Sunday, 9th July, 2023: Children's Sunday School Lesson 2.

ASSEMBLIES OF GOD CHURCH, NIGERIA.

CHILDREN'S SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON 2
JULY – DECEMBER, 2023.
SUNDAY, 9TH JULY, 2023.

TOPIC: THE PEOPLE OF GOD RETURN HOME
BIBLE TEXT: Ezra 1: 1-11
MEMORY VERSE:
The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy (Psalm 126:3, NIV).

TARGET:
To help the child learn that God used King Cyrus to continue His plan for His people and that He can use anybody, including unbelievers, to deliver him/her.

OBJECTIVES:
During and after the lesson, each child will show that he/she understands the lesson by:
1. Narrating how the people of God returned to their homeland from captivity in Babylon.
2. Repeating the memory verse, using the right pronouns, as if he/her was the one who spoke it in the Bible. Using and then mentioning one great thing the Lord has done for him/her.

OUTLINE:
1. The Proclamation - Ezra 1:1-4
2. The Response - Ezra 1:5-6
3. The Donation - Ezra 1:7-11

INTRODUCTION:
Although God's people turned away from God, they were never beyond the reach of His love and care. When they turned towards Him, God had mercy on them and made it possible for them to go back to their homeland.

God keeps His word. What He says. He does. God promised to bring His people back from exile through the mouths of prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah. This week we shall see how He kept His word.

READ ALSO>>>Children's Sunday School Lesson 1: Sunday, 2nd July, 2023.

LESSON COMMENATARY:
1. The Proclamation - Ezra 1:14
Cyrus was the king of Persia. He was the one God used to bring about the fulfilment of the prophecy Jeremiah had given years before. In the first year of his reign, God laid it on his heart to make an announcement. In the permanent records of his kingdom. He knew that the city of Jerusalem was in ruins and that the beautiful temple King Solomon built had been destroyed. So he proclaimed that all Jewish persons throughout his kingdom that wanted to go back to Jerusalem and build the Temple of Jehovah the God of Israel and Judah, should do so. This according to him, was because the God of heaven that gave him his vast empire had also given him the responsibility of rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem in the land of Judah.

King Cyrus pronounced blessings on all who would be willing to go but said that those who would not be able to go should support the project by contributing toward the expense of those who would go. Those people should also supply those going with all that they would need - food, money, including a freewill offering for the Temple.

2. The Response - Ezra 1:5-6
God touched the hearts of the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, the priests and Levites and many others. He gave them a great desire to go back to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. But the leaders who chose to remain in Persia did as Cyrus commanded. They gave whatever assistance they could, as well as gifts for the Temple.

READ ALSO>>>Children's Sunday School Lesson 26: Sunday, 25th June, 2023.

3. The Donation - Ezra 1:7-11
King Cyrus located all the gold and silver dishes and other valuable articles that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Temple when he captured Jerusalem. These items Nebuchadnezzar had placed in the temple of his own gods in Babylon. These Cyrus recovered and donated to the Jewish people to put in the new Temple. He handed over the articles to a man called Mithredath who was the treasurer of Persia. Cyprus instructed him to present the gifts to the leaders of the exiles who were returning to Judah.

The articles that King Cyrus donated to the Jews for the new Temple included 30 gold trays, 1000 silver trays, 29 gold censers, 30 gold bowls, 2410 silver bowls of different designs, and 1000 different articles. Altogether there were 5469 gold and silver items given to the exiles, which they took with them to Jerusalem.

APPLICATION:
There are several things we can learn from this lesson and they include:
1. God wants us to be helpful like Cyrus and his people. We should support people who do the work of the Lord.
2. God is concerned about our welfare. He can use anybody He chooses as an instrument to deliver or work for us. We too could be instruments in God's hands.
3. Like Cyrus, we should proclaim the Gospel. Like the family leaders we should respond to the Gospel. And like Cyrus and those who did not go back, we should donate to the cause of the Gospel.
4. God is faithful. So we should trust in His faithfulness.
5. God expects us to keep our promises.
6. God's love for us is the same. Though we may fall, He will abundantly pardon us if we will return to Him.

QUESTIONS:
1. Who did God use to bring about the fulfilment of the prophecy Jeremiah had given years before?
(A) Persia
(B) Herod
(C) Pharaoh
(D) Cyrus.

2. What did the exiles do in response to the king's instruction?
(A) Some chose to return to Jerusalem while others contributed to the welfare of those that chose to return.
(B) All the exiles laughed at the king.
(C) AII the exiles returned to Jerusalem.
(D) None of the above.

3. Gold articles the king donated to the returning exiles include the following except.
(A) Gold censer
(B) Gold bowels
(C) Gold trays
(D) Gold chains.

READ ALSO>>>Children's Sunday School Lesson 25: Sunday, 18th July, 2023.

4. Why did the king want the temple at Jerusalem to be rebuilt? Because
(A) The exile Jews were complaining.
(B) God of heaven had given the responsibility to rebuild the temple.
(C) The king had great wealth.
(D) The king's army were tired of fighting wars.

DAILY BIBLE DOSE:
Mon: God Promises to Restore the Captive - Jer. 16:14-15.
Tues: The Sorrows of Captivity - Lam. 1:16.
Weds: God's Complete Restoration - Joel 2:25.
Thurs: Return Home You Captive - Luke 15:10-20.
Fri: Captivity of Sin - Rom. 7:14-25.
Sat: Why Does God Deliver from Captivity? - Exo. 4:22-23; 5:1.