to save us from sin?

(Be sure that the child responds to each point and signals their understanding with an answer.)

O-NOTES pg. 69

29

O is for Offering, an animal was killed. Because of their sin, blood had to be spilled. But over and over this had to be done, Till Christ on the cross the victory had won. 30

Let’s Read: P is for Plan, which God always had, Because He knew man, would turn very bad. A few thousand years later, God’s Son came to be, A wonderful Savior for you and for me. (Salvation is an important concept for young people to know about. However, it is also important to present the concept of sacrifice and death in an age-appropriate and sensitive manner.)

The Starting Point: God had a plan because Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden. A plan was needed so that people wouldn’t be separated from God forever by sin. The image for the letter “P” represents the history of the world to the time of the cross. Because of man’s sin, a sacrifice was needed. God sent His son Jesus to be that sacrifice. This image shows:

Let’s Talk! (Be sure that the child responds to each point and signals their understanding with an answer.) º Can you see where the earth was created? º What about the fruit with the bite taken out of it? When did that happen? º Why are there thorns? º The hand reaching up out of the water represents what happened when Noah’s Flood happened. Do you know the account of Noah’s Ark? º The last picture is of a cross. Who died on the cross to save the world from sin? We will learn more about Noah and the Flood when we get to the lesson for the letter “U”.

º Creation

Always Remember:

º The Fall (Adam disobeying God)

(The child needs to repeat this back to you.)

º The Curse (sin as part of the world)

The sign in the picture basically shows what happened from the time God created the world to when Jesus died for our sins. God created the world and everything on it – including man. Adam disobeyed, and the perfect world God had created changed. Because people sinned so much, God sent a flood to cover the world, leaving only Noah and his family with animals on the ark. Jesus dying for our sins was all part of God’s plan for saving the world.

º Flood (God’s judgment on the world for sin)

Bible Bits: (Share one at a time, and have the child repeat what you say) º God knew that people would continue to sin just like Adam sinned. º Despite everything that had happened – leaving the Garden of Eden, Cain – people kept choosing not to obey God. º But even as people sinned, God’s plan was happening over thousands of years.

Stuff To Do: Review the picture once again to make sure the young learner understands the meaning of the images. Make sure to explain the need for the sacrifice to cover Adam and Eve is like the need for Jesus to die on the cross.

Quick Review: 1. Who was Jesus?

P-NOTES pg. 71

2. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice because he never _______________. 3. Did God know people would keep sinning?

31

CU

R SE

WATER JUDGM ENT

CROSS

LL A F ION T EA R C

P is for Plan, which God always had, Because he knew man, would turn very bad.

A few thousand years later, God’s Son came to be, A wonderful Savior for you and for me. 32

Let’s Read: Q is for Quiet, Adam and Eve must have been,

Let’s Talk!

When God spoke the words, of Genesis three verse fifteen.

(Be sure that the child responds to each point and signals their understanding with an answer.)

God’s Son came to die and be raised from the dead, So to Hell we’d not go, but to Heaven instead. (Please make sure you also refer to the notes for “O.” This lesson also addresses the issue of hell – the suggested lesson text gives an explanation, but please modify this in the lesson if you feel your child needs to have it explained in a different way. Hell can be a very scary concept – it is important to handle it in an age-appropriate way.)

The Starting Point: In the Bible, God tells Adam and Eve that at some point they will die. Death is now part of the world, but that isn’t the end of the story. God’s Son, Jesus, would be sent to die for our sin. He would die on a cross, but defeat death so we have the chance to live in heaven.

Bible Bits: (Share one at a time, and have the child repeat what you say) º When God spoke of death, Adam and Eve said nothing. º They had not experienced what death would have been like. º But they knew because of sin they would have to be separated from God. º God didn’t want this to be the end of the story. º Instead of going to hell, people now have the chance to be in heaven. º Jesus died for us, but that doesn’t mean everyone is saved. º To be saved, you have to admit you have sinned and cannot be saved without Jesus. You have to ask God to forgive your sin, accept Jesus in your heart, and live your life the way He expects us to based on His rules in the Bible.

º Look at the sign Eve and the Dodo bird are holding. What is the first image? º The next image represents how Jesus defeated death. º The picture of the earth with flames is telling us that God has said He will use fire the next time He destroys the world instead of water like He did before. º See the picture of the boy standing with the peaceful animals? That represents the new earth when it will be like it was when Adam and Eve were first created – a world at peace with no death.

Always Remember: (The child needs to repeat this back to you.) Jesus died for our sins. If we receive Him as our Savior, we will live with Him forever. But if we reject Jesus, if we do like Adam did and disobey God, when we die, we will go to a place called hell – and it isn’t a nice place to be. God wants us to live in heaven with Him.

Stuff To Do: Make a copy of the images for the letters “P” and “Q”. Place them in a pile and ask the child to arrange them in two stacks – one for the history of the world, the other the points of salvation and a new earth. Then see if they can put each sequence in the correct order and explain what is happening in each.

Quick Review: 1. What did Jesus defeat? 2. What is the new earth? 3. What will the new earth be like?

Q-NOTES pg. 71

33

Q is for Quiet, Adam and Eve must have been, When God spoke the words, of Genesis three verse fifteen. God’s Son came to die and be raised from the dead, So to Hell we’d not go, but to Heaven instead.

CROSS

RESURRECTION

FIRE JUDGMENT

NEW HEAVENS & NEW EARTH

HELL

34

Let’s Read: R is for Rough, how life had become, The effects of God’s curse had really begun. Adam worked hard to obtain food to eat, He made lots of sweat, so he must have been beat!

The Starting Point:

Always Remember:

Life got a lot harder after Adam disobeyed God and had to leave the Garden of Eden. Adam now had to work in the fields to grow food and make a living.

(The child needs to repeat this back to you.)

Bible Bits: (Share one at a time, and have the child repeat what you say) º God gave Adam and Eve everything they needed in the Garden. º Now they had to work to grow their own food. º But, since the world had changed, they now had to worry about weeds, rocks, and thorns. º Each day they had to work long hours to do what had to be done.

Let’s Talk! (Be sure that the child responds to each point and signals their understanding with an answer.) º Tell me what Adam is doing in the picture? º Does it look like an easy job? º Do you think it was hot or cold that day? º Is Adam growing food? º What does Adam have in his hand?

God created Adam and Eve. They were not monkeys that got smart and turned into people. They looked like we do, and they were created to be smart. Even though life is harder, Adam has made tools so he can do his work.

Visual Vocabulary: Can you find anything in the picture that begins with the letter “R”? What about colors - see anything red in the picture?

Stuff To Do: Pick three things in your house you use to do some thing or an item you use as a tool (examples: pencil, toothbrush, remote control, etc). And then explain what each is used for and how things would be harder without the tool. You could also create a small chart from images cut out of magazines that show how seeds become plants that produce vegetables or fruits that show up in the local grocery store.

Quick Review: 1. Was life easier or harder when Adam had to leave the Garden of Eden? 2. Did monkeys God created turn into people? 3. What did Adam make to be able to do his hard work?

R-NOTES pg. 72

35

R is for Rough, how life had become, The effects of God’s curse had really begun.

Adam worked hard to obtain food to eat, He made lots of sweat, so he must have been beat! 36

Let’s Read: S is for Seventy, and maybe lots more, Imagine their family with children galore. Long before Moses, when people were few, Brothers and sisters could marry, that’s true!

The Starting Point: There are lots of people today because Adam and Eve had lots of children, who also had lots of children. Their children had more children, and it went on and on. And that is how you and me and everyone is alive today. We are part of Adam and Eve’s very big family tree!

Bible Bits: (Share one at a time, and have the child repeat what you say) º The Bible explains people began with Adam and Eve. º Back then, they lived for a very long time! º Everyone living today is part of their family. º We are all the same, no matter what shade of brown our skin is, or where we live, or what language we speak.

Let’s Talk! (Be sure that the child responds to each point and signals their understanding with an answer.) º Look at all of Adam and Eve’s children! º Count as many children as you can. º Are all the kids the same age? Can you see any differences in them? º The Bible tells us the names of some of these children: Cain and Abel were first; then Seth, and then “other sons and daughters”.

Always Remember: (The child needs to repeat this back to you.) Adam lived to be 930 years old – that was a lot of birthdays! And he and Eve had a very big family. Even though people may have different skin color or talk differently than us, they are all still part of Adam’s large family.

Visual Vocabulary: Can you find three things in the picture that begin with the letter “S”? (Hint: sky, smile, sisters)

Stuff To Do: Ask to see some of your family pictures. Do you have photos with your mom and dad or brothers and sisters? Create your own simple family tree with the help of your parents. You can draw your own pictures or make copies of some family photos. Create a small “Adam and Eve’s Family Tree” – use images clipped from magazines to show different people, different ages, and different colors. Be sure to draw in your own family at the bottom of Adam and Eve’s family tree!

Quick Review: 1. Are people who don’t look like us still part of Adam’s family tree? 2. Why are there so many people today? 3. What were the names of Adam and Eve’s children?

S-NOTES pg. 73

37

S is for Seventy, and maybe lots more, Imagine their family with children galore.

Long before Moses, when people were few, Brothers and sisters could marry, that’s true! 38

Let’s Read: T is for Trouble, oh, such a sad day, Cain struck brother Abel, and dead there he lay. The Lord punished Cain for what he had done, But things still got worse, there was much more to come.

The Starting Point:

Always Remember:

The Bible tells us about a sad thing that happened to Adam and Eve’s family. Their first two children offered sacrifices to God. Abel’s sacrifice pleased God, but Cain’s didn’t.

(The child needs to repeat this back to you.)

Bible Bits:

Visual Vocabulary:

(Share one at a time, and have the child repeat what you say)

Look at the rhyming text again. Find all the words that contain the letter “T”.

º Cain and Abel were brothers. º Remember what sacrifices are? Abel did one like God said to do. º He was obedient to God. º Cain was jealous of Abel. º Cain got angry because God did not accept his sacrifice and killed Abel. º God punished Cain because of his sin.

When Cain killed Abel, it was a terrible sin. Things are getting worse and worse since Adam disobeyed and sin came into the world.

Stuff To Do: Think about the things that make you angry at your brother or sister. Then remember what God tells us to do – love one another. What is something nice you can do for your mom and dad, or brother and sister?

Quick Review:

Let’s Talk!

1. Who killed Abel?

(Be sure that the child responds to each point and signals their understanding with an answer.)

2. Why was Cain angry?

º Who is holding the stick in the picture?

3. How did God know that Cain did something wrong?

º Does Cain look happy or angry? º Do you think Cain believed no one would know what he did? º Can you point out the sheep in the picture? º Even though no one else was around, God still knows what we do, doesn’t he?

T-NOTES pg. 74

39

T is for Trouble, oh, such a sad day, Cain struck brother Abel, and dead there he lay. The Lord punished Cain for what he had done, But things still got worse, there was much more to come. 40

Let’s Read: U is for Utterly shocking and bad. People were killing, it became quite a fad! God said, “That’s enough! The world I will judge.” He sent a great flood—which made lots of sludge.

The Starting Point:

Always Remember:

Even knowing that Cain was punished for killing his brother, people starting hurting and killing each other. They refused to obey God, choosing instead to be mean and hurt others.

(The child needs to repeat this back to you.)

Bible Bits:

God loves us and wants us to be happy. But He also wants us to obey His rules. When we don’t, we sin. And God has to punish sin. The Flood was sent by God because so many people were sinning.

(Share one at a time, and have the child repeat what you say)

Stuff To Do:

º The problem of sin just kept getting worse.

Take a plastic dishpan or large bowl and put two small cups of sand in the middle. Place plastic animals or small figures in and around the sand. Then take a bucket of water and pour it quickly on one side of the bowl.

º It was so bad people were killing one another and hurting people just to be mean. º Just like Adam and Cain, God saw what the people were doing. º And He had to punish them – but there were more people now, so God chose a different punishment. º God sent a great flood over the whole world.

Let’s Talk! (Be sure that the child responds to each point and signals their understanding with an answer.) º Tell me what you see in the picture? º Do you see Noah’s ark? º Do you see any people or animals? º Is there a lot or a little water? º What is that much water called? (hint – the word begins with an “F”) º What is different in the sky?

Talk about the water washing away people, buildings, everything on earth being swept away. Remind them of Adam making one bad decision, then Cain, and in a short time, others were sinning and making bad choices too. Adam’s punishment was being removed from the Garden of Eden and having to work hard to survive. Cain’s punishment was a mark and having to go far away. Later, God’s punishment was Noah’s Flood because so many people were doing bad things and not obey God’s rules.

Quick Review: 1. Why did God send a Flood? 2. How big was the Flood? 3. What happened to people and animals and buildings during the Flood?

U-NOTES pg. 74

41

U is for Utterly shocking and bad. People were killing, it became quite a fad!

God said, “That’s enough! The world I will judge.” He sent a great flood—which made lots of sludge. 42

Let’s Read: V is for Violent, were the waters of the flood, People and animals were buried in the mud. But God saved Noah, wife, daughters and sons, Along with the animals in an ark weighing tons.

The Starting Point:

Always Remember:

When God decided to punish the world with a great Flood, He also created a way for people to be saved. There was a man who was still obedient to God and followed His rules. This was Noah – and God had Noah build an ark.

(The child needs to repeat this back to you.)

Bible Bits:

God’s plans always work. Noah’s ark saved the animals and Noah’s family – and everyone and every animal on the Ark was fed and cared for during the Flood. The ark was big enough for other people to be saved but they refused to listen to God.

(Share one at a time, and have the child repeat what you say)

Stuff To Do:

º Noah was a good man who followed God’s rules.

Read Genesis 7 & 8 to the child and then read it again – this time making a list of what is happening in Genesis 7. Then re-enact these events using the child’s toys. Be sure to explain how the animals got to the Ark and have the child count the animals shown in groups of two or seven, and explain what a “kind” of animal is (e.g. dog kind, cat kind, elephant kind, etc.).

º God told Noah to build a large boat called an ark. º The ark was meant to save some of the animals, Noah’s family, and other people if they chose to stop sinning and obey God. º The ark took a long time to build so people could decide to obey God’s rules. º But when the Flood came, it was only the animals and Noah’s family who were on the Ark.

Let’s Talk!

An older child may want to make a mini-timeline of the Flood that they draw themselves – starting with God giving Noah the plans for the Ark and ending with Noah’s family and the animals coming off of the Ark.

Quick Review:

(Be sure that the child responds to each point and signals their understanding with an answer.)

1. What was God’s plan to save Noah and the animals?

º Does it look scary outside while the Flood is happening?

2. Who built the Ark?

º What about inside the Ark?

3. What was happening on the Ark while the Great Flood was happening?

º Are the people and the animals happy or afraid? º What animals do you see with Noah? º What is Noah doing?

V-NOTES pg. 75

43

V is for Violent, were the waters of the flood, People and animals were buried in the mud.

But God saved Noah, wife, daughters and sons, Along with the animals in an ark weighing tons. 44

Let’s Read: W is for Walk; they came out of the ark. The world was so different, the Flood left its mark. Had people now learned God’s Word to obey? They certainly did not, it is so sad to say.

The Starting Point:

Always Remember:

When the Flood ended, the animals and Noah’s family left the Ark. God saved them because they obeyed Him. But we will see that after a while, their kids and their children’s children started sinning again.

(The child needs to repeat this back to you.)

Bible Bits:

Stuff To Do:

(Share one at a time, and have the child repeat what you say)

Draw a picture of an animal fossil (or copy one out of a book). As you look at it, write down or think about all the things you are reminded of concerning the past and the future from what you are learning about the real history of the world from the Bible and this book. You should be able to get a long list. Imagine how you can tell someone else about the Flood and sin using a fossil and the Bible.

º The Flood came to an end and everyone left the Ark. º The world looked different because of what happened during the Flood. º The Flood should have reminded people what happens when they don’t obey God.

When Noah and the animals left the ark, the world had changed because of the Flood.

º But in time, people began disobeying God again.

(Hints: Death after sin: no death in future; past judgment; no evolution).

Let’s Talk!

Quick Review:

(Be sure that the child responds to each point and signals their understanding with an answer.)

1. How was the world different after the Flood?

º How do we know the Flood has ended? º What is happening in the picture? º Can you tell me what animals you see? º Dinosaurs were on the Ark like other animals were. º How many of each animal do you see?

2. How did everyone get off the Ark? 3. Did the Flood mean that no one would ever sin again?

º Do you see a lot of trees or grass in the picture? Why?

W-NOTES pg. 76

45

W is for Walk; they came out of the ark. The world was so different, the Flood left its mark.

Had people now learned God’s Word to obey? They certainly did not, it is so sad to say. 46

Let’s Read: X is for eXplode, the population sure grew, But what happened next, read God’s Word for the clue. They built a great tower to reach to the sky, For God’s spoken Word, they were quick to defy. (Note: “defy” means to disobey)

The Starting Point:

Always Remember:

After the Flood, people began having children, and soon there were lots of people again. They hadn’t learned from the Flood because they decided to build a big tower because they wanted to be like God instead of obeying Him.

(The child needs to repeat this back to you.)

Bible Bits:

After the Flood, people starting having children. And God wanted all of these people to being moving to different places all over the earth. The people didn’t want to listen to God and decided to build a tower big enough to reach the sky.

(Share one at a time, and have the child repeat what you say)

Stuff To Do:

º God wanted people to fill the earth.

Take small boxes or wooden blocks and build your own Tower of Babel. See how tall you can make it before it falls over. (Be careful not to break anything and build where your parents or teacher says you can.)

º It had lots of lands without people since Noah’s Flood. º The people disobeyed; staying in one place. º They also wanted to show how great they were by building a tall tower called Babel.

Let’s Talk! (Be sure that the child responds to each point and signals their understanding with an answer.)

Take a small doll house and see how many dolls and things you can fit inside it before it is too full. Or imagine you and your whole family living in a small closet – while the rest of your house was empty. That is like all the people of the world wanting to live in one place instead of spreading out to fill up all the space like God told them to.

º What are the people doing in this picture?

Quick Review:

º What are they building?

1. Where was the tower built?

º What does the Bible say about why they were building it?

2. Why didn’t the people at Babel want to listen to God?

º Does the tower look finished? º Can you count how many layers of the tower are in the picture?

3. Why were they building a tower?

X-NOTES pg. 76

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X is for eXplode, the population sure grew, But what happened next, read God’s Word for the clue. They built a great tower to reach to the sky, For God’s spoken Word, they were quick to defy. 48

Let’s Read: Y is for Yes, God did soon judge their sin, By confusing their language—what a terrible din! He scattered the people all over the place, Till God’s final judgment, we’ll all have to face. (Note: “din” means a lot of noise)

Always Remember:

The Starting Point:

(The child needs to repeat this back to you.)

When the people all decided to disobey, God did something to make sure they couldn’t continue to live or work together. They had to scatter over the Earth like He told them to.

People disobeyed God by building the Tower of Babel so they would not be scattered – so they were defying God’s command in Genesis 9:1. God confused their languages so they couldn’t work on it. They left the tower to move to other places around the world. People may look or speak in different ways, but they all still part of Adam’s family.

Bible Bits: (Share one at a time, and have the child repeat what you say) º This event took place at Babel. º They built the Tower of Babel. º God did something to the people because they refused to obey Him. º He confused their languages to make them leave the tower and do what He had told them to do.

Stuff To Do: Take the word “hello” – and try to say it in two or three other languages. (this information and the correct pronunciations can be found in a quick search online). You can also try other words like “peace”, “happy”, or “friend”.

Let’s Talk!

Find a book at the library written in a language you cannot read. You may be able to figure out some of what happens by the pictures, but without being able to read the story, you can’t really know the whole story. That is what it was like to be at the Tower of Babel.

(Be sure that the child responds to each point and signals their understanding with an answer.)

Quick Review:

º The last picture we saw had people working and there was part of the tower built. What about this picture?

1. How did the people sin by building the Tower of Babel?

º What do you think is happening in the picture?

3. Where did all the people go?

2. What did God do?

º Do the people look like they are getting a lot of work done? º Everyone is talking, but everyone seems confused. º What are the differences in pictures X and Y?

Y-NOTES pg. 76

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Y is for Yes, God did soon judge their sin, By confusing their language—what a terrible din! He scattered the people all over the place, Till God’s final judgment, we’ll all have to face.

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Let’s Read: Z is for Zip, so quick it will be, When Jesus comes back for you and for me. If our name is found in the “Lamb’s Book of Life,” We’ll sure live forever in a place with no strife.

The Starting Point:

Always Remember:

God has always wanted to be part of our lives. From the time of Adam or Noah or the Tower of Babel, God has wanted to save people from sin. God loves you and wants to be a part of your life too!

(The child needs to repeat this back to you.)

Bible Bits:

God wants to be part of your life. He wants you to obey Him and live a good life. He loved you and everyone so much He sent His son, Jesus as a sacrifice for our sin.

(Share one at a time, and have the child repeat what you say)

Stuff To Do:

º God sent His son Jesus to save us.

Write these words on pieces of paper or index cards:

º Jesus never sinned and always did what God wanted Him to do.

Adam Noah Eve Ark Garden of Eden Sin

º He would sacrifice Himself to save us by dying on a cross. º Jesus wants us to receive Him into our hearts and choose not to sin any more. º When we do this, our name is written in a special book, the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Tower of Babel Sacrifice Flood Book of Life Jesus disobey

Can you write or draw a picture that represents each of the words? You might also do a small presentation to your family using the cards to tell them about the history of the world you have learned.

º That means we have been saved and when we die, we will be able to be with God and Jesus forever.

Quick Review:

Let’s Talk!

2. Why is it important for our name to be in the Lamb’s Book of Life?

(Be sure that the child responds to each point and signals their understanding with an answer.)

3. Who did God send to die for us on the cross so we could be saved?

1. Why does God want to be part of our lives?

º What is the book in the picture? º What do you think is written on the book? º Are the people happy or sad about the book? º Why is it important for your name to be in the book?

Z-NOTES pg. 77

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Z is for Zip, so quick it will be, When Jesus comes back for you and for me.

If our name is found in the “Lamb’s Book of Life,” We’ll sure live forever in a place with no strife.

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“A is for Adam” Overview: Job 38:4 reminds us that only God has always been there. I Corinthians 8:1-3 tells us that compared to what God knows, human beings know nothing. Therefore, the only way to find out where we came from is to read the Word of God. Our Creator is the One who knows everything because He has always been there. The Bible tells us that all things were created by and for Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:16). Genesis 1:26, 27 and 2:7 instruct us that God made the first man from dust of the earth. God did not use any existing animal such as a monkey. He made it clear that the idea of evolution (that man evolved from some ape-like creature) does not fit with what the Bible tells us. Either the Bible is right—or evolution is right! Both cannot be true because what they say is so different. Later, we will learn that because of sin Adam was told he would return to the dust from which he was made (Genesis 3:19). (When people die, their bodies return to dust—they do not return to some ape-like creature. Thus, the evolution story cannot be added to the Bible.)

One way to help children understand this is by using a computer. Explain to them that man makes a computer so that the finished product will carry out certain commands. Some computers even respond with words. For instance, you can now purchase a computer that reacts to your voice. You can say, “Windows please,” and it will bring up the program. However, computers can’t talk like humans—they will only do what man has programmed them to do. If man can do this, we should have no trouble understanding how the infinite Creator, God, could create the brains of Adam and Eve already programmed with a language. Remember, Adam and Eve were not born as babies and then learned a language like we do today. These first two people were made as mature human beings—they had to teach their children the language God had given them.

Remember, the evolutionary scientists who tell us man evolved from some creature that looked like a monkey do not know everything, and were not there to see Creation happen. This is just their story— their belief.

It may also be important at this stage to point out that Genesis Chapter 1 is actually a summary in chronological order (six sequential days of creation) of all that God created. Genesis Chapter 2 gives specific details—particularly in relation to how He made Adam and Eve. These chapters are not contradictory, but complementary accounts. As we go through these rhymes, it will become obvious that the detailed events of Genesis Chapter 2 will be used to explain the summary given in Genesis Chapter 1.

Directed Discussion:

Core Truth Takeaway:

Notice in the illustration that Adam is thinking about music, art and building something, but the monkey is just thinking about a banana. The point is that Adam can speak—monkeys, apes and the like cannot speak. These creatures have no ability to speak. They were created very different from people.

People are very special. God made man in his own image, and breathed into man the breath of life (Genesis 1:27; Genesis 2:7).

Adam could speak as soon as he was created. In Genesis 1:28 we have the account of God speaking to Adam and Eve after they were created—they obviously understood every word. Genesis 2:20 tells us that Adam gave names to the animals. In Genesis 2:23, we read the first recorded words of Adam as he speaks about the women God made for him.

Evolutionists indoctrinate us to think that apes and monkeys are very similar to us. Actually, if we did not grow up with this type of brainwashing, we would not think them to be similar nearly as much as we do. They are very different in many respects, though more similar to us than other creatures. Emphasize these differences. Also mention there are some things that are similar—which is what we would expect from a common Creator. Be sure to tell them that the differences between people and monkeys or apes show us clearly that we are not related to them.

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B is for Bible Overview: God created Man and Woman in special ways to show they were not like the animals, and that He wanted to have a personal relationship with us. Genesis 1:26 states: “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…..” In Genesis 2:7 we read “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” We read in Genesis 2:21-22: “And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof: And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.” Compare these verses to Genesis 1:24 which reads, “And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.”

Directed Discussion: Many generations ago, our first parents, Adam and Eve, were not made like the animals. It is very important for children to understand that they are not animals. Even though secular textbooks, television, nature programs, newspapers, public school curriculums, etc., state that man is an animal—it is imperative that children be taught the following: 1. Whereas God created the animals by commanding the earth to “bring forth the living creature…” (Genesis 1:24), Adam was made by God who specially formed him from the dust of the ground. God then breathed life into Adam. Notice that God did not just command the dust to produce a man as He did for the animals— God himself formed man directly from dust. God did not breathe into the animals, but He certainly did for man. In other words, God imparted something special to the first man. God also created the first woman by putting Adam to sleep and taking part of his side to form Eve. No animal was made this way. Only the human female was made from the human male. You could also use this to show that there is no possibility that what the Bible states could in any way fit with the idea of evolution. Evolutionary theory teaches that chemicals evolved

into the first life, and then after millions of years, some ape-like animal evolved into a human. However, the Bible teaches that man was not made from some pre-existing animal, but from dust—this does not fit with evolution at all. Not only this, but the first woman was made from the first man! She was made differently from the way man was made. According to evolution, the first human woman evolved from some pre-existing ape-like animal. Thus, you can show children that one cannot believe in evolution and say that the Bible agrees with this! The record of the creation of man and woman as recorded in the Bible makes it clear that evolution is totally wrong. 2. Genesis 1:27 tells us that God made the first two humans in His own image. He did not do this for any of the animals—only humans. In other words, humans are very special. They are of far greater value than animals. The Bible teaches that all humans will live forever, even after they die. Animals do not live forever. Once they die, that is the end of them. Ecclesiastes seems to say this when it tells us: “Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?” (Ecclesiastes 3:21). Also, as we will learn later, Jesus Christ came to earth as a human so that He could die for all humans. None of the animals can be saved like we can. Jesus, who is God, did not become an animal when He came to earth! He could become a man because man is made in God’s image. Animals cannot think like humans. People can think in an abstract way only because they are different from animals, being made in God’s image. Now we can certainly tell children the body God created for human beings has similar characteristics to the mammals (e.g., hair, warm blooded, feed young on milk, etc.) However, man is in a category separate from that of the animals because he is not an animal.

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Sadly, many people today (even Christians) have been indoctrinated to think of man as just an animal. Therefore, when a baby is developing in its mother’s womb, they think it is just an animal also. As a result, many women who abort babies believe they are just getting rid of an animal—just as you would have a veterinarian put unwanted cats or dogs to sleep (in other words make them die). If God is so concerned about this world and the animals that not even one sparrow can fall to the ground without his knowing it (Matthew 10:29), then how much more must He be concerned about His creatures that are made in His image? (Matthew 6:2830). We are even told that God’s thoughts about us each day are more than we can count! (Psalm 139). Think about it. God thinks about each one of us all day long—but how often do we think about

and talk to God during one day! So often we forget that God is there.

Core Truth Takeaway: Teach the children that God is thinking about us every moment of the day. God made us special, unique, and He loves us. (For instance: Billy—God is thinking about you right now—and He is thinking about everyone else in the world right now too—Billy you are very special—all humans are very special.) We should be reminded to think about God and pray to him as much as we can throughout the day. God wants us to talk to Him. (Psalm 139:17-18: “How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God!...If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.”)

C is for Creatures Overview:

Directed Discussion:

God made animals and people separately. Animals like a monkey does not evolve into people. The Bible makes this clear when Adam is created and is naming the animals.

Genesis Chapter 2 gives us more details about some of the events of chapter 1. Here we are told that Adam gave names to the animals before Eve was made. Thus, the events of day six included:

In Genesis 2:19-20, we read: “And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to the cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field;…”

1. God Created the land animals(cattle, creeping things, beast & birds—Genesis 1:24-25)

First, we need to make sure the children understand that the naming of the animals happened on the sixth day of Creation. We know this because we are told in Genesis Chapter 1 that on day six God created the land animals and Adam and Eve (Genesis 1:24-30).

2. God created Adam from dust (Genesis 2:7). 3. God put Adam in the Garden of Eden. 4. God warned Adam not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or he would die. 5. God brought the cattle, fowl, and beast for Adam to name (Genesis 2:19-20). Notice it does not list the creeping things—so it seems Adam did not name them. 6. Adam gave names to the animals. Please note that Day Six is continued in the lesson for the letter “D.”

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Core Truth Takeaway: In this section we are concerned primarily with Adam naming the animals. Now this particular event is often used by people to claim that the days of Creation could not be six literal 24 hour days. These skeptics say that there is no way Adam could have named all the animals during this time interval. Since God created the land animals first then made Adam, obviously Adam had less than one day to name them. After he named them, then God made Eve. So, on the surface it may seem like too much to accomplish in one day. However, we need to carefully consider the following: 1. How many animals did Adam have to name? For instance did he have to name a couple of hundred types of dogs? The answer is no! All our domestic dogs as well as wolves, coyotes, dingoes etc., are all the same kind of animal—the dog kind. Notice that when God makes the animals, He makes them “after his kind”—(e.g., Genesis 1:24-25). In other words, distinct kinds (or groups) of animals were made to reproduce after their own kind. This is actually another argument against evolution, which requires that one kind of animal change into another over millions of years. Explain to the children that the fact that we have numerous varieties of dogs has nothing to do with evolution—they are still dogs! Just as God made Adam and Eve to have millions of descendants, including you and me, who all (unless they are identical twins) look a little different; so did He make the dog kind to produce dogs that all look a bit different. This happens because of the enormous amount of information God put in the genes of our cells. This shows how great God is. Therefore, in the Garden of Eden when Adam was naming the animals, he would not have had to name all the different types of bears—just bear kind. Thus, Adam would not have had to name nearly as many animals as we think. By the way, the same is true for dinosaurs. Although there are hundreds of names for dinosaurs, there were probably fewer than fifty actual kinds of such creatures. 2. When God made Adam, he was not a baby—he was a mature human being. He did not have to learn to talk. Just as man today can program a computer so it can “sort of” talk. God, who is the

infinite Creator, would have had no problem programming a language into Adam so he could talk with Him as soon as he was made. Today, every human being is born with the ability to talk, but has to be taught a language by his parents. For instance, Adam and Eve would have had to teach their children to talk—so who taught Adam and Eve to talk? God did. He would have made their brain with all the information for language already programmed in. This is why God could talk to Adam about not eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or else he would die. Adam knew what this meant because he had the language programmed in his brain that God had given him. So, Adam would have had no problem giving names to the animals. 3. Would Adam have had enough time to give the names though? We need to be careful in thinking about this. You see, usually we think this way, “Well, I couldn’t do all that in less than a day, so how could Adam?” The point is that the Bible tells us that we have all suffered the effects of six thousand years of the curse because of sin. Adam was perfect when he was made—he would have had a perfect memory—he was very intelligent indeed. It would have been easy for Adam to think of a name and remember it immediately. This should help us understand what sin has done to the world. Man is not getting better as evolutionists tell us—we are all running down, degenerating because of sin. That is why we look forward to our new bodies when Jesus comes back to take those who love Him to heaven. Notice the Behemoth (from Job 40:15) in this picture. We have pictured Behemoth as a dinosaur, as the description from Job 40 fits this animal. We are told that Behemoth moved his tail like a “cedar tree.” Some Bible commentaries say that Behemoth was an elephant or hippopotamus, but a hippo, elephant or a rhinoceros does not fit the description of Job 40.

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D is for Dinosaur Overview: In lesson “A,” we learned that apes and other animals cannot speak. They are made quite different from humans. Following on from “C,” we read the rest of Genesis 2:20, “…but for Adam there was not found any help meet for him.”

Directed Discussion: More of the activities of day six of the Creation week include: see “C” for points 1-6. Adam realized that the animals consisted of male and female— they all had mates. However, Adam did not have a mate. You can again use this information to teach against evolution. When Adam looked around, he would have seen monkeys as well as various other creatures. However, there was not one creature he saw that was anything like him. Adam certainly did not think that a monkey was anything like a human being. He recognized that he did not have a mate. This also means there were no other humans. Some people have tried to say that God created other people, and this is where Cain obtained his wife. We will learn later that all humans go back to only two people; if this were not so, then the whole Gospel message fails since only descendants of Adam and Eve can be saved. Thus, when Adam looked around, he saw no other humans—no one that could be suitable as a mate for him. It is also clear that God wanted Adam to understand that his mate was not made at the same time as he. We will learn that God made Eve from Adam. Also, the fact that Adam was created first is confirmed by Paul in 1 Timothy 2:13 concerning the headship of the man in marriage. It would be good to have the children look up this verse so they can see that Paul, a New Testament writer, obviously believed the events of Genesis concerning the creation of Adam as Eve as literal, historical events.

A Special Note:

of the animals. Everything was in true harmony. Read Genesis 9:2 to show the children that the animals were not fearful of man until after the flood. We will learn that this change occurred because of sin. Point out that the harmony they see in this picture is not the harmony we see today. Obviously, something has happened to change the world. Tell them we are going to learn about what did happen and why the world is not in harmony today. You could also have the children look up Isaiah 11:6-9. This passage tells us of a future time when the animals and man will all be in harmony again. Explain that this description fits with the picture they see in “D.” It also means that in addition to learning what happened to change the harmony that once existed, something else has happened so that this harmony will exist once again in the future. We like to put it this way: In the future, “the wolf also shall dwell with the lamb…” which is how it was originally. However, today, the lamb “dwells” in the wolf—some animals, including man, now eat other animals.

Core Truth: Make sure the children also recognize the dinosaurs beside Adam. This is to reinforce the fact that dinosaurs lived with people, since they were also made on the sixth day—the same day that Adam and Eve were created. Dinosaurs hold a special fascination for children, and too often when they are shown, evolutionary speculation is presented as the explanation for them.

Quick Review: 1. Why did God have Adam name the animals? 2. From what you can see in the illustration, did the animals all get along with one another in the Garden of Eden at the beginning? 3. Was Adam afraid of the animals? Why are we afraid of some animals today? 4. Were dinosaurs created with the other animals?

Impress upon the children that originally all of the animals were not frightened of Adam or each other. Adam was certainly not fearful

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E is for Eve Overview: A climax of the activities of Day Six was the creation of the first woman: 1. God put Adam to sleep and made Eve from his side. 2. God made the very first marriage. Note that Genesis 2:24 is used in Matthew 19:4-5 and Ephesians 5:31 as being foundational to the teaching of the marriage relationship of one man for one woman for life. Genesis 2:21-22 states: “And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof: And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.” This is the first operation ever performed on a human! God took part of Adam’s side and made the first woman.

Directed Discussion: Help the children understand that Adam did not see God make Eve, and Eve did not see God make anything—everything was completed by this time. In other words, both Adam and Eve had to believe God’s Word—they had to have faith. Now Adam knew that there was no one in the world like him. But when he awoke after God put him to sleep, there was his beautiful mate. He knew God had made her. Obviously, God told Adam how He made Eve so he could understand that she was made from him. How special, his mate was made from his own bone and flesh.

Core Truth: It is important to help the children understand that none of us saw God make the world or the animals, and we too must have faith that God did it just like we are told in His Word, the Bible. Sadly, a lot of people today don’t want to believe God’s Word. They want to believe a story (evolution) made up by people who weren’t there to see the world and animals have a beginning. The point is, God has always been there and knows everything. Therefore, we should trust the Word of God—not the word of men. This is something we are

warned about in the Bible over and over again. Psalm 118:8 states: “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. However, our faith is not a blind faith. We can use our minds to see that the evidence fits the Bible. For instance, we are told that God made distinct kinds of animals and plants—and that is what we see. We do not see one kind of animal changing into another as evolutionists would teach us. The evidence around us fits with the Bible—not with evolution. Also, the Bible tells us that God made Adam from dust. Thus, Adam and Eve’s bodies (and therefore ours because we are their descendants) must have been made from the elements of the earth. We know this is true. Because when a person dies, his body returns to dust.

The Biblical Model for Marriage: We read on in Genesis 2:22-24: “And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” Have the children learn the first recorded words of Adam in Genesis 2:23. Obviously, at this time, Adam had already given names to the animals. Isn’t it significant that these words were spoken about his wife Eve? She was to be his mate for life (just as all marriages should be), and she was to be the mother of all human beings—other than Adam. Later, we will be considering Genesis 3:20 in greater detail (“And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living”). It is important here that you introduce the doctrine of marriage. Explain that this is where marriage comes from because God made the first marriage. Tell the children that just as Eve was part of Adam and made specially for Adam to be his mate for life, so too when a man and woman get married today they should be together for life.

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Quick Review: Make the point that in today’s world there are people who believe that two men or two women can get married. Point out that when God made marriage, He made a man and a woman—not two men or two women. Show them from Matthew 19:4-5 that Jesus, the One who made the world and created all things (Colossians 1:16), quoted from this section of Genesis.

The Seven C’s of History If you can remember the Seven C’s of History, you can remember the big events of history that have affected us and will continue to affect us. (Make a copy of these to hang on the refrigerator or put in your Bible. It is also an easy to learn lesson for children.) The Seven C’s are:

This has two very important implications: 3. Jesus Christ, who is God, believed the words in the book of Genesis to be true. Therefore we should believe them. 4. Jesus showed that the doctrine of marriage is built upon these events of Genesis. This is why it is wrong for a man to marry a man, or a woman to marry a woman. You can also show them that Paul quoted from this section of Genesis in Ephesians 5:31. Paul too believed the words of Genesis. One of the questions often asked by people concerns the “rib” of Adam. If God really took a rib to make Eve, then the question is asked, “Wouldn’t men have one less rib than a woman?” To answer this question, consider someone who had an accident and sadly had to have their leg amputated. If they had children later, would they all have one leg missing? Of course not. It is the information in our genes that determines how our body is built. The information in Adam’s genes for the number of ribs that he had did not change. His children would have the same number with which he was created.

Creation

Corruption

Catastrophe

Confusion

Christ

Cross

Consummation 59

F is for Fruit Overview: If you think about it, since God had made so many trees and told Adam and Eve that there was only one—just one—that they couldn’t eat from. God really made it easy for Adam to show that they wanted to love and obey their Creator. In fact, God really made it hard for them to disobey. He put so many trees around them that must have had lovely fruit, and were “pleasant to look at”—that they would have had to go out of their way to eat from the one tree they were told to avoid. Look back at the Bible passage at the beginning of this section. God told Adam that if he ate the forbidden fruit he would “die.” Because we see death all around us in this present world, even without reading the rest of the account in Genesis, we should be able to guess that Adam did eat the forbidden fruit. Some people say that the world before sin did not have any death (of animals or man), and Adam would not have known what God meant when he warned, “You shall surely die.” However, remember that when God made Adam He put into his brain all the information for him to have a language so he would have known the meaning of every word in the language. If God hadn’t, Adam would not have been able to talk to God about anything. Even though he had not seen animals or humans die, he knew exactly what God meant as he had a perfect language right from the start. The forbidden fruit was located on the “tree of knowledge of good and evil.” Since the penalty for eating this fruit was to be death, we could really call this the “tree of death.” The other special tree that God talked about was called the “tree of life.” Notice that God did not tell them they could not eat from this tree. Its fruit was freely available to Adam and Eve. While they had access to this tree, it meant that they could live forever.

the other special tree, “of the knowledge of good and evil,” then God had determined that this was really the “tree of death.” This meant that if Adam and Eve ate from this tree, God would cause them to die. To accomplish this, they had to be banished from the garden so they could not access the “tree of life.” Note that these two trees were in the special garden god had made (Genesis 2:8). Ask the children to think about what God would have to do if Adam ate the forbidden fruit. This would mean that God, who cannot go back on His word, would have to make Adam and Eve die. This would also mean that they would no longer eat from the tree of Life. What would God have to do? When we get to “L’” we will find out.

Core Truth: Have the children look up Genesis 2:16. Ask them who was given the command not to eat the forbidden fruit—was it Adam or Eve? This is very important, because as we will learn later, it is Adam who gets the blame. He was the one who was given the responsibility to ensure that the forbidden fruit was not eaten. Notice in the illustration that the forbidden fruit is not an apple. The Bible does not tell us what kind of fruit it was, so our illustrator made it look different from any fruit we know of today.

Quick Review: 1. What is the real point of this portion of the Creation story? 2. If God wouldn’t allow Adam to eat from this one tree, what else could he have eaten? 3. What is sin? 4. Does God make a difference between little sins and big ones?

Directed Discussion: It is important to explain to the children that there was really nothing “magical” about these trees. The fruit would not have necessarily made Adam die or live forever. However, God had said that one was the “tree of life,” and as long as God let Adam and Eve have the fruit from this tree, He would enable them to live forever. If Adam ate of

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G is for Ghastly Overview: This is the place where we introduce the serpent in this account. When the children see the serpent illustrated in G, H, & J, they should think of this creature as the Devil. Now who is the Devil? In Revelation 12:9 we read, “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” He was made a very beautiful angel with great intelligence. Read Ezekiel 28:13-19. However, Satan did not want to accept his position as a created angel (Read Colossians 1:16 which tells us that Jesus Christ made all things). Isaiah 14:13 states: “For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north.” It appears Satan wanted to be like God and thought that he could become a god. Perhaps Satan did not believe he was created. Maybe he thought he could “evolve” to be a god. When he was created, he was very special. However, Ezekiel tells us, “Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou was created, till iniquity was found in thee” (Ezekiel 28:15).

Directed Discussion: John 8:44, we read that Satan is a liar. The Bible warns us that the Devil”…as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”(1 Peter 5:8). Now we have to explain how the serpent could talk! The Bible does not tell us much concerning the nature of this animal or how Satan used it to talk to Eve. Have the children look up Numbers 22 and read the story of Balaam’s ass. In verse 28, we are told that God “opened the mouth of the ass”—in other words God used the ass to speak to Balaam. Somehow, Satan used the serpent (whatever kind of animal it was then) to speak to Eve. Explain to the children that God does not explain everything to us. If He did, we would have an infinite number of books! We would never be able to read them. God provides us with enough information for all we need to know. Help the children to not be concerned that we understand all of the details.

Core Truth Takeaway: As we read through the Bible, we know that the Devil used the serpent to tempt Eve to disobey God’s Word concerning the forbidden fruit. Genesis 3:1 tells us that the serpent approached the woman (Eve). Why did he approach Eve and not Adam? Perhaps it was that Adam was the one to whom God commanded not to eat the forbidden fruit (Genesis 2:16-17). He was the one to whom God had spoken directly, and thus, he was given the responsibility. In 1 Timothy 2:13, we are told that Adam was created first, which is one of the reasons he was to be the head of his household. Adam, of course, would have told Eve what God had said. In Genesis 3:3, Eve states that she must not eat or touch the fruit. Adam probably had told her God’s words about not eating the fruit, and then, to help his wife, told her not to even touch it because that might tempt her. We can all think of examples where we want something but are not allowed. However, if we keep looking at it or touching it, we are more likely to be tempted to take it! The rhyme tells us that Eve did not run. She stayed and listened to the Devil. She seemed to be attracted to the serpent. The Bible does tell us in the passages mentioned above that the serpent was beautiful. We have to be careful of this today because Satan will make that which he wants us to do look beautiful. But as we learn more about what happened to Adam and Eve, we will see there are terrible consequences when we don’t obey God’s Word. How can we protect ourselves from the Devil today? How can we be sure we are not going to be attracted to what he says?

Quick review: 1. Why is Satan working to get people to disobey God? 2. Why do you think Eve listened to the serpent? 3. Why is obedience so important to God?

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H is for How Overview: Read Genesis 3:1 carefully: “Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” What was the Devil really asking Eve? He was actually saying” Did God really say not to eat of all the trees?” Notice that he did not quote correctly what God had said. God had told Adam and Eve not to eat of only one tree. Satan was trying to make Eve think that God was unfair. It was also a trick to get Eve to answer him—which she did. Now he had started a conversation with her, which is exactly what he wanted. Satan then started to question God’s Word. He told Eve that she would not die if she ate from the tree. This, of course, was opposite to that which God had so clearly stated. He tried to convince Eve that God was not telling her everything. He told her that she could be like God (Genesis 3:5).

Directed Discussion: Imagine that a beautiful creature told you that you could be like God—so powerful! Eve must have listened intently. The Devil sounded so wise—he seemed to know more than she did. She became very curious. If we had been Eve, we would have done the same thing. Because we are all children of Adam and Eve, we have inherited their nature. We are just like them. We shouldn’t look at Eve and think what a terrible person she was and that we would not have done that! Actually, we would do exactly what she did. We are no different.

Let’s look again at the method Satan used to get Eve to disobey God’s Word. Satan said “Yea, hath God said?...” In other words, “Did God really say that?” What was Satan doing? He was trying to get Eve to doubt God’s Word—to doubt that she needed to believe every word that God had spoken. Paul warns us that Satan is going to use this same method with us today, trying to get us not to believe the Word of God. Explain to the children that there are many people today, even in churches, who don’t believe God’s Word, especially the book of Genesis. Satan has tempted these people like this: “Did God really say six days?...Did God really say global Flood?...Did God really say He made the first man from dust?....Did God really say these things?” Explain to the children that today many Christians don’t believe Genesis. They think that the days might be millions of years and not days, as it states. They believe that Noah’s Flood might have only been a local event, not a worldwide event which the Bible clearly teaches. Some even think God must have made man from a monkey—but the bible says he was made from dust! If Satan has been so clever in getting people to disbelieve God’s Word, just as he did with Eve, then he will try this with us as well. That is one reason we need to put on all of our “armor” as we learned in G.

Core Truth Takeaway: Also explain to the children that if they start to doubt that God’s Word is true in Genesis, the first book, then this may result in their doubting the rest of the Bible. Psalm 119:160 states that, “Thy word is true from the beginning.”

Because of all that God has revealed in his Word, we know the terrible consequences because Eve listened to the serpent.

Once we doubt something, we may ultimately disbelieve it altogether.

2 Corinthians 11:3 states: “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”

Quick Review:

Paul is warning that Satan is going to use the same method with us as he did with Eve to stop us from believing God’s Word. This is a warning that everyone should take very seriously.

2. Why is Genesis so important to the salvation message?

1. Did Satan misrepresent what God had said to Eve? 3. Do you believe God’s Word is inerrant and accurate?

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I is for Interested Overview: Read Genesis 3:6: “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” Satan managed to get her to believe his lies. She longed for the fruit. She wanted to be “wise” like the serpent. She took the fruit and ate it. She did not die. She felt all right. Therefore, she must have believed even more that she needed this fruit. When Adam saw that Eve had eaten the fruit, what do you think he should have done? Who had given him the command not to eat of it? Adam should have immediately gone to God and said, “We have a problem. This woman you made for me has eaten the forbidden fruit. Can you please tell me what to do?” However, Adam did not go to God with the problem. In fact, remember in “D,” we learned that Adam was alone and couldn’t find a mate. God then made Eve from Adam’s side. Adam would not have wanted to lose his mate. He wanted her to be his partner; after all, she was made from him. He must have seen that nothing terrible happened to her, so maybe he thought it was all right to eat the fruit also. On the other hand, perhaps Adam realized what Eve had done. He may have understood that something terrible would happen to her; but since she was made from him, he decided to join her because he couldn’t bear being without her. We don’t know what went through Adam’s mind. But we do know what he should have done, don’t we? Adam should have gone to the One who made him, the all-powerful creator God, and asked him for a solution. However, he did not do this.

Directed Discussion:

in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” (Ephesians 6:18). Now read Genesis 3:7: “And the eyes of them both were opened……” It was after Adam ate the forbidden fruit that things began to happen because it was Adam who had been given the command directly from God not to eat from the tree. Adam was the head of this first marriage. He was responsible. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12). As you read through Romans 5 and 1 Corinthians 15, it is always Adam who gets the blame for sin, not Eve. From now on terrible things start to happen as a consequence of Adam’s disobedience. The Bible calls this disobedience sin. Explain to the children that sin is being disobedient to God’s Word. It is also important to understand that if these events of Genesis were not literal historical events, there would not have been a literal Fall. Thus, if there was no literal rebellion, then what is sin? Sadly, many clergy today say that this story in Genesis is not real. They say it is just a myth or it’s symbolic. If these events were not true, then the whole reason Jesus died on the cross (because of sin) becomes meaningless.

Core Truth Takeaway: Revelation 13:8; this verse tells us that Christ was slain from the foundation of the world. Also consider Hebrews 9:26 and Ephesians 1:4. The point is, Adam was going to sin—God is all knowing. Explain to the children that God knew what was going to happen and how terrible sin and death would be. He knew that Jesus would have to die on a cross to save us—and yet He still created us.

Explain to the children that we are just like Adam. There are lots of times when we forget to ask God to help us in situations, and we try to do it in our own strength and get into trouble.

Quick Review

God promises that when we call upon Him, He will answer. He may not always answer the way we want, but He hears and answers every prayer. (Psalm 91:15; Isaiah 58:9; Luke 11:9; John 15:7).

2. Would you have eaten the fruit?

1. In what ways are we all like Adam and Eve? 3. Why does the historical account of the Fall of Mankind explain the reason Christ came to die on the cross?

We are commanded to spend time in prayer: “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17); “Praying always with all prayer and supplication

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J is for Jovial Overview: Now that he was able to get Adam and Eve to accept his word instead of God’s Word, there is no need to hide his true nature. The damage has been done.

Biblical Foundation: Adam was given dominion by God over Creation (Genesis 1:28). Now that Adam had accepted the word of the Devil, he had really given his allegiance to him. The vital issue in this whole account concerns death. God had told Adam that if he disobeyed and ate the forbidden fruit he would “surely die” (Genesis 2:17). Actually, the Hebrew here literally means “dying, you will die.” The big lie of Satan was “…Ye shall not surely die” (Genesis 3:4). Remember we learned that Adam must have noticed that Eve did not die when she ate the fruit, and that after Adam ate, things started to happen. They realized they were naked (Genesis 3:7)—they hid from God (Genesis 3:8). Something was happening to Adam and Eve. They obviously did not have the beautiful relationship with their Creator that they had before they sinned. This can be called spiritual death. Their beautiful relationship with the God of the universe “died.” But this was not the only “death” because of sin. In Genesis 5:5, we read these very sad words about Adam: “….and he died.” It took 930 years, but his body died. You see, when God had warned Adam about death, He had told them that “dying, you will die.” This is exactly what happened. As soon as they sinned, they died spiritually; and then immediately started to die physically. In Genesis 3:22-23, we read that God sent Adam and Eve out of the garden so they could not have access to the tree Of life. Otherwise, they would have been able to live forever in their sinful state. That would have been terrible.

Directed Discussion: Most children today are well aware that the world is a terrible place. We have seen all sorts of atrocities, bloodshed, violence, and wars.

Explain that they are looking at the effects of sin. Imagine if all the worst people in the world like Hitler, Stalin and so on were able to live forever in this world—what a terrible place it would be! Now comes the big question. Why did God bring such a horrible thing as death into the world? Actually, this is one of the most asked questions in today’s world—“Why is there death and suffering in the world, if God is a God of love?” Charles Darwin, who popularized the modern view of evolution, had a real problem with death. He could not believe there was a God of love because of all the death and suffering he saw around him. He was particularly angry about this when one of his beloved children died. Explain to the children that God is holy—He is pure—He is without sin (Hebrews 4:15; 9:28). As you read the events recorded in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers & Deuteronomy, you will start to grasp how holy God is.

Core Truth Takeaway: God is so holy and so pure that any sinful human could not be in His presence. When God made Adam, this first man was perfect. He had a perfect relationship with God. However, because Adam rebelled against his Creator, he could no longer live in the presence of God. He really forfeited his right to live. God caused Adam and Eve, and subsequently all their descendants to die physically. This was a righteous punishment because the first man had totally rebelled against his Creator. But even though all humans would die physically, their souls would live forever. Unfortunately, they could never live with God because they were sinners. (Animals do not have immortal souls, so in the fallen world because of death, they cease to exist.) But God provided a solution for Adam and Eve and their descendants. Because Adam, the representative head of the entire human race (all humans are descendants of Adam and Eve), brought sin and death into the world, there needed to be a new Adam. This Adam would be the new representative head of the human race who would pay the penalty for sin.

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This is where we discover the most wonderful message of all. God sent His son, the Lord Jesus Christ, Creator of all things, to be a perfect man. In 1 Corinthians 15:45, Paul calls Jesus the “last Adam.” In other words, God provided another Adam. This perfect Adam (a descendant of Adam, thus a man, but born of a Virgin—a perfect man), suffered the curse of death on the cross paying for all our sins. He then rose from the dead, conquering death, so those who love and trust Him as their Savior can live forever with God instead of separated from Him. Do you realize that God Himself suffered the same judgment He placed on the world? He really must love us! Of course, we will understand more about this as we go on. Even though Satan tricked Adam and Eve, God had already worked out a wonderful plan so everyone would have the opportunity of living with God forever. This is a very important issue. Many Christians say that physical death has been in the world for millions of years, because of their belief that the fossil record is millions of years old. However, accepting this belief destroys the meaning of death and the reason that Jesus died on the cross. We will learn more about the inconsistencies of death before sin in coming sections. When people believe in death and disease before sin (as people who believe in millions of years do), they are really trying to blame God for sickness and death instead of blaming our sin! Remind the children again about keeping their “armor” on, as Satan will use all kinds of tricks to get them to disobey God. Satan wants everyone to obey him, not our Creator. Remind them that in “H” we learned that Satan is going to use the same “tricks” with us as he did on Adam and Eve. We need to always be aware of this.

Quick Review:

Armor of God: Helmet of Salvation Breastplate of Righteousness Belt of Truth Shield of Faith Sword of the Spirit Shod with the Gospel of Peace Eph. 6:13-18 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints....

1. What was God’s plan to save mankind? 2. What changed with Adam’s sin – he could walk with God but his children cannot not? 3. Why must we be punished for our sins?

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K is for Knew Overview: Adam and Eve sewed fig leaves together for clothes because they saw they were naked (Genesis 3:7). Actually, this tells you something about Adam and Eve’s intelligence. Can you sew fig leaves together and make “aprons” (clothes)? Obviously Adam and Eve were naked before sin, and this was not a problem at all, but sin changes everything. Children must be aware of this. We will learn in “O” that God gave Adam and Eve clothes—but special clothes as we will discover.

Directed Discussion: Today, there are people who say there is nothing wrong with taking their clothes off anywhere. You can see nudity on some beaches, and on television. Some people say that because we are born naked, it is “natural” to go around without clothes. What they are ignoring is sin. Sin changed everything, and that is the lesson we need to instill in our children. Surely by now, Adam and Eve must have realized that something was terribly wrong. I am sure they began to understand that the serpent had not told them the truth. They were still alive, so the reality of death had not really hit them. But later, when they see the dead body of their son, Abel, it must have been very distressing to them. They know they have done something they shouldn’t have done. They are ashamed and they try to hide from God. Read Genesis 3:813: And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” And the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

What do we learn from these verses? Adam doesn’t immediately admit to disobeying God – he talks about what changed rather than then what he did. Notice God gets to the heart of the issue – asking Adam if he ate from the tree God told him not to eat from. Next is something that happens a lot when people do something they shouldn’t. They like to find someone else to blame instead of taking ownership of their decision. Or they try to make the circumstances somehow make their decision less wrong. Adam tells God that the woman He made gave him fruit of the tree and Adam ate it. In that one sentence, Adam is shifting ownership of his disobedience to both Eve and God. God is the one that made Eve and Eve is the one that gave Adam fruit he shouldn’t have had. Eve does then same when God asks her about what she has done. Instead of just admitting she did it, Eve brings someone else in on her disobedience – blaming the serpent for lying to her. Both Adam and Eve knew they were not supposed to at the fruit of this one tree. It didn’t matter if the serpent lied to them or God made Eve; it didn’t change the facts. Adam and Eve knew what God had told them, and they chose to disobey. Their choice, their disobedience, their sin is the problem.

Core Truth Takeaway: Now, Adam and Eve would start to grow old, and they would begin to change. It is sad for us to see people getting old and dying. It must have been terrible for Adam and Eve to realize that all their descendants would now suffer the judgment of death because of sin. In a way, one of the reasons they tried to make clothes was to cover up their sin. They realized they were naked and wanted to cover up so they wouldn’t feel so bad.

Quick Review: 1. How do you know when something you do is wrong? 2. How do you explain death to someone who has never seen it? 3. As a parent or teacher, how do our actions impact positively or negatively on young people around you?

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L is for Lord Overview: Why did God send Adam and Eve out of the garden? One of the main reasons is given in Genesis 3:22-24: “And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever: Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man…”

Directed Discussion: Because God was going to provide a way for all humans to have the opportunity to come back to live with Him forever, He had to chase Adam away from the garden and not let him have access to the tree of Life. God had to bring in the judgment of death so Jesus could come and die for sin. Notice in Genesis 3:8-10, we are told that Adam and Eve tried to hide from God. Imagine, until they sinned, they loved to be in God’s presence! God must have told Adam many wonderful things about how He had made the world. Imagine talking with our Creator and hearing Him talk back! That would really be something. But sin spoiled all of this. We are now separated from God.

Core Truth Takeaway: We all have heard of someone who has died. When a special friend or close relation dies, we feel sad because we are now separated from that person. He has left his body, and we will not be able to talk with him until we get to heaven providing we are going there. If the separation we feel between us and a loved one is so great and so sad, how much greater and sadder must the separation be between us and God. But it is not God who has gone away from us. We have gone away from God because of our sin—our rebellion. So often we do things throughout the day without even thinking about God—and yet the Bible says that He is thinking about us all the time. Again, we need to be reminded that the separation we feel is not God’s fault –it is our fault!

An Added Note on the Garden of Eden and the Events of Noah’s Flood A point of interest here concerns the location of the Garden of Eden. In Genesis 2:10 we are told: “And a river went out of Eden to water the garden: and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.” In Genesis 2:11-14 we are told the names of these rivers. Many Christians think that the Garden of Eden was located where the present Tigris and Euphrates Rivers are in the Middle East. However, these rivers today do not fit in the description of the one source breaking into four rivers as described in Genesis. Not only this, but the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers are currently located on top of thousands of feet of layers that were laid down by the Flood. As we will learn later, the global Flood totally destroyed the earth, and therefore would have destroyed the Garden of Eden. Noah would have used some of the names of rivers and areas that were familiar to him from before the Flood to name the new rivers and areas after the Flood. This is just as we have seen when people from England took similar names to Australia. When Christians tell their children that the Garden of Eden was located in the Middle East where the present Tigris and Euphrates Rivers are today, they have erroneously taught them two things: 1. Noah’s Flood was not a global event destroying the earth. 2. You don’t have to take the words of the Bible seriously, since the description of the Garden of Eden does not fit the description of this area today. It is so important to build our thinking on the Bible, and not on other people’s opinions.

Quick Review: 3. What does Noah’s flood have to do with the location of the Garden of Eden. 4. What is the significance of God being willing to sacrifice his son so that we wouldn’t be trapped by sin forever? 5. Prayer is a great way to talk to God and learning about God’s Word is vital as well.

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M is for Moan Overview: Genesis 3:17-18 states: “And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field.” Again, the children need to understand that big changes occurred in this once-perfect world. From now on, the ground would not be as good as it was originally. It would be harder to get plants to grow. Now thorns and thistles would start to grow. God may have changed some of the plants so they would not be very nice. They would have thorns and cause lots of work for Adam to clear them away.

Directed Discussion: We all know that if we do not take special care of our gardens and lawns, they will soon be full of weeds. In fact, we pay a lot of money for poisons to try to stop the weeds (“thorns and thistles”) from growing. Ask any farmer how hard it is to grow crops, and he will tell you that he spends a lot of time and money trying to keep the weeds out God has certainly cursed the ground—and it really does cause us lots of “sorrow.” Now you know why it is that “thorns and thistles” will grow much more easily than our nice flowers or vegetables. Every time we weed the garden, spray poisons for weeds, or watch a farmer getting weeds out of his field, we should be reminded of the curse that was placed on the world because of our sin. This is a continual reminder that we are sinful people. We live in rebellion against God and need to repent of our sin. Therefore, thorns and thistles (weeds) should remind us of the following: 1. There was once a perfect world without thorns and thistles. 2. The first man Adam sinned, and sin spoiled the perfect world. 3. God had to judge sin. As part of that judgment, He cursed the ground and caused thorns and thistles to grow. He made it harder for humans to grow plants in the ground.

4. One day in the future there will be a new earth and the curse will be removed (Revelation 22:3). There will be no thorns and thistles in the new earth!

Core Truth Takeaway: Something else that is very interesting to consider concerns what happened when Jesus was arrested and crucified. When Jesus died on the cross, He took our sin and paid the penalty of death so we can be redeemed (brought back to God—thus mending the broken relationship). Because of sin, death entered the world and God cursed the earth and brought forth thorns and thistles. Consider: 1. Adam ate from the “tree of death,” which is why death came into the world. When Jesus was crucified, He died on a tree (the cross). The wood of which the cross was made came from a tree that was a descendant of one of the trees God had made in the perfect world. Jesus suffered the very same curse of death He placed upon the world so we could live with Him forever. 2. Matthew 27:29 states: “And when they had plaited a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail King of the Jews!” Thorns were a result of the curse. When they crucified our Lord, they put thorns on His head—big thorns that dug into His scalp and hurt more than we can imagine. The thorn Adam has in his foot in the illustration is nothing compared to what happened to Jesus. He allowed Himself to suffer the horrible effects of the curse—the terrible thorns, as He died for our sins. Really, He has not asked us to suffer anything less than He suffered Himself. How great is our God!

Quick Review: 1. What is the connection between Adam’s disobedience and the crucifixion of Christ? 2. How did sin change the world? 3. What was God’s plan to save the world once Adam had disobeyed?

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N is for Never Overview: Genesis 3:22-24 states: “And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever: Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the Garden of Eden cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.” In “L,” we learned that God sent Adam and Eve out of the garden so they could not eat of the tree of life and thus live forever in their sinful rebellious state. To make sure that Adam and Eve could not return to the garden, God put cherubim with a flaming sword to guard the entrance.

Directed Discussion: Ask the children why there would not be a place on earth today where cherubim with flaming swords would be guarding the

entrance to the garden (remind them what was said in the notes for “L”). Share with the children that in Revelation 22:14, certain people (those who love the Lord) will gain access to the tree of life. As we go through this study, we will learn more about how to make sure a person will be able to “have a right to the tree of life.”

Core Truth Takeaway: Adam and Eve could not go back to the tree of life in the garden. As we will find out, they had to look forward to the tree of life in the New Earth—but lots of very special and interesting events had to happen before this could occur.

Quick Review: 1. Which tree in the Garden of Eden did God want to keep Adam and Eve away from after they sinned? 2. What different roles have angels played in biblical events? 3. What is the “New Earth”?

O is for Offering Overview: Genesis 3:21 states: “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.” God now made clothes for Adam and Eve—clothes of animal skins. This means at least one animal skins. This means at least one animal had to be killed so its skin could be used. This is first time an animal died. Obviously, for an animal to be killed and skinned, blood would be shed. God sacrificed an animal because of Adam’s sin. This ties in beautifully with Hebrews 9:22, “…and without shedding of blood is no remission.” For the remission of sin, blood has to be shed. By the way, this also means that there could not have been the shedding of blood millions of years before the first man sinned—this

would undermine the meaning of bloodshed in relation to sin. The whole meaning of atonement would be destroyed. We read in Leviticus 17:11 that “The life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.” We can assume that God explained to Adam and Eve the significance of this event. He would have told them that because of sin, an offering had to be made to atone for sin. Because death was a consequence of sin and the “life of the flesh is in the blood,” then blood had to be shed. They were no doubt instructed to sacrifice an animal as a sign that they acknowledged their sin and needed forgiveness.

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Directed Discussion: This also helps us understand why in Genesis 4:5 God rejected Cain’s offering. Genesis 4:3 tells us that Cain brought an offering of the “fruit of the ground”—not a blood sacrifice. Abel brought an animal as a sacrifice. Cain should have traded some of his “fruit of the ground” with Abel for an animal sacrifice—but he did not want to do it God’s way.

Core Truth Takeaway:

This is also a good example to remind the children that it is very important to do things God’s way. You can even be diligent in wanting to serve God—Cain wanted to bring a sacrifice—but if you don’t serve God the way He instructs you, then He will not accept what you are doing.

It is important for the children to understand that the covering Adam and Eve made for themselves was good enough to cover their nakedness, but not their sin. Man cannot by himself cover his sin. God is the only one who can. God did this for Adam and Eve—He provided the lamb and the covering.

Notice that the dead animal in the illustration for “O” is a lamb. John 1:29 and 36 tells us that Jesus is “the lamb of God.”

When God sent Jesus to die for our sins, He provided the lamb and the covering for our sin. This is a gift from God. A free gift if we will accept it (Romans 5:16-18).

The Israelites had to sacrifice a lamb because of sin. The first mention of a lamb for sacrifice is in Genesis 22:7, “And Issac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” In Exodus chapter 12 the passover was instituted and Israelites were to sacrifice a lamb. This, of course, was looking forward to the “lamb” that would be sacrificed “once for all” (Hebrews 10:10). The point is that no matter how many animals were sacrificed for sin—their blood would never ultimately take way our sin. As it is stated in Hebrews 10:4, “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.” There needed to be a sacrifice that would “once for all” cleanse away our sin. But this sacrifice would have to be a perfect man—another Adam. In Exodus 12:5, the Israelites are told “Your lamb shall be without blemish….” Compare this to 1 Peter 1:19 which refers to Jesus: “But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” Christ was provided as another Adam—a perfect man (a perfect lamb) to shed His blood for sin.

blood sacrifice as a covering for their sin—what a beautiful picture of what was to come in Christ.

Imagine the horror on Adam and Eve’s faces when for the first time they saw an animal die. Look at the illustration for “O.” The look on the faces of Adam and Eve tell it all.

An Additional Note The fact that God gave clothes because of sin also means that there is a moral basis for clothing. Because sin distorts everything, sin also distorts nakedness. Thus, we must construct a standard of clothing in accord with the reason clothing was given in the first place. Be sure to again emphasize that those people who say the world could be millions of years old, and thus the fossil record (a record of billions of dead things—some with diseases, evidence of suffering, cruelty and lots of bloodshed) is millions of years old, undermine totally this vital and special message concerning the shed blood of sin. There can be no shedding of blood before sin. Otherwise, the foundation of the Gospel message is destroyed. The meaning of everything is tied up with its origin, and the meaning of death and bloodshed is dependent on its origin as described in Genesis.

Quick Review:

Genesis does not tell us that the animal God killed to make skins was a lamb, but, on the basis of the rest of Scripture, we believe it is a valid assumption.

1. Why is Jesus described as the “lamb of God”?

Notice in the illustration that Adam and Eve are dressed in lambs skins! Here we also have the origin of clothing. Think about it—a

3. How do the events of Genesis lay the groundwork for the need for a Savior?

2. Why was Jesus needed as a sacrifice if the blood of animals had always been used?

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P is for Plan Q is for Quiet Overview: We have discussed earlier that the plan of salvation was worked out from the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:8). In the illustration for “P,” Adam is holding a scroll that pictures the major events of history leading up to the cross: Creation—Fall— Curse—Flood. We don’t know how much God told Adam, but at the same time He sacrificed the first animal, He no doubt told Adam and Eve that there was a plan already worked out. Adam and Eve probably did not understand all the details, but they knew that God was going to provide a way for them to be restored to their previous situation before sin. In the illustration for “Q,” we see the rest of the major events of history: Resurrection—Judgment by fire—New heaven and Earth—Hell.

Directed Discussion: It is important for children to know that even though there is a plan of salvation, there is also eternal judgment for those who do not trust in the Lord. Be sure to point out the final image – it is hell, it is real, and it’s not somewhere you want to be forever and ever. It would be great at this stage to make the children aware of Hell. Tell them that they can make sure they are not going there by trusting in the Lord Jesus who died for their sins. Maybe they might want to pray right after they read this. Help them to understand that they can know they are going to Heaven (John 3:16; Romans 10:9; Ephesians 1:13). Genesis 3:15 states: “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” This is called the “proto-Gospel.” In other words, we know that this is a reference to the death and resurrection of Christ. How much of this Adam and Eve understood, we do not know.

Some have suggested the when Eve had given birth to Cain and said”…I have gotten a man from the Lord” (Genesis 4:1), she thought somehow that he would be the man that would save them. However, if she did think this, her thoughts would have been shattered when Cain killed Abel. Show the children that Genesis 3:15 really is a reference to Jesus dying on the cross. In fact, there are many references throughout the Old Testament that prophesy the events of the birth, death and resurrection of Christ (e.g., Psalm 22).

Core Truth Takeaway: Take particular note that on the scroll in the illustration for “P,” the cross is the final picture. In the illustration for “Q,” the cross is the first picture. The cross is central to the Christian message. Romans 5:9 tells us that we are justified by the blood of Jesus. The fact that the Father raised Jesus from the dead is proof that the Father accepted what His son did for us. This is the reason Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:17: “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.” The cross is central to the Gospel—it is the power of the Gospel. The last picture before hell in the illustration for “Q,” is of the New Heaven and New Earth. Because sin ruined the present earth is to be “burned up.” Then in 2 Peter 3:13, we are told there will be a “new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” In other words, a place where there will be no sin and no curse. We also read about this Revelation 21:1

Quick Review: 1. What is the “proto-Gospel”? 2. Look for examples of prophecies in the Bible related to Christ. 3. How will the new earth and God’s original creation going to be similar?

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R is for Rough Overview: The rhyme for this lesson says it all. “R is for Rough, how life had become, the effects of God’s curse had really begun. Adam worked hard to obtain food to eat, he made lots of sweat, so he must have been beat!” Genesis 3:19 states: “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”

Directed Discussion: Adam was told he would have to work very hard to get food. In the garden, God had provided food for Adam while he looked after the plants; now, sin had changed things and obtaining food would be hard work.

Here is another example of a doctrine based upon Genesis. The doctrine of work. Even before sin, Adam had to work to look after the garden; but after sin, the work would be hard, and not necessarily enjoyed. Remember, Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians 3:10, “For even when we were with you, this we command you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.” There are many people today who don’t want to work. They just want everything handed to them. We should not be like this. We should want to work because God told us to. Certainly there are people who have problems finding a job to earn money today, and we should try to help them. However, they need to work hard, regardless. There are always plenty of things to do and people to help.

It is hard work to produce food. Farmers have to plow the ground, fertilize it, water it, keep the pests away, keep the weeds out, harvest, and process it.

Teaching young people about the doctrine of work is important. It is a vital character-building component for future success. Let them help around the house with small chores or assisting you. Folding laundry, helping dust, or picking up things from the floor – it can be simple chores that help them learn responsibility.

The world was no longer a perfect place. God was no longer sustaining the world perfectly, and things had started to run down. The point is that because of sin, the whole of creation was affected.

You can organize weekly chores on a chart. They can keep track of their completed chores on the chart as well, and it will serve as a reminder of when chores need to take place.

Romans 8:20-22: “For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope. Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.”

In the classroom, take turns giving them small tasks they can take pride in and learn from – putting away or organizing supplies, straightening up their desks, even helping to water plants or feed a classroom pet.

Core Truth Takeaway: Adam does not look like a primitive. He has made a tool that looks similar to something we would make today. After all, we have already stated that Adam was highly intelligent. Make sure you point this out to the children.

Quick Review: 1. Why is it important to show that man was smart as created, and not a product of monkey evolution over time? 2. Why is work a biblical principle? 3. What does the Bible mean when it refers to “the whole creation groaneth”?

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S is for Seventy Overview: The famous Jewish historian, Josephus, records that according to Jewish tradition, Adam and Eve had 33 sons and 23 daughters. The Bible doesn’t tell us the exact number; it just says they had “sons and daughters (Genesis 5:4).” Since Adam lived for 930 years (Genesis 5:5), there was plenty of time to have lots of children.

Directed Discussion: The most asked question concerning Genesis is probably the following: “Where did Cain find his wife?” Some people believe there had to be other people created in addition to Adam and Eve so Cain could have a wife. However, we have already shown in the notes for “D” that this cannot be so. Now consider the following: 1 Corinthians 15:45 tells us that Adam was the “first man.” Genesis 3:20 states that Eve was “the mother of all living.” Acts 17:26 tells us that all people are of “one blood,” and therefore all people are related. Thus, if there was only one man and one woman and all people are related in the first generation, brothers had to marry sisters. There was no problem with this originally, because the law that close relations could no longer marry did not come into being until the time of Moses. We read about this in Leviticus 18. As long as marriage was one man for one woman for life, as discussed earlier, there was no problem with a brother and sister marrying—originally. Actually, when you think about it—you do marry your relation. This is the reason Adam and Eve were the grandparents of us all. If they were not, then the whole Gospel message becomes meaningless.

Core Truth Takeaway: Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:45 that Jesus is called the “last Adam.” You see, the first Adam brought death into the world. He was the representative head of the entire human race. Thus all his descendants would suffer the problem of sin and death. We sin in Adam. We die in Adam.

Therefore, there was needed a new Adam to be a new representative head. But he would have to be a perfect man—and it would have to be someone of the same blood (that is—related to all people). This person would have to pay the penalty for sin, which is death. He would have to be raised from the dead, thus conquering death. But, he could not be any one of us since we are all sinners. God’s solution was to provide another Adam. Jesus Christ, the Creator and the Son of God, became a man—a descendant of Adam (born of a virgin), but 100 percent God. He had two natures—God and man, but He was one person. Our Creator became our relative, so He could die for all his relations—all people. This is why Paul states: “For as in Adam all die, Even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22).

More about Cain’s Wife Now back to Cain’s wife. Some people say, “If you marry your relation, won’t there be deformities in the children?” This is likely to happen in today’s world if you marry your close relation. We all have mistakes in our genes because of the curse. These mistakes add up year after year. Actually, the whole human race (like all living creatures) is running down—the opposite of what should be happening if evolution were true. Before sin, there were no mistakes in Adam and Eve’s genes. However, as a result of the curse, mistakes started to occur. These have accumulated over the years. If close relations married today, they would be more likely to have similar mistakes in their genes. These mistakes can then combine and cause problems in the offspring. The farther away in relationship you are, the more likely it is that you will have different mistakes. If you married, the good genes from one partner tend to override the bad ones from the other. Remember, Abraham was married to his half-sister. It is vital that we understand that all humans are related—and we are all now related to Jesus Christ because He became a man. 1 Corinthians 15:20 sums it up nicely: “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept.” This means that because He rose, we will be raised!

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T is for Trouble Overview: We have already discussed the problem with Cain’s offering in “O.” Cain did not like God rejecting his offering. He was so angry that he killed his brother Abel. This was the world’s first murder.

Directed Discussion: In Genesis 9:6, after the Flood, God brought in the death penalty for anyone who was a murderer. God certainly punished Cain. He put some sort of mark on Cain as a warning to others (Genesis 4:15). God also told Cain that the earth would not produce for him as it would for others. There was an extra special curse on the ground associated with Cain. After Cain killed Abel, the Bible tells us that Cain went to the land of Nod (or “wandering”) (Genesis 4:16). Some people read the Bible incorrectly here and think it says Cain found his wife in the land of

Nod. However, he could easily have been married before he went to the land of Nod. The Bible tells us that Cain “knew” (had sexual relations with) his wife when he was in the land of Nod.

Core Truth Takeaway: One of the things to point out to children is that sin is such a terrible thing that in just one generation after Adam and Eve, a person became a murderer. There have now been about six thousand years of sin with the curse operating on this earth. Sin is a terrible “disease.”

Quick Review: 1. What did God do to punish Cain? 2. Was there a special curse put upon Cain? 3. What does this biblical account tell us about sin?

U is for Utterly Overview:

billions of dead things, buried in rock layers, laid down by water all over the earth!

The lack of people, buildings or animals while the Ark floats on top of the water is a graphic picture representing what happened during this great catastrophic event.

Some people today try to say that this Flood was only a local event. However, considered the following:

The Dodo bird and other creatures, of course, are safe in the Ark with Noah and his family! Since there was no death of animals or man before sin, then how does one explain billions of dead things buried in rock layers, laid down by water all over the earth? To form fossils, an animal or plant would have to be buried quickly so it would not rot.

Directed Discussion: The Flood of Noah’s day provides just these conditions. Lots of water (from above and below—Genesis 7:11) which would have caused massive erosion and sedimentation. All the right conditions to form

1. God put a rainbow in the sky after the Flood as a sign He would never send such a Flood again (Genesis 9:13-17). There have been lots of floods since, but they have all been local. God did not break His promise because we have not seen a global flood since Noah’s time. 2. The event of Noah’s Flood is used as a warning that there will be future judgment by fire (Matthew 24; 2 Peter 3, etc.). The future judgment will be a global judgment—just like the past judgment. 3. The language of Genesis 6-9 overwhelming speaks of a global catastrophe.

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Core Truth Takeaway: According to the Bible’s chronology, the Flood of Noah’s day was approximately 4500 years ago. This means most of the fossils in the earth are around 4500 years or younger. Presumably there would have been little fossilization from the Fall to the Flood since the climate would have been fairly stable. Since the Flood, there have been many local catastrophes and some fossils would have formed after the Flood. Most of the fossil record would be the graveyard of the Flood.

Quick Review: 1. What does the Bible tell us about life on Earth before sin? 2. How does the Flood explain the fossils we find today? 3. What was the promise associated with the rainbow?

V is for Violent Overview: We have already discussed earlier that there are far fewer created kinds of animals than there are varieties. Thus, when God sent two of each of the unclean and 7 of the clean animals on board the Ark, there were not as many animals as people think. In their famous book, The Genesis Flood, Dr. Morris and Dr. Whitcomb state: “There was need for no more than 35,000 individual vertebrate animals on the Ark.” And there was plenty of room.

Directed Discussion:

destruction, and many there be which go in thereat” (Matthew 7:13). John 3:19 states: that “men loved darkness rather than light…” Just as Noah and his family made sure they were safe in the Ark, each one of us need to make sure we are safe in Jesus, and that we have trusted in Him to save us from the future judgment. The beginning of Chapter 8 in Genesis is a wonderful statement: “And God remembered Noah…” When you think of how violent the flood waters must have been, how could Noah, his family and the animals survive? Well God tells us that He specially looked after Noah. Noah, his family and the animals were not out of God’s thoughts for one moment.

Genesis 7:7 tells us that only eight people went into the Ark. I am sure that in the last seven days while the Ark was being loaded and the door was still opened, Noah was warning people, “Come into the Ark and be saved—the judgment by water is coming.” Sadly, only his sons and their wives went on board with him.

Core Truth Takeaway:

In a similar way today, we should be preaching a message like this: “Come to the Lord Jesus and be saved—the judgment by fire is coming.”

You know, just as God “remembered Noah” in the midst of such a horrible catastrophe, He remembers each one of us moment by moment. Isn’t that a comforting thought!

Point out to the children that even though people today might say that the majority of scientists don’t believe the Bible and don’t believe in past or future judgment, the majority in Noah’s day did not believe it either. What happened to the majority of people in Noah’s day? They drowned! Just because the majority believe (or don’t believe) something does not mean they are right! The Bible tells us that “Wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to

Quick Review:

By the way, note that dinosaurs were on board the Ark!

1. Why was the Ark built bigger than what the animals or Noah’s family would need? 2. How is the Ark an example of how we can trust in God? 3. Why is it important to let children know that among the animals on the Ark were dinosaurs?

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W is for Walk Noah, his family and the animals (including dinosaurs) came out of the Ark.

came from under the ground). This would have produced great storms with snow and ice and ultimately caused an Ice Age.

What was the first thing Noah did? He sacrificed one of every clean animal (Genesis 8:20). This would have been one of the greatest sacrifices ever! Noah was thankful to God for saving him. He recognized that God was just in sending the Flood because He is a righteous judge.

As water left the oceans and was turned into snow and ice, the ocean levels would have dropped, forming land bridges around the world. The animals would move to other continents over these land bridges. Also, ever since the time of Noah people have built boats and sailed around the world, often taking their favorite animals with them. Thus, animals would have spread around the world. Each kind would end up forming different varieties within a kind as they separate and went in other directions. This explains why you have different varieties of bears, elephants, horses, and so on.

Overview: Noah knew that the judgment came because of sin and the blood had to be shed for sin. Even though Noah was saved on the Ark, he recognized that he was still a sinner and had to make sacrifices for sin. The Ark is a beautiful picture of Jesus Christ. Noah had to go through a door to be saved, and so must we go through a door (Jesus—John 10:9) to be saved. The Ark saved Noah from the judgment and Jesus will save us from the fiery judgment of Hell.

Directed Discussion: The Ark landed in the area we now know as the Middle East. Therefore, this means that every type of land animal (including kangaroos, elephants, dinosaurs, etc.) once lived in the Middle East. These animals would have started to breed and move around the earth. After the Flood there would have been much evaporation because the oceans were warmer (remember, most of the water

X is for eXplode Y is for Yes Overview: Genesis 9:1 states: “And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth.”

Directed Discussion: God commanded the people to spread out over the earth and fill it. However, we find in Genesis 11 that the people who spoke the

Core Truth Takeaway: Wouldn’t you think that this Flood would have left such an impression around the world and in the minds of the people on board, that as the population grew after the Flood they would not disobey God? Due to their sinful nature, the people very quickly forgot the judgment of God. As we will see next, they rebelled against God again.

Quick Review: 1. Where did the Ark land? 2. How did animals spread across the world? 3. What is an animal kind?

one language defied God by staying together and building a tower. This structure was probably a worship center associated with an evil religion which worshipped the moon and the stars instead of God. Isn’t it sad that people so quickly forgot they are sinners and what God has done? To make man spread out over the earth, God caused people to begin speaking in different languages, thus hindering their efforts to work together in rebellion against Him. Thus, they would not have

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been able to work together anymore. People would have split up and moved over the earth, and others would have gone and lived in caves until they were able to build houses. Some people would have used stone tools until they found sources of metals and to make metal tools. However, others may have just kept on using the stone tools. Just because we find evidence that people used stone tools or lived in caves does not mean they were primitive. It would only indicate man’s spreading out over the earth into new areas. At this time, the human population would have dispersed causing the gene pool to break up. As groups of people went in different directions, they would have taken with them different combinations of information in their genes. Thus, the different types of people would have created tribes and nations and eventually resulted in Chinese, Japanese, Eskimo, etc. The characteristics such as skin color, eye shape and other features that distinguish the different groups are just minor differences. For instance, everyone has the same skin color.

It is just a matter of how much or how little a person has of this color. The New Answers Book series addresses this and many other relevant questions of science and faith.

Core Truth Takeaway: The Bible’s record in Genesis is the only explanation for there being different language groups in the world. Isn’t it sad that because of man’s sin, God had to give him different languages? This made it harder for people to work together in rebellion against god, but it also made it more difficult to proclaim to all the people the truth about God’s Word. Praise the Lord that for years dedicated Christians have been translating God’s Word into different languages so that all will be able to hear the wonderful truth about salvation.

Z is for Zip Overview: Read Revelation chapters 20-22. Take particular note of the following verses: Revelation 20:12-15 Revelation 21:27 Revelation 22:12-14.

Revelation 21:1-8 Revelation 22:3

Directed Discussion: Explain to the children that all those who love the Lord Jesus and have asked Him into their hearts, believing and acknowledging that He is their Savior, will have their names written in the “Lamb’s Book of Life.” However, the Bible clearly teaches that those who have not trusted the Lord Jesus will be judged and sent to a place of torment forever and ever! This should make every one of us want to ensure that we are saved, and tell everyone about this message.

This final section presents an opportunity to lead children to Christ if they have not made that commitment. It also is a great opportunity to pray for unsaved friends and loved ones. Take this chance to bring the truth of Christ to them! Now that the children have all the background information, go through the plan of salvation from beginning to end using the information and Scriptures in the above notes. Use other Scriptures as well (e.g., 1 John 1:9; Romans 3:23) to help them understand they need to repent of their sin. This can be a special time to challenge each child to make a commitment to Christ. Write and tell us when commitments are made. We would love to hear from you! You may write to Answers in Genesis, PO Box 510, Hebron, KY 41048.

Core Truth Takeaway: Share Luke 15:10 with them: “Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”

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