This week we continue with our story of the Jessie Tree. I have sent you four more stories and four more pictures of ornaments for you to make to hang on your Jessie tree. So each week you will the see the story of God’s saving power and the coming of the promised Saviour unfold.
6. Joseph.
Symbol: Coat of many colours
Genesis 45: 6-8
Jacob loved Joseph more than all his sons, Joseph was his favourite and he made him a coat of many colours, this made Joseph’s brothers very jealous and they decided to kill him.
But they could not go through with this plan and when the opportunity arose they sold him into slavery, they covered his coat with animal blood and came back and told their father that Joseph had been eaten by wild animals.
In spite of many setbacks Joseph became a very important official in Pharaoh’s house.
There was a terrible famine in the land of Canaan and Joseph’s brothers had to go to Egypt to buy grain. But when they first saw Joseph, they did not recognize him. So Joseph told them who he was they were really afraid and expected Joseph to punish them.
But Joseph said that it was really God who had sent him ahead to save the lives of his people. And make sure that they and their descendants survive. Joseph was able to come to terms with the situation because he could see the hand of God in all that had happened to him.
7. Moses.
Symbol: The Ten Commandments
Exodus 14: 30-31
Moses was the leader of the Israelites in their Exodus from Egyptian slavery and oppression.
Moses had great faith in God. When the people of Israel were being chased by the Egyptians Moses prayed to God to save them and as he reached the edge of the Red Sea the sea parted and the Israelite’s were able to pass through safely on dry ground and as the Egyptian army followed them Moses raised his hand and the sea returned and the Egyptians were drowned.
God spoke to Moses many times.
God instructed Moses to go up Mount Sinai and here God gave Moses the ten commandments so that Moses could govern the tribes of Israel.
The Commandments bound God and the people of Israel in a special covenant.
God told Moses to keep all His commandments and worship God according to His laws.
These are the same commandments we follow today.
Jesus came to for fill the law and the Prophets, Jesus gave us a New Commandment that we love our neighbour as we love ourselves.
8. Ruth
Symbol: Stalks of wheat
Ruth4: 13-22
Ruth was a young Moabite woman. She is remembered for her love and loyalty to her mother-in-law Naomi. When Ruth’s husband died Naomi decided to return home to Israel. And she told Ruth to go back and live with her parents.
Ruth said “Where you go, I will go. Where you live, I will live. And your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.
When they reached Israel they were very poor. And because they had no food to eat Ruth went into a field to glean corn after the reapers had left the field.
There she meet Boaz who owned the field. He was so impressed with Ruth kindness that he invited her to sit in the shade with him and have some water to drink.
Sometime later Boaz made Ruth his wife and they had a child called Obed who was the father of Jesse, the Father of King David. So we can trace the lineage of Jesus back to Ruth.
9. David
Symbol: Harp
1Samuel 16: 1-13
God told Samuel that one of Jesse’s sons would become King.
Jesse called in all his sons and showed them to Samuel one by one, but Samuel knew that none of them was the king chosen by God.
Then Jesse said his youngest son was in the field herding the sheep and when Samuel saw David he knew that this was the boy that God wanted to be King.
King David is one of Jesus’ most celebrated ancestors, he was chosen by God to become King and anointed by the prophet Samuel. His abilities as a warrior and political leader are well known. He was wise and caring but he also made mistakes, but he looked to God for forgiveness and began again.
David’s soul is revealed to us in his psalms and music. In his psalms he reveals his immeasurable faith in God. Because of the music and psalms we too can find God through the poetry of the Old Testament.
Thank you Revd Peta for today’s Sunday School lesson.