Rotation.org Writing Team

DEBORAH

MOVEMENT WORKSHOP

PASSAGE

Bible Story: Judges 4:1–5:31

Key/Memory Verse: Judges 5:31

PURPOSE

To learn about the cyclical nature of the Israelites’ relationship with God and our need for a divine Savior.

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.

Distill the “Song of Deborah” into a two to three minute version which will be read (or rapped) and performed with handkerchiefs and American Sign Language.

Become familiar with the different characters and their roles in this story.

PREPARATION

Read the Scripture for this lesson.

Read and reflect on the Bible Background provided for this lesson.

Materials List

• Bandanas or men’s handkerchiefs, 1 per person
  
• Bibles
  
• Erasers
  
• Paper
  
• Pencils
  
• Rhythm sticks, 2 per child
  

Advance Preparation Requirements:

Know the story and have a prepared condensed song (or outline) of what you consider the high points. Use this as a guide to keep the children on track for their end results. Your version is not for the children to see; it is for your reference only!

Know American Sign Language for ‘victory’*

Know American Sign Language for ‘God’ or ‘Lord’**

PRESENTATION

Open - Introduction

Welcome the children to the movement workshop. Introduce yourself and any new child.
Today we are going to be learning about an important woman in the Bible. After we read our Bible passages, we are going to use bandanas or handkerchiefs to retell today’s story.

Open with prayer.

Encourage a child to lead the opening prayer; otherwise the rotation leader will pray.

Dig - Main Content

Say, “The story of Deborah is told in Judges 4 and 5. The two chapters tell the same story, but in two different formats. Judges 4 is a narrative and 5 is poetry. Can you think of another instance in the Bible similar to this?” (Genesis and the story of creation)

Have the children take turns reading from Judges 5. Afterwards, instruct them to distill the story in half by keeping what they consider the important verses and characters. Have the children take turns reading the new version. Instruct them to distill it in half one more time and re-read it out loud. (The new version should be between two to three minutes. If not, have them shorten it some more.) Have the children identify the following:

Good girl (Deborah)

Good guy (Barak)

Bad guy (Sisera)

Other girl (Jael)

Say, “And now comes the fun part! I need a volunteer to rap our newly revised version of the Song of Deborah from Judges 5. I need another volunteer to pass out one bandana or handkerchief per person.”

Demonstrate how to fan fold your handkerchief and pinch it in the middle. Say, “The positioning of your handkerchief will determine your character. When I hold it at the base of my neck like this, I am a good guy. When I hold it under my nose, I am the bad guy. When I put it on the top of my head like this, I am the good girl. Finally, when I fold it in half, hold it like this (simulating a tent spike), and use my other hand to make a hammering gesture, I am the other girl. For ‘victory’, and ‘God’, we will use American Sign Language.” Teach the signs to the group.

ASL for ‘victory’: Both upright hands, grasping imaginary flags, wave them in small circles

ASL for ‘God’ or ‘Lord’: The thumb and extended fingers of the right hand are brought to grasp an imaginary cap rim, representing the tipping of caps by men in olden days. Both hands are then held open with palms facing up, as if holding a baby.

Have the children practice several times, getting faster with each rendition. Hopefully, this will be a fun yet hokey way to remember the story.

Reflect – Closure

Ask, “Why do you think we repeated this story exercise so many times?”
(To help us learn it. To help us remember it.)

Say, “Your answers are all good, but there is another reason, also. We repeated this story over and over just like the Israelites repeated their stories. I am not just talking about verbally; I mean they actually repeated their mistakes over and over! The Israelites were in a cycle. They may have had different leaders and different oppressors, but they had the same actions repeatedly. The book of Judges is known as the ‘Cycle Section.’ In it, the people turn away from God, lose favor and freedom, become oppressed by their gentile neighbors, cry out to God for deliverance, are delivered and repent for a short time, live in peace and prosperity before beginning the cycle again. Each time the cycle repeats, however, the moral fiber of the nation and the judges becomes more worn, until it is worn away.”

Say, “We’re going to do a little exercise to help us understand. Everyone needs a piece of plain paper, a pencil, and an eraser. Write, ‘God is number 1 with me!’ Now erase ‘God’ and write your favorite sport. Erase that and write ‘God.’ Erase ‘God’ and write ‘money.’ Erase ‘money’ and write ‘God.’ Erase ‘God’ and write your favorite video game. Erase your favorite video game and write ‘God.’ Erase ‘God’ and write ‘shopping.’ Erase ‘shopping’ and write ‘God.’” Continue this until the children have worn out their papers. (Use any word you feel is significant for your group. These are only suggestions.)

Ask, “Do you see a problem here?” (Allow time for responses.)

Say, “It seems as though no ordinary human deliverer was able to succeed in leading the people. The Israelites (and us, too) needed someone better. Who do you think that could be?” (Jesus)

Say, “It is very important that we turn to God through Christ to guide us. If we put too much dependence on other people for this, we become susceptible to wrong doings. Remember that Jesus is ‘the Way, the Truth, and the Light!’”

Close with prayer

“Dear God, thank you for this time we have had together and thank you for sending us the one true Judge. So perish all your enemies, O Lord! But may your friends be like the sun as it rises in its might. In your Son’s name we pray. Amen.”

ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS

Adaptations - Younger Children

Read from a children’s Bible or paraphrase the story. Have a condensed song ready for them to chant.

For the exercise, have copies of “______ is number 1 with me!” and encourage the children to fill in the blank, erase, write God, erase, and so forth.

Adaptations - Older Children

If they find the bandanas or handkerchiefs too hokey, substitute rhythm sticks in the following way:

Good girl ~ hold one stick in the air like a scepter

Good guy ~ use one stick like a sword with a dashing smile

Bad guy ~ use one stick like a light saber and make ‘Darth Vader’ type noise

Other girl ~ bang the sticks together once to make hammering sound

‘victory’ ~ hold sticks in the air with arms extended into a V pattern

‘God’ ~ hold arms down at sides, with arms fully extended, cross them in front on you and make simultaneous sweeping circles in opposite directions.

SOURCES

http://www.masterstech-home.com/The_Library/ASL_Dictionary_Project/ASL_Tables/

CONTRIBUTOR: Cissy Green