WORLD PEACE THROUGH MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING
LESSON FOR THE JUNIOR CLASSES
STUDY SCRIPTURE:
ISAIAH 2: 2-4 ACTS 17:26-28
Key Verse
“Many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob: and he will teach us of his ways: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem”.
Isaiah 2:3
INTRODUCTION
How would you like to live in a world where there was no fighting, disagreement between people which leads to fisticuffs and personal hatred which damages family relationships?
You can be sure of one thing, and that is, that God does not like abuse of the helpless or anyone, hostility, refusing to help others in need, the behaviour and action of bullies and all the disasters you see around you every day which have families, friends, communities, and nations at each other’s throats.
God wants joy and peace and good neighbourly and family relations. But that is hard to find. The nation of Judah had slipped and got stuck in a bad set of activities because they disobeyed the commandments of God.
So God had to make the world a better place where the people of Israel and those in the rest of the world would know how to live in peace with each other. He had the prophet Isaiah tell the people of Judah and the people in the capital city of Jerusalem that their sinful behaviour was awful and so He would punish them. Their behaviour was unworthy of the people of God. Hence one day in the future God would change everything. He would stop all wars. Weapons would be converted in agricultural tools so that they could be used to produce food for everyone’s enjoyment.
The house of God, His Temple would be built on the highest mountain and everyone would be put on their best behaviour. The people of the Jewish nation and from the Gentile nations would encourage each other to go up to the House of the Lord and learn all about God and His laws, and then they would obey Him and follow what He wanted them to do.
This future would be the best way of living possible for Jesus who is God would be there with them and show them the path of God. Life would be most excellent.
The apostle Paul had to visit the people af Athens one day and he told the people of Athens about God and encouraged them to listen to what God wanted them to do. He told them God was the Creator of everything and He had made all human beings of one blood and family relationship.
They had been searching for God but had gone in the wrong direction, making gods and idols for themselves out of their misguided imagination. Paul told these leaders and their philosophy leaders that it made no sense ti make an idol of wood, stone, or precious metals, then decorate it beautifully, and then bow down to this idol believing it could help them and solve the problems they had. That was foolish. God wanted to help them to find the truth and so He revealed the truths through people that believed in Him. God therefore had sent him to point out that they had been following the wrong way to find God. They should learn about God and worship Him and not worship idols. The true God had made the world and all the people and life forms in it.
They did not have to search for God for He was right there near to them and would be willing to guide them to the truth once they threw away the idols and used their senses.
We know that God is right where He is supposed to be, and He calls on all men to listen to the teaching of the Holy Spirit and not follow their misguided imagination which would always lead them astray. So let us remember we have the task of telling people about the true God and inviting them to simply call on Him and ask Him to come and teach them the truth. He would never turn anyone away for He wanted to save men and bring peace, good relationships, joy, and happiness.