The Holy Bible
Introducing the Books of the Bible to the children is challenging at best. I tell them that Bible means "book of many books" and that there are 73 books in the Bible. I ask them, "What do you notice about these books?" They usually respond that they are all different sizes. Which I then explain means the length of the book. If it's tall that means there are more pages in the book. If it is short this means that it's a very small book with fewer pages. Then someone notices the colors. I explain that the red books are all the Old Testament which tells the history of the Jews and begins with creation until the Parousia which is when we will see God in heaven in his radiant beauty or as the Bible says, "in His all and all." There are 46 books in the Old Testament. The green books represent the New Testament and there are only 27 and these tell of Jesus when he lived on earth.
I begin by telling the children about the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible. That the Jewish people call this The Torah and it is the Jewish Law that they believe Moses handed down to them. Genesis is the first book which tells of creation. Exodus is a book that tells how the people escaped the Egyptians after 400 years in slavery. I tell them about the parting of the Red Sea and give them the background. Leviticus, the third book, I tell them, teach the Levite priests how to take care of the temple and set everything up according to their laws. They needed new laws for everything as they had never been free men before. Numbers, the fourth book, was a census of all the Jewish people who had spread out in many different places. Deuteronomy, the fifth book, tells them the "Second Law," as Deutero means second. They needed laws on how to live as good neighbors just as we do.
I then tell them that the next group of books are The Historical Books, which tell the history of the Jewish people when they get out of slavery and how they live their lives back then. I pick up the smallest book in the group and I tell them that this is the Book of Ruth. It may be very small but it is very important in this history. She was the great grandmother of the greatest King of Israel - King David, an ancestor of Jesus Christ. Then I tell the entire story of Ruth.
Afterward, I give out a Bible to each child and show how Bibles come in all shapes and sizes. We read the story of Creation as the children take turns. This will conclude their introduction to the Bible. On another week I'll talk to them about the History Books and the following week the Wisdom Books.
I usually save the bottom shelf to discuss right before Christmas as we do some of the prophecies right before Christmas and we do all the Nativity Narratives from the New Testament.
In the photo below the boys are doing the Giant Bible Puzzle. There is one for the Old Testament and a separate one for the New Testament. These boys have worked on this for three weeks.
I begin by telling the children about the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible. That the Jewish people call this The Torah and it is the Jewish Law that they believe Moses handed down to them. Genesis is the first book which tells of creation. Exodus is a book that tells how the people escaped the Egyptians after 400 years in slavery. I tell them about the parting of the Red Sea and give them the background. Leviticus, the third book, I tell them, teach the Levite priests how to take care of the temple and set everything up according to their laws. They needed new laws for everything as they had never been free men before. Numbers, the fourth book, was a census of all the Jewish people who had spread out in many different places. Deuteronomy, the fifth book, tells them the "Second Law," as Deutero means second. They needed laws on how to live as good neighbors just as we do.
I then tell them that the next group of books are The Historical Books, which tell the history of the Jewish people when they get out of slavery and how they live their lives back then. I pick up the smallest book in the group and I tell them that this is the Book of Ruth. It may be very small but it is very important in this history. She was the great grandmother of the greatest King of Israel - King David, an ancestor of Jesus Christ. Then I tell the entire story of Ruth.
Afterward, I give out a Bible to each child and show how Bibles come in all shapes and sizes. We read the story of Creation as the children take turns. This will conclude their introduction to the Bible. On another week I'll talk to them about the History Books and the following week the Wisdom Books.
I usually save the bottom shelf to discuss right before Christmas as we do some of the prophecies right before Christmas and we do all the Nativity Narratives from the New Testament.
In the photo below the boys are doing the Giant Bible Puzzle. There is one for the Old Testament and a separate one for the New Testament. These boys have worked on this for three weeks.
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