This article was originally written for and posted on The Dock for Learning.
Bible class is the most important subject that we teach.
How can we make it come alive for students? What can
we do to keep students’ attention, keep them involved in
class, and help them apply God’s truths to their lives?
Here are a few suggestions.
1. Maps, maps, maps! Get big maps and post them on
the walls. Point to them and show the students where
things happened. Get little maps and have students color
them as you are studying about that particular area.
2. Have students read the Scripture passages aloud,
one verse per person. Have them all open their Bibles
and follow along. Get a stack of small cards or popsicle
sticks with their names on them, mix them up often, and
call out the name of the person who will read the next
verse. That way students will never know who is next
and will have to be paying attention.
3. Make it practical. If you are studying idols, ask students
what we make idols today. We don’t bow down to golden
cows, but how much money do we spend on cars or
hobbies? Could those be idols to us?
4. Show pictures or bring in items for every noun that is unusual. Examples: leeks, pomegranates, shofar, ephod, showbread, oil lamps, etc. Bring in some showbread, burn
an oil lamp, or eat leeks and cucumbers.
5. Celebrate the Hebrew feast days and holidays.
Have a shortened version of the Passover for lunch one day,
or a longer one in the evening if possible. Study it ahead
of time so that students will understand what each part
represents to Christians. Observing the Jewish holidays
and learning the significance of each is educational and
fascinating, and it can really liven up your classes.
2022 Jewish Holidays
March 17, Purim: Read the book of Esther and
celebrate God’s deliverance of the Jews; eat
Hamantaschen (Haman's hat cookies), and give
money to the poor.
April 15, Passover: Read a shortened Christian Passover Seder
to remember the angel of death passed over
the Israelites but killed all thefirstborn of the Egyptians. The Passover meal
includes a lamb shank to represent Jesus as
our passover lamb, horseradish athe bitter herbs of slavery, unleavened bread
as the Israelites didn’t have time to let their
bread rise when they fled Egypt, charoset to
represent the motar used in brickbuidling,
salt water to represent the Israelites tears,
and more.
September 25, Rosh Hashanah: Celebrating the Jewish New Year, time is
spent in repentance and prayer. Challah
bread and apples dipped in honey are eaten
to represent God’s provision and the hopes
of a sweet year to come.
October 5, Yom Kippur: The Day of Atonement is recognized on this
holiday, and this was the one day in which the
high priest would enter the Holy of Holies in
the temple. As described in Leviticus 16, two
goats were brought to the temple. One was
sacrificed. The priest would place his hands
upon the second goat, listing the sins of the
people, transferring their sins to the goat.
Then the goat wasset free in the wilderness
as the scapegoat, just as Jesus took our sins
upon Himself. It is a day of fasting, usually for
twenty-five hours, and fervent prayer.
Forgiveness should be asked of anyone to
whom it is due. One hundred soundings of the
shofar(ram's horn) signal the end of this holiday.
October 10, Sukkot: The Feast of Booths is commemorated by building
temporary booths or tents to remember when the
Israelites lived in tents while they wandered forty
years in the wilderness. These are usually decorated
with fruits and vegetables. Class could be held in the
tent for the day.
December 19-26, Hanukkah: This holiday celebrates the Maccabees’ successful
battle against the Syrian-Greeks who had desecrated
the temple. They re-lit the eternallight and one day’s oil miraculously lasted eight days,
hence the seven candles on the menorah.
