Scripture:
for
teacher background: Judges 6 and 7
Making
contact:
Have
a large basin of water and ask for volunteers to come have a drink. Observe how
different children/teachers drink.
(Prime one of the teachers beforehand to
scoop up water while still standing)
If possible have a fleece there to show
the children what it looks like.
Exploration:
After the days of Joshua and many wars, the people were living in
the Promised Land, but it wasn’t going well.
They were sinning against God.
So
to punish them, God let their enemy, the Midianites rule over them.
The
Israelites were hiding in caves. They would try and plant crops, but as soon as
the wheat had grown, the Midianites would come and destroy everything.
They
would also take their sheep, cattle and donkeys.
The people cried out to God
for help. God answered them through a prophet and told them that after all He
had done for them to rescue them from Egypt
Anyway, God
decided to help them out although they didn’t deserve it. He sent an angel to a
man named Gideon who was hiding away in a winepress and secretly threshing some
wheat.
The
angel greeted him – “The Lord is with you, brave and mighty man!”
He didn’t
look very brave and mighty at the time, but God could see his potential.
The
angel told him he had to rescue the people from the Midianites.
Gideon first
wanted proof – he asked the angel to stay and eat with him.
He put meat in a
basket and soup in a pot. The angel touched both with the end of his stick and
they burnt up. The angel disappeared.
Enough proof? Not enough for Gideon.
He
asked God to show him by putting a sheepskin on the ground. He asked that next
morning, the dew could be on that, but the ground must be dry.
Well, the neat
morning, there was enough water in the sheepskin to fill a bowl.
Enough proof?
No, Gideon asked God to please do it again the other way around – the next
morning for the fleece to be dry and the ground wet. And so it was!
So
now Gideon was convinced at last.
He got together all the men to fight against
the Midianites. God said to him – “You have too many – send the scared ones
home."
So
22 000 men went home!
Then
God said “You still have too many – take them to the river to drink water and
those who get down and drink send home. Keep those who scoop up water with
their hands and remain alert."
There were now only 300 in Gideon’s army.
They
really needed a miracle! God had to fight this battle for them.
He did. Gideon
divided the men into 3 groups of a hundred in each.
Each man had a trumpet,
clay jar with a fire torch in it.
They surrounded the enemy camp at night and
when Gideon shouted and blew his trumpet just after midnight, they all shouted,
broke the jars and blew their trumpets.
They shouted “THE SWORD OF THE LORD AND
GIDEON!”
The Midianites got such a fright – heard such a noise and saw so much
light that they thought a huge army was surrounding them.
They were terrified
and started fighting with each other and running away.
Gideon
became the leader, called a Judge at that time in Israel
Application:
We learn from our Bible buddy Gideon that God does show us
He is with us and that God only needs a few brave and willing people to win the
battles of life.
Even the little things we do, like drink water are important
to God.
Don’t be woolly in the head – be clear that God is with you!
Reading
our Bibles every day is like putting out a fleece – because God can show us
things in our Bibles.
Be a Gideon for God.
Consolidation
There
are pictures to colour in.
A popular song to sing is “I’m in the Lord’s
army”.
Memory Verse
When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” Judges 6:12
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