|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
 |
 |
||
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
| EXPLORE THE BIBLE: (15 minutes) Have your volunteers read Psalm 145 dramatically. Ask, “Is this a praise psalm or a thanksgiving psalm?” List all the things God is praised for on a chart or blackboard. Explain to the youth that other religions of that time period seldom praised their gods for their care for the poor and needy. Discuss this question, “What does it mean that God’s greatness is tied to his mercy? Now guide the students to Exodus 34:6-7. Look at the similarity with this passage and Psalm 145:8. Explain that these words were very important to the Israelites because this is what God told Moses when God revealed himself on the mountain. These words are repeated, with some variation, in many psalms, such as 86:5, 15, Ps. 103:8, and Ps. 51:1. When the Israelites heard these words, their minds went back to this familiar story. These words also reminded them of the great paradox of God. God is 100% holy (by no means clearing the guilty) and God is 100% merciful (keeping steadfast love to the 1000th generation). Ask, “What does it mean that God is 100% holy and 100% merciful? Is that possible? What can you learn about God from these verses?” Tell the youth that the phrase “steadfast love” in English is really one word in Hebrew: chesed. This word is hard to translate into English; it means covenant love or unfailing love. For the Israelites, this word reminded them that even though they had broken the covenant time after time, giving God the right to walk away, God didn’t walk away. God showed chesed. Continued... |
|||||||||
| Back |
Page 4 of 10
|
||||||||
