Intermediate Level, Block 1—Creation, Fall, and Flood
Week 4
Adam and Eve—Receiving God’s Forgiveness
Point to Emphasize: We should admit when we have done something wrong.
Reference Reading: Genesis 3
Memory Verse: And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ also forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32)
Story Sample
In the garden God had provided food for Adam and Eve, but He told them that there was one tree they should not eat from and warned them there would be consequences if they disobeyed. He gave them the choice to pick what He had provided for them. But do you know what happened? Adam and Eve made the wrong choice. They ate of the fruit of the tree that God specifically told them not to eat. They failed. They were so ashamed. They knew they were wrong and they had failed, so they sewed fig leaves together to try to cover themselves and then they ran away and hid themselves. Then God came to look for them. They heard God’s voice…and what do you think they did? Did they continue hiding?
What do you do when you do something wrong? Have you ever lied? Have you ever disobeyed? Have you ever hidden when you heard your dad coming in the door? How did you feel? [Engage the children around these questions. Take some time to discuss these questions with the children and have them tell their experiences.]
Let me tell you a story about my husband when he was a little boy. He really liked to play with balls. His mom had told him repeatedly that he was not supposed to play with balls inside the house as he may break something. Well, one day his mom stepped outside to do some gardening while he played inside. He got bored of his toys and started playing with his favorite ball…inside the house! He was good with balls, so he figured he could always catch the ball before it hit or broke anything. Well, it didn’t happen immediately, but after a few minutes, he threw the ball a little too hard, and it went a little too far. Before he knew it, it had hit one of his mom’s favorite picture frames! The frame fell from the wall where it hung, and when it hit the ground the glass shattered into a million pieces! Oh no! What do you think he did when his mom saw what he had done?! [Use your own personal example.]
When God came to find Adam and Eve, they didn’t keep hiding. They came to God. But when God asked Adam what happened, do you think Adam admitted immediately that he did something wrong? Well, actually, he blamed Eve; then Eve blamed the serpent. Aren’t we like this, too? Even after we get caught doing something wrong, we still try to blame it on something or someone else. Maybe if you have a little brother or sister, you would blame him or her. Or you may blame the wrongdoing on your dog.
Adam and Eve realized that they had a big failure, but they didn’t take the way of staying hidden. Even though they didn’t admit to it right away, they knew they were guilty and they needed forgiveness. They couldn’t keep running from God!
Well, God again provided for them. He replaced their fig leaf coverings with coats of skin and clothed them. God loved them very much. But they could no longer stay in the garden. They had to leave, find shelter, and work hard for their food. It must not have been easy. But it was a price they had to pay for failing God and disobeying His commandment. Even though they had to leave the garden, God sent them with provisions. He told them to work the land so they could raise food. They tended sheep, too.
When we do something wrong or when we disobey our parents, we need to acknowledge what we’ve done and admit that we are guilty. And we apologize. It might be easy for us to say a quick, “Sorry,” but sometimes that is not enough. We need to be prepared to do whatever it takes to correct our mistakes. In my husband’s case, yes, his mom was upset that he broke her favorite frame AND was disappointed that he disobeyed her! But she forgave him because, of course, she loved him more than she loved the broken picture frame. But do you think that was it? Should his mom just have said, “That’s okay.”? No. Even though he was forgiven, the frame was still broken. He needed to fix what he broke. He had to go get his piggy bank and take out the money he had been saving. Instead of using the money to buy something he REALLY wanted, he had to use it to buy his mom a new frame. Not only that, he got punished for disobeying, too. But you know what, he asked for forgiveness, he received forgiveness, he paid for what he had done, and his relationship with his mom was restored. [Use your own example of righting a wrong.]
God and our parents love us so much. There will be times when we will fail, whether on purpose or not. When we do something wrong, we should not be afraid to admit fully to what we have done. It is by this that we can receive forgiveness. But we also should ask our parents what we can do to take care of the situation. We need to be prepared to accept the consequences. It is by this that we can find a solution to the problem that was caused. This way, we can be reconciled.