Scripture: Judges 6-8
Learning Objectives:
- Students will learn the story of Gideon.
- Students will learn the function of a Shofar in Biblical times.
- Students will create their own replica of a shofar.
Guiding Questions:
What is a shofar and how was it used in the Old Testament?
How did Gideon demonstrate his faith in God?
Materials: party cone-shaped noise-makers, brown/tan paper, example of a shofar, glue, tape, markers
Procedure: Review the story of Gideon focusing on how only 300 Israelites defeated the large Midianite army when the Israelites blew their trumpets. Emphasize that they won because they had obeyed God who told Gideon to send a small army instead of the original 32,000. God threw the Midianites into confusion when the shofars were blown. The shofar was used in many instances to call people’s attention. It is often used in a solemn, holy manner and still used during Jewish holidays. Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish holiday in which the shofar is blown. This began as the Festival of Trumpets and was instituted in Leviticus 23. The shofar will be heard in Jesus returns to take Christians to heaven. In ancient days, it could take 3 months to make a shofar.
Instruct students in making their own paper shofar to remember the lesson. Roll brown paper in a cone-like manner to cover a party noise-maker. Try to angle it upwards so it slightly curves similar to a ram’s horn. Tell students not to cut off the flow of air by angling it too much. If it is too bent up, the air will not be able to go through to make a sound. Tape/glue it in place. Students can use markers to decorate it. Encourage them to write a meaningful Bible verse on it. One from the story is Judges 6:12 “The angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon. He said, “Mighty warrior, the Lord is with you.”
Students then practice blowing their shofars as they act out the story of Judges 7.
Additional Questions:
- How was the shofar/ trumpet used in Judges 6-7?
- Why did God tell Gideon to lead a small army of Israelites?
- What are some challenges in your life that you can turn to God for help with because they are too big for a person to do alone?
Supplemental Activities:
- Teach students the different types of shofar blows.
- Tekiah is one long blow using one breath
- Shevarim is three consecutive medium-length blows
- Teruah is nine very short consecutive blows
- Tekiah Gedolah is one long blow held as long as possible and a ending with a louder blow.
- To give students experience with a variety of art forms and materials, use paper mache to cover the shofar. This will make it more substantial and longer-lasting. It also gives students an opportunity to work with different art mediums.
Written by: Savannah Negas