Leader Guide

Video Leader Guide

Welcome (1 minute)

Welcome, everyone! Today we will watch the Superbook adventure called “Isaac and Rebekah.” Have you ever needed wisdom to make an important choice? Someone in today’s story did, too! We will learn where that person went for wisdom—and where we can go, also! Now let’s begin the video and see what is happening with Chris, Joy and Gizmo!

Play Video 2: Chris and Joy’s Dilemma (2.5 minutes)

Chris and Joy's Dilemma

Chris is so eager to assemble his father’s new invention that he won’t follow directions—and that’s when things go wildly wrong!

SuperTruth and Discussion (2 minutes)

The SuperTruth for today is: “God will give me wisdom.” Let’s say that together. God will give me wisdom.”

What was the wise thing for Chris to do? Listen to his father’s wisdom and read the directions.

Did Joy agree with Chris ignoring his dad’s wisdom? No, she cautioned him and advised him to read the directions before he plunged ahead.

God will give us wisdom when we ask. Then we must follow His directions—not ignore them! God has created us, and He knows what is best for us in every situation!

Play Video 3: Bible Story and Resolution (19.5 minutes)

Bible Story and Resolution

Superbook takes Chris, Joy and Gizmo to ancient Hebron. There, Abraham tells his servant Eliezer how to find a wife for his son, Isaac. Eliezer travels to a faraway land and finds the right woman—Rebekah—through obedience and prayer. The children discover that following God’s plan is always best.

Play Video 10A: SuperVerse Graphic 1

Graphic loops 2.5 minutes without audio; turn off or freeze video after children repeat the verse.

SuperVerse Graphic 1

SuperVerse Discussion (1 minute)

Our SuperVerse today is Proverbs 3:6:

Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.

I would like you to say the SuperVerse a little differently. You can look at the screen as long as necessary. The girls will say the first word and the boys the second word. You will go back and forth like this to say the entire verse. Are you ready? Girls, begin!

Great. This time, the boys will begin!

Nicely done! Each day, we will face choices and decisions we must make. Some are easy, yet some are more difficult and important. God’s Spirit will speak to us and guide us when we ask for help!

Children will have more time to learn the SuperVerse in Small Group.

Prayer and Send-Off (1 minute)

Dear God, You have all wisdom. Your Word promises us in James 1:5 that when we ask for wisdom, You will not be angry and will give it to us generously! Help us seek Your will in all we do so we can take the right path. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Do you remember when Chris was trying to pack his camel with supplies for their long journey? Well today in Small Group, you will be given an opportunity to see if you can do it faster with a game called “Pack the Camel.” Let’s go see what it’s all about.

Teachers take children to Small Group classes for Grades 1–3 and 4–6. If the combined group is small, all children may stay together for Small Group time.

Game

In the video, Eliezer took a long journey. Gizmo said it would take about a month to travel 600 miles to Haran, where Abraham’s relatives lived. How many miles did Gizmo say that a fully loaded camel could travel in one day? About 20 miles.

Eliezer took ten camels packed with supplies and gifts for the chosen bride and her family. See Genesis 24:10. What happened when Chris tried to pack his camel with supplies? The knot didn’t hold. The supplies fell on top of a man.

Yes, once again, Chris thought he didn’t need instructions to perform a task!

Point to the “camels” and hold up the “bedrolls.” In our game today, you will have a chance to see if you can pack bedrolls on a camel with more success than Chris!

Demonstrate as you talk. Each player will hold a bedroll in each hand and toss the set toward their team’s camel so it straddles or stays on top of the camel without falling to the ground. You must keep trying until you’re successful. The first team to have 10 players throw their bedrolls on their camel wins!

Divide the class into two teams.

Have each team form a single-file line behind the mark.

Give the first player on each team a set of bedrolls.

Say, “Go!” Each player tosses the rolls toward their team’s camel.

A point is scored each time the rolls straddle or stay on top of the camel. A sixth grade helper or another volunteer should keep track of the points for each team.

If the bedroll doesn’t stay on the camel, the player must retrieve the bedroll and try again until it does. Allow smaller children, those with special needs, or children who can’t throw well to stand closer to the camels as necessary.

The player then quickly retrieves the rolls and brings them back to the next player—or you may have sixth grade helpers retrieve and return the bedrolls.

Play should be fast-paced and continuous.

The first team to pack their camel ten times wins!

Options:

If your class is small, play as a single team.

Play with a timer and see how many camels the group can pack before time runs out. Play again to beat that score.

Conclusion: Wow—what experienced packers you are! Chris could have used your help! That was a long journey to make on camelback, wasn’t it? Now, let’s find out more about Eliezer’s journey and the success God gave him!

Teaching

Why do you think Chris didn’t look at the directions his father gave him?

Have you ever not followed directions? What happened?

Our SuperTruth today says, “God will give me wisdom.” God’s wisdom gives us direction and instruction for our lives. In our Bible story today, who asked God for wisdom? Eliezer, Abraham’s servant.

Sarah had died and Abraham was a very old man. God had blessed his life. However, Abraham wanted to take care of something very important before he died. His son, Isaac, was not married. Abraham called upon his oldest and most trusted servant, Eliezer, to find the right wife for Isaac. Abraham gave Eliezer specific instructions to carry out. What were those instructions? 1. She must not be from Canaan. 2. She must be from Abraham’s family, a relative from his homeland.

God had spoken to Abraham many years before and told him to leave his family and move to Canaan. God had made a covenant with Abraham. Does anyone know what a covenant is? A serious agreement, a solemn commitment.

God promised to give the land of Canaan to Abraham and his descendants if they served and obeyed God.

Have a volunteer read Genesis 17:7–8:

⁷ “I will confirm My covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you. ⁸ And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God.”

This was so important that Abraham asked Eliezer to promise to follow his instructions.

Hold up the cake mix. What’s this?

What could possibly go wrong if I didn’t read the directions?

What if I didn’t measure the ingredients, or I left some out?

What if I added some extra things I found in my cupboard, like spaghetti sauce or dog food?

What if I turned the temperature too high or baked the cake too long?

A lot of things could happen—none of them good! Sometimes it can even be dangerous to not follow the instructions, like with a power tool or an electronic device. Do you remember what happened with Chris and the robot his dad was inventing?

Eliezer knew the task would be difficult. He asked questions before promising to follow all of Abraham’s instructions. What a great relief and comfort for Abraham to know he could trust his servant to do what was asked!

Let’s learn a little more about Eliezer to better understand the man and servant he was. Eliezer was in charge of Abraham’s household. This was a tremendous responsibility given only to someone trustworthy. He was loyal, having served Abraham for many years. Before Abraham had children, he told God that his servant Eliezer would be his heir and inherit all his wealth. Yet God told Abraham that his servant would not be his heir; instead, Abraham would have a son. That son was Isaac. See Genesis 15:2–4.

If you thought you were going to inherit a lot of money but then a new baby came along who would get it all, would you be happy or jealous?

This is why Eliezer’s faithful and selfless service was so amazing! Eliezer told Rebekah’s family that God blessed Abraham with sheep, goats and cattle. He had a fortune in silver and gold, many servants, camels and donkeys. See Genesis 24:34–35. So, Eliezer could have been angry and bitter toward God and Abraham. He could have easily been jealous and resentful of Isaac. Yet Eliezer prayed selflessly that God would give him success with his mission and show unfailing love to his master! Eliezer did not carelessly choose the first woman he saw! He prayed for God’s wisdom and God’s choice for Isaac’s wife.

Have you ever been tempted to follow part of the instructions; maybe to choose what is fastest or easiest to do?

Hold up the cake mix. Can you imagine following the directions perfectly, then not putting it in the oven?

It would have been easy for Eliezer to stop at this point. Abraham was 600 miles away; who would know?

Rebekah gave him a drink and was watering the camels—she must be the one, right?

Eliezer did not stop; he had promised to follow all of Abraham’s instructions, not part of them! Then Eliezer found out she was a relative of Abraham. He worshiped God for leading him straight to his master’s relatives! Yet, he still wasn’t finished. At Rebekah’s house, Eliezer would not rest or eat until he knew that Rebekah would leave her family and come back to Canaan with him.

If you had come all that way on a camel, would you be glad to relax a little while, and maybe take a vacation, catch up on your sleep, and eat some good food?

Yet even the next morning, Eliezer did not allow himself to be delayed in fulfilling his mission!

Eliezer was a faithful servant who wanted to please God and his master. Eliezer did not trust his own judgment; he prayed and asked God for wisdom—and God answered! God wants to give us the wisdom to make good choices, too! All we need to do is ask Him.

Have a volunteer read James 1:5:

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.

Did you know that we should seek after God’s wisdom like hidden treasure? Let’s learn more about that in our Discipleship Challenge!

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Display the models you made before class. Give each child the three patterns, scissors, a pencil, and tape. Children will carefully cut out the patterns and follow the instructions to assemble their crafts. Have them write their names on the boxes and place the paper coins inside. Assist any children with special needs.

You may use the Choices Cube and Cube Scenarios in class as an Additional Activity.

Like Eliezer, we need wisdom to make good decisions. God is delighted to give us all that we need!

Read Proverbs 2:1–6:

My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands. Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God. For the Lord grants wisdom! From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Yes, God’s Word is a valuable treasure to us! We must never stop searching for His wisdom!

Your challenge for this lesson is to read the first two scenes on the Scenes Card at home with your family, if possible. For each scene, take turns rolling the Choices Cube and discuss different ways you could respond to that particular scene. Next, find the Scripture Coin with the same number as the scene, and look up the Bible verse on it to find God’s wisdom for that scene. Then, place the Scripture Coin in the Wisdom Chest. When you come back next time, I will ask you to share the funniest and wisest answers that you heard!

SuperVerse

In the Bible story, who was seeking God’s will? Abraham, Eliezer.

Why did they need wisdom? To find a wife for Isaac.

This was a very important decision for Abraham, because God’s covenant promise to Abraham would continue through Isaac and his wife! Let’s read how Eliezer thanked God for answering their prayer. Read Genesis 24:26–27:

The man bowed low and worshiped the Lord. “Praise the Lord, the God of my master, Abraham,” he said. “The Lord has shown unfailing love and faithfulness to my master, for He has led me straight to my master’s relatives.”

Abraham and Eliezer prayed for wisdom and God answered their prayers!

Have the class read the SuperVerse on the board together once or twice, then erase it. Choose eight children to stand side by side in the front of the room. Scramble the eight pieces of paper with words from the SuperVerse and give one to each child. Starting on the far left from the class’s perspective, have the eight children create a “wave” by holding up and reading aloud their individual phrases—which will be out of order—and lowering their papers when done. Ask if that sounded right. The answer will be no!

Ask the rest of the class to tell you which reader should be first, second, third, etc. Rearrange the eight children in that order and have them read their phrases again, creating a “wave” with their papers. Ask the rest of the class if the verse is now correct. If not, have the class rearrange the readers again until they can say the phrases of the verse in the proper order. Finally, have the entire class follow the “wave” to say the verse together two or three times, going faster each time.

Prayer

Why was it so important to Abraham for Isaac not to leave Canaan?

God sent Abraham to Canaan and promised to give him the land—and to his descendants! Genesis 17:8 says:

“I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God.”

Abraham did not want his son to leave the land that God had promised to his family. So, Abraham prayed for God’s guidance. Abraham believed by faith that God would send an angel to help Eliezer and give him success!

Optional: read Genesis 24:6–8:

“No!” Abraham responded. “Be careful never to take my son there. For the Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and my native land, solemnly promised to give this land to my descendants. He will send His angel ahead of you, and He will see to it that you find a wife there for my son. If she is unwilling to come back with you, then you are free from this oath of mine. But under no circumstances are you to take my son there.”

Do you need to know God’s will about something you need to decide?

Would you like guidance and direction for the correct path to take?

Let’s take time to seek God for those things right now.

Who can say our SuperTruth today? “God will give me wisdom.”

Let’s say that together as a statement of faith that we believe God will hear our prayers and answer! “God will give me wisdom.”

Let’s pray silently now, asking God to give us wisdom for whatever situations and decisions we may face.

Allow children to pray silently for a few moments. Close in Prayer:

Dear God, You have a will for each of our lives. When we pray and seek Your will, You will reveal it to us. We are confident, as Abraham was, that You will answer and show us the correct path to take! Help us desire to live our lives in ways that please You in small and big things. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Cave Game

Sarah, Abraham’s wife, died at the age of 127 years old! She is the only woman in the Bible to have her age listed at the time of her death. People in Bible times were often buried in caves. Abraham did not own land to bury Sarah since he was a stranger and foreigner in the land of Canaan. Abraham used wisdom and went to the Hittite leaders and asked to buy a certain cave at Machpelah. Abraham was honored and respected as a chosen man of God. So, the leaders offered to give not only the cave but the land and trees around it! This was prime property because there were not many trees in this rocky area. Abraham insisted on paying the full price for the land. The cave served as the burial place for Abraham’s family. See Genesis 23:1–20. The Bible tells us that over the years, Abraham and other people in his family were all buried in that cave. See Genesis 49:31; 50:12–13.

In fact, there are many caves in the land of Israel—and some of them have held some exciting discoveries! Around 1947, a young shepherd boy was tending his flock of sheep near the Dead Sea. He tossed some rocks into a cave and heard something shatter, so he went into the cave to see what was in there. He found that he had broken an ancient clay vessel, and there were others in the cave, too. And inside the clay pots was something even more amazing—a priceless collection of Old Testament scrolls that had been hidden away for nearly 2,000 years! That shepherd boy made one of the most important archaeological discoveries of all time! Altogether, over 950 scrolls have been found in caves nearby. The scrolls were written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. Before printing presses were invented, people would carefully hand-copy the Bible, word by word. Can you imagine how long it would take to hand-copy just one book of the Bible?

Several scrolls were written centuries apart by different people, yet they were still worded the same. The Dead Sea Scrolls help show how God’s Word has not changed over the centuries. The Bible is true and accurate!

Today, you will be a shepherd near some caves in Israel. Instead of throwing rocks, you will roll marbles into the caves to score points. Be careful you don't miss a cave, or you will lose points!

Divide the children into two equal teams. Mix older and younger children on each team.

The teams will form lines behind opposite marks on the two ends.

Give three marbles to each player.

One player from each team plays at the same time and tries to roll the three marbles —one at a time into the center cave.

Scoring: Center cave = 5 points. Other caves = 2 points. No cave = minus 1 point.

Play until all players have taken a turn. The team with the most points wins.

Optional: play until one team reaches a certain score, such as 50 points.

Play as many rounds as time permits.

Object Lesson

Let’s say the SuperTruth together. “God will give me wisdom.”

What is your favorite breakfast cereal?

Hold up the plain cereal box. Have you ever looked at the ingredients on the box of your favorite cereal to see what was inside?

Some of the ingredients may surprise you! Read several ingredients on the box.

I’ve never heard of some of those words! There are different kinds of cereal and there are different kinds of wisdom, too! Each contains different things.

Read James 3:13–18:

If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.

Hold up the “World’s Wisdom” box. This passage told us there is an earthly or worldly wisdom. Let’s see what is inside this kind of wisdom. Read the Side Label: Jealousy, Selfishness, Disorder, Every kind of evil, Favoritism, Boasting, Lying, Fighting.

Those are some dangerous ingredients! Who wants a bowl of that kind of wisdom?

Hold up “God’s Wisdom” box. The passage also told us what God’s wisdom contains. Read the Side Label: Good deeds, Peace, Gentleness, Mercy, Consideration, Honor, Sincerity, Humility.

Ahhhh, now that’s the right way to start your day! God wants to give us His wisdom for our lives every day. It’s time to fill up on God’s wisdom—not the wisdom of the world!

Maze Game

Give a pencil and maze to each child. Allow them time to complete the maze, then lead a discussion with the questions below.

• Imagine you are Eliezer. What might you be thinking during your journey?
• What might your thoughts be toward the end of the journey?
• Do you think Eliezer believed he would be successful? Explain.
• Why do you think Eliezer would not wait 10 days before he returned home?

Conclusion: Our SuperVerse, Proverbs 3:6, says,

Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.

God directed Eliezer on a path some 600 miles away from his home. After he met Rebekah, he praised God for leading him. See Genesis 24:48.

Bible Study

Tell the children to find someone in the room they don’t know very well to be their partner for this activity; or divide the children into pairs. Give a pencil and one activity sheet to each pair. The children will look up the Scriptures and answer the questions. After a few minutes, use the Teacher’s Answer Guide to lead a discussion, allowing the groups to share their answers.

Read James 1:5:

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.

This verse tells us that God is generous with His wisdom. When we ask, He will give wisdom to us—and He will not criticize or find fault with us for asking. On the activity sheet are examples of people in the Bible who asked for wisdom. You will work in pairs to look up and read the verses, then write a brief answer to each question.