Bible Lesson kidminmama 6 years ago1816 views

Wonders of the Bible: Job

It’s another week of my “Wonders of the Bible” series and this week I’m sharing the lesson on Job. Let me tell you one thing, Job is not the easiest lesson to write for kids, but for that very reason I think it’s one our kids need to hear. We get so caught up in life being “fair” and making sure all our kids are “winners”, that we don’t always prepare them for when bad things do happen. This lesson helps children see standing up for Christ and being obedient to Him will not always be easy. Enjoy this free lesson! All printable resources are at the bottom of this post (this post may contain affilate links).

Large Group Lesson

Bottom Line: Standing up for Christ can be hard.

Objective: Kids will learn that our obedience to God will not always be easy.

Key Passage: The Book of Job, Job

Introduction & Recap:

Good Morning! Today is our third week of the “Wonders of the Bible” series. Last week we heard that following God will not always be the popular choice. Who was the man who led a rather “eccentric” way of life? John the Baptist. John knew his calling from God, to prepare people and their hearts for the coming Messiah. He preached to any and everyone, and ultimately speaking the truth and standing up for God led to his death.

Today we’ll talk about another guy who stood up for God even when it was really, really hard to do so. Have you ever had a bad day? Like a really, really bad day. A day where nothing, I mean NOTHING went right? Auggie had a day like that in the Wonder movie. Remember Halloween? His favorite day of the year, a day he was treated like anyone else and then the day took a TOTAL turn for the worst. Let catch a glimpse of his terrible day:

(I recommended editing this clip down and removing the “i’d kill myself” line)

Auggie’s day was bad. His feelings were hurt, his best friend betrayed him and it ruined his favorite day of the year. We’ve had similar days, we’ve been made fun of, got our feelings hurt and lost friendships. Sometimes it’s such a bad day we blame God for what happens to us. We want to be mad at him for our bad days. There is a guy in the Bible that had a really, terrible awful day…actually it was more like months of suffering. His name was Job.

Main Point:

Job’s life was going super well. He had a lot going for him: family, a nice house, lots of property and livestock. He was doing just fine. In Job 1:1-3 it says:

1 There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. 2 There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. 3 He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east.

Sounds like Job had a pretty good life. But something changed, actually Satan got involved. He told God that Job was only praising him because of all those blessing he had. His “cushy” life. So God allowed Satan to test Job, because unlike Satan, God knew Job’s heart.

Use a doll house and toy props to show what Job lost (house, livestock, servants, children, etc.)

First, all of Job’s oxen and donkeys are stolen AND all the servants with them were killed by the Sabeans. (Throw out donkey prop)

Then, while that messenger is telling him about the first bad news another messenger shows up with MORE bad news: his sheep and servants were all killed by lightning. (throw out sheep prop)

After this, the second messenger is still there and ANOTHER messenger shows up with WORSE bad news. His children were all eating at the oldest brother’s house when a great wind came and blew the house down and killed his children. (throw out house and children).

How did Job respond to all this bad news? Let’s look at Job 1:20-22

20Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” 22In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.

Did he blame God? No, he did the opposite…he PRAISED God. How do you think people looked at him? Like he was crazy. Terrible things just happened to him and most people would point a finger right at God, but not Job.

But that’s not the end of all the bad stuff. Then boils came. Boils are gross, painful sores and they showed up ALL over Job’s body. Now he had nothing and felt terrible. He still didn’t blame God. His wife now thought he was nuts. In Job 2 she asked why he wasn’t blaming God for all that had happened to him! Then, three of his friends come to comfort him and barely recognized him for how bad he looked.

Now, was Job angry? Sad? Hurt? Absolutely. He wasn’t happy about his situation one bit, but he wasn’t blaming God. He was still faithful to him even when times got hard. His three friends told him that he must have sinned and was being punished, but Job had not sinned. He was just having a really, really hard time. Finally, in Job 42, God and Job talk. Job says to God (Job 42:2-6) 2 “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 3 ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’

Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. 4 ‘Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you make it known to me.’ 5 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; 6 therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”

Job figured out that he wasn’t going to fully understand God’s ways–God won’t always tell us or show us why bad things happen. But God was always with Job. He never left him in his sadness and hardship. In fact, because Job was faithful God blessed Job, with way more than he had before (Job 42:12-17)

And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning. And he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. 13 He had also seven sons and three daughters. 14 And he called the name of the first daughter Jemimah, and the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-happuch. 15 And in all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job’s daughters. And their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. 16 And after this Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, four generations. 17 And Job died, an old man, and full of days.

Conclusion:

Job had a hard time. A really hard time that cost him all he had. But he stayed faithful to God, he stood for God even when times were really hard. We need to be like Job. We need to stand for God even when it’s hard for us. In 2 Corinthians 12:9 it says, “But the Lord said to me, “My grace is enough for you. When you are weak, then my power is made perfect in you.”

When we are weak, God is made strong. He there with us and helps us through our most difficult days. He gives us the courage to stand up for him and obey him even when it’s the hardest thing we’ve ever done.

Close in prayer & dismiss to groups.

Small Group Discussion

Welcome: Introduce yourself to the kids and ask their names, welcome guests.

Icebreaker: In the Wonder video clip, Auggie had a really, really bad day. Can you share about a time that you had a bad day?

Discussion:

How was Job’s life before his “very bad day”? He had a big family, lots of livestock
Why do you think God allowed Job to be tested? Because he knew his heart and love for him
Did Job blame God for his “bad day”? No, he praised him
What would you have done if you were Job?
What did Job’s wife want him to do? Blame God
What did others think of Job for not blaming God? He was crazy
What did Job’s friends think he did? Sinned against God
What did God tell Job? That he won’t always understand His ways
What did God do for Job at the end of the story? Gave him back everything he lost, plus more
How does this story help us when we go through hard times? It reminds us to be faithful to God.

Memory Verse: Read the verse and then practice saying the verse together out loud. “But the Lord said to me, “My grace is enough for you. When you are weak, then my power is made perfect in you. 2 Corinthians 12:9

Activity: Supplies:Job Before and After Sheet, Bibles
Allow each child to pair up. Give each pair a “before and after sheet” about Job. Have them look at Job 1 and Job 42 to help them fill in the answers. Then review it as a group.