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‘RHYMES’ IN THE BIBLE

Truth to Teach (Source)

Heart concept: Order

Exodus 25:40 ‘See that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.’

 God charged Moses with making the tabernacle according to his pattern. So too writers can order
their words into a pre-determined pattern to good effect.

Way to Work (Means)

1. Show some knitting and the knitting pattern or some sewing and the pattern that goes with it. Ask
what the pattern is for. (It guides you on how to make one like the one in the picture.) Often
craftsmen and women have a pattern or a plan to follow when they are making something.

Ask if anybody can think of some people in the Bible who had to follow God’s pattern or design in what
they were making. (Noah; those working for Moses on the tabernacle) Explain that this was because
what they were making was fitting into God’s bigger purposes, and as we know God is not haphazard in
what he does. His purposes were (and still are) carefully planned.

2. Talk about some writers enjoying the challenge of writing according to a clear pattern. This was
particularly true of David and the other writers of the psalms. Rather than concentrating on making
their psalms rhyme, these writers often enjoyed beginning the first line with the first letter of the
alphabet, and the second line with the second letter of the alphabet and so on. We cannot see that
when we look in psalms today because they have been translated from Hebrew into English, but here
is the same pattern in English in this piece of writing.

3. Read through ‘Amazing God’. Explain that we call this type of writing an acrostic poem or psalm.

Suggest creating an acrostic poem together. Choose a word like Thank you or Praise or Jesus or Holy
Spirit. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you in your creative endeavours. (A tune could be added once the
poem is finished.)

4. Ask what is good about writing using a pattern like this. (It gives a framework for expressing ideas;
there is help as to what should come next; it is clear when you have finished; etc)

What is not so good about writing an acrostic poem? (One cannot write freely; it has to be finished
once started)

5. Draw the children’s attention to two other aspects of pattern in poems.

a) Poems written in a particular shape.

b) Alliteration. Point out examples of this and encourage the use of it in their writing. Try
this as a game: I’m Maria from Mexico (name and place). I like macaroni and mice (two
things - food, animals, hobby) and I think music is marvellous (your opinion).

6. Attempt writing a class acrostic poem.

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