The summer has been a season full of learning, wondering, and curiosity. The curiosity of the children has been especially piqued by a focus on Old Testament figures and the opportunity to better understand the deeper history of God’s people. Although the stories and timelines of these incredible individuals often leave us with more questions than answers, exploring the dedication, determination, and commitment of these brave believers offers innumerable avenues for life application. Whether children are discussing the ways that Samuel was open to God message for him and through his life, or the difficult patience and frustration of Sarah, these stories are a wonderful way to find ourselves in scripture.
I encourage you to take some time to converse with your child about the Old Testament. As we frequently express during our time together on Sundays, “All these things happened to tell God’s story. God’s story is adventurous and interesting, but it all leads toward Jesus and his birth and death here on Earth.”
When teaching children about the Old Testament, it’s helpful to focus on the central themes…. the uniqueness and glory of God; the Law; God's influence on world history and nature; corporate and individual sin and the remedy; and the proper way to worship God. It can often be confusing to explain to children that the Old Testament also tells that the Jews were God's chosen people, which is the main reason for their special protection- and their special punishment when they did wrong. But again, most importantly, the prophecy of Jesus is inherent in God’s story; it is first and foremost in God’s plan. I recommend asking your child open-ended questions that will enable them to consider for themselves how the lives of God’s people in the Old Testament can be a model or a lesson for their own. Here are a few questions that we frequently ask after sharing an Old Testament story:
*Now I wonder which part of the story you liked best?
*I wonder what part is the most important?
*I wonder what part is about you…. Or what part was especially for you?
*I wonder if we can leave anything out of the story and still have everything that we need?
*I wonder what the story of this person and their family might be teaching you?
*I wonder if you’ve ever had a tough time with some of the things that this person also had to deal with? I wonder if you can learn from what they did- what to do or what not to do?
