unit 7: judges ot7.3 gideon shows courage lesson...the angel greeted gideon and said, “mighty...

1

OT7.3 Gideon Shows Courage ©Beverly Wilson 2018

Unit 7: Judges OT7.3 Gideon Shows Courage Lesson

Scripture: Judges 6-8

Lesson Goal: The book of Judges tells about the time after Joshua led the people of Israel into

the Promised Land. During this time God used judges to be the leaders of his people. In this lesson we will learn about the fifth judge of Israel—Gideon. He was a man who needed courage to obey God.

Introduction:

This lesson about the first Judges of Israel is found in the book of Judges. In this lesson we will learn about the fifth judge of Israel—Gideon. He was a man who needed courage to obey God. Judges is in the second group of books in the Old Testament called the historical books. These books begin with Joshua and go through Esther. Let’s say the Old Testament Books of history together—Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, I Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.

Attention Getter: “Bullies” What does a bully do? He might say mean things or take things away from people. A bully hurts other people and must be stopped. When you see a bully at school you should walk away from them.

Saying mean things back to bullies or hitting them only makes the problem worse. Be sure to tell the teacher or your parents about the problem so they can help you stop that behavior. In our story today we will find out what the Israelites did when bullies came to their country.

Opening Prayer: “Father in heaven, You want us to learn to depend on You for everything. Help us to trust and obey You, even when we think that we know better than You. Help us to remember that we need to trust You for everything in life. Give us the faith and courage of Gideon to stand up for what is right. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.”

Memory Verse: The memory verse 1 Corinthians 16:13 “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage, be strong.”

Lesson Video: https://youtu.be/nxRVlm7Friw

The children of Israel were now living in the Promised Land. Under Joshua’s leadership they had conquered most of the enemies of the land. But God had told them to destroy all the Canaanites people because they worshipped false idol gods. God knew that these people would cause Israel a lot of trouble if they were not killed.

Just as God had warned, their children began to make friends and even began to marry these idol-worshipping people! The Israelites began to forget about God and all He had done for Israel. Their children were even rebellious toward God. They fell into a cycle of sin that can be marked with an A-B-C-D-E pattern. A- Abandon God. First the Israelites began to do evil things. They forgot who God was and began to worship the false god Baal. Soon they were caught in B-Bondage. Their enemies were the Moabites, Ammonites, and Amalekites who would raid the land of Israel and take their crops and herds. When the people of Israel were suffering they would C-Cry out to God for help. They would repent of their sin and ask God to save them from their enemies. God would hear their cry for help and would send a D-Deliverer. The Deliverer was a man or woman whom God would choose to be the Judge who would lead an attack against their enemies. God would then deliver the people of Israel out of bondage. The Judge whom God had raised up would lead the Israelites in worship of Him and God would give them peace or E –ease in the land of Israel for many years. After the death

https://youtu.be/nxRVlm7Friw

2


of the judge the people would begin to be influenced again by the false worship of the Canaanite people.

They would again A- Abandon God and find themselves in B-Bondage. Only then would they C-Cry out to God for help. God would raise up another D-Deliverer and then they would again live in E- ease. This cycle of events would go around and around because the people wanted to do what they thought was right in their own eyes. This cycle happened over and over for about 300 years!

The book of Judges tells about twelve different judges that God sent to deliver His people. The first judge was Othniel, Caleb’s nephew and a great warrior, who ruled over Israel for 40 years. The second judge was Ehud a left-handed man who killed King Eglon and defeated the Moabites. He ruled for 80 years. Next came Shamgar, a very courageous judge who killed 600 Philistines with an oxgoad. The fourth judge was Deborah the prophetess who along with Israel’s commander Sisera led a fight against the Midianites. On that day God performed a miracle by sending a flood and causing the stars to fight against the enemy.

Forty years later God's people were in trouble again! They had turned their backs on God to worship idols. So God allowed the Midianites to destroy their land and make life very hard for Israel. God’s people of Israel would plant their fields and then the Midianites would come down out of the caves in the mountains where they were hiding and steal their grain, kill their sheep, and chase off their donkeys. They left the Israelites to starve. The Midianites would arrive on camels and stay until the land was stripped bare. There were so many men that it was impossible to count them. They were like swarms of locusts devouring the land.

The Israelites were frightened and many fled from their homes. They were forced to hide out in the mountains and live in caves. God’s people were starving! Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help. God send them a prophet to tell not to worship idols but they did not listen. So God had another plan to help them. He chose a man by the name of Gideon.

An angel of God went and sat under the great tree at Ophrah which belonged to a man named Joash the Abiezrite. Joash’ son, Gideon was busy working in his wine press. He was beating out wheat for food. A wine press is a pit in the ground where people press the juice from grapes. But Gideon wasn't squeezing grapes. He was hiding from the Midianites. He was afraid that the Midianite army would ride up and steal his food. Gideon was scared of the Midianites just like everyone else.

The angel greeted Gideon and said, “Mighty hero, The Lord is with you! O strong fighter!” Now Gideon did not look like a gallant warrior. He looked like a man that was very afraid!

Gideon replied, “My Lord if You are with us, then why is all this happening to us? Did you bring us up from the land of Egypt to leave us alone while the Midianites steal our food and animals?” Now Gideon was blaming God for the problems that the Israelites had caused themselves by worshipping the false gods!

Then the angel of the Lord which was really God said to Gideon, “Go and deliver Israel. I am sending you and I will deliver Israel.” God was sending Gideon and He would give him the power and strength to accomplish His will.

Gideon could not believe his ears. He said, “But Lord, my family is not important in Israel and I am the youngest son in my father’s house.”

Once again the angel of God said, “I am very pleased with you Gideon. I will be with you and you will defeat the Midianites.” Gideon did not have much faith. He needed to trust God more so he said, “If I have found favor in your sight then show me a sign that it is really you God.”

Gideon asked the stranger to stay while he went to prepare food. When he came back to the Oak tree where the angel was, Gideon gave him fresh bread, broth, and freshly cooked goat’s meat. The

3


stranger who was really God asked Gideon to put the meat and bread on a rock and then pour the broth over it.

Then the angel of the Lord touched the meat and bread with the tip of the staff in his hand, and fire flamed up from the rock and consumed the meat and bread. Then the angel of the Lord disappeared.

When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the Lord, he exclaimed, “Lord it really is YOU! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.” The Lord replied, “Do not be afraid. You will not die.”

So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it, “The Lord is Peace.” Gideon believed and trusted in God and now he had peace. That same night the Lord gave Gideon instructions to carry out. God wanted to see if Gideon would really obey him.

So God told Gideon that he should go get two of his father’s bulls and pull down his father’s idol to Baal. Then Gideon should burn the idol in a big fire! Gideon was afraid that his father would be mad if he were to take down his idol. But Gideon knew that what his father was doing was wrong and that it was more important that Gideon obey God.

So Gideon took ten of his servants and went at night and tore down his father’s idol! Then he made an altar to God, placed the wood of the Asherah pole of Baal on the altar and sacrificed a bull to God! Gideon had overcome his fear and he obeyed God! God was going to use opposition to strengthen his faith even more!

The next morning the people of the town were furious to find the idols had been destroyed. When they discovered Gideon had done this, a mob gathered outside Joash’s house demanding Gideon’s death. But Joash, Gideon’s father, came to his defense. He said to the mob, “Why are you defending Baal? If Baal is truly a god, let him defend himself and destroy the one who broke down his altar!”

Everyone in the land heard about Gideon and they were amazed at how brave and strong he was. They all began to follow him and say that God was with him! From then on Gideon was called Jerub-baal which means “Let Baal defend himself.”

Soon afterward the armies of Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east formed an alliance against Israel and crossed the Jordan camping in the valley of Jazreel. The enemies of Israel were getting ready to come against Israel again!

The Spirit of the Lord took possession of Gideon. He blew a ram’s horn as a call to arms and the men of the clan of Abiezer came to him. Gideon sent out messengers throughout the land of Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali and called many men to come be in his army to fight the Midianites. Gideon blew his trumpet and many men followed him.

Gideon still had doubts about taking on the mighty army in the valley. So he said to God, “Prove you are going to use me to rescue Israel in this way. I will put a wool fleece on the threshing floor tonight. If the fleece is wet with dew in the morning but the ground is dry, then I will know that you are going to help me.”

The next morning the sheep skin was so wet that Gideon squeezed a full bowl of water from it. Everything else around the sheepskin was dry! But Gideon still had doubts. “Please don’t be angry with me,” he begged the Lord. “Let me use the fleece for one more test. This time let the fleece remain dry while the ground around it is wet with dew.

The next morning there was heavy dew on the ground but the fleece was dry. Finally Gideon was sure that God would help him. We don’t have to guess or wonder if God loves us or will keep His promises to us! God will help us be bold for Him.

4


Gideon knew that the Lord had chosen him and his small army to deliver the Israelites from the 135,000 enemy soldiers camped in the valley of Jezeel. These armies had gathered to rob the Israelites of their food and crops. God had promised Gideon that He would give him victory.

Israel’s enemies were camped in the valley of Jezreel near the hill of Moreh. Gideon had 32,000 warriors from the nearby tribes of Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali who had gathered near the spring of Harod. They were outnumbered more than 10 to 1.

Then God told Gideon, “You have too many soldiers in your army! If the army is too big, people will think that you defeated the Midianites without my help. I want everyone to know that God got rid of the Midianites. So tell everyone who is afraid to go home.” So 22,000 of them went home, leaving only 10,000 who were willing to fight. They were now outnumbered 35 to 1. After those soldiers left camp, Gideon was probably sure he needed every soldier that was left to fight the big army of the Midianites.

Then the Lord told Gideon, “There are still too many men! Bring them down to the spring”. At the spring the Lord said, “Divide the men into two groups. In one put all those who cup water in their hands and lap it up with their tongues like dogs. In the other group put all those who kneel down and drink with their mouths in the stream.”

Only 300 of the men drank from their hands. Only they remained alert and were able to keep their eyes on things. God told Gideon that these 300 men would bring victory in battle and the others should be sent home. They were now outnumbered 450 to 1.

So Gideon and his little army of 300 men came to the valley where the Midianites were. That night the Lord told Gideon, “If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah. Listen to what the Midianites are saying, and you will be greatly encouraged!”

So in the middle of the night Gideon and Purah obeyed God and crept up on the enemy. There were more tents in the enemy camp than he could count. It would be a miracle if he could win the battle with an army of just 300 men.

Just as Gideon was sneaking into the enemy camp he could hear a man was telling his companion about a dream he had just had. The man said, “In my dream a loaf of barley bread came tumbling down into the Midianite camp. It hit a tent, turned it over, and knocked it flat!”

His companion answered, “Your dream can only mean God has given Gideon victory over us.” Gideon could not believe his ears. He knew then that God for sure was going to give him the victory. He bowed down and worshipped God.

Gideon and his servant went back to their camp and Gideon shouted to his men. “Get up! For the Lord has given you victory over the Midianite hordes!” Gideon then divided the 300 men into three groups of 100 men each. He gave each man a ram’s horn and a clay jar with a torch in it.

Gideon said, “Watch me! Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do!” When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all around the camp you are to blow yours and shout, “For the Lord and for Gideon!”

Gideon and the hundred men who were with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch just after the change of the guard. This would have been about 10:00 at night. Suddenly they blew the rams’ horns and broke their clay jars. The other groups did the same. They held their blazing torches in their left hands, their horns in their right hands and shouted, “A Sword for the Lord and for Gideon!”

5


God used this crashing sound of the breaking pots, the bright flash of the torches, and the cry of the men to frighten the Midianites. They thought that Gideon with a huge army was sweeping down on them from all sides.

They were so mixed up that they began to rush around in a panic. They began to fight each other with their swords! All Gideon’s army had to do was stand still and watch! Not one of Gideon's men had to draw a sword to defeat the enemy. Those who were not killed fled back to the river Jordan.

Gideon and his 300 men began to chase them. Gideon sent for the warriors of Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh to chase them. He also sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim to cut the enemy off at the shallow river crossings. They captured Oreb and Zeeb, the two Midianite commanders and executed them. But Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of the Midianites, crossed the River Jordan with 15,000 warriors and camped at Karkor.

By the time Gideon reached Succoth his men were hungry and exhausted. Gideon begged the town leaders, “Please give my warriors food, I am chasing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of the Midian.”

The officials of Succoth were afraid that Gideon would fail so they replied, “Catch Zebah and Zalmunna first, and then we will feed your army.” Gideon replied, “When the Lord gives me victory I will return to punish you with thorns and briars. These men were cowards and refused to help their fellow countrymen.

When Gideon arrived in Peniel, he again asked for food, but he got the same answer. Gideon retorted, “After I return in victory, I will tear down this tower.”

In the meantime the Midianites were escaping into the desert area where the tent dwelling nomad tribes lived. They didn’t expect Gideon to follow them that far. But Gideon circled around by a caravan route and took the Midianite army by surprise.

The two Midianite kings--Zebah and Zalmunna—fled but Gideon chased them and captured all their warriors. When Gideon discovered that Zebah and Zalmunna had killed his own brothers he executed them.

Then Gideon returned to Succoth and taught the 77 town leaders a lesson. These Israelites had failed to help their own brothers in battle and showed that they did not trust God’s leadership. Gideon punished them by beating them with thorns and briars from the wilderness. He also tore down the tower of Peniel.

The Israelites said to Gideon, “Be our ruler! You have rescued us from Midian.”

“I will not rule over you, nor will my son,” Gideon replied. “The Lord will rule over you!”

Gideon then asked that each of them give him a gold earring plundered from the enemy troops. The weight of the gold earrings was 43 lbs. Gideon also received golden chains and purple robes taken from the enemy.

Gideon made the gold into an ephod which he placed in his home town of Ophrah. The ephod was a garment worn by the priests over their chests. Gideon probably had good motives in making this visible remembrance of the victory God had given them. However the Israelites started worshipping the ephod as an idol and it became a snare to Gideon and his family.

During Gideon’s lifetime the land had peace forty years. No sooner had Gideon died, however, than the Israelites started worshipping the idol Baal once more.

6


In this lesson we learn that Gideon's small army could never have brought about such a victory in their own strength. God wanted to show Israel that victory depends not on human strength or numbers but on trust and obedience in God. That is why God told Gideon to reduce the size of his army. Only the men who cupped the water in their hands were fit for battle. God needed men who would trust Him to win the battle for them.

Several different times in this Bible lesson God helped Gideon be brave. God used the fleece to reassure Gideon that He was going to help him in battle. The night before the battle God helped Gideon and his servant Purah to overcome their fears by letting Gideon listen to the Midianite man’s dream that Gideon and his men would win the battle!

Hebrews 11:32 names Gideon as a man of great faith. His “weakness was turned to strength,” and he was man “who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.” Gideon is a great example for us in how to be brave and have great courage. Gideon obeyed God even when it was difficult to do. God still helps people be brave today. When we feel afraid to do what God wants we can ask Him to help us be brave and obey.

Our memory verse is 1 Corinthians 16:13 “Be on your guard; Stand firm in the faith; be men of courage, be strong.” This verse means that we can be brave because we know that God loves us and wants to help us. God understands when we might feel afraid. We can ask God for courage to do what is right, even when we feel afraid. Let's say it again together. 1 Corinthians 16:13 “Be on your guard; Stand firm in the faith; be men of courage, be strong.”

This lesson also teaches us to beware of worshipping idols. It is very important to know that God wants us to worship Him alone. If we start trusting other people or things more than God it will get us in trouble. Let’s read His Word everyday and He will help us be strong in the face of temptation to do wrong.

Remember obey God even when we are afraid!

Review Questions: Live Board Game Preparation: Decorate about 30 paper plates with colored markers designating one plate for the start and one for the finish. Lay the plates in a path on the floor securing them with masking tape. Procedure: Divide the children into two teams and have each team choose a leader. Each team takes turns answering the following review questions. When a child answers the question correctly he rolls one cube of dice and his team’s leader gets to move forward the number of spaces (plates) indicated. If neither team has reached the finish line after all the questions have been answered, have each team take turns rolling the dice until one team reaches the finish line.

1. When the Israelites did evil in the sight of the Lord what did God do? (God gave the Israelites into the hands of their enemies by allowing them to raid their land, take their herds, and ravage their food.)

2. How long had the Midianites raid the land of Israel and how did they come in to the land? (The Midianites rode on camels and they took the herds and stole the produce of the land for seven years.)

3. When the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help, what did God tell them? (He sent a prophet that told them to stop worshipping the gods of the Amorites which was Baal. The people did not listen to him.)

4. Who did the Angel of the Lord appear to and say, “The Lord is with you, mighty man of valor”? (The Angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon under the great tree at Orpah.)

5. When the Angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon what was he doing? (He was hiding from the Midianites by threshing grain in the wine press.)

7


6. What excuse did Gideon give at first to the Angel of the Lord as to why he could not lead Israel in a battle against the Midianites? (Gideon said, “But Lord, my family is not important in Israel and I am the youngest son in my father’s house.”)

7. What sign did the Angel of the Lord give Gideon that he was really God when Gideon came back with some bread, broth, and cooked goat’s meat? (The angel of the Lord touched the meat and bread with the tip of the staff in his hand, and fire flamed up from the rock and consumed the meat and bread. Then the angel of the Lord disappeared.)

8. After Gideon realized the Angel was really God he built an altar. What did he call the altar? (Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it, “The Lord is Peace.” Gideon believed and trusted in God and now he had peace.)

9. What test did God give to Gideon to prove that he would really obey him? (God told Gideon that he should go get two of his father’s bulls and pull down his father’s idol to Baal. Then Gideon should burn the idol in a big fire!)

10. What happened when Gideon got ten men to go with him and destroy his father’s idol? (The townspeople were angry and wanted to kill Gideon but his father surprisingly stood up against them!)

11. What did Gideon do when the armies of Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east formed an alliance against Israel and crossed the Jordan camping in the valley of Jazreel? (Gideon blew a ram’s horn and called the men of Israel to come together to go to war against their enemies. Gideon sent out messengers throughout the land of Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali and called many men to come be in his army to fight the Midianites.)

12. What test did Gideon ask of God to prove that He would give them victory in battle? (Gideon said to God, “I will put a wool fleece on the threshing floor tonight. If the fleece is wet with dew in the morning but the ground is dry, then I will know that you are going to help me.”)

13. How did God respond to the first test of the wool fleece? (God made the fleece wet and the ground dry just as Gideon had asked.)

14. Because Gideon still had doubts what was the second test he asked of God? (Gideon said, “Please don’t be angry with me. Let me use the fleece for one more test. This time let the fleece remain dry while the ground around it is wet with dew.)

15. How did God respond to the second test? (The fleece was dry and the ground was wet.) 16. Why did God allow Gideon to test him in this way? (God knew Gideon’s faith was weak and

this was a way for God to strengthen him and prepare him to trust Him in the upcoming battle.)

17. When Gideon assembled his army, what did God tell him at first to do as a way of downsizing the number of soldiers? (God told him to send home all those who were afraid and 22,000 went home leaving 10,000 to fight.)

18. What was the second way that God told Gideon to downsize the army? (He was to take them to the river and only take the men who drank water by cupping their hands and bringing the water to their mouth. Only 300 men were left.)

19. The night before the battle what did God tell Gideon and his servant Purah to do? They were to go down to the enemy camp and spy on them. They were to listen to what the Midianites are saying, and you will be greatly encouraged!”)

20. What did Gideon and his servant Purah hear? (They heard a man tell his companion that he had dreamed that a loaf of barley bread came tumbling down into the Midianite camp. It hit a tent, turned it over, and knocked it flat!” This sign meant that the army of Gideon was going to destroy the Midianites.)

21. When Gideon got back to his camp how did he prepare his men for battle? (He divided the 300 men into 3 groups of 100 men each. Every man was given a horn and a pitcher with a torch inside it. Gideon told them to follow his lead.)

22. What happened when Giden and his men broke their pitchers, letting the torches shine bright and then blowing their horns loudly and shouting, “For the Lord and for Gideon!”? (The Midianites became very afraid, confused, and started killing each other.)

23. What happened when Gideon and his men began chasing them? (Gideon sent for the warriors of Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh to chase them. He also sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim to cut the enemy off at the shallow river crossings. They captured Oreb and Zeeb, the two Midianite commanders and executed them.)

8


24. What happened to Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of the Midianites? (They crossed the River Jordan with 15,000 warriors and camped at Karkor.)

25. When Gideon and his men arrived at Succoth and Peniel what did he ask the local people to do? (Gideon needed food and supplies for his army and they would not help because they were afraid of the Midianites.)

26. What did Gideon say he would do because of their cowardice? (He said that he would return and punish them with thorns and briars and tear down the towers to their cities.)

27. What did Gideon do to the Kings of the Midianites when he found out that they had killed his brothers? (Gideon killed them.)

28. What did Gideon do to remember the events of the great battle that the Lord had fought against the Midianites? (He had the Israelites give him gold and purple clothing from the enemy which he made into a golden ephod for the priest.)

29. Why was this gold ephod not a good idea? (The people began to worship the ephod as an idol instead of God. It was also a snare for his own family.)

30. After the victory in battle against the Midianites, what did the people of Israel want Gideon to do? (They wanted him to become their ruler or king.)

31. What did Gideon say to this idea? (He said, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son. The Lord will rule over you!”)

32. What lesson can we learn from God reducing Gideon’s army? (God wanted to show Israel that victory depends not on human strength or numbers but on trust and obedience in God.}

33. What lesson can we learn from God encouraging Gideon? (God will give us the courage we need to accomplish the jobs that He gives us to do.)

34. What is the memory verse? (1 Corinthians 16:13 “Be on your guard; Stand firm in the faith; be men of courage, be strong.”)

Bible Memory Verse Activity: “Rhythm” or “Rap”

Say: “Our memory verse is 1 Corinthians 16:13 “Be on your guard; Stand firm in the faith; be men of courage, be strong.” Have students locate this verse in scripture and read together orally several times.

Say: “This verse means that we can be brave because we know that God loves us and wants to help us. God understands when we might feel afraid. We can ask God for courage to do what is right, even when we feel afraid.”

Purpose: Use a rhythm or rap to help students hide the memory verse in their hearts for guidance, protection, and encouragement.

Procedure: Make up a rhythm or rap for the memory verse above. Use a finger tapping sound or clapping sound to emphasize the rhythm as you say the verse aloud. Encourage the children to follow your rhythm sound with clapping or finger tapping. Let the children listen to it a few times before joining in. Once the children have practiced it together and feel confident, let the girls perform the verse rap for the boys, and then the boys for the girls. Some of the older children may even want to create a rhythm or rap of their own and perform it for the class.

Group Learning Activity: “Peace-o-meter” (Grades K-4) Preparation: You will need long butcher paper, markers, or crayons. Tape the butcher paper to opposite walls of the classroom. On one end of room with the butcher paper write “calm and peaceful.” On the opposite wall write “scary and nervous” in jagged writing. You can also make a rating scale similar to the one at the left for students to use during the discussion time. Procedure: Have the children go the butcher paper and draw or write situations, events or places they feel “calm and peaceful” on that wall. Then have other children go to the other wall and draw or write situations, events, or places that they feel “uncomfortable or nervous.” You can add to the

9


atmosphere of this activity by creating a peaceful atmosphere with lowering the lights and playing peaceful quiet music. Have students share their pictures and situations with the class and tell why the place they drew or described is “peaceful” or “uncomfortable” to them. For fun you can rate the different places on a scale similar to the one pictured from Very Poor, Poor, Fair, Good, or Excellent. (Be sure that having a quiet time of Bible study and prayer with the Lord is rated as “excellent.”) Optional Activity: Have children sit in a circle. Turn on a flashlight and spin the flashlight around in the middle of the circle. When it stops, the child on whom the flashlight shines tells a time when someone might feel afraid. Continue giving each child a turn to answer. Repeat the activity, inviting children to tell times they feel peaceful and comfortable. Say: “When do you feel like things around you are wild and scary and hard to handle? (Examples might include: when people are arguing, when there are loud noises, when people are afraid of something bad about to happen, etc.) What kind of things keeps our life from being peaceful? (fear, not knowing what will happen, or other people’s problems affecting us.) Say: “What are some times that you feel very peaceful and comfortable? (Examples might be going outside and enjoying nature, taking a hike, swimming in cool water, resting in a hammock, having a personal quiet time of Bible reading and prayer) Why are these times good for us? (We need rest and quiet to help us calm down and think. Our body needs to relax. We need to take time to talk to God and read His Word.) Say: “God had many names. Did you know that one of His names is Shalom or peace? In our lesson today Gideon lived during a time of great stress. People were scared and were nervous because the enemy was stealing their food. God answered their prayers and sent the Angel of the Lord to call Gideon to be the judge who would free the people of Israel. At first Gideon was full of fear and doubt. However, Gideon felt great peace and joy when he realized that the Angel of God was really God Himself. What did Gideon do to show that he trusted in God? (He built an altar and named it “The Lord is Peace.” Gideon believed and trusted in God and now he had peace.”) Say: “Gideon experienced God’s peace in a hard time. Just like Gideon we can talk to God and He can help us be free from worry. We too can experience peace when we trust in God and obey Him. God is our peace today.” Say: “Gideon believed God and built an altar which he named Jehovah Shalom which means “God is our Peace.” When I say Jehovah Shalom, I want you to answer “The Lord is my Peace.” (Repeat the words “Jehovah Shalom” several times and let the children respond with “The Lord is my Peace.) Say: “We worship a God of peace. Let’s praise Him for loving peace.” (Have students mention one thing that scares them.) “Let’s ask God to give us His peace so we won’t fear that thing anymore. God tells us not to be afraid but sometimes we worry about things anyway. Let’s tell God we’re sorry that we sometimes ignore His peace. We are really blessed. God can take our fears and give us His peace instead. Let’s pray.” (Lead class in pray. Offer the opportunity for students to pray aloud if they desire. End your group prayer time by thanking God for each student by name

10


Group Learning Activity: “Thresh the Wheat” Game (Grades K-5) Preparation: You will need two large sheets of bubble wrap Procedure: Say: “When the Angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he was threshing wheat in the winepress. Beating or threshing wheat means that a person is beating the long stalks of wheat to get the good seed that you can eat out of the dry stalks. The grains of wheat or seeds of the plant are then ground up to make flour to use in making bread. Today we are going to play a game that is similar to what Gideon was doing to crush the wheat with his feet.” Divide the class into two or more teams. Place one large sheet of bubble wrap (big bubble type) per team at one end of the playing area, and have teams line up at the other end. At the signal “go” the first player runs up and stomps on the “wheat” five times, then runs back, tagging the next player who runs up to stomp. The winning team is the one who gets the most bubbles popped after every player has stomped! Note: This game is lots of fun and gets rid of lots of energy!

Group Learning Activity: “Through Me?” (Grades K-5) Preparation: You will need light gauge wire (bendable and on a spool) from a hardware store and soapy dish washing liquid water with a teaspoon of glycerin or a jar of bubble soap. Say: “In this lesson we learned how God called Gideon to lead the children of Israel in a battle against their enemies the Midianites. At first Gideon was afraid and God had to use many different things to shape his life and give him courage. We are going to make some shapes that will help us see how God wants to use our life to do some really neat things for Him.” Procedure: Give each student a piece of wire about 25-30” long. Have them shape the wire into the shape of a paper doll type boy or girl. Make handles for dipping into bubble soap. If students are old enough have them shape their likeness out of wire for dipping. Have students dip their wire shape into the soapy water or the bubble liquid and blow. This should create some very interesting bubbles. As everyone blows through the shapes and makes interesting bubbles talk about how the Lord wants to shape our lives to do some important things for Him. All we need to do is let Him do the shaping. Group Learning Activity: “Down Sizing” (Grades 2-5) Preparation: You will need index cards and pencils. Say: “In our lesson God told Gideon that his army was too large. God told Gideon to down size the group by telling those who were afraid to go home. He also told him to choose only those who drank water from the stream by cupping it in their hands and bringing up to their mouths. God wanted only soldiers who were alert to the enemy to be a part of His army. We are going to demonstrate how God told Gideon to reduce the number of men in his army before going into battle against the Midianites. Let’s say that this group is my army just as Gideon started out with his army. But just as God told Gideon to reduce the number of men, I am going to reduce the number in my army.” Procedure: Distribute an index card to each student. Instruct them to draw a triangle or a square on their card. Continue by saying, “If you drew a square, you will continue to be in my army. If you drew a triangle you are removed from my army.” Guide the children who were removed to another section of the room.

11


Instruct the remaining boys and girls to stand shoulder to shoulder facing you. Ask them to take one step forward. Say: “If you stepped with your right foot first, you will continue in my army. If you stepped with you left foot first, you are removed from by army.” Guide the children who are removed to go to the other section of the room. Instruct the remaining students to make an X or O with their arms. Say: “If you made and X you will continue to be in my army. Guide the children who were removed to another section of the class. Say: “It must have been hard for Gideon to continue to obey God and remove men from his army. Gideon remained faithful to God and everyone could see that they won the battle because of God and not because of their own strength. Remember that we are to grow our faith by being obedient to God.”

Group Learning Activity: “Bible Story Retelling” Object Bag (Grades K-3) Preparation: You will need a brown paper bag to hold the following objects: a stalk of wheat, a bowl and piece of wool fabric or fleece, a terra cotta pot or clay pot, flashlight for the torch, wooden carving or pole for idol, an angel made from a lace hankie or paper dollies, small toy horn; metal drinking cup. (Additional items may be added which relate to story if desired.) Procedure: Have children sit in a circle. Pass the paper sack around the group. Each child is to draw an object out of the bag and tell how that object was used in the story. This activity provides a great review for the story. The teacher should give children hints or additional comments to reinforce the major points of the story.

Wooden carving or wood pole for idol—Israel had disobeyed God by worshipping false gods. This caused them to be held in bondage by their enemies.

An angel made from a lace hankie or paper dollies—God appeared in the form of the Angel of God to call Gideon to become the new leader of Israel to deliver His people from the Midianites.

A stalk of wheat—Gideon was threshing wheat when the Angel of God appeared to him and called him to be the deliverer of the people of Israel from the Midianites.

Horn—Gideon used a ram’s horn to call the men of Israel to come to be in the army to fight against the Midianiates.

Metal drinking cup—God told Gideon to tell the soldiers who did not cup the water in their hands to drink to go home. God wanted soldiers who would be ready and alert to the enemy.

A bowl and piece of wool fabric or fleece—Gideon used these objects to test God to see if He was truly going to help him win the battle. First the fleece was wet and he wrung out a bowl full of water in the morning. Then the fleece was dry and the ground was wet.

A terra cotta pot or clay pot—Gideon gave each of his men a clay pot to take into battle. At his signal the clay pot were all broken making a crashing sound.

Flashlight for the torch—Gideon gave each of his men a torch which was lit and placed inside the clay pot. The torches made a bright light which helped confuse the enemy and cause them to fight each other.

Optional Activity: Print the object picture cards below on cardstock. Cut apart. Place in brown paper bag. Have students draw out one card and tell something about that object or character in the story. The duplicate cards can be used to tell another fact about that object or person in the lesson.

12


Craft Learning Activity: Play-doh “Clay pot or Trumpet Horn” (Grades K-3) Preparation: You will need a plastic table cloth to cover table top, large sheet of poster paper, markers, air-drying clay or Play-doh, and pre-moistened towelettes. Procedure: Say: “To remind us of Gideon’s courage in this Bible lesson we are going to make some clay story objects. What are some objects you remember hearing about in today’s story? (Examples would include: trumpet, water jar, torch, sheepskin, etc. List children’s responses on poster paper.) “How does the trumpet remind you of a way God helped Gideon be brave?” (Gideon blew the ram’s horn and many men came to be in his army.) How does the water jar remind you of a way God used to help Gideon? (This was the way God told Gideon to fight the battle against the Midianites by breaking the water jars with torches in them.) How did God use the torch? (God used the bright shining torches to help confuse the enemy so they would fight each other.) Give each child a fist-sized lump of Play-doh clay. Each child chooses an object from the list and makes it. Ask the following questions as the children work: Say: “What part of the story does this object remind you of? How did Gideon feel about what God wanted him to do? Have you ever felt the same as Gideon? Why? When are sometimes it is difficult to do what God wants? (Examples include: when I don’t think I can do what God wants or when I have to tell the truth.) “It’s not always easy to do what God wants. God knows that sometimes we might feel afraid, just as Gideon did. What verse can we remember in times when we might feel afraid? Read the memory verse 1 Corinthians 16:13 “Be on your guard; Stand firm in the faith; be men of courage, be strong.” Have children clean hands with towelettes and leave clay objects out to dry.

Craft Learning Activity: “Sheep Painting” (Grades K-5) Preparation: Print the template of the sheep pattern below on cardstock. Use the pattern to make a sheep stencil from cardboard. Fill a squirt bottle with water based paint. Each child will need a large sheet of white absorbent drawing paper. Say: “Gideon was afraid and he wanted to be sure that God was going to give him a victory in battle. He laid out a fleece at night on the ground. First he asked God to make the wool fleece wet and the ground dry. Then he asked God to make the wool fleece dry and the ground wet. Today we are going to make a sheep painting to help us remember how God helped Gideon to trust in Him.” Procedure: Place the stencil on a large sheet of white absorbent drawing paper. Have the children squirt the paint around the stencil. Remove the stencil and the white sheep shape will be seen. Each child should allow their sheep painting to dry. Optional Activity: Use the sheep pattern to cut out a “wool fleece” from cotton quilt batting. Have students glue the sheep shaped fleece to a sheet of green construction paper. Using colored markers let students add sheep eyes and tail and make marks like grass around the edge of the sheep fleece.

13


Craft Learning Activity: “Blow Gideon’s Trumpet” (Grades K-3) Preparation: You will need a long cardboard tube (paper towel tube), paper or Styrofoam bowls, glue, and aluminum foil. Procedure: (1) Use a pencil to trace the end of a paper towel roll onto the bottom of the paper bowl. If you don’t have paper towel tubes you can roll up pieces of card stock into tube shapes. Make a slit all the way around the circle cutting the circle in half. Make another slit the opposite way cutting it in half again. Keep doing this until you have little wedge shapes all the way around the circle. (2) Bend the little wedge shapes out as shown in the picture. (3) Slide the paper towel inside the hole, through the inside of the bowl until it is almost all the way down to the end of the tube. Place a line of glue all the way around the end of the tube and slide the paper bowl the rest of the way down to the end. Press the wedges to the tube to secure. (4) Cut pieces of aluminum foil to fit around the long part of the trumpet. Cut a small circle in the middle. Place the end of the trumpet through the hole in the middle. Place the end of the trumpet through the hole in the aluminum and bring the foil all the way up to the bowl and then press the aluminum foil down around the bowl into the inside. Wind a piece of aluminum foil around the handle. Tape the handle onto the long part or the trumpet. Allow children time to blow their horns as Gideon’s men blew their horns in battle. Say: “God used trumpets to frighten the Midianites in battle. Gideon and his men were obedient to God in using very different instruments for waging war. We too should be willing to be obedient to God when He calls us to do a task for Him.”

Craft Learning Activity: “Gideon’s Torch” (Grades K-3) Preparation: You will need thin paper plates, gold foil star stickers, gold sharpie pens, fire colored tissue paper (cut in half sheets), invisible tape, and scissors. Procedure: Add stickers to the bottom half of the back of a paper plate. Draw a flame design similar to the one shown in the picture using the gold sharpie pens. Next, gently roll the plate inward so that it is a tight roll at the bottom but loose at the top. Using the invisible Scotch tape, secure the roll in place once you have position it. Layer the tissue paper varying the angles. Gather the tissue paper from the center and squeeze the bottom so that it looks like a flame. Insert the tissue into the torch so it appears to be lit. Optional: Use a battery powered tea light inside the tissue to make the torch more lifelike! Allow children to hold the torch high and practice shouting, “A Sword for the Lord and for Gideon!”

14


Craft Learning Activity: “Gideon’s Altar to God” (Grades K-5) Preparation: You will need wooden craft sticks, glue, and red, orange, and yellow tissue paper. Procedure: Give each child 16-20 skinny wooden craft sticks. Demonstrate to the class how to arrange the sticks to make a square and put dots of glue at the ends of each stick to attach them together. Have the students make four separate squares of sticks. Stack the squares of sticks one on top of each other. Glue the stack of wooden squares together to form an altar. Cut the tissue paper into half sheets. Layer the tissue paper varying the angles. Gather the tissue paper from the center and squeeze the bottom so that it looks like a flame. Insert the tissue into the altar so it appears to be lit. Optional: Use a battery powered tea light inside the tissue to make the altar more lifelike! Say: “Why did Gideon build an altar to God?” (He wanted to honor God and worship Him. He wanted to recognize that God is the God of Peace.) “Gideon learned to trust and obey God. We also need to always trust Him and obey His Word. That is way we honor God.”

Craft Learning Activity: “Judges Timeline” (Grades K-5) Preparation: You will need one copy of each of the first judges—Deborah, Gideon and Tola-- for each of the students; scissors, glue, crayons, and colored markers. Procedure: Have students color each of the pictures of the Judges of Israel using crayons or colored markers. When finished, have students cut along the outside edge making sure to leave a flap along the right side of the picture. Attach the first three judge pictures together in a long horizontal timeline using the flap edge for gluing on the next picture in the timeline. These pictures should be attached to the previous lesson’s timeline. When finished, be sure to collect the time line for students to add the other judges in the following sessions.

Snack Learning Activity: “Wheat Bread” Preparation: You will need fresh wheat bread or pita bread and honey in a squeeze bottle. Procedure: Explain briefly that bread is made of wheat like the wheat that Gideon was beating in the wine press when the Angel of the Lord appeared to him. The wheat is ground up into flour. The flour is mixed with salt, water, yeast, and sometimes other things, and baked to make bread. In Bible times people didn’t have sugar but they used honey a lot. Children can squeeze a bit of honey on their bread before eating it, they want. Note: Always be aware of children with food allergies and have another option on hand if necessary.

15


Life Application Challenge: Spiritual Journals Preparation: Print the Bible Study Note page one copy for each student. Procedure: Have students record the spiritual principles they have learned in this lesson in their spiritual journals. Lead the children in a prayer of commitment that their lives be set apart for God’s will. Have the children thank the Lord that He desires to do great things with their lives. If there any children who have not yet responded to the gospel, give them opportunity to do so.

16


Gideon Shows Courage Judges 6-8

1 Corinthians 16:13 “Be on your guard; Stand firm in the faith; be men of courage, be strong.”

17


18


19


20


21


22


23


24


25


26


unit 7: judges ot7.3 gideon shows courage lesson...the angel greeted gideon and said, “mighty...

Documents