Sign In Forgot Password

Amos and Hosea

01/24/2020 02:36:51 PM

Jan24

Scott Meyer

Like an apple tree among the forest trees,
That is my beloved among young men.”

 
The students read this couplet from Song of Songs 982:3) as they continued their discovery of Biblical poetry. They head of the concept of parallelism and metaphor and saw how mood can be expressed by words. Many of the biblical prophets’ words are presented to us in verse, and the students saw how the careful use of such words can present ideas that can go far beyond a simple statement. After watching a scene from the film, The Prince of Egypt, showing Moses at the burning bush, they created their own poems about his experience there. Some were insightful, but most were short and sweet!
 
We also discussed the concepts of mishpat (justice/fairness) and tzedaka (righteousness) as they often appear in the writings of the prophets, especially Amos and Hosea. The students learned that, in the times of those prophets, people were performing their sacrifices without paying attention to what God really wanted. Then the students shared their opinions about whether people can visit the synagogue on a regular basis and still lead mean, uncaring lives. They also read about how the prophet Amos spoke out against those who took advantage of honest and poor people taken. Finally, the students shared their interpretations of the words of Amos:  "...let justice roll down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream." Strong imagery for strong ideas.
 
Some have suggested that of all the books in the Tanach, Hosea is the most difficult to understand. It’s sometimes hard to know for sure whether he is speaking in metaphor about something that really happened. Other times, his images and metaphors sound as if they represent something, but it is a matter of opinion as to exactly what.
 
The students created a Mad Libs story about what can happen when someone does not do as they are told or expected. Though the results were often funny, they then read a similar story in the Book of Hosea. God told him to marry a woman who was not faithful to him, and the students saw how this story represented the relationship between Israel and God. They also read Hosea’s words likening the northern kingdom of Israel to a “ravaged vine,” and they began to imagine  what it might have been like if they had been press agents working for Hosea. Soon, they will design posters warning the ancient people of Israel to change their ways before time runs out!

.

Fri, March 29 2024 19 Adar II 5784