Aim

To develop understanding of the Biblical metaphor of God as judge.

Lesson

Begin by reviewing what was taught in the previous lesson about the shofar.

It is believed that the shofar also alerts Jewish people to the opening of the Books of Life and Death. It is in these books that God records a person's good deeds and bad deeds throughout the previous year.

What image of God is presented by this belief? God as judge is a recurring image within the Torah.

Share with children the text of Psalm 98.

Activity

Following discussion, groups of children could:

• read through a selection of news articles and sort the reported actions into good deeds and bad deeds.
• sort their own actions during the previous academic year
• write their own books of life and death, sorting actions done to them by others during the last year.