少儿圣经故事:彩虹/In the Beginning 6

??Introduction：Have you seen a rainbow in the sky lately？Do you remember why God put the rainbow there？It is to remind us of His promise that there will never be another worldwide flood.

??Noah and his family were the only people left alive after God sent the flood. But soon this one family began to multiply into many families. Genesis 11：1-2 says “And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.” The people were all just one big family. When they decided 1 to move, they ALL moved! But was that God’s plan？In the beginning God had told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth (Genesis 1：28). God repeated that commandment to Noah after the flood. “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish 2 the earth.” (Genesis 9：1) Replenish means to go out and fill the earth. The animals and other creatures were going out here and there to fill the earth, just as God had commanded, but people were not!

??Main Truth：If you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior, God wants you to go out to tell others about Jesus. Instead of just going out to multiply people, God wants you and I as believers to multiply other believers! Mark l6：15 says, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” It’s easier and much more comfortable just to stay with people who know Jesus and enjoy other Christians 3, but God’s plan is that we go out to the lost people and share the Good News with them! God’s plan for people in the beginning of the world was for them to go out and fill the earth.

??But the people felt very comfortable and secure staying together, so when they moved, they all moved together to the land of Shinar. There they decided to make bricks and build themselves a city. They said, “…let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered 4 abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” Their great fear was that they would be separated from each other. The people not only wanted to stay together, but they wanted to make a name for themselves. They wanted to bring glory to themselves, not the true and living God Who had created them. But God had created them for His glory, not their own.

??It is sin when you and I try to bring glory and attention to ourselves. That is called pride. The middle letter in the word pride is “I, ” and that is a very good reminder 5 that pride is when you act as if “I want people to notice me, I want to be first, I don’t need God.” Pride always wants its own way, not God’s way. If you know the Lord Jesus, watch out for pride, and ask God to keep you humble 6 before Him. Be careful to give God all the glory for what He allows you to be and to do. If you have never believed on Jesus, pride will keep you from admitting to God that you are a sinner. Romans 3：10 says, “There is none righteous, no, not one.” Everyone is born a sinner, but there is a terrible punishment for those who continue in their sin and are too proud to admit their sin and believe in Jesus. God says they will to spend eternity 7 in the place of torment 8 called Hell. How awful to think of missing God’s beautiful, perfectly 9 happy home in Heaven! In Heaven everyone is praising God and giving Him glory.

??Although the people after the flood were created to bring glory to God, they wanted to glorify 10 themselves. They wanted to build a high tower they could be proud of, to cause others to brag 11 on them and what they had done.

??But Someone was watching! Genesis 11：5 says, “And the LORD came down to see the city, and the tower, which the children of men builded.” God saw that the people were intent on staying together. They were all excited about building this wonderful tower, and having their warm family fellowship, but were they obeying God’s plan？What was His plan？His plan was for them to go out and fill the earth, wasn’t it!

??If you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior, God wants you to go out and tell others about Jesus. It’s not an option, it’s a commandment! Mark 16：15 says, “Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.” While you are too young now to be leaving your city or your country, there is still something you can do! 1. You can pray and tell God you are willing to go wherever He wants you to go. God will begin to prepare you, and one day He may send you to another city or country. 2. Right now you can begin to pray for the lost, and tell the Good News of Jesus by sharing Gospel booklets or Gospel verses with those who are lost. God’s plan for getting others the Good News about Jesus is to use YOU and other believers to go out and fill the earth. It isn’t easy to leave family and church fellowship to go out to strange places and strange faces! But Jesus promised that, as you go out, “Lo, I am with alway, even unto the end of the world.” (Matthew 28：20)

??God’s plan for the people in the beginning of the world was that they would multiply and go out and fill the earth. He saw they were NOT obeying His commandment. God decided to do something that would force them to get on with His plan and purpose for them：He confused their language, so that they could not understand each other’s speech. Can you imagine the surprise and frustration 12 that caused everyone! There were the men building the tower, and suddenly they were shouting strange orders to each other. The women were perhaps preparing lunch for the builders, when they began blabbing to one another in strange words. How frustrated 13 and shocked they all were! The more they tried to explain, the worse it got! One by one the workers threw up their hands in despair and walked away from building their great tower. The people who spoke 14 the same language broke into groups, packed their things and started off to another area to establish homes and towns. Genesis 11：8 says, “So the LORD scattered them abroad upon the face of all the earth…” The city and tower they had begun to build was never finished. They called it the tower of “Babel”, which means “confusion”, because it was there that God confused their languages.

??Although the people were scattered far from each other, and spoke different languages, did they still have the same Creator？Yes, and they all had come from the same family of Adam and Eve. And the sin problem of Adam and Eve had passed on to them. All over the world you will find that, even though people look and speak differently, they are all sinners. And they all desperately 15 need to be saved from that awful, eternal punishment for sin. You and I are part of that same family with that same sin problem. John 3：16 says, “For God so loved the world.” Our holy Creator God loved those people back then, and He loves you just as much today. He wants you be with Him in Heaven forever. Knowing that sin would keep you from being in Heaven, God sent His perfect Son the Lord Jesus to suffer and die for your sin. I Corinthians 15：3 says, “…how that Christ died for our sin…”

??Jesus rose the third day and now He lives in Heaven, but He is ready to save you from your sin the moment you believe in Him. II Peter 3：9 says, “The Lord is…not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance 16.” No matter what part of the world, or what language you speak, God loves you and wants to save you from sin!

??Perhaps you are wondering that if in the beginning all the people of the earth came from one family, why do the people groups look so different：the Chinese from the African, the Indian from the Europeans, etc."” Scientists who believe God’s Word tell us that our wonderful Creator put within the first two people an unlimited 17 variety of information. All that information could result in all kinds of different characteristics in their children, and descendents. The human body is made of trillions of cells and within each cell is information that determines things like your skin and hair color, your body make-up, even your physical and mental abilities. That information is called DNA 18 or our genetic 19 code. When God scattered the people from the tower of Babel, those people would have stayed within their language groups and married within that group. The stronger characteristics would have become the most commonly seen. Hot or cold climate, lots of sun or shade, would also have caused a difference in the people groups.

??So when you hear about the different races, remember：there is only ONE race, the human race! But there are many people groups within the human race. God loves all of them, for they are all His special creation. We should never scorn or make fun of another kind of people, for we are very much related to all of them! Revelation 7：9 tells us that in God’s forever family in Heaven, there will be a great multitude of people of all nations and tribes and languages.

??If you are God’s child, God wants you to love all people as He does. He wants you to go out and tell others about Jesus. While you are young, you cannot travel far, but you can please and obey God by telling those around you about Jesus. Do you have relatives, friends, or classmates that need to hear the Good News of how to have their sins forgiven so they can become part of God’s forever family？Why not go to "How to Be a Child of God" and practice telling those steps. Then go and share with others the Good News about Jesus! Also, even as a child you can pray for the lost people of other countries and languages, and pray and give to missionaries 20.

??If you have never believed on the Lord Jesus, God your Creator is calling out to you through this lesson. He loves you and wants you to be His child forever, no matter where you live or what language you speak. He has made a way for you to have your sins forgiven, so that you can live with Him in His wonderful forever home in Heaven. Please go now to "How to Be a Child of God" and follow those steps!

??引子：

??你最近有没有看见天空中的彩虹？你记得为什么神把彩虹放在那吗？彩虹是神与我们立约的记号---他再也不会用洪水毁灭全世界了。

??挪亚一家是洪水后仅存的人类，但很短时间之内一个家庭就繁衍成许多家庭。创 世 纪11章12节告诉我们“那时、天下人的口音言语、都是一样。他们往东边迁移的时候、在示拿地遇见一片平原、就住在那里。”所有的人都属于一个大家庭。当他们决定迁移时，所有的人都迁移！这是神的计划吗？起初神告诉亚当和夏娃生养众多遍满地面（创 世纪1章28节），洪水之后神又对挪亚重申了这个命令。动物与其他生物照着神的吩咐四处分布遍满全地，然而人类还没有。

??主要真理：如果你接受了主耶稣为你的救主，神盼望你去告诉更多人关于耶稣的事。作为基督徒，我们的任务是带领更多的人信主！马可福音16章15节告诉我们“他又对他们说、你们往普天下去、传福音给万民听。”与信主的基督徒相处是非常容易和舒适的事情，但神的计划是要让我们到失丧的人群中给他们分享福音信息。创世之初神的计划是让人类遍满全地。

??人们住在一起感到非常安全舒适，所以他们一起迁移到示拿地。在那里他们决定用砖造一座城。他们说“来吧，我们要建造一座城和一座塔，塔顶通天，为要传扬我 们的名，免得我们分散在全地上。”他们非常害怕彼此被分开。这些人不仅想住在一起，而且想传扬自己的名。他们想把荣耀归给自己而不是又真又活的神。然而神创造人类是为了神自己的荣耀。

??罪使得我们故意地把荣耀归给自己。这叫做骄傲。骄傲的中心是自我，也就是说你会开始说“我要人们注意我，我想做第一，我不需要神”骄傲的人总是走自己的道路，而不是神的道路。如果你认识主耶稣，不要骄傲，求神保守你的心谦卑。留意把所有的荣耀归与神。如果你还没有认识主耶稣，骄傲会阻止你向神承认自己是个罪人。罗马书3章10节告诉我们“没有义人，连一个也没有。”每个人生来是罪人，然而那些骄傲的，继续犯罪的，不肯信耶稣的人将要承受可怕的刑罚。神说他们要永远住在可怕的地狱里。让我们想一想，与神预备的完美快乐的天堂无分是件多么可怕的事。在天堂里每个人都在赞美神将荣耀归给他。

??虽然洪水之后的人类被造的目的是归荣耀与神。他们却想荣耀自己。他们要建一座高塔好得着别人的夸奖。

??有人在看他们！创世纪11章5节告诉我们“耶和华降临，要看看世人所建造的城和塔。”神看见他们想住在一起。他们很喜欢彼此间的交通，想同心合力建一座高塔。但这是遵行神的旨意吗？神的旨意是让他们出去遍满全地，对吗？

??如果你接受了主耶稣为你的救主，神盼望你去告诉更多人关于耶稣的事。这是命令，没有选择！马可福音16章15节告诉我们“他又对他们说、你们往普天下去、传福音给万民听。”当你年少还不能离开所住的地方时，你仍有服事可做！首先，你可以祷告告诉神你愿意去任何神所安排的地方。神会开始预备你直到有一天把你送到另一个城市或国家。其次，你可以开始为失丧的人们祷告，借着福音单张或圣经经节与他们分享耶稣基督的好消息。神的计划是让你和其他基督徒出去告诉没有信主的人好消息。离开家庭和教会进到陌生的地方和人群中是件不容易的事。但是耶稣应许我们当我们出去的时候“我就常与你们同在，直到世界的末了。”（马太福音28章20节）

??神起初的计划是让人类生养众多遍满全地。当他看见人类不遵行他的命令时，神决定做一件事情使得他们回到起初的计划。神变乱了他们的言语以至于彼此之间不能理解。每个人是多么地困惑呀！让我们想象一下，男人们建高塔时，女人们可能在准备午餐，然而彼此之间却开始说奇怪的言语。他们是多么地震惊和困惑呀！他们越努力解释，情况越糟！最后一个接一个绝望地放弃了建高塔。说同样言语的人们聚集在一起，收拾好东西到另一个地方建立家庭和城市。11章8节告诉我们“耶和华使他们从那里分散在全地上”城和塔永远都没有完工。那城名叫巴别，意思是混乱。因为神在那里变乱了人类的言语。

??虽然人们被分散在各地，说着不同的语言，他们仍有同一位创造的主吗？是的，他们都出自于亚当和夏娃这个家庭。亚当和夏娃的罪也传到他们身上。你会发现世界各地的人虽然看起来不同，说的话不同，都是罪人。他们都需要从罪的可怕永刑中脱离出来。你和我都有罪的问题。约翰福音3章16节告诉我们“神爱世人”，圣洁的神不但爱洪水时代的人，也爱今天的你我。他渴望你与他永远住在天堂。因为罪是我们与天堂无分，神差遣他的爱子主耶稣为你死。哥林多前书15章3节告诉我们“就是基督照圣经所说，为我们的罪死了”，第三天耶稣复活了，现在他住在天堂。他要在你相信他的时刻拯救你。彼得后书3章9节告诉我们“主不愿有一人沉沦，乃愿人人都悔改。” 无论住在什么地方，无论说什么语言，神爱你并要救你脱离罪恶!

??可能你会问一个问题：既然人类出自同一个祖先，为什么现在的人看起来差别这么大？比如说中国人不像非洲人，印度人不像欧洲人。信主的科学家告诉我们奇妙的造物主在亚当和夏娃的身上存放了极其丰富的信息。那些信息能够在后代身上组合成各种各样的属性。人体有几千亿个细胞组成，每个细胞里面存放了一些信息决定了你的肤色，发色，体形和智力。这些信息叫基因代码。当神在巴别塔使人分散时，人们在自己的语言群体中通婚，所以最强的属性就在各自的群体中变得更加明显。另外，气候也会对人类的属性产生影响。

??当你听到人类有不同的民族时，记得只有一类，就是人类！在人类大家庭有许多的民族。神爱所有的人，因为都是他所创造的。我们不应该藐视或轻看别的人，因为人与人之间有很深的联系！启示录7章9节告诉我们在神所预备的天堂里有各国各族各民各方来的人。

??如果你是神的儿女，他盼望你像他一样爱所有的人。他要你出去告诉别人关于耶稣的好消息。当你年少不能远行的时候，你可以给身边的人传福音。你的亲戚朋友同学中没有听过福音的人需要好消息。他们的罪被赦免了才能去天堂。请听“怎样成为神的孩子”并学习传福音的步骤，然后就去告诉别人关于耶稣的好消息。而且作为一个孩子你可以为其他国家失丧的人祷告并支持那里的福音事工。

??如果你还没有信主耶稣，神你的创造主借着这个课程呼唤你。无论你住在什么地方，无论你说什么语言，他爱你，盼望你会到神的家！他为你预备了一条罪的赦免的道路，借着这条道路你可以永远地住在神的天堂里！请听“怎样成为神的孩子”并照着做。