God’s Covenant With Abraham And Sarah: Near-sacrifice of Isaac Newsroom Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activities:

The focus of this workshop is on the test of Abraham’s faith. Students will experience the scripture by participating in a “News Show” to hear the characters of the story describe the almost-sacrifice of Isaac.

Note: This workshop was visited by 4-6th grades.

Scripture Reference:

Genesis 12:1-9; 15:1-6, 17:1–8, 15–17; 18:1–15; 21: 1-3, and 22: 1-18

Leader Preparation:

• Read the scripture for this lesson.
• Read and reflect on the overview material provided for this lesson.
• Gather the materials
• Tips for setting up a newsroom workshop
• Test your recording and playback setup to make sure it will all work!

Supplies List:

• Easel with appropriate marker
• Bibles; One Adventure Bible with tabs (Law, History, etc.)
• Bible tab writing kit: tabs, fine-line Sharpie pen
• Interview script - 7 copies (see end of lesson attachments for a Word doc if you want to make any changes)
• Table with 2 chairs (set up as the news desk)
• Video camera/cellphone, tripod, extension cord, TV, cords to connect TV & camera; setup tips here
• Props: Microphones, Scene clapper, binoculars, and sign: “WFUMC”
• Map showing Abram’s journeys
• Backdrop (optional) – showing a mountain in the distance

Before Start of Class:

• Hang the backdrop.
• Place the props including the “WFUMC” sign, on the news desk.
• Set up video equipment.
• Write the names of the first five books of the Bible on a sheet of easel paper. Turn to a new sheet and write the key Bible verse.

LESSON

Opening:
Greet your students warmly, welcoming them to the WFUMC Newsroom. Introduce yourself and any other adults.

Say: We are learning (continuing to learn) about Abraham and Sarah. This is the newsroom of WFUMC, so we’ll be reporting news from the Bible. Before we get started, let’s begin with prayer.

Ask for any prayer requests. Ask if anyone would like to lead the group in prayer. Use the Lord’s Prayer as the ending. A suggestion: “Dear God, we thank you for this time together to share your word. Help us to understand your call to us. As we each travel on our journey of faith, help us to follow you always. (End with the Lord’s Prayer) Amen.”

Say: Today we’ll be videotaping a news broadcast on a portion of our story.
Ask: What story is it that we are covering?
What would you say is one of the key points of this story? (accept all answers - The students at the beginning of the Rotation might not know but ask anyway. It helps you to know what the students already know about this story.)

Say: We want to get to the bottom of the story – just what is it that Abraham almost did to his son Isaac. We want to find out what’s going on, because it’s our job to report the news.
Like all newscasts, ours will need reporters and people being interviewed. If you really don’t want to be on camera, we have other jobs – everyone is important in our news broadcast. We’ll get it all ready, practice, and videotape it, and hopefully we’ll have time to watch our news show. First let’s review our story.

Dig:
Distribute Bibles.
Ask: Where in the Bible would we find a story that Jesus studied when he was your age?
In which book of the Bible is our story located? (Genesis)
Who can tell me why there are two testaments in the Bible?

Say: The Bible is divided into two testaments – the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament is stories that Jesus learned as a child. The New Testament tells us the story of Jesus’ life. Besides being divided into two testaments, the 66 books in the Bible are further divided into collections. We say that the book of Genesis is part of a collection of Bible books called “Law.” Law books include the first five books of the Bible.

Ask: Who can name the first five books of the Old Testament?

Turn to the sheet of easel paper with the books listed. Have everyone say the books.

Say: Let’s find the book of Genesis in the Bible. If you brought your Bible to class and you need a tab for the books of “Law” you may receive a tab today. [Have the Shepherd use the Bible tab writing kit and the purple Adventure Bible with tabs (to use as an example) to give any students a “Law” tab.]

Have students find Genesis 12.
Say: This is a long story. It covers 11 chapters in Genesis. Let’s review our story by looking at the headings. (Note: The Bibles in this workshop are NRSV.)

Have everyone read the heading at Genesis 12: “The call of Abram.”
Have someone read Genesis 12:1. [After the first week, ask how the story starts.]
Cover:

• God calling Abram to leave his home and go on a journey.
• God promises him he will have many descendants.
• Abram is 75 years old [Genesis 12:4b] when he packs up his wife Sarai & leaves home.
• They make it to the “Promised Land” – to Canaan.

Point out the route Abram traveled on the map.

Ask: At this point in our story how many children does Abram and his wife Sarai have? (0)
What has God promised Abram? (many offspring)

Have everyone turn to Genesis 15 and read the heading: “God’s covenant with Abram.”

Say: Time passes. God appears to Abram in a vision. Abram is complaining to God about how he doesn’t have any children, so how is it that he will have these many descendants?
Ask: What does God say to Abram? (read Genesis 15:5 – comparing stars to number of offspring)
Say: The promise that God made to Abraham is in our key Bible Verse.

Refer to the easel and have kids say the verse together.

Say: These promises were God’s covenant with Abram.
Ask: What is a covenant? (a promise or agreement)
What was God’s covenant with Noah? (to never again destroy earth with a flood)
Say: In God’s covenant with Noah, God promised protection. Now God is promising that Abram would be the father of a people – a special group of people – God’s people. God is promising that those people will be blessed. God still promises to bless us.

Ask: How has God blessed you? (accept all answers)

Say: Now more time passes. Abram is now 99 years old. God talks to Abram again, saying one more time that Abram would be the ancestor of a nation of people. Then God renames Abram as “Abraham.” Sarai gets a new name as well, “Sarah.” These new names denote a new relationship with God.

Have everyone turn to Genesis 18. Read the heading: “A son promised…”
Say: In this chapter God appears to Abraham in the form of a mysterious visitor, actually one of three visitors who says that Sarah will have a son.

Ask: Does God keep his promise of a son? (turn to Genesis 21)
Say: God gives Abraham and Sarah a baby even though they are both well beyond child bearing years. They name this child Isaac.

Have everyone turn to Genesis 22. Read the heading: “The command to sacrifice Isaac.”

Say: This is the part of the story that we are going to be filming in our news show. So let’s read through our script.

Distribute the script copies. [Have kids share as needed]. Have the Shepherd help you to assign parts. (There are 7 speaking parts.) Run through the script while still seated on the chairs.

Discussion:
Say: It took much courage for Abraham to follow God’s strange command. Remember that Abraham had waited many years to have a child. Isaac was a very special child, for he was the one God had promised to send.
Ask:

• How do you suppose Abraham felt when God asked him to give up this special son?
• Do you suppose that Sarah knew what was going on with her husband and son?
• If you had been Isaac, what would you have done when your father began tying you up?
• Would it have been easy for you to obey? Why or why not?

Say: Back at the beginning of our story, Abraham was called by God to begin a journey. Abraham has been on more than just a walking journey. He’s been on a faith journey – a journey where his faith grew.
Ask:

• Would you say that you are on a faith journey?
• What parts of your faith journey are similar to Abraham’s? (hint: when have you had to trust God?)

Video the News/View the News:
Decide if there are any parts of the script that the students want to change/add/delete.

Move to the “stage” area of the room to perform and record the skit.
When complete, enjoy watching the recording, and offer some summary comments and observations.

Reflection:
Say: This week I want you to think about the promises that God makes to you…the blessings that God gives to you…and be thankful for the chance to journey with God.

Resources:
Klusmeyer, Steve and Brenda. “Covenant, Blessed to Bless – Abraham.” 2001. (skit for news report)

Some materials comes from other video lessons posted at Rotation.org over the years (some still here), which the author didn't take note of at the time. If you recognize some of your material, please let me know.

A lesson written by Carol Hulbert from: First UMC, Ann Arbor, MI

A representative of Rotation.org reformatted this post to improve readability.