Day 1
We ended Genesis 15, and now we are starting Genesis 16! In preparation for the lessons to come, let’s read all of Genesis 16 to your Tiny Arrows!
Day 2
Abram was promised a son, but his wife, Sarai still did not have any children. Sometimes it’s hard for us to wait for God’s perfect timing for things to happen! Today let’s read Genesis 16:1 then bake! Let’s make cookies, boxed brownies or else even boil water. Something that takes time to cook. Let’s prepare everything, then put it in the preheated oven. After a few minutes open the oven and let your Tiny Arrow look inside. Point out that the food is not ready. Everything is there that needs to be there, but it’s not time to eat it. A few minutes later do the same thing. Continue to do so until the food is ready then pull it out. Tell them we should always wait for the perfect timing, for God’s timing!
Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. – Genesis 16:1a NIV
Day 3
Sarai did not want to wait any longer for Abram’s promise to come true. So she tried to give Abram a family through someone else! Her slave Hagar! But this was not part of God’s plan. Today let’s read Genesis 16:1-2 and color the coloring page of Sarai leading Abram off course.
But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.” – Genesis 16:1b-2a NIV
Day 4
Abram had a choice. He could continue to wait for God’s promise of a son through his wife Sarai or he could try with another woman. If he had a child with Hagar it would still be his child, but not the promised son. What do you think Abram did? He agreed with Sarai! Oh no! He let his shield of faith down and got hit by the enemie’s arrow! Today let’s read Genesis 16:2 and grab your shield of faith or something that can be used as a shield and some arrows (nerf gun/ rolled up paper/ etc.) Then try to hit your child with their shield up. When they are using their shield the enemie’s arrows cannot get us. Now have them put their shield down and hit them once. Abram let his guard down and he got hit! Let’s make sure we keep our shields up!
Abram agreed to what Sarai said. – Genesis 16:2b NIV
Day 5
Abram had said yes to Sarai and he married Hagar and had she became pregnant. Everything that Sarai has asked for Abram to do, happened. Today let’s read Genesis 16:3-4 then color the coloring page.
So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. – Genesis 16:3-4a NIV
Day 6
Hagar was Sarai’s slave. She was suppose to do what Sarai asked. So when Sarai told her to marry Abram, she did. But after Hagar knew she was pregnant, she began to despise Sarai! Oh no! Despising is when you think yourself above something, that it is something you do not like and do not want to be apart of. You have a distaste for it. Like if you do not like peas, you don’t want them on your dinner plate! Hagar most likely now thought herself better than Sarai, and that Sarai was not worthy of God’s promise since she got pregnant before her. Today let’s read Genesis 16:4, then let’s read 1 Timothy 6:1-2. Hagar learned about God from Sarai and Abram. Now ask your Tiny Arrow if Hagar was being a good slave. Then ask them how we should act in order to be a good servant. Be respectful!
When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. – Genesis 16:4b NIV
All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered. Those who have believing masters should not show them disrespect just because they are fellow believers. Instead, they should serve them even better because their masters are dear to them as fellow believers and are devoted to the welfare of their slaves. – 1 Timothy 6:1-2 NIV
Day 7
We learned that Sarai told Abram to marry her slave and he did. Then her slave Hagar became pregnant and she despised Sarai. After Sarai learned that Hagar despised her she became upset! She blamed her suffering on Abram! Oh no! Today let’s read Genesis 16:5 then have your child stand to the side of you. Tell you Tiny Arrow to walk forward, but first put your hand up in front of them to block their way like a fence. Explain that when we are offended with someone, sometimes we focus so much on the offense that we cannot go forward, and the offense becomes a fence to block our way! Sarai was offended by Hagar and her offense built a fence! It is hard to go forward with God’s plan when there is a fence in your way! Now lift your arm so they can walk forward.
Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me.” – Genesis 16:5 NIV
Day 8
In the previous lesson we learned that Sarai was upset that Hagar despised her and she told Abram about it. Abram told Sarai that she could do what she thought was best about Hagar. Abram trusted Sarai to take care of the situation. Today let’s read Genesis 16:6 then read Colossians 4:1. Sarai was suppose to take care of what was in her hands. Now let’s put something fragile in your Tiny Arrows hands and ask them how they are suppose to take care of it.
“Your slave is in your hands,” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think is best.” – Genesis 16:6a NIV
Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven. – Colossians 4:1 NIV
Day 9
When Abram agreed with Sarai to go off course of God’s plan I do not think either thought the situation would get so out of hand. After all, Hagar did get pregnant like Sarai wanted, but it brought emotions and actions that were not right. Let’s recap. Hagar despised her mistress and Sarai suffered from the offense. Then Sarai mistreated her and Hagar ran away. Today let’s read Genesis 16:6 as we color the coloring page of going off course.
Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her. – Genesis 16:6b NIV
Day 10
In the previous lesson we talked about how going off course from God’s plan led to despising, suffering, punishment and running away. They got so off course from God’s plan that the Lord came to help them! Yay! The Lord to the rescue! Today let’s read Genesis 16:7-8 then pray. Let’s thank our Heavenly Father that even when we go astray from his plan he is still looking out for us and trying to get us back on track. Now let’s make a track at our house. Have your Tiny Arrow try to walk from one point to another in a straight line. If they go off course, help them to go back on it. The Lord is always trying to help us to stay on course with His Spirit and His word!
The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” – Genesis 16:7-8a NIV
Day 11
In the previous lesson we learned that the Lord found Hagar after she had run away! Then he asked her a question. Today let’s read Genesis 16:8 to see what Hagar answered. Was she being truthful? Yes! When the Lord asks us a question we should always be truthful! Just like when your parents ask you a question, you should always be truthful! Today let’s pray that we are always truthful to the Lord and those around us!
“I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered. – Genesis 16:8b NIV
Day 12
We learned that Hagar ran away from Sarai, then she met the angel of the Lord at a well! Hagar told him that she was running away from Sarai. Today let’s read Genesis 16:9 and find out what God told her. He did not ask her what happened, he just told her to go back and submit. Sometimes when things get hard we want to stop and do something else, but God wants us to keep on trying until we finish. Today let’s give our Tiny Arrow’s a task, something that might be a little bit difficult but that they can accomplish. No matter how hard it hard it is, encourage them to continue and complete it.
Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” – Genesis 16:9 NIV
Day 13
The angel of the Lord told Hagar to go back and submit, and that Hagar would have so many descendants it would be too hard to count. Just like He told Abram! Today let’s read Genesis 16:10 and see how high your Tiny Arrow can count!
The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.” – Genesis 16:10 NIV
Day 14
The angel of the Lord told Hagar that she would have a boy, and to name him Ishmael. Ishmael’s name means God will hear! Today let’s read Genesis 16:11-12 and fill in the missing words in the coloring page.
The angel of the Lord also said to her, “You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard of your misery. He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.” – Genesis 16:11-12 NIV
Day 15
In the previous lesson we talked about how God heard Hagar. Hagar told the angel of the Lord that He saw her! God heard and saw her! Sometimes it’s hard to see what God is doing, but He always see us! Today let’s read Genesis 16:13-14 and have your Tiny Arrow play hide and seek in the room. Keep your eyes open while they hide and call out where they are when they found a spot. Tell them God can always find them.
She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered.- Genesis 16:13-14 NIV
Day 16
Back then, Hagar could not go to the doctor to find out if she was having a boy or a girl. She would have to wait until she had her baby to find out the gender! When she had her baby she had a boy! What God said was true! Hagar had a son and they named him Ishmael! Abram had a child, an arrow! Today let’s read Genesis 16:15-16 then color the coloring page.
So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael. – Genesis 16:15-16 NIV
Day 17
Today let’s reread Genesis 16 and remember the activities and verses we learned!