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Grace Church Children’s Ministry Programming The Story of Grace Narrative Summary Fall 2013 – Fall 2014 Exile and Return :: Narrative Summary The Kingdom had been divided in two; Israel to the North and Judah to the South. Because of Israel's continued unfaithfulness to God, He allowed the Assyrians to carry the people of Israel into captivity. However, the Southern tribe of Judah remained in the land and occupied Jerusalem, their capital city, where Temple operations continued. Although Judah had a few kings that were blessed by God because of their obedience, they didn’t learn from Israel’s example. In fact, they were just like the nation of Israel, refusing to trust in God, despising His laws and statues, following after idols, and abandoning all of the commandments of the Lord. (2 Kings 17:7-23) As a result, God allowed the Babylonians, a foreign nation, to carry the people of Judah into captivity also, and He allowed them to destroy the city of Jerusalem and the Temple with it. The people of Judah were sent into captivity in Babylon in three waves, with God’s judgment becoming more severe with each wave. At times, it seemed as though none of God’s people remained faithful to him, but there were a few people that served as shining examples of God’s grace and empowering favor in the midst of a very bleak and difficult time. Just as we saw in the previous chapter of this story, kings and rulers were not the only people that God used to lead and speak to His people. As part of the first wave sent to Babylon, God raised up a prophet named Daniel who served God faithfully and fearlessly. Daniel challenged God’s people to stay faithful to God, to bow to no one but Him, and to trust God no matter the circumstances. Daniel was a living example of this trust, speaking boldly to the King of Babylon and praying faithfully three times a day, even when it was illegal. Daniel remained true to God, and God was faithful to him. The final demonstration of God’s discipline towards His people occurred just prior to the third wave to Babylon when the capital city of Jerusalem and its crowning jewel, the Temple of God, were utterly destroyed. The prophet, Ezekiel, already in captivity in Babylon, was given a clear vision of God’s glory leaving the Temple before it was destroyed. God’s words through Ezekiel were a clear warning to His people in the days leading up to, and during, the Babylonian captivity. God also spoke words of hope and mercy through Ezekiel, telling of a future day when God’s people clung to the promise that they would one day experience the forgiveness and favor of God. After 70 years of captivity, the Persians conquered Babylon. Under a new Persian king God’s people were allowed to return to the Promised Land in three waves, just as they had left. Each of these waves was led by godly people who ensured that the city and Temple of God were rebuilt and that God’s people were, once again, settled in the promised land. Unfortunately, even after 70 years of discipline and exile, God’s people hadn’t fully learned whole-hearted devotion to Him. The story of the Old Testament ends in a period of indefinite, unresolved silence. For about 400 years the prophets were silent. Jewish communities continued to grow and spread throughout the region. They faced challenges and difficulties as the world powers shifted and changed dramatically during this time. God’s people longed for the day when their Messiah would come, but for now all they could do was look into their own hearts and reflect on the words that God had already spoken. Key Concept: After generations of disobedience, God disciplined this people by sending them into captivity. Even in the midst of these dark days in Israel’s history, He spoke words of hope.

“Yet the LORD warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments

and my statutes, in accordance with all the Law that I commanded your fathers, and that I sent to you by my servants the prophets. But they

would not listen, but were stubborn, as their fathers had been, who did not believe in the LORD their God.”

- 2 Kings 17:13-14

Grace Church Children’s Ministry Programming The Story of Grace Additional Resources Fall 2013 – Fall 2014 Exile and Return :: Timeline Exile - Northern Kingdom of Israel

o 722 BC End of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Samaria, the capital city falls to Assyria and many from the nation of Israel are carried into captivity

Assyria settles people in the towns of the Northern Kingdom and the people of Assyria inter-marry with Israelites who remained in the land

Exile - Southern Kingdom of Judah

o 715 BC Hezekiah becomes king of Judah, rules until 686 BC o 605 BC Nebuchadnezzar invades Judah First wave of people are deported to Babylon, among whom is Daniel o 597 BC Nebuchadnezzar captures Jerusalem, the capital city of Judah

Second wave of people are deported to Babylon, among whom is Ezekiel o 593 BC Ezekiel is called by God to be a prophet o 586 BC End of the Southern Kingdom of Judah

Jerusalem, and the Temple with it, are destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar Third (and final) wave of people are deported to Babylon

o 585 BC The small remnant of Judeans who remained in the land of Judah flee to Egypt against God’s clear instruction through Jeremiah, Jeremiah is taken with them

Return - Southern Kingdom of Judah

o 539 BC Cyrus, King of Persia, defeats the Kingdom of Babylon o 538 BC Cyrus decrees that all whose hearts are “stirred up” may return to Jerusalem

The first of three waves of Judeans return to Jerusalem and its surrounding cities, among whom is Zerubbabel, who begins reconstruction of the Temple

o 515 BC The rebuilding of the Temple is complete o 479 BC Esther marries the Persian King Xerxes(Ahasuerus), Becomes Queen of Persia

Many Jews did not return to Jerusalem but remained faithful to God in the new land where they had settled, Mordecai and Esther are two shining examples

o 458 BC The second of three waves of Judeans return to Jerusalem, among whom is Ezra Ezra finds that the people had inter-married with those who had settled in the land during the deportation, Leads the people back to God

o 445 BC The third of three waves of Judeans return to Jerusalem, among whom is Nehemiah Nehemiah oversees the rebuilding of the walls around Jerusalem

Grace Church Children’s Ministry Programming The Story of Grace Additional Resources Fall 2013 – Fall 2014 Map of Jewish Exile To Babylon

Grace Church Children’s Ministry Programming The Story of Grace Weekly Summary Fall 2013 – Fall 2014 Exile and Return :: March 16th :: Week 23 – Daniel’s Friends Won’t Bow Where This Week Fits in the Greater Story :: Background for Today’s Lesson The people in the Southern Kingdom of Judah refused to follow God’s laws and statutes. Therefore, in 605 B.C., God sent King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and his army to invade Judah and discipline His people. The people of Judah were carried away in three waves. This story takes place as the first wave of people were taken from Judah and brought into Babylon. Among this first wave of people were Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These four, along with others, were taken into King Nebuchadnezzar’s palace to be trained to serve him. Today’s Lesson After being taken into the King’s palace, Daniel, resolving not to defile himself with the King’s food, asked for special permission to change their diet by eating and drinking only vegetables and water. God gave him favor with the chief eunuch, and Daniel led his friends in staying faithful to God and His standards. Afterward, King Nebuchadnezzar had a disturbing dream and threatened to kill all the wise men of Babylon because no one could tell him about his dream. But, God gave Daniel the meaning of the dream, and, as a result, the King promoted Daniel and his friends. Then King Nebuchadnezzar built a golden statue and required everyone to bow down and worship the image. Daniel’s friends refused to bow, and after telling the King they trusted in God and worshiped Him alone, they were thrown into a fire. However, God kept them from being burned up, and they escaped unharmed. This led King Nebuchadnezzar to make a decree against anyone who spoke against the God they served. Key Concept: Trust in God no matter what the circumstances. Scripture for This Week

Day Today’s Scripture Summary of Today’s Text

1 Daniel 3:13-18 Daniel’s friends refuse to bow to the golden image and make it clear to Nebuchadnezzar that they will not serve his gods or worship the golden image.

2 Daniel 1:1-21 Daniel is taken to Babylon along with his friends. When they arrive, Daniel resolved in his heart not to defile himself with the kings food.

3 Daniel 2:1-16 Nebuchadnezzar has a dream that greatly troubles him, but none of his wise men could interpret it.

4 Daniel 2:17-49 God gives Daniel the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and Daniel gives God the glory. Daniel is promoted to the role of chief over all of the wise men in Babylon.

5 Daniel 3:1-18 Daniel’s friends refuse to bow to Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image and entrust themselves to God.

6 Daniel 3:19-30 Nebuchadnezzar is furious with Daniel’s friends and had them thrown into the fiery furnace. Miraculously, they are not burned.

7 Talk with your kids about what they learned at church today.

Grace Church Children’s Ministry Programming The Story of Grace Additional Resources Fall 2013 – Fall 2014 The Assyrian and Babylonian Empires

Grace Church Children’s Ministry Programming The Story of Grace Weekly Summary Fall 2013 – Fall 2014 Exile and Return :: March 23rd :: Week 24 – Daniel Thrown in the Lion’s Den Where This Week Fits in the Greater Story :: Background for Today’s Lesson The people of Judah had been carried away by the Babylonians, and were being punished for their constant disobedience to God. The deportation that started in 605 B.C. occurred in three waves. In the first wave, Daniel and others were taken and trained to become leaders in the Babylonian kingdom. They had been in captivity for many years and, eventually, King Nebuchadnezzar and his son were replaced by a new king. God gave the Babylonian kingdom into the hands of the Medes and Persians as prophesied, and through all this Daniel continued to serve faithfully in the king’s palace. Today’s Lesson King Darius, the Mede, set Daniel as one of three leaders to help him rule overseeing kingdom operations, and, ultimately, to protect the King’s interests. Darius was set to promote Daniel as a distinguished leader among his presidents because of his “excellent spirit,” but before this could occur the rest of the presidents and satraps in the king’s palace plotted and brought a complaint against Daniel. However, because Daniel was faithful, they failed to find anything against him. They realized that the only chance they had of bringing any accusation against Daniel was to try to find something “in connection with the law of his God.” (Daniel 6:5) These men convinced King Darius to sign an ordinance that prohibited anyone, for 30 days, from praying to any other god or man but the King. After Daniel heard of the ordinance, he continued praying to God three times a day just as he did before. The men who accused Daniel turned him over to the king for praying to his God, and by law Daniel had to be thrown into the lion’s den. King Darius, in anguish all night, rushed to the lions’ den early in the morning and found the angel of the Lord had shut the mouth of the lions. Daniel was saved from the lions because he trusted in God. Then, King Darius gave the order for Daniel’s accusers to be thrown into the lion’s den, where they were quickly destroyed. Key Concept: We are called to believe God and obey Him all the time. Scripture for This Week


1 Daniel 6:10-13

In an attempt to see Daniel harmed, King Darius’ wise men convince him to make a decree that prohibits anyone from praying to any “god” but Darius. Daniel hears of the decree and goes straight to prayer, as was his custom 3 times a day.

2 Daniel 6:1-5 Daniel is an upright man who has great favor with the new king in town. The other wise men make a plan to see Daniel harmed.

3 Daniel 6:6-9 King Darius agrees to make a decree that, for 30 days, no one in his kingdom should pray to anyone but him.

4 Daniel 6:10-15 Daniel hears of the decree and goes immediately to prayer, as was his custom. He continued praying 3 times a day until the other wise men turned him in to King Darius.

5 Daniel 6:16-28 Daniel is thrown in the lion’s den, but he is saved by God.

6 2 Corinthians 1:10 On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us

Psalm 37:3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.


Grace Church Children’s Ministry Programming The Story of Grace Additional Resources Fall 2013 – Fall 2014 The Persian Empire *Note how much bigger the Persian Empire is than the Assyrian and Babylonian Empires combined. (See previous map included with Week 23)

Grace Church Children’s Ministry Programming The Story of Grace Weekly Summary Fall 2013 – Fall 2014 Exile and Return :: March 30th :: Week 25 – God’s Promise of Restoration Where This Week Fits in the Greater Story :: Background for Today’s Lesson The story of the exile, though sad and heart-wrenching, is not without rays of hope or people of God who seek Him, walk with Him, and make their lives about fulfilling His purposes. The people we are highlighting in this unit (Daniel and his friends, Ezekiel, Esther, & Nehemiah) are just a few of many examples of people who recognized what God was trying to teach his people through some very difficult circumstances. God was clear, as He spoke through His prophets, about the ways He was disciplining His people, but he was also clear that they would one day be restored. Though they had been taken a long way away, He promised to bring them home and bless them again. Today’s Lesson The message of hope in the midst of trials is precisely what we saw in the life of the prophet Ezekiel this week. Ezekiel isn’t actually called by God until after he had been carried away to Babylon as part of the second wave of deportation. The people of God in Babylon longed for the day when they would return to Jerusalem, the capital city of Judah, and worship God again in the Temple. God was disciplining them in Babylon, but they were quick to overlook the severity of their offense to God and the extent to which He was trying to teach them. Instead they were eager to return home. The vision of God’s glory leaving the temple was God’s way of showing His people, who were in captivity, that the situation back home was going to get worse, not better. In the prophecies of Ezekiel 37 and Ezekiel 39, we see God’s promises to bring the people home again and, one day, to unite the divided kingdoms and pour out His Spirit on them. Key Concept: God speaks words of hope and restoration in the midst of difficult circumstances. Scripture for This Week


1 Psalm 145:13-14 God is faithful to his promises and loving toward all that He has made

2 Ezekiel 2:1-7 Ezekiel brought in a vision from Babylon back to Jerusalem.

3 Ezekiel 8:1-4,10:3-5, 18-19, 11:22-25

Ezekiel brought in a vision from Babylon back to Jerusalem, He sees God’s glory leaving the Temple.

4 Ezekiel 37:1-14 Ezekiel’s vision of The Valley of Dry Bones

5 Ezekiel 37:15-28 (esp. v22)

God’s promise to unite the divided kingdoms as one at a future time

6 Ezekiel 39:25-29 God’s promise to restore the people after the exile and pour His Spirit on them


Grace Church Children’s Ministry Programming The Story of Grace Weekly Summary Fall 2013 – Fall 2014 Exile and Return :: April 6th :: Week 26 – Esther Speaks for God’s People Where This Week Fits in the Greater Story :: Background for Today’s Lesson After nearly 70 years of exile in Babylon, Cyrus, King of Persia, invaded and defeated Babylon. Under the decree of King Cyrus, the first wave of Judeans returned from exile to Jerusalem in order to rebuild the Temple. Many of the exiles chose to remain in Babylon where they had established new lives. Esther, as well as her cousin Mordecai, were two such people. God placed Esther in a position of great influence as queen in the king’s palace in order to deliver His people from the danger of being completely destroyed. Today’s Lesson Esther was a beautiful young Judean girl whom King Xerxes of Persia (Ahasuerus) had chosen to be his new queen, and she found favor and kindness with him. (Esther 2:17) The king’s highest of royal officials, Haman, was exceedingly bent on the destruction of all Jews after Esther’s cousin, Mordecai, would not bow to him. Mordecai and Esther learned of Haman’s plot to destroy the Jews, and Mordecai challenged Esther to consider that perhaps she had been given this position as queen, being a Jew, “for such a time as this.” (Esther 4:14) Esther asked the people to fast and pray and prepared to speak with the king to plead for the lives of her people. As a result, Haman’s pride and wicked schemes were exposed and Mordecai was elevated to take Haman’s place of honor in the king’s palace. Mordecai was then permitted to write a decree in the king’s name, which allowed the Jews to assemble and to defend their lives against any who would attack them. “And the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced. For the Jews there was light and gladness and joy and honor.” (Esther 8:15b-16) Key Concept: God is always at work. (Even when we can’t/don’t see it.) Scripture for This Week


1 Deuteronomy 7:9, Exodus 34:6-7

Although God’s people had endured a time of great discipline, God was faithful to keep his promises to His people. He is always at work, even when we can’t/don’t see it.

2 Esther 1:1-2, Esther 2:16-18

King Xerxes is the new King of Persia and Esther is chosen as Queen.

3 Esther 3:1--11 Mordecai, Esther’s uncle, refuses to bow to Haman, the king’s highest of royal officials. Haman does all that he can to see Mordecai’s people, the Jews, destroyed.

4 Esther 4:13-17 Mordecai asks Esther to stand up for her people. He tells her that she was chosen for “such a time as this.” Esther asks her people to fast and pray.

5 Esther 5:1-8, 9-14 Esther requests that Haman and the king attend a banquet. Haman makes plans to have Mordecai hanged.

6 Esther 6:1-14, 7:1-10

The King honors Mordecai and has Haman executed. The Jews are saved and God, as always, is faithful to his promises.


Grace Church Children’s Ministry Programming The Story of Grace Weekly Summary Fall 2013 – Fall 2014 Exile and Return :: April 13th :: Week 27 – Nehemiah Rebuilds the City Walls Where This Week Fits in the Greater Story :: Background for Today’s Lesson It had been 150 years since Nebuchadnezzar first invaded Judah and the first wave of people were carried off to Babylon. Two waves of Jews returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt the Temple; however, the city and the wall around it were in ruins. Ezra, the scribe, returned with the second wave and found that the Judean people had inter-married with those who had settled in the land during the time of exile. Under Ezra’s teaching and leadership, the people repented and turned back to God, but they were still very vulnerable to enemy attack without the protection of the wall and gates around the city. Just like Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, Esther, Mordecai, and Ezra, Nehemiah was one of many people who were deeply committed to God and to His people in the midst of a very turbulent time. In a time when so many had turned from God and refused to hear His voice, God continued to work miracles through these servants of His, showing faithful love and protection for His covenant community. Today’s Lesson While cupbearer to the Persian King, Nehemiah learned about the condition of Jerusalem and its walls. He was deeply grieved and concerned for his people who were there, and he requested permission from the King to return to Jerusalem. The King granted him permission, and Nehemiah journeyed to his homeland. Upon arrival, Nehemiah inspected the walls, made a plan, rallied the people, and the work of rebuilding began. Three governors of nearby provinces ridiculed the people and their work and tried with many attempts to thwart their efforts, but Nehemiah remained faithful to seeking God, and the wall of the city was successfully rebuilt in just 52 days. Key Concept: We must seek God in everything we do. Scripture for This Week


1 Nehemiah 1:2-11 Nehemiah hears of the state of Jerusalem and fasts and prays.

2 Nehemiah 2:1-8 Nehemiah entreats the King to allow him to return to Jerusalem. (Notice in v4 that, before making his request, he prays to God.)

3 Nehemiah 2:11-18 Nehemiah returns to Jerusalem, inspects the walls, makes a plan, and rallies the people for the work ahead of them.

4 Nehemiah 2:19-20, 4:1-7, 6:1-14 Nehemiah and the people face opposition.

5 Nehemiah 4:15-23 God frustrates the plans of Nehemiah’s enemies and the work resumes.

6 Nehemiah 6:15-16 The wall is finished!


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