🎧 Listen to Jordan & Quinn’s teacher guide
Join us as we dive into God's incredible covenant with Abram in Genesis 15. We discuss how to explain the "smoking firepot" to elementary kids and share tips for using the Promise Stars craft to highlight God's faithfulness. Discover how this ancient ceremony points us directly to Jesus taking our place to fulfill God's promises.
God’s Forever Promises to Abram
(Genesis 15)
After Abram and his nephew Lot went their separate ways, Abram stayed in the hills of Canaan. Even though God had promised to give Abram a huge family, many years had passed and Abram still did not have even one child. Abram was getting older, and he started to wonder how God's plan would ever work.
One night, God spoke to Abram in a vision. God told him, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield and your very great reward." But Abram was honest with God. He asked, "O Lord, what will you give me? I still have no son to inherit my name." Abram was worried that his promised blessing was taking too long.
God took Abram outside into the cool night air. "Look up at the sky," God said. "Count the stars, if you can. That is how many children and grandchildren you will have!" Even though it seemed impossible for an old man to have a baby, Abram believed the Lord. Because he trusted God's word, God counted his faith as righteousness. This means God declared Abram "right" with Him simply because Abram believed Him.
Then God gave Abram another promise about the land. Abram asked, "O Lord, how can I know for sure?" To answer him, God told Abram to prepare a special ceremony. Abram gathered several animals and laid them out in two rows. In those days, when two people made a covenant or a "forever promise," they would walk between the rows of animals together. They were saying, "If I break my promise, let what happened to these animals happen to me."
When the sun went down and it was very dark, Abram saw something amazing. A smoking firepot and a flaming torch passed between the pieces of the animals all by itself. This was God. By passing through the pieces alone, God was showing that He would keep the promise no matter what. God took the whole responsibility on Himself. That night, God made a solid, unbreakable covenant to give that land to Abram's family forever.
A Curious Question
In those days, two people usually walked through the animals together to make a promise. Why would God choose to pass through the pieces all by Himself while Abram watched from the dark?
Jesus Connection
When God walked through those pieces alone, He was making a one-sided promise. He was saying, "Abram, I will keep this promise even if you or your children fail." This points us directly to Jesus. We all broke our promises to God by sinning, but Jesus came to do what we could not. On the cross, Jesus took the punishment for our broken promises. Just as God took the responsibility for the covenant in the dark night with Abram, Jesus took the responsibility for our salvation so that we could be counted as righteous through faith in Him.
Discussion Questions
- If you were Abram looking at the millions of stars, would it be easy or hard to believe God's promise? Why?
- What does it mean to "believe" God? Is it just knowing a story is true, or is it something more?
- Why is it good news for us that God is the one who took the responsibility for the promise?
"So What" What Can I do?
Because God is a faithful promise-keeper, you can trust Him even when you are waiting for an answer. This week, when you feel worried about something, talk to God about it. You can say, "God, I don't know how this will work out, but I choose to trust You because You always keep Your Word." That is what it means to have faith like Abram.
Memorize God's Word
"And he believed the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness." (Genesis 15:6)
Hand Motions:
- And he believed: Place both hands over your heart.
- the Lord: Point both hands straight up to the sky.
- and He counted it to him: Tap your forehead as if thinking or counting.
- as righteousness: Make two thumbs up and hold them out in front of you.
Praying with Kids
Dear Father, thank you for being a faithful promise-keeper. We are so glad that we can trust You even when we are waiting for an answer. Just like Abram looked at the stars and believed Your Word, help us to trust You with our worries and fears this week. Thank You for the Jesus Connection and for taking the responsibility to save us. We love You, Lord. Amen.
Craft: Tangible Reminders of Truth
Promise Stars Night Sky
This activity helps children visualize the vastness of God’s promise to Abram. By creating their own starry night, they take home a physical reminder that God is a faithful promise-keeper who does the impossible.
Materials Checklist:
Instructions:
- Give each child a sheet of black construction paper and have them use glitter pens or white crayons to swirl "wind" or "clouds" onto their night sky.
- Provide a small strip of paper to each student. Ask them to write down one promise God has made to us, such as I will never leave you or I love you.
- Help the children use a glue stick to secure their written promise to the center of the black paper.
- Let the children place as many star stickers as they want across the paper. Remind them that just as the stars are too many to count, God’s blessings and family are bigger than we can imagine!
- As they work, walk around and repeat the "Main Truth" from Genesis 15:6: Abram believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.
Effective Teaching Techniques
- The "Uncountable" Visual: Before you begin, show a small jar of glitter or a bowl of beads. Ask the kids to guess the number. This is a perfect way to introduce the concept of "too many to count" before you talk about the stars.
- The Walking Ceremony: To make the ancient custom clear, set up two chairs or cones. Walk through them alone while the children watch. Explain that usually, two people walk together, but God went through alone to show He takes the responsibility for the promise.
- Simplicity for Little Ones: If you are teaching younger elementary kids, don't worry about them writing specific promises. Just let them focus on the star stickers and the wonder of how many people are in God's family.
- Connect to the Heart: As you teach about Abram's wait, remind the children that God isn't just a character in a book. He is the same promise-keeper today as He was on that dark night in Canaan.