During the lesson, the information for you to know is written in regular type, and what we suggest speaking or reading aloud to children is in bold. All resources for this lesson, including the Teacher Guide and Student Page, can be downloaded in a ZIP file by clicking on the following link:
In some lessons you will find "resource articles." These are articles written by experts from around the world to help equip you for your work with children and adolescents. Share them with parents or guardians if you consider it appropriate.
How very rich are God’s wisdom and knowledge! How he judges is more than we can understand! The way he deals with people is more than we can know! All things come from him. All things are directed by him.All things are for his good. May God be given the glory forever! Amen.
Romans 11:33, 36, NIrV
Many things call to our attention every day—good things and hard things. Some things may overwhelm us—the loss of a loved one, loss of a job, conflict with a family member. When we encounter difficulties, who do we rely on? Who do we depend on? Too often we rely on ourselves—our cleverness, our skills, our strength.
Yet God is the God Most High. He is over all. He created everything. He directs everything. How often do we turn to Him? Do we rely upon Him, knowing that He rules over all things? If He is the Most High, over all things, the strongest, wisest, most loving, then we can trust Him all our days. Spend some time writing or thinking of a list of all the things you can worship this Most High God for—and then spend time worshipping Him!
Share with the family members of your children that they will learn several names of God during the next few weeks. Encourage the children to share what they learn. Today they can ask their family members something they know about God.
Teacher Tip: If possible, email or text the Family Connection Card to the families of your students.
Greet the children with a smile as they come in. Today you will begin class by inviting children to explore the idea of strong, stronger, and strongest through an arm wrestling contest. If a different strength contest would be appropriate for your community, use it instead. This activity will help the children understand what it means that God is the Most High God.
Ask the children:
You will have an arm wrestling match. Choose 2 children to demonstrate how strong they are. They will sit facing each other with a desk or table between them. Each child places 1 arm on the table with his elbow resting on the table and his hand up in the air. The 2 children clasp hands and at your signal try to push the other child’s hand toward the table. They cannot stand up or use their other hands. If you do not have a desk or table, the children can do this lying on their stomachs, facing each other. Give the winner the title Strong.
Invite another child to arm wrestle with the winner, Strong. Give the winner the title Stronger. Have everyone clap for the winner.
Invite another child to arm wrestle with the winner, Stronger. Give the winner the title the Strongest. Have everyone clap for the winner.
All of you are strong, but you have different titles: Strong, Stronger, and the Strongest.
Did you know that in the Bible there are different names for God? Today we will learn about one of God’s names, the Most High God. In the Bible, names have meanings. They tell us about the character of a person, not just what to call him or her.
God reveals His names to people. He wants us to know what He is like. For the next few weeks we will learn about some names of God that show us what God is like.
The name we will study today is the Most High God.
Allow children to share their thoughts. You can suggest some of these ideas: there is no one higher than God. He rules over all.
Just as we saw in the arm wrestling activity, when someone is the strongest or most high, it means that there is no one stronger or higher. In today’s Bible story, we will learn more about the Most High God.
As I tell you this true story from the Bible, every time you hear God’s name as Most High, raise your hands high in the air and shout, “God is the Most High God!”
We have learned before about a man named Abram, later called Abraham. The Bible tells us that God asked Abram to leave his country, his home, and his family and go to a land that God would show him. Abram did just what God said. Lot, Abram’s nephew, went with him.
In time, both Abram and Lot had many flocks and herds and tents. They both needed more land, so they decided it would be better if they lived apart. Lot moved near the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah while Abram lived in the land of Canaan. God blessed Abram, and Abram worshipped God.
Optional: If possible, share the image from The Action Bible. If you are using The Action Bible, the children can learn the background of today’s story by reading pages 48–49.
Many of the lands around Abram were ruled by kings. Four of these kings decided to go to war against 5 other kings, including the king of Sodom. Remember that Lot lived near Sodom.
The kings lined up their armies for battle in the Valley of the Salt Sea. The 4 kings and their armies rushed into battle and won! The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah had to run away.
The 4 kings who won took captive all the people and their belongings. Abram’s nephew Lot was taken along with everything he owned.
One man escaped and took the news to Abram as fast as he could. When Abram heard that Lot had been captured, he quickly gathered his 318 mighty men. They chased after the enemy, attacked them, and drove them far away. Abram rescued his nephew Lot and took back all the possessions that had been taken. He also rescued all the people, including the women and children.
The king of Salem went out to meet Abram when he returned. The king’s name was Melchizedek. In addition to being a king, he was a priest of the Most High God (children raise hands and shout). We do not know anything about his family, but his name means “King of Righteousness” or “My King Is Righteous.” In the New Testament, Jesus is said to be a priest like Melchizedek.
Melchizedek gave Abram bread and wine and a blessing. Listen as I read to you exactly what
he said:
Blessed be Abram by God Most High (children raise hands and shout), Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High (children raise hands and shout), who delivered your enemies into your hand.
Genesis 14:19–20
In return, Abram gave this priest and king an offering in honour of the Most High God (children raise hands and shout).
One of the grateful kings whose people had been returned tried to give Abram all his people’s rescued possessions in thanks. But Abram said no. Listen to what he said to that king:
But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the Lord,God Most High (children raise hands and shout), Creator of heaven and earth, that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’”
Genesis 14:22–23
Abram wanted everyone to know that no king on earth had made him rich. He wanted the people to know that everything he had came from the Most High God (children raise hands and shout). He wanted God Most High (children raise hands and shout) to always get all the honour.
Thank the children for shouting when they heard God Most High during the story. Then discuss what it means that God is the Most High God.
Because he cared for him, he was family, etc.
He gave an offering to the priest and king, and he would not take any riches from the other kings.
Since God is the Creator of heaven and earth and everything they contain, He is the only One who can be called the Most High God. Remember that Most High means there is no one stronger, higher, or wiser. It means He is in control. Because Abram had a relationship with the Most High God, he did not need the riches of the kings. Abram depended on God alone.
I will now read you some verses that describe God. Listen to this description from the apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans in the New Testament:
If you are using the Memory Verse Poster, show it to the students.
How very rich are God’s wisdom and knowledge! How he judges is more than we can understand! The way he deals with people is more than we can know! All things come from him. All things are directed by him. All things are for his good. May God be given the glory forever! Amen.
Romans 11:33, 36, NIrV
Discuss with the children how these verses help us understand how God is the Most High God:
Allow 2–3 children to respond.
Answers might include ideas such as He is very wise, everything comes from Him, and
other ideas.
Give Him all the honour and glory, like Abram did.
God is above our understanding and our wisdom. All things come from Him. He directs all things. We can never pay Him back for His goodness to us. Abram depended on the Most High God. God never let him down.
It is easy to depend on other things instead of the Most High God, especially if you have not known Him. Maybe you have depended on other people. Maybe you have depended on lying or stealing. Or perhaps you depended on yourself because you did not trust anyone else. But Abram knew God was the Most High God. Abram knew he could depend on Him. God would not disappoint or fail Abram. God will not fail you either.
Allow a quiet minute or so for children to think about their responses.
Optional: If you are using the Student Pages, allow the children to respond on them.
Imagine you are clenching in your fist that thing you have depended on. If you want to release that thing and depend on the Most High God instead, stand up and open your hand high above your head. That shows God and others that you are choosing to depend on the Most High God instead.
If you do not feel that you know enough yet about God Most High, but you are curious and want to know more, stand up but keep your fist closed. I will be happy to talk with you more about God Most High and answer your questions after class.
Perhaps you are not sure about God Most High at all. Perhaps you have never heard of Him before today. If you are not ready to trust God Most High, you can stay seated and think about what it would take for you to begin to trust in someone other than what you have depended on so far in life.
Give the children a few moments of silence to respond if they want. If there is something you have depended on instead of the Most High God, you can do this too. Your example helps the children feel safe doing this.
I will now speak this blessing over you from the Most High God.
Blessing: God, who is the Most High God, is rich in wisdom and power. He has created all things, including you! May you come to know that He is the most dependable, most trustworthy, most strong, and most loving One in your life.
Lead the children in singing this quarter’s song, if possible.
Life on Life ©2020 David C Cook. Reproducible for home or classroom use only. All other uses require written permission from David C Cook [email protected]. All rights reserved.
