I skipped writing last week, because we didn't have a regular program. It was the first Sunday of the New Year, so, as is our tradition, we just brought snacks and ate and chatted. Nothing really to tell! We took some more oxhorn pictures, but enough is enough of those! So: on to this past Sunday, the 8th.
Our story:
Last time we saw Israel fighting a battle with the Philistines. Who won? (ask all) The covenant ark was captured by the Philistines. (bring out ark) Does anyone remember what is in the ark?(ask all) Is God inside the ark?(ask all) Nope. It's just a box. But what is it made out of? (ask all) So the Philistines decided to give the ark as a gift to their god, Dagon. (show Dagon—monster doll). So they put it in their temple next to Dagon. (Put doll and ark on stools behind tables in corner)
So, the next morning, when they opened up the doors of the temple, what did they see? (monster doll lying on face) Dagon has fallen over! So they thought to themselves, maybe we jiggled him when we brought the ark in. Let's get him more stable here. (set up monster doll with blu-tack)
And the following morning? Yikes! (monster doll with head & arms broken off) It's not only fallen over, its head and arms are broken off! This is frightening! And besides this, people are starting to get sick, with tumors all over their bodies. They said, let's get rid of this thing, please! The people of another city said, hey, we'll take it. So they brought it to that city. (carry ark to another part of the room). What do you suppose happened? (ask all) Yes, they also got tumors, plus the rats started multiplying (throw several toy mice around room/into people's laps), and ruining the harvest. So they said, enough! We really need to get rid of this ark! But we better not just destroy it; that might make God really mad at us! So what shall we do? Any ideas? (ask all)
They decided to send it back to Israel. Then someone said, I've got an idea on that. Let's put the ark on this cart (put ark in wheelchair). Now, let's get a couple of milk cows that have never pulled a cart before and yoke them to the cart. (put horns on two children & "harness" them to wheelchair) So, they've never pulled a cart before, and we are making them leave their calves behind as well. So, if they pull it straight back to Israel, then we will know that it was really Israel's God that has done all this to us. But if they just kind of wander around pulling it any which way, they we will know that everything that happened to us while the ark was here was just coincidence.
So, what do you think happened? (ask all) That's right, it went straigt back to Israel (have the "cows" walk straight to other end of room pulling wheelchair) When the people saw it, they could hardly believe it! Here came the ark! Everyone in Israel rejoiced (all high-five) Obviously, God had forgiven them for trying to manipulate Him with the ark.
As for the Philistines? Do you think they still believed that they didn't have to be afraid of this God's power any more? (ask all)
Just a note--My theology may be wrong on this reason for putting it in the temple, but the Bible isn't clear & I wanted to make clear that they still thought their god had turned out stronger than Israel's God, so I didn't want to muddy that water by suggesting they thought Dagon could use God's help. By the way, I have a cat who loves to chase toy mice, so I didn't have to buy any for this story, we had plenty at home. :-)
Game: driving wheelchair in a straight line
Craft: craft foam cows
Bible study: Psalm 31:21-2
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