“Musical Instruments”€¦ · Asaph and some other men led all the people in singing and playing instruments to praise God. Some of the instruments they played were harps, lyres,

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OT10.4 Psalms—Part 3: Temple Songs ©Beverly Wilson 2020

Unit 10: Books of Poetry OT10.4 Psalms Part 3: Temple Songs

Scripture: Psalm 76-89

Lesson Goal: The book of Psalms is a collection of songs and prayers used to praise and worship God. This lesson is about the third group of poems and tells how Israel celebrated God’s power, sovereignty, and faithfulness to them. These psalms remind us that we are to worship the Almighty God continually.

Introduction: The book of Psalms is found in the middle of the Bible. It is the second book in the Old Testament group of books called Poetry. Let’s say the books of poetry—Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs.

Psalms is the longest book in the Bible and has 150 chapters. It can be divided into five parts or books. These parts are Book 1: Creation-Psalm 1-41; Book 2: God's Help-Psalm 42-72; Book 3: Temple Songs-Psalm 73-89; Book 4: God's Plan to Obey-Psalm 90-106; and Book 5: Praising God and His Word-Psalm 107-150. Many of the chapters in this section go along with another Old Testament book Exodus.

Attention Getter: “Musical Instruments” Do you play a musical instrument? Some children learn to play an instrument as part of their education. Some musical instruments might be a piano, a trumpet or saxophone, a guitar or violin, or perhaps even drums. It is a lot of fun to learn to play these instruments.

Music is an important way for people to express their thoughts and emotions. We use music in our churches to help us worship God. One way to serve God is to play an instrument during the song service. Many of the songs that we sing in our services come from the book of Psalms.

During the time that David was King of Israel, he gave jobs to many people. Most of these jobs were in the temple. David gave Asaph a special job of leading the music in the temple. In this lesson we are going to learn about some of the songs that Asaph wrote in Book 3 of Psalms.

Opening Prayer: “Dear Father in heaven, Thank you for the gift of music and songs. Help us to use these gifts to praise You. Help us to remember to praise you and thank you for your faithfulness to us. You have promised to always be with us. You have given us the wonderful gift of salvation. Help us to always honor you and give your glory for all that You have done. In your name we pray. Amen.”

Memory Verse: The memory verse is “Psalm 89:1 “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.”

Lesson Video: https://youtu.be/0QCyNLa2Cag Psalms is the longest book in the Bible and has 150 chapters. It can be divided into five parts or books. These parts are Book 1: Creation-Psalm 1-41; Book 2: God's Help-Psalm 42-72; Book 3: Temple Songs-Psalm 73-89; Book 4: God's Plan to Obey-Psalm 90-106; and Book 5: Praising God and His Word-Psalm 107-150. Many of the chapters in this section go along with another Old Testament book Exodus.

The first book of Psalms covers chapters 1-41. It speaks about creation and how God meets all of our needs. It is like the book of Genesis. It teaches us about God’s eternal love and care for us and how we should trust him even in the day to day experiences of life.

https://youtu.be/0QCyNLa2Cag

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The second book of Psalms covers chapters 42-72 and talks about God’s Help in times of trouble. It is like the book of Exodus. Many of these songs focus on God’s protection of Israel from their enemies.

One of these songs is Psalm 46 and it tells how God is our Refuge and Strength. This song may have been written during the days of Hezekiah when God saved Israel from the Assyrians by sending the death angel to the enemy camp and killing 185,000 men in one night!

The third part of Psalms is Psalms 73-89. These poems tell how Israel celebrated God’s power, sovereignty, and faithfulness to them and show us how to worship the Almighty God. Most of these songs were written by Asaph.

During the time that David was King of Israel, he wanted the people of Israel to worship God. He restored worship in the tabernacle and put the tribe of Levi in charge of the sacrifices and leading the people in worship. King David gave Asaph a son of Levi the special job of leading the music in the tabernacle.

Asaph and some other men led all the people in singing and playing instruments to praise God. Some of the instruments they played were harps, lyres, and cymbals. Asaph even wrote some special songs to praise God. These songs are found in Book 3 of Psalms. Later when Asaph’s sons grew up, they led the music in the temple, too.

Book 3 of Psalms is like the book of Leviticus. Just as Leviticus tells about the tabernacle and God’s holiness, these psalms discuss God’s sovereignty and how He sits on the throne. Because God is holy and almighty we can praise Him for His power over all things.

After Israel built the tabernacle in the wilderness according to the directions that God gave Moses on Mt. Sinai, the glory of the Lord came down and filled the tabernacle. God's presence then filled the tabernacle. A great light shone from the Holy of Holies. The cloud of God was over it by day. The Israelites when they were camped would see the cloud and know that God was with them. At night the fire of God shone from the tabernacle. This light showed that God was protecting and guiding these people. They could trust Him and not be afraid. Just as Israel could see God’s presence with them, we too are to remember that God is awesome and powerful and with us today! God sits on His throne in heaven and He is in control of all things!

The first song in Book 3 is Psalm 73. It was written by Asaph the leader of the temple choir during the time of King David. It describes a time that he began to doubt God.

In Psalm 73: 1-3 Asaph said, “Truly God is good to Israel, to those whose hearts are pure. But as for me, I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping and I was almost gone. For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness.”

Asaph almost gave up living for God because he looked around and noticed that those who were not followers of God seemed to be better off than he was. Asaph became envious because it seemed that God treated bad people better than God treated him. It just didn’t seem fair to him.

In verses13-16 Asaph was so discouraged that he asked, “Did I keep my heart pure for nothing? Did I keep myself innocent for no reason? I get nothing but trouble all day long; every morning brings me pain.” Asaph began to think that it didn’t pay to live for God. He just might as well do wrong like everyone else.

Sometimes we might feel like Asaph did. That it does not make any difference if we do right or not. Others get by with doing wrong, yet you do right and it seems like God is punishing us! But Asaph did the thing that all of us should do. He talked to God about this problem. Then God helped Asaph see things differently. He began to look at things the way God sees them. God helped him to see that He was sovereign and that in the end of all time, those who are evil would be punished.

In Psalm 73: 17 Asaph wrote, “So I tried to understand why the wicked prosper. But what a difficult task it is. Then I went into your sanctuary, O God and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked.” Although it may seem for a while that the wicked are winning, in the end God will judge all men.

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Asaph understood that God is sovereign and is in control of all things. He recognized that God was still with him! Psalm 73:23-24 Asaph says, “Yet I am always with you, you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel and afterward you will take me into glory.”

Asaph began to thank God for His presence with him and how God would in the end bring the ultimate victory to those who obey Him! He concluded the psalm by saying, “But as for me, it is good to be near to God. I have made the sovereign Lord my refuge. I will tell of all your deeds.”

So Asaph went back to the tabernacle and began to proclaim to all the people the importance of obeying God. He reminded the people of God’s love and mercy on Israel in the past by writing many songs of praise to God for His power and salvation.

In Psalm 77:12-15 Asaph wrote, “I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds. Your ways O God are holy. What god is so great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles: you display your power among the peoples. With your mighty army you redeemed your people.” God had totally changed Asaph’s perspective. He was no longer discouraged and despondent!

Asaph began to lead the people of God in songs of great joy as he directed the temple choir! These songs reminded Israel how God had been with them from bringing them out of slavery in Egypt to their nation under the throne of King David.

Now Asaph could write with great joy in Psalm 84:10 “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked!..For no good thing does he withhold from those who walk blamelessly.”

Has there been a time in your life when you felt like Asaph and wondered if God is really at work? Perhaps you feel left out among your friends? They were planning things to do that you knew were not what God wanted you to do. Do we desire to always do what is right and please God even when others don’t? God can help us see things the way He does. God is pleased when His children obey Him. Be like Asaph and ask God to help you see that He is in control of all things and that He will give you the strength to do what is right.

But no matter whether we live now or back in the time of the Israelites, God wanted His people to praise Him with songs and musical instruments. Singing the psalms is a wonderful way to worship God. Let's sing a song from Psalm 77:12-14. It expresses what the Book of Psalms is all about--praising God.

Video of Psalm 77:12-14

Did you listen to the words of that song? You were singing about God. Music is like a language. We can use music to tell a story. The Jews celebrated the faithfulness of God through music. The nation of Israel had a right to be happy. They were God's chosen people. They were the nation into whom God chose to have His Son Jesus be born.

In Psalm 78 Asaph, one of the song leaders in the temple, reminds the people how important it is for them to remember their history. Psalm 78:1, 5-7 "O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth…God decreed statues for Jacob and established the law in Israel which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they would in turn tell their children. Then they would put their trust in god and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands."

In this psalm Asaph is reminding Israel that God gave laws for them to follow so they would teach their children and future generations about God's great works and keep His commandments. Often the Jewish leaders would use songs or psalms to remind the people of God's promises to them. The Jewish people sang about their history and the way that God had blessed them!

Music is a way that we show honor to God. When Asaph led the people into the temple they sang. The temple was the sanctuary of God or the where the presence of God was. When you entered the sanctuary, you were talking to God and He was talking to you. Singing the song that Asaph wrote helped the people remember that God is great and holy.

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Music can also act like a medicine to make us feel better when we are sad or discouraged. When Asaph led the people in song he was encouraging them. The same way that the people of Israel were encouraged, we can be encouraged too!

Did ever think about singing your prayer to God? Many of the worship songs we sing in church sound like prayers. Sometimes instead of just saying our prayers we could sing our prayers! It is just another way to show God how much you love Him. Psalm 86:8-10 is a prayer to God. Let's sing it.

Video of Psalm 86

Music is a great way to praise God. Praise means recognizing the awesomeness of God and all that He has done. Music is a great way to learn the commands of God. Music is a great way to encourage us! God wants us to worship Him in song!

Our memory verse is “Psalm 89:1 “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.” This verse teaches us to thank God for His forgiveness of our sin, and the gift of salvation. It encourages us to share the good news of His mercy and grace with everyone. It helps us look forward to the time when Jesus will reign from the throne of David as the King of Kings. Let’s say our verse again together. Psalm 89:1 “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.”

Remember make music and praise to God an important part of your worship!

Review Questions: “Name that Instrument” Preparation: Print the template of pictures of various musical instruments below. Cut the pictures apart on the lines. Place the pictures in a bag or basket. Say: “In this lesson Asaph used many different instruments to praise to God. We are going to see if you can name the instruments that can be used to worship God. We will also answer review questions about the lesson.” Procedure: Have children take turns drawing a picture of an instrument out of the bag. Have child attempt to name the instrument and answer one of the following review questions. 1. How many chapters or songs are in the book of Psalms? (Psalms is the

longest book in the Bible and has 150 chapters. 2. How is the book of Psalms divided by theme? (Psalms can be divided into five parts or books. These

parts are Book 1: Creation; Book 2: God's Help; Book 3: Temple Songs; Book 4: God's Plan to Obey; and Book 5: Praising God and His Word.

3. What book in the Bible is Part 1 of Psalms like? (Book 1 of Psalms is like the book of Creation because it tells about creation and how God meets all of our needs.)

4. What book in the Bible is Part 2 of Psalms like? (Book 2 of Psalms is like the book of Exodus because it tells how God brought Israel out of Egypt and took them to the Promised Land. It tell us that God is our refuge and strength.)

5. Who wrote most of the Psalms in Part 3: Temple Songs of Psalms? (Asaph wrote most of the Psalms.)

6. What job did King David give to Asaph? (He was the leader of the choir and the director of the music in the temple.)

7. What happened to Asaph that made him want to give up on God? (He looked at how the wicked were more prosperous than he was and he became jealous.)

8. What did Asaph do when he began to doubt? (He took the problem to God. He did not talk about it with others.)

9. How did God help Asaph? (God helped him see things from his perspective. He realized that God was sovereign and in the end God would cause the wicked to perish.)

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10. What did Asaph do after God helped him? (He wanted to return to the temple and tell all the people to praise God. He wanted them to obey God and bring glory to His name. He wanted them to sing praises to God.)

11. Why is music an important part of worship? (God wants us to honor him and sing His praises. Music expresses our thoughts and feelings. Music helps us remember the commands of God. Music encourages us. Music can be a way to pray.)

12. What lessons can we learn from these Psalms? (God wants us to honor Him by singing songs of praise that bring glory to Him.)

13. What is the memory verse? (The memory verse is “Psalm 89:1 “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.”)

Bible Memory Verse Activity: “Praising God” Say: “Our memory verse is “Psalm 89:1 “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.” Have students locate the verse in scripture and read together aloud several times. Say: “This verse teaches us to thank God for His forgiveness of our sin, and the gift of salvation. It encourages us to share the good news of His mercy and grace with everyone. It helps us look forward to the time when Jesus will reign from the throne of David as the King of Kings.” Preparation: Print the picture of Asaph and the children of Israel praising God from below. Procedure: Show the pictures to the class. Discuss how Asaph praised God. Have children repeat the memory verse and say it as if they were Asaph or the Levites and were leading the people in praise to God.

Group Learning Activity: “Harpsichord for Kids” Preparation: You will need a harpsichord or lyrical lap harp musical Instrument. These are available on line from Amazon for a low price. These toy harps have a pleasant soft sound and is well suited for young children. Older school age children can use harpsichords with wire strings but will need some adult supervision. If possible secure some song sheets for the lyrical lap harp Say: “In this lesson we learned that Asaph was the leader of the choir in the temple. He used the harp to write songs of praise to God. We are going to learn to play and listen to harp music and see if we can write our own songs of praise to God.” Procedure: Show the lyric lap harp to students. Let them experiment thumbing the strings to create different sounds. If possible have an adult play a simple melody or praise chorus on the lap harp. Show the song sheets for illustrate the finger chording for a simple song or melody. Allow children to experiment with the harp to create their own “songs.” Lead the children to write their own praise songs accompanied by the lap harp. Use as much time as you can allow for this activity. Record the music and song on a video and post on your church’s webpage for interest.

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Group Learning Activity: “Sing a Song of Praise” (Grades K-2) Purpose: Children are to experience praising God. Preparation: Secure simple wooden rhythm band instruments for preschool and early childhood children. These might include sticks, xylophones, marimbas, triangles, drums, blowing whistles, shaker eggs, bells, wooden flutes, etc. Packages of these instruments are available on Amazon. Procedure: Sing the following words to the tune of “Happy Birthday”: Oh, give thanks (tha-nks) to God And tell what (wha-t) He does. Sing praises and be happy. Oh, give thanks (tha-nks) to God Oh, think what God did, What He promised to do. He kept us all safe (sa-fe). Oh, think what God did. God made ev’rything there is We sing thanks (tha-nks) to Him Oh, give thanks (tha-nks) to God (Go-d). For He (He-e) is good. After children can sing the words without too much difficulty, pass out the rhythm band instruments. Demonstrate how to play the instruments on each beat of the words and phrases. Practice playing the instruments on a consistent beat. Sing the above words of praise to the beat of “Happy Birthday.” Combine the singing and instruments to play a song of praise to God. Group Learning Game/ Activity: “Asaph Says” (Grades K-3) Purpose: In this version of the game, “Simon Says,” children practice the different ways Asaph said we can praise God. Preparation: None, optional: musical instruments Say: “We can praise God, just like Asaph did! Let’s play “Asaph Says…” Listen and do what Asaph says to praise the Lord. But, listen carefully! Wait for the words, “Asaph says.” If you do not hear “Asaph says” first, then don’t do it!” Procedure: Children stand together and face the leader. When the leader says “Asaph says…” before a direction, the children follow the leader’s direction. Example: “Asaph says, clap your hands.” (Children clap their hands.) Example: “Clap your hands.” (Children hold still and do not clap their hands.) Use the following suggested directions:

Asaph says, raise both hands high in the air. (Raise hands.) Asaph says, play the piano. (Play an imaginary piano.) Clap your hands. (Children do not move.) Asaph says, clap your hands. (Clap hands.) Asaph says, play the harp. (Play an imaginary harp.) Read your Bible. (Children do not move.) Asaph says, read your Bible. (Hold hands open as if reading a Bible.) Asaph says, make a cymbal clash. (Clap loudly once.) Asaph says, play your tambourine. (Shake an imaginary tambourine.)

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Tell others, Jesus loves them. (Children do not move.) Asaph says, tell others Jesus loves them. (Children say, “Jesus loves you.”) Dance. (Children do not move.) Asaph says, dance! (Dance.) Asaph says, Say your memory verses. (Say verses.)

The object for the player acting as the leader is to get all the other players out as quickly as possible; the winner of the game is usually the last player who has successfully followed all of the given commands. Occasionally however, two or more of the last players may all be eliminated at the same time, thus resulting in the teacher or leader winning the game!

Group Learning Activity: “Things Are Not Always the Same” (Grades 3-5) Preparation: You will need a sheet of construction paper for each child (various colors), scissors, and tape. Procedure: Give each child one sheet of construction paper. Have each child cut the sheet in half (width). Set the other half aside. Have the children roll it to make a tube about 1 to 1 1/2” in diameter and tape it. Next, have each child hold the tube up to their left eye to look through, kind of like a telescope. Tell them to keep both of their eyes open. With their right hand, they should cover their right eye (palm of hand facing eye). Then tell the children to move their hand away from their eyes to the center of the tube. Both eyes should be kept open during this process. A large hole should appear in the palm of their hands. Gather the children together in a circle. Say: “Things are not always as they appear. Even though it looks like there is a big hole in your hand, you know there really isn't one. Sometimes in life, we can look at people or things and not see the big picture. We might think that something is a certain way when really it isn’t. Our perspective is skewed. God wants us to see things the way He does.” Say: “Have you ever wanted what someone else has; or, have you ever hoped something would not work out for someone else so “you” could take his place in doing something you would really like to do? Have you ever wondered why people who are not Christians do not ever seem to have any problems while you do?” Say: “A man by the name of Asaph had similar questions! Asaph was one of the main musicians at the temple, responsible for leading the many musicians and singers in worship to God. Asaph had some questions that really bothered him. He began to look at evil people and notice that it seemed like they never had any problems. It looked like they had everything they wanted, and nothing bad ever happened to them. Asaph even began to wonder why he should continue serving the Lord; but, the Lord in His love and mercy taught Asaph some valuable lessons. We can learn from his experiences. God wants us to see things the way He does.” Have children take the 1/2 sheet of construction paper and cut that in half to make two 1/2 pieces. Take one piece at a time and roll it into a tube slightly smaller than the tube that has already been made. Do the same thing with the second piece. Insert the first tube into the tube the children made earlier. Then place the third tube into the second. You can have the children use tape or gluestick to place the three tubes in place. Next, give the children time to decorate the telescope and have them write today’s memory verse on the larger tube along with their name.

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Group Learning Activity: Praise Puzzles” (Grades 3-5) Preparation: Gather the following items: Bibles, index cards, markers, scissors. Print the following references on separate index cards: Exodus 15:2; Exodus 18:10; Deuteronomy 10:21; 2 Samuel 7:22; I Kings 8:23; Nehemiah 9:6; Psalm 18:31; Psalm 148:1-3. Cut each card into two puzzle pieces as shown. Procedure: Shuffle the puzzle pieces on the table in front of the students. Have students put the puzzle pieces together to form the references. As soon as the student puts together a puzzle, he or she is to find the Bible verse in their Bibles. Have students take turns reading their verse aloud.

Exodus 15:2—“The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.

Exodus 18:10—He said, “Praise be to the Lord, who rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who rescued the people from the hand of the Egyptians.

Deuteronomy 10:21-- He is the one you praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes.

2 Samuel 7:22—How great you are, Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears.

I Kings 8:23-- “Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way.

Nehemiah 9:6—You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.

Psalm 18:31—For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God?

Psalm 148:1-3—Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights above. Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his heavenly hosts. Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars.

Say: “What is similar about all these verses? (They are prayers of praise to God.) What sections of the Bible are these verse found? (Books of Law, History, and Poetry) “Who praised God in our lesson today? (Asaph) Why? (God had shown Asaoh how to look at things from His perspective. He had learned that obedience to God will be rewarded.) (If you have more than eight students in your group, have students work as pairs. You can also make more than one card for each reference.)

Group Learning Activity: “Name That Tune” (Grades 2-5) Preparation: You will need musical clips of worship songs that the students should know to play a game of “Name that Tune.” Optional: treats for the winners. Procedure: Have at least one of the following songs (or another praise song) in instrumental version and song version for students to listen to. You can use a variety of songs – from old TV shows, hymns, oldies but goodies, pop music, etc. Make sure to include at the end though the instrumental version of a few popular Christian praise songs like Charlie Hall’s “Song of the Redeemed,” Casting Crown’s “Life Song,” or Chris Tomlin’s “Sing, Sing, Sing.”

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Divide the guests up into 2 teams, but if it is a large group 3 teams. Each team will send up one contestant at a time and 1 clue about the song will be read. Contestant will then be asked to say how may seconds they need in order to identify that song. Starting at 15 seconds and counting down. Based on how many players you have and songs you have recorded, you can declare a team winner after one or two rounds. To determine an individual winner, have the winner of any individual rounds continue to play until you get down to just two players. Then have the two players face off with 3 or 5 Name that Tune challenges. You may even want to give small prizes for those that guess correctly; make it fun! Here are some favorites: (These are available at Youtube.com) “God of Wonders”; “Awesome God”; “King of the Jungle” from Great Worship Songs for Kids; “I’ve Got the Joy, Joy, Joy;” “Every Move I Make;” “I’m in the Lord’s Army”; “Rock of Age”; “How Great is Our God;” “Peace Like a River.” Have students listen to the instrumental version of one of the above Christian songs (or praise song of your choice). Ask which one touched you more, caused you to feel God’s presence, set your focus on Christ – the one with just the music, or the one with the lyrics?

Group Learning Activity: “Praise Craze” (Grades 3-5) Purpose: To have students create a poem or song of praise to the Lord. Preparation: Each child will need paper and pencil. Say: “The Psalms are like poems or songs. In this lesson we learned that Asaph was a poet and song writer. We are going to learn what it was like for Asaph to create songs of praise.” Procedure: Children can work alone for this activity or with a partner depending on what best fits your class needs. Give each child a pencil and paper. Instruct them to write their very own praise song/poem to God. If the children are working in groups, encourage them to make up a song and have some children write the lyrics, some create a dance, and others create the music. If children are working alone have them just focus on writing a poem and then encourage them to sing the poem if they wish. Be sure to give the children ample time to complete this task. Use Praise Him, Praise Him as an example. Once most children have completed their praise songs/poems, invite the children to share their praises. Remind them that these are praises to God and He will be pleased with them no matter well they can write and sing.

Craft Learning Activity: “Asaph’s Harp” (Grades K-5) Purpose: To help students remember that Asaph used harps to praise God. Preparation: Each child will need a sturdy low box for the harp base. Old pencil boxes with the lid removed work well for this activity. You will also need a piece of corrugated cardboard and some rubber bands. To make the bridge of the harp you will need a piece of cardboard that is the same length as the box and about twice as wide. (See picture at right.) Procedure: Distribute boxes to each child. Like a violin, the elastic band harp needs a bridge. For this you use the sheet of strong cardboard.

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It needs to be about half an inch or around one and a half centimeters wider than the width of your box. Score this that distance in from the edge on one side, and bend it at right angles, so that it is just the width of the box. You can do the scoring with the back of the knife. The extra width that is bent will be glued to the box. The bridge will be on an angle, so flatten out the flap for a moment and measure from the base of the cardboard to the tallest height you will need (mine was five inches) and then rule on an angle down to the lowest height the bridge is to be. It needs to be higher than the edge of your box (mine was two and a half inches). Measure up above the highest point the shorter distance (my two and a half inches) and rule straight across. Cut along this straight line (as my cardboard was quite stiff, the kitchen scissors were better than the craft knife for this). Cut along the angled line. You should now have two matching pieces. Place the two parts of the bridge back to back so that one flap is on the right side and the other on the left. Glue the bridge pieces (but not the flaps yet) and hold in place for a moment until they are stuck together. If this is difficult, clamp together or put something heavy on top until they are stuck. Measure along the angled edge of the bridge so that small Vs may be cut into it at equal distances. The number of cuts you make will depend on the width of your bridge. If you can make seven or eight cuts about an inch (4-5 cm) apart, that will allow for around an octave of notes and the opportunity for playing a good tune on the harp. If your box is narrow and you can only have about four elastic bands, it's surprising what little tunes can be made with these. Making sure that the flaps are bent at right angles, one towards the front of the box and the other towards the back. Run some glue along the flaps to the height of the box sides. Push them gently into place across the width of the box and towards the back. Hold the bridge for a moment as the flaps dry (or clip together with a clothes peg or strong paper clip). Make sure that the glue is dry and the bridge is firm and upright. Stretch an elastic band around the box and secure it in a V. Repeat with the bands until all the Vs have a band. They need to be quite taut to get a good sound. You may need to adjust the bands at the back of the bridge to get the notes as you want them to sound. The harp works best if the bands are all the same. Say: “Asaph liked to play the harp to praise God. What else did Asaph do to praise God? (He led others in song to praise God.) What does it mean to “praise the Lord?” (Praising the Lord means to tell Him how great He is.) God saw Asaph praised Him and He was very happy. What can you do to praise the Lord? (Sing, play music, dance, and pray.) Let’s pretend we are like Asaph and praise God by playing our harps right now.” Allow children to play harps.

Group Learning Activity/ Snack:

Purpose: Children enjoy a snack to remind them to praise the Lord with instruments. Preparation: Serve Horn or tube-shaped snack such as Bugles Corn Snacks. Say: “When we praise the Lord we are telling Him how great He is. Who remembers our memory verse? (Have group repeat the verse together in unison.) Asaph sang to praises God. The temple choir played trumpets. Trumpets are horns. Our snack looks like a horn! Let’s pretend to play our horns to praise God, just like Asaph’s friends! Children make horn noises as they pretend to blow on their snack. How can you praise God? (Dance, sing, play an instrument, pray, etc.) God sees when you praise Him. When you praise God, you make Him very happy!”

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Life Application Challenge: “Sign Language” Say: “In this lesson we learned that Asaph wrote and sang songs of praise to the Lord. To help us remember to praise the Lord we are going to learn this phrase in sign language. Use the sign language to tell your family and friends about this lesson.” Procedure: Here are the directions for the two hand motions for “Praise the Lord.” “Praise” The forefinger is upright and moves straight forward from the mouth. Clap hands. “(the) Lord.” Extend thumb and index finger of right hand to create an “L” shape. Bring “L” shape

diagonal across chest from the left shoulder to the right hip as a royal sash. Use your sign language to tell someone about the lesson this week.

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Asaph’s Temple Songs

Psalm 89:1

“I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.”

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Find the path through the musical instruments of praise:

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Documents

“Musical Instruments”€¦ · Asaph and some other men led all the people in singing and playing instruments to praise God. Some of the instruments they played were harps, lyres,