Bent on Lies or Valiant for the Truth? A Jeremiah Journey, Journal, and Puppets
The lesson begins with Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, crying out to the Lord on behalf of his people. Would they ever turn to the Lord? Would they ever be valiant for truth? Or would they always be full of deceit walking with those who practiced it? Don't miss the new puppets photos below--Deceitful Man, Wailing Woman, and Glory Man! (Scroll to end of lesson and click on them to see them life-sized.)
Read Aloud: Jeremiah Verses 9:1-8: One cannot overemphasize reading the Word aloud. How thankful I am I was taught to do that very thing early in life. Perhaps, your Bible chapters are divided into parts as is in many of mine. Often there is a paragraph symbol, or a heading caption by the beginning of a new section. If so, point this out to your youngsters!
The "Oh!" Verses: Jeremiah 9:1-2: "Oh!" cries out Jeremiah, ""Oh that my head was a spring of water, and my eyes a fountain of tears! I would weep day and night for ... my people!" IYJ draw or use tissue box sides as a backdrop for the lamenting Jeremiah. View the IYJ photo below; note the fountain-like background, and the Jeremiah cutout inserted into a tiny slit. Don't miss the "Oh!" frame, the exclamation marks, and the message!
"Oh!" cries out Jeremiah again, "Oh that I had a wilderness place to get away from my people for they are a bunch of treacherous or deceitful people." Click on IYJ photo to see wilderness-like design into which a Jeremiah is inserted. Notice that around each verse is an "Oh!" exclamation frame. Print the verse words, cut out, and glue them in order.
Do You Feel Like Jeremiah? Are there people you love or care about so much that you feel like crying day and night over them? or is there a situation you'd like to get away from for a while? Jeremiah, unlike many prophets, often clearly expressed his feelings. Yes, Jeremiah could full of anger, but he could be full of compassion as well. Tucked in this chapter at the end are words describing our Lord that remind us that we too must be kind, merciful, and loving as well as righteous, truthful and just.
The Bow and Arrow Verses: Jeremiah 9:3,8: After weeping over the unfaithfulness of his people Jeremiah wrote these sinful people used their tongue just like a bow to shoot out lies (v.2), and like an arrow to speak out deceit (v.8). And Jeremiah added they taught their tongues to lie. (v.5) Could these verses help us today? Yes, and yes again for they sound just like so many who practice continual lying day after day. Therefore, be on the alert! Like the Psalmist may we pray, "Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue." Ps.120:2-3 Click on the Bow/Arrow pages below.
A Bunch of Deceitful Men: As Jeremiah described these deceitful men, he used the word "they." IYB circle the "they" parts in verses 3-6. IYJ: "They bend their tongue like a bow for lies, they are not valiant for truth, they proceed from evil to evil, they know not me, they will deceive everyone his neighbor, they will not speak the truth, they have taught their tongue to speak lies, they refuse to know me, they weary themselves to commit iniquity (sin), ...."
"HABITATION" Explanation: Click on IYJ page below! Talk about the word "habitation." Look at the words around it. Discuss them. Ask: What does "habitation" mean? (a dwelling, a house, or even a "hangout.") What letter(s) does it start with? end with? What smaller words do you see in it? How many parts/syllables does it have? Which part is accented? What's an inhabitant? Name some habitation locations listed in the chapter. What kind of a habitation do you live in? hang out in? What kinds of people to you hang around? IYJ print "habitation" using different syllable colors. Little kids may use large outline letters on a table, or the floor. See photo journal page below.
Jeremiah's Habitation Location: Where did Jeremiah find these deceitful people? All around him where he lived. Reread Jer. 9:6: "Thine habitation (Refers to Jeremiah) is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me." In your Bible go back to Jer. 8:5b. Read it. "...they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return." How are the verses alike? See IYJ page--what are the two hands holding on to? The word "deceit." By the way, what's deceit? Look it up!
The Lord, Our Strong Habitation! I'm so happy there's a habitation quotation filled with hope! It is in Psalm 71:3,5: It says about the Lord: "Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: ... for thou art my rock and my fortress. .... For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth." If you've trusted in Jesus as your Savior, you can depend on the Lord to be your strong help and hope!
Weeping n' Wailing Women: Jer.9:27-21: Because God's people had sinned so much, they would have to be punished. Therefore, God told the people to call lamenting women to teach their daughters to cry and to weep when someone died. A note and illustration on p.753 in the intro to Jeremiah in the KJV Study Bible for Girls (Baker Books, 2016) explains that these lamenting ladies were actually hired to cry loudly at funerals. Verse nineteen told how the voice of wailing was heard out of Zion or Jerusalem. How sad! However, always remember that God is just and righteous and will judge our sins, but as in Jeremiah's day he gave them chance after chance to obey him. But they refused as our verses tell us.
The Cherrywood Text: Just before I wrote this lesson, I was walking round our living room. As I did, I walked right up to a text on our wall; now I hadn't read it in a long time for it is rather high and the print is dark. How surprised I was as I read it--why it was a beautiful text right out of Jeremiah 9:23,24--exactly what I would be doing next. How I rejoiced to reread it realizing never before had these words meant so much to me than after digging into Jeremiah day in and day out for many weeks. Read its wonderful message below! And then glory in and praise the Lord! For it was he who spoke to Jeremiah way back then, and it is he who still speaks to us today. View photo below!
A Tribute to Mrs. H.: Before you read our gem verses let me tell you about a lady, I knew who recently died. Her name was Penny. Now Penny was very old. She was 99. But she still lived in her own home. She still liked to read. She even wrote me letters with stickers on them. When I shared, I loved reading my Bible and would be studying Jeremiah Penny decided to do it with me. As our letters flew back and forth Penny would give me an update: "Reading more of Jeremiah. Helps me!" How amazing a lady so old could so rejoice in the Word of God and still try to understand things she'd never learned before. Oh, we'd all awaken, open our Bibles, and really dig into the Word. Of Penny, I can say, "I will miss you Mrs. H. You were a wonderful example!"
Jeremiah Gem Verses: Find our gem verses in Jeremiah 9:23,24. Read them: "Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory (boast) in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory (boast) in his might, let not the rich man glory (boast) in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth; for in these things I delight saith the LORD." IYB Draw or stick a glittered jewel-like shape beside the verses. Print the verses IYJ. View verse photo down below!
Paul Quotes Jeremiah 9:24: In the NT the Apostle Paul knew these verses for he requotes part of them in I Corinthians 1:31 and in II Corinthians 10:17. Which part does he quote? Here's how they read, I Corinthians 1:31: "... According as it is written, HE THAT GLORIETH, * LET HIM GLORY* IN THE LORD." II Corinthians 10:17 "But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." Like Jesus, in the first verse Paul uses a phrase "as it is written." In my Bible the first verse also uses lots of capital letters reminding us not to boast in ourselves, but to boast, joy, rejoice, and glory in the Lord!!*
* See note on meaning in the Greek on p. 268 in Vines Expository Dictionary of the Old and New Testament Words (c. 1985 Thomas Nelson Inc., Publishers).
Check out the newest puppets below. Click on each photo to see them life sized.
Deceitful Man: Like our other puppets it's rolled in a half sheet of pink paper then taped and tucked in. Its headband comes from a black/white/gold giftbag. Its eyes are black punch dots while its nose and long tongue (It bends!) are from red foam. Its beard is a triangle shape from the gift bag. It stands near a bow n' arrow which has its insides cut out into which the printed tongue verses can be inserted. Find the free bow/arrow clip art here: free clip art bow and arrow - Bing images Its script is always "Scripture!" Walk Deceitful Man down an arrow path moving it while quoting the verses. Don't miss the photo!!
Wailing Woman: Click on Wailing Lady to see her up close. Make her look sad adding punch tear drops and an oval mouth to show she is crying out.
Glory Man: Make his beard curve upward and give him a broad smile for Glory Man is happy and boasts and rejoices in the Lord alone! Move him as he says the Gem Verses!
Weeping Prophet: Use Jeremiah from our first lesson. See photo below. Simply turn his mouth upside down and add punch dot tear drops cut from a tissue box side or other paper resembling water. Lay it or stand on a similar tissue box back drop.
