Cuando Dios aceptó la ofrenda de Abel, pero no aceptó la de Caín, Caín se enojó mucho. ¡Se enojó tanto que mató a su hermano! Se convirtió en el primer asesino de la humanidad. Dios sabía que Abel estaba muerto y vino a hablar con Caín sobre el asesinato de su hermano. Dios preguntó a Caín que dónde estaba su hermano. En vez de admitir lo que había hecho, Caín intentó esconder de Dios lo que había hecho y no lamentaba sus acciones. Él respondió a Dios, diciendo: “¿Soy acaso el guardián de mi hermano?” Esta lección mostrará el concepto de causa y efecto. Mostrará que ciertas cosas suceden debido a nuestras acciones, y que serán positivas o negativas dependiendo de si obedecemos a Dios o no. También mostrará que todos deben amar a su prójimo.
Discusión:
Explique a sus hijos que Dios, que lo sabe todo, sabía que Caín había matado a Abel. Caín no podía ocultarlo de Dios, y tampoco podemos ocultar nuestros errores o pecados de Dios.
Pregunte a sus hijos cuál era la actitud de Caín cuando Dios le preguntó acerca de Abel.
Discuta con sus hijos el castigo de Caín. Fue enviado lejos de Dios y de la comunidad. ¿Por qué Dios enviaría a Caín lejos de los demás?
Ayude a sus hijos a comprender que los malos pensamientos conducen a malas acciones.
Pregunte a sus hijos si seguir el mandamiento de Dios de amar a nuestro prójimo hubiese cambiado la vida de Caín.
Memorizar y revisar:
Lucas 10:27
“Aquél, respondiendo, dijo: Amarás al Señor tu Dios con todo tu corazón, y con toda tu alma, y con todas tus fuerzas, y con toda tu mente; y a tu prójimo como a ti mismo”.
¡Más que hacer!
Estas actividades son opcionales, pero algunos niños pueden encontrarlas agradables.
Muestren amor por sus vecinos haciendo tarjetas para las viudas, viudos u otros miembros mayores de la congregación.
Ayude a sus hijos a planificar una buena acción para alguien de la familia.
https://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/11_Cain_Abel_1024.jpg7681024lcgadminhttps://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/logo_basic-website-300x94.pnglcgadmin2020-12-03 11:34:002020-11-20 11:56:23Programa Bíblico para Niños – Nivel 1: Lección 12 “Dios castiga a Caín”
Author: Mr. Kenneth Frank | Faculty in Theology, Living Education
Estimated Reading Time: 6 min.
Did you know that during Nebuchadnezzar’s siege of Jerusalem God instructed Jeremiah to unknowingly direct a neighboring nomadic tribe to disobey an ancestor’s command?
Jeremiah would learn that they had been faithful to that command for about two and a half centuries. God contrasted the obedience of these non-Israelites to the disobedience of the Jews to His commands, which eventually led to this invasion and captivity. These nomads were Rechabites, a branch of the Kenites related to Moses’ father-in-law. This Digging Deeper analyzes Jeremiah 35 illustrating lessons for Christians today.
Before we delve into this chapter, we should consider earlier historical events as backstories. In about 841 BC, King Jehu of Judah vigorously opposed Baalism in the days of wicked King Ahab of Israel because of his “zeal for the LORD” (2 Kings 10:15-16). One of his allies was a man named Jonadab (also called Jehonadab) who was from this Kenite tribe. Smith’s Bible Dictionary reports that Jonadab’s ancestor was Rechab whose house: “…is identified with a section of the Kenites, a Midianitish tribe who came into Canaan with the Israelites, and retained their nomadic habits” (e-Sword 12.2).
Who were the Rechabites?
The Rechabites were only distantly related to the twelve tribes of Israel. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia explains: “A part of the Kenite tribe joined the Israelites during the wilderness wanderings (Numbers 10:29-32; Judges 1:16; 4:17), becoming identified with the tribe of Judah … Rechab was the ancestor or founder of a family, or order, in Israel known as the Rechabites, who at various times were conspicuous in the religious life of the nation” (e-Sword 12.2).
Wine-drinking was excessive in the Ancient Near East for Canaanite worship and its association with Baalism. During the reign of King Jehu of Judah (841-814 BC), the Rechabites joined him in a vigorous assault on Baalism (2 Kings 10:15-23). Jonadab made a family rule that they would drink no wine, like the Nazarites (Numbers 6:1-21), and that they would not build houses, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyards but dwell in tents as nomads (Jerermiah 35:6-9). Fausset’s Bible Dictionary explains this requirement: “The ascetic rule against wine, houses, sowing, and planting (Jeremiah 35), was a safeguard against the corrupting license of the Phoenician cities and their idolatries (Amos 2:7-8; 6:3-6)” (e-Sword 12.2). The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia adds further: “They followed this simple life in order to guard against the enervating tendencies of sensualism, and as a covenant of fidelity to Yahweh, to whom they wholly devoted themselves when they joined themselves to Israel” (Ibid.).
A Faithful Example
The Babylonian captivity of the House of Judah came in three waves, finalizing in 587/6 BC when the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, destroyed the city of Jerusalem and the Temple and carried away thousands of Jews as captives back to the Babylonian empire. Before Nebuchadnezzar’s siege of the cities of Judah, these Rechabites fled to Jerusalem. Jeremiah was commanded by God to set before them pots full of wine with cups in the Temple and then instruct them to drink (Jeremiah 35:1-5). They refused, not out of disrespect for Jeremiah or the Almighty, but in obedience to their ancestor’s by-gone command. For about two and a half centuries these people had obeyed their ancestor, Rechab, and would not dishonor him even at the request of Jeremiah.
God’s word emphasizes that their faithfulness to Jonadab’s decree contrasted to the utter faithlessness of the Jews to His commands (Jerermiah 35:12-17). Because the Jews refused to heed His many prophets, who called them to repent through several centuries, God punished them with captivity as had been prophesied. These Rechabites were more faithful to an ancestor’s command than the Jews were to God’s greater commandments.
The description of these ancient people who were faithful to an ancestor’s command from about two and a half centuries before is included in Holy Scripture to instruct Christians. Notice what the apostle Paul writes: “Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come” (1 Corinthians 10:11 KJV). Paul’s point is that when we read the Old Testament, Christians are obligated to draw from it lessons for righteous living today. This story provides lessons by comparing the lesser to the greater. Joseph S. Exell’s The Biblical Illustrator contrasts the obedience of the Rechabites with Christians, who disobey Christ, with this admonition:
III. Wherein it shames Christian disobedience.
1. These Rechabites are obedient to their father Jonadab, a mere man who had been dead nearly three hundred years, while Judah is in open and flagrant disobedience to the Most High God.
2. Jonadab commanded but once, and he had instant and constant heed, generation upon generation, for centuries. “But I,” saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel—“I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking. I have also sent unto you,” &c.
3. Obedience to Jonadab was at a cost, and it brought at the best only power to endure and the spirit of independence. It left the Rechabites poor and homeless. Obedience to God was also at a cost, but it gave His people assured possessions, peace of conscience, protection from their enemies, and all the exceeding riches of an eternal inheritance in God’s kingdom of grace and glory. Yet the Rechabites obeyed Jonadab with a beautiful constancy, while Judah hearkened not to the voice of the Lord. (e-Sword 12.2)
Old Lessons Made New
Again from The Biblical Illustrator, here are some positive things we should learn:
I. Wherein it resembles Christian obedience.
1. It was total. They did not consult their preferences or their “affinities.” They did not proceed upon any law of “natural selection.” They did not show punctilious fidelity with reference to one commandment, and great laxity concerning another. This is one essential characteristic of Christian obedience. It is total. If we can make choice of such commands as we feel like obeying and disregard the rest, what are we but masters instead of subjects, dictating terms instead of receiving orders?
2. It was constant. It kept an unbroken path. It bore the stress of storms and tests. And herein it was marked by another essential characteristic of Christian obedience—a beautiful constancy. Enlistment in the Lord’s army is for life, and there is no discharge in that war. (Ibid.)
This little-known aside in the Book of Jeremiah teaches Christians that, by contrast to the price the Rechabites paid for their rigorous faithfulness to Jonadab’s command, we have been mightily blessed by the God of the universe who gave His only begotten Son that we might live forever. Christian “Rechabites” who are committed to His commands will make old lessons new again.
Kenneth Frank was born and raised in New Jersey, USA, and attended Ambassador College, graduating in 1973. He served in the Canadian ministry from 1973-1999, after which he returned to the USA to pastor churches in Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina for 15 years. Having earned a BA degree from Ambassador College he later earned a MA degree from Grand Canyon University before being assigned to the Charlotte office to teach at Living University, now Living Education. Currently, he teaches the Survey of the Bible course to the on-campus students and writes the Digging Deeper column for our online Bible study program. He is married, has four children, and seven grandchildren.
https://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/wine-932325_1920.jpg6851160lcgadminhttps://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/logo_basic-website-300x94.pnglcgadmin2020-12-02 10:13:292021-08-12 17:14:33Digging Deeper: Lessons from the Rechabites
In some of our courses, we have a “Student Thoughts” section where we ask a question to see what the students think. In Unit 4 of the Life Ministry and Teachings of Jesus Christ course, we asked the question: Christ instituted the foot-washing service as part of Passover to teach us about true humility. What are some ways we can genuinely serve others with Godly humility?
Here are some of the responses:
“God has given each of us unique talents and gifts, and as we go through life we also develop various skills. As our abilities become refined, pride can find a foothold and our focus can turn inward. But, rather than using gifts and skills to aggrandize the self, if we keep our focus on the needs of others then we can use our talents to uplift and bring joy, comfort, and love to those around us.” – TF
“We can serve others in whatever need they may have. If we see a need we should fill it. We can pray for and visit the sick, comfort those who are grieving, offer food or clothing if needed and we can open our home in hospitality for fellowship. If we look around at our brethren in our congregations, we will see there are many we can serve.” – JS
“God’s people should be willing and ready to serve whenever and wherever there is a need if they are able. There are many elderly among us who may need a ride to Sabbath service because they no longer drive, or help with yard work, or picking up groceries or something that would make life just a little easier for them. Other ways we can serve is by sending cards to those who are ill, or calling them during the week to check on them, or even visiting them to sit and chat for a while. These may seem like small deeds but they are big to those who need and receive such acts of kindness. Jesus Christ said that He came not to be served but to serve (Matt. 20:28). Christ desired to serve and so should we, with the same humility and love.” -MSJ
