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DEBORAH

CREATIVE WRITING

PASSAGE

Scripture reference: Judges 4 & 5

Key/Memory Verse: Judges 5:31

PURPOSE

To learn about the pattern of the Israelites relationship with God.

OBJECTIVES FOR ROTATION

See Bible Background

OBJECTIVES FOR WORKSHOP

At the end of this lesson the children will:

Locate the story in the Bible; identify the book of Judges as an Old Testament book of history.

Examine the cyclical structure of the background to this story: people go astray, there is suffering, the people ask God for help, God sends a judge who delivers, then the deliverer dies -- and the cycle begins again. Discover a foreshadowing of the need for a leader who wouldn’t die – Jesus.

PREPARATION

Read Bible Background.

Materials List

• Bibles
  
• Chalkboard, dry erase board, or newsprint pad with a writing implement
  
• Colored pencils, crayons, or markers
  
• Index cards, 3” x 5”
  
• Paper, 8 ½” x 11” – 1 sheet per person
  
• Pens
  

Advance Preparation Requirements

Prepare Story Event cards. Write one event per card:

a. The Canaan king oppresses the Israelites.
b. The Israelites cried out to God for help.
c. The Lord gave a message to the Israelites through the judge Deborah.
d. The Lord handed over Sisera, the army general, to the Israelites.
e. The Israelites were free from Canaan’s rule.

PRESENTATION

Open – Introduction

Greet the children as they enter. Tell the children they will be learning about a judge named Deborah. Explain what a judge was in Biblical times.

Dig - Main Content

Hand out the story event cards to each child or to small groups of children. Have the children read their cards and organize the children in a straight line as to how they think the events will occur in the story.

Have the children find Judges 4 in their Bibles so they can follow along.

Read Judges 4.

Review the story event cards. Did the children’s prediction match? Allow the children to comment about their prediction and what actually happened.

Tell the children this Bible story is one of many where the Israelites had fallen away from God, cried out to God for help, God sends help in the form of a judge or leader, then the leader dies and the Israelites fall away from God again.

Have the children put the events from the story on the circle, with the story beginning at the top of the circle. Show the children that this pattern will keep occurring until something happens to break the cycle.

Tell the children that this cycle was broken! Ask the children to guess what happened in the Bible to break this cycle and bring God’s people back to Him.

Tell the children (if they didn’t figure it out) that it was Jesus’ birth that broke the cycle. He alone could forgive our sins and give us a direct relationship with God.

Using the story event cards as a guide, instruct the children to create their own circle story of Judges 4. Some children may wish to write the story in their own words and some may wish to illustrate it. You may use a traditional book format, or make the writing more interesting by having the children write their story in a circle shape. Simply draw a large circle on the chalkboard, dry erase board, or newsprint for the children to write on.

Reflect – Closure

Invite the children to share their stories with each other. Close by reviewing the story event cards.

ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS

Adaptations - Younger Children

Write the circle story as a group! Have the children give you ideas and write them on a large paper. Each child can then add an illustration.

Adaptations - Older Children

Encourage older children to reflect on circular patterns in their own lives and how Jesus can break the cycle.

CONTRIBUTOR: Stephanie Smith