Genesis 3 & 4
This lesson focused on four Biblical characters, two of them from Genesis 3 (Seth & Lamech) and two of them from Genesis 4 (Enoch & Methuselah.) We began by reminding the kids of the story of Cain and Abel from the previous lesson, and talked about the birth of Seth. We also brought out the story of Lamech who not only claimed the protection that God had granted only to Cain (and then some), but who also was the first man recorded in the Bible as taking two wives. Then we moved into Enoch who walked so closely with God that God translated Him to heaven without his ever experiencing death. We ended with Methuselah, the oldest man to ever live. Our craft focused on Enoch & Methuselah, but we did include Seth & Lamech in our Sectional Review which will come just before the calling of Abraham.
For this craft, we printed a template onto cardstock and punched holes in the left-hand side to fit the page for the kids' binder. We chose two (very cute) bear friends to represent Enoch & God and printed it along with the numbers 969 on another piece of cardstock (template here), and sliced an X in the middle of each number and at the appropriate places on the main sheet (see example below) with a box cutter (you could also use one side of a pair of scissors.) Then we had the kids cut the bears, the 9, the 6 and the 9 out of the template and hook the numbers to their binder page using paper fasteners. The idea behind this is helping the kids to remember that a 9 can turn completely around and look like a 6 which can turn completely around and look like a 9. Once they have those 3 numbers in their head, it's easier for them to remember the 6 sandwiched between the two 9's while they're all doing 'somersaults.'
The Enoch part of the craft was a little bit more difficult. We cut a small piece of straw and had the kids tape it horizontally on the back of the bears. Then they taped a piece of sewing string to the left hand side of the paper, threaded the string through the straw, and tied the other end to a paperclip. That paperclip was hooked to the right hand side of the paper straight across from the other paperclip. Getting the tightness of the string right was a bit difficult, but the final idea was that Enoch & God walked along the grass back & forth for many years. Then one day they went together into heaven instead (illustrated by moving the paperclip from the middle of the page to the top.) If this is too difficult for your age group, the string can be simply taped to the sides of the paper and never moved. The websites for the clouds, grass and bears are listed at the end of this blog.
The take-home craft for this lesson is courtesy of Nick's Paper Airplanes and symbolizes Enoch & God flying through the sky toward heaven. This paper airplane is a little more complicated than the typical 5-fold airplane, which makes it a great craft opportunity. More importantly, however, it flies VERY well! The kids can also decorate it to make it their own, and can even make quite a few since sheets of paper are inexpensive. Click here for the directions and enjoy!
