Jeremiah for Me! Journey, Journal, n' Puppets: Last Kings of Judah: Lesson 10: Part III: The Signet Ring n' Jehoiachin & The Cistern n' Jeremiah
Our last lesson revolved round King Jehoahaz and King Jehoiakim while this lesson we'll encounter the two last kings of the twenty monarchs of the Southern Kingdom: King Jehoiachin and King Zedekiah!
Of Jehoiachin don't miss the story from Bryan Windle's archaeological biography about the fascinating "Jehoiachin's Ration Tablets" discovered near the famous Ishtar Gate. And don't miss the interesting videos/info on Signet Rings. Kids will make a clever signet ring from a milk carton seal. Rather than boring king statistics learn the exciting details of the lives of long-ago leaders often quite like our current rulers!
Of Zedekiah one of my favorites is Jeremiah's dungeon episode from Jeremiah 38,39 where Jeremiah upon being placed in a deep muddy cistern experienced the helping hand of the Ethiopian Ebed-Melech. Delve into how Ebed-Melech after arranging the rescue of Jeremiah from his cistern cell is rewarded by the Lord for his kindness! Besides, the tube puppets kids will create mini finger puppets to retell the story. Click on the photos to enlarge and view both kinds of puppets!
King Jehoiachin A.K.A. Jeconiah, & Coniah! Get to know "Jehoiachin" the young king who reigns just three months and ten days before he's taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar and exiled to Babylon. Jehoiakim is then imprisoned and not heard of again until many years later when we find him restored to his kingship by Evil-Merodach and treated kindly for the remainder of his life.
According to II Chronicles Jehoiachin was a son of the wicked king Jehoiakim--remember the self-centered, greedy, extravagant monarch who painted with vermilion and who paneled his chambers with cedar from our previous lesson? who burned the Book of the Law in his winter house fire? That was his father! And says Scripture Jehoiachin followed in his evil ways. (II Kings 24:9)
Coniah, If You Were A Signet on My Finger: In Jeremiah 22:24-26 there's a "signet ring" verse where the LORD says of Coniah: "Though Coniah ... were the signet on my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence. And I will give you into the hand of them that seek thy life, ... even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans." Not only would Coniah and his entire family and servants be captured but other Judaean leaders and workers would also be taken to Babylon where they would live and later die.
This Man Coniah: Jeremiah 22:28 asks why Coniah and his seed will be cast out or exiled to Babylon. This is followed by the "O Earth, Earth, Earth" verse and the answer that Coniah's children wouldn't rule in Judah.
O Earth, Earth, Earth Verse: A great verse to memorize for part of it is often repeated in Jeremiah. Listen: Jeremiah 22:29: "O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD." Part of a A Colouring* Book Set-- of illustrated KJV Bible verses The Word of God color book can be ordered here: The Word of God - Coloring Book 14 (lighthousetrails.com)
View the photo below for just one creative way to use the page: Read verse, find it IYB, mark it, discuss it, cut upper word apart, cut cityscape out, and arrange on your IYJ page. Talk about it. What does the verse begin with? (O) How many times is earth repeated? (3) Notice its punctuation. Sing it! Tune: "Brother John." Fun for kids and adults too to sing. *UK spelling! **Recall IYB means "In your Bible," and IYJ means "In your Journal."
O Earth, Earth, Earth!
Tune: "Brother John"
O earth, earth, earth,
O earth, earth, earth,
Hear the word,
Hear the word,
Hear the word of the LORD,
Hear the word of the LORD,
Earth, earth, earth!
Hints: Behind "hear" glue piece of foam sticker so "hear" pops out. Touch letters as you sing. Glue atop the cityscape. Do define "cityscape." Instead of earth some versions say "land." Kids can draw own landscape. Add sticker dot periods or "O" letter rings to pic. Add hand motions--tap toe on "earth," cup hands round ears for "hear the word," hold hands palms up in front of self to make a "Bible," and raise voice and shake finger on last three words!
About "Seals": The KJV Study Bible for Girls (Baker Books, 2016) on p.801 in an insert titled "Seals" explains that "When a letter was written on a scroll, it was sealed with a bit of clay that had a special mark or design on it. This moist clay fastener kept the scroll from unrolling. This seal was like a signature. A seal pressed into an object showed ownership. More than a thousand Hebrew seals have been found by archaeologists...." KJV Study Bible for Girls Hardcover: Baker Publishing Group, Richards, Larry: 9780801018527: Amazon.com: Books
Signet Rings Then/Signet Rings Now: Have you ever seen anyone wearing a signet ring? Do we sign our documents with signet rings today? What do we use now to sign important papers? Check out this Signet Ring Primer that gives an informative overview of the history and facts about signet rings:
Pinky Finger Signet Ring: Did you know that King Charles of the UK wears a signet ring on his pinky finger. For fun use an electric plug cover as a signet ring--slip it over your little finger. Press it into some clay.
Milk Carton Signet Rings: Kids will enjoy taking the plastic ring-like stopper/seal out of a milk carton and turning it into a "signet ring." To its top stick small foam shapes/letter. Find some clay//Playdough and make an "impression" into it. Talk about how people in Bible times used their rings to identify themselves on scrolls, or on other personal items.
View the photo of milk carton, and "rings" at end of lesson. Note the words above the opening: "DO NOT USE IF SEAL UNDER CAP IS BROKEN." Neat that this "milk carton signet" is considered a seal! Find the idea of seals that closed scrolls in Revelation. Note the seals would be broken or opened.
Victor's Handbook Signet Photo: In the Victor Handbook of Bible Knowledge by V. Gilbert Beers is a great photo of an Egyptian signet ring much like given to Joseph by Pharaoh. Read the article "Signet Rings" too. (p.79) Published by Victor Books in 1981 this handbook is a treasure trove of Bible information for teachers, parents, pastors, and Christian education workers. Find it here: The Victor Handbook of Bible Knowledge: Answers Your Questions on 300 Bible Stories: V. Gilbert Beers: 9780882078113: Amazon.com: Books
Zerubbabel: "As a Signet" IYJ Page: In contrast to Coniah notice below the "O Earth" verse "God's Chosen Signet"--Zerubbabel mini finger puppet. Explore more about Zerubbabel in Haggai 2:23 where he is referred to as "my servant." Chosen by God, Zerubbabel along with Jeshua is mentioned in Ezra 5:2 leading a group of captives back to Jerusalem to help rebuild the temple after it was destroyed by the Babylonians.
IYJ Page: King's Crown Gem Verse Pocket: Put verse strips into pocket and then arrange in order. What a wonderful verse that reminds us that the kings we've learned about were mere men, but only one the Lord himself is the true and living God --a king that is eternal-a forever and ever perfect king-- the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
Jehoiachin Receives a Daily Ration: Jehoiachin is mentioned in last verses of Jeremiah 52. Archaeological artifacts about Jehoiachin and his family known as the "Ration Tablets" were found in a vaulted room near the Ishtar Gate (famous Babylonian Gate) in honor of the goddess Ishtar. Recall Lesson 7 where families in Jerusalem's streets worshipped her. For further references to the worship of Ishtar see Jeremiah 44.
IYJ Ration Tablet Page: At the top are two finger puppet kings: Evil-Merodach n' Jehoiachin.
Merodach also was a.k.a. "Amel-Marduk." who worshipped Marduk the head god over all the other Babylonian pantheon. See info here: Next to him is "Jehoiachin" a.k.a. "Jeconiah or Coniah." The two kings were said to have met in prison-- II Kings ... says Jehoiachin was imprisoned 37 years after his exile to Babylon. After freeing him or "lifting up his head" Evil-Merodach restored Jehoiachin treating him kindly and giving him a "daily rate" or "ration" for him and his family. Yes, he also had a family while imprisoned in a better area than most common prisoners.
IYJ: See the "The Ration Tablet" lil' book with tablet notebook paper pages. Inside it kids may write words or draw tiny pics. Peek inside to see. Read the "The Ration Tablet" Story by Bryan Windle here: what a fascinating archaeological find that would name both kings and tell how much oil he was given to use for food. King Jehoiachin: An Archaeological Biography – Bible Archaeology Report
View the word "tablet" surrounded by vocab words: rectangular, wet clay, reed stylus, impression, cuneiform, and written text. Discuss the fact tablets were often rectangular made from wet clay, using a stylus to impress into them cuneiform writing. They were then dried or baked. It's so neat to read of Biblical archaeologists who have been busy unearthing artifacts of all kinds that support the Bible narrative. What a great way to introduce yourself or your children to some impressive archaeological stories.
King Zedekiah a.k.a. Mattaniah:
Zedekiah, a rebellious ruler, was the very last king of the Southern Kingdom of Judah and Benjamin. In Jeremiah he also had the distinction of having the most verses written about him. In II Kings and II Chronicles Josiah would win the prize.
It is also important to note that Jeremiah is not written in sequential order but rather a jumbled sequence. So, knowing the king's stories helps give a clearer picture of the messages and mistreatment of Jeremiah. In fact, knowing the kings in order is a great key to understanding Jeremiah!!
Zedekiah's Constant Questions: Zedekiah was always trying to corner Jeremiah into the latest message of the Lord concerning the future for Jerusalem. Jeremiah always answered him truthfully presenting with if you obey then things will go well, if not there would be consequences for your evil departure from the Lord. In the corner of the IYJ page see King Zedekiah n' Jeremiah finger puppets with the questions marks beside them. Talk about how Zedekiah confronted Jeremiah trying to find out what the Lord had said would happen, and when told continued to do what he wanted.
Zedekiah's Persecution of Jeremiah: King Zedekiah often was very cruel to the Prophet Jeremiah. On the other hand, later he'd relent and give aid to him. This was especially true in our Cistern Story.
What Is a Bible Time Cistern? A cistern was a bell-shaped enclosure dug in the rock and plastered to hold water. Cisterns came in various sizes and were a wonderful way keep water making it available during the dry season. When empty cisterns could be, as in Jeremiah's case, a quick place to incarcerate an enemy.
Zedekiah's Release of Jeremiah to the Princes: Zedekiah wasn't pleased with Jeremiah's continual warnings that if the king and the people didn't obey God's directives the Babylonians would come and take them into captivity burning Jerusalem. So, when Zedekiah's princes complained and refused to believe Jeremiah's warnings King Zedekiah told them to do what they wished to the courageous prophet.
The Princes' Dungeon Terrorization: What did the evil princes do? They threw Jeremiah into a cistern that was dry except for some mud at its bottom into which he sank. This was noticed by Ebed-Melech King Zedekiah's servant who then took action to help the suffering prophet.
Jeremiah's Ethiopian Rescuer: What an amazing help Ebed was to Jeremiah courageously asking the king to take Jeremiah out of his cistern prison so Jeremiah might live. Thinking of this story I recalled when in dark times the Lord sent some very unusual people to help us--people we would have never expected to aid us. What an ending to the story when the Lord in Jer. 38 promises Ebed when the Babylonians did come, he's be safe because he had trusted in the Lord and rescued the Lord's man--Jeremiah!
IYJ: Mini-Finger Puppet Cistern Story Page: Here are some easy mini finger puppets perfect for acting out the story complete with a small tissue-box-frame pocket cistern. Write your own "Scripture Script" then retell the story using either your finger puppets or the toilet tube puppets. Recall: Actual words from Scripture will always remain in one's mind as opposed to made-up script. View these tiny puppets in photo below--just click on the photo to make them larger.
Be An Ebed!
Today!
Be an Ebed!
Be alert.
Be ready.
Be God's hands.
Be an Ebed!
Be obedient.
Obey God's
commands.
Today! LEP
Ebed-Melech-- an "Unsung Hero"! Don't miss this eye-popping "Unsung Heroes" video--visualized so cleverly and clearly. Click here to watch: Bible and Me| Unsung Heroes Ep 03: Ebed Melech| - Bing video
Easy Puppet Cistern Scene: Silver Gate Tubes, King Zed Puppet, Jeremiah Puppet, Ebed Puppet, Tissue Box frame, pattern from box frame, colored paper, yarn "rope," ... Set up tubes to make gate, place K. Zedekiah by it, set up frame cistern, place Jeremiah in it, and add "mud" bottom strip. Then, tell story using Scripture Script. Tape 'yarn rope" to Jeremiah to 'rescue' him. Do click on photos below to see more!
Ropes of Hope: Just as I was reading about Ebed-Melech and his men with the ropes I heard a lady commenting on "the ropes of hope." Immediately I thought how timely it was for truly Ebed's ropes and raggedy clothing for under Jeremiah's arms were surely "ropes of hope" for Jeremiah. Can you recall any time in your life when a total stranger seemed to appear from nowhere offering you a "rope of hope?" In my life I especially recall an incident where I needed help, and the Lord provided it for me in a most unusual way!
Help From a Stranger! We were living outside of Munich in a town called Erding. My husband was working for a travel company related to an airline. Having to travel to the USA he took several long flights prior to returning to Germany. One day later he had massive blood clots occur nearly killing him. He was just forty-five. He had gotten out of work, felt like he would pass out, managed to get a train to Erding, got off to a nearby motel and collapsed onto its floor. An ambulance rushed him with multiple embolisms to the local Krankenhaus. Later I was called and taken by taxi to the intensive care unit. "You should be dead!" the doctors declared.
After seeing him I had no idea how I'd gotten to that hospital, nor where the train was. Out I went with folks speaking German all around me. Knowing little of the language, I struck up a brief conversation with someone. This person then offered me a ride taking me to Kordenhaus Gasse. With a grateful word of thanks, I jumped out of the car and was soon inside. I will never know who that person was, but this I do know this stranger was sent by the Lord!
IYJ "Ostracon" Page: Learn more about archaeology terms and the Lachish letters which were written on pottery sherds or broken pieces that have been discovered. On them one can read about Zedekiah and Jeremiah and two fortified cities: Lachish and Azekah. Look over some online images of these ostracon and draw or cut out some pictures to use on your page. Do point out pottery examples you encounter around you and talk about why pottery was something everyone used in Jeremiah's time.
Click on each photograph to enlarge it!
