Bible Lesson for Kids: Gideon
Bible Lesson Gideon and the 300
The Israelites disobeyed God many times throughout the Old Testament. And here in Judges the circumstances are no different. Once again they turned away from God and have been taken over by a stronger nation, in this case the Midianites. When the Angel of the Lord appears to an unsuspecting Gideon. He has to learn how to overcome his disbelief and rise to the calling God has placed on his life.
Please Read: Gideon’s Little Army in the Jesus Calling Storybook pages: 82-83
Clearly, the Israelites disobeyed God by worshiping other gods. Despite their sin they were crying out to God because the Midianites numerous and powerful people had taken so much from them. In fact they barely had enough food to eat, and the only places they could live were in the mountains or in cold caves. Can you imagine how uncomfortable and scared they must have been?
Gideon: A Leader from an Unlikely Place:
Overwhelmingly, God hears the Israelites once again. He chooses to use a young man by the name of Gideon. When an angel of the Lord appears to Gideon, he is surprised and doubts that he is the best fit. He lacks faith, but God is patient with him and answers all of his questions.
At this time, the people of Israel had built an Idol ( statue/ false god) and were worshiping it instead of God. That broke one of God’s laws. God told Gideon to destroy the idol, and Gideon obeyed. You can imagine that the people were so angry at Gideon for ruining something they loved. Of course God didn’t let anything happen to Gideon, and Gideon became a leader of his people.
The Battle:
In contrast to idols, God was now being served, Gideon and a small army of 300 men would fight the Midianites and save the Israelites. Interestingly enough the men didn’t use weapons to fight this battle. Instead each man carried a horn, a jar and a burning torch. God was not only showing His power to win the war but he was also testing the obedience of the Israelites, Gideon included.
The 300 Isrealites and Gideon gathered around the town of Midian in the middle of the night. Using the darkness to conceal how small they were, the Israelites were able to fool the Midianites into thinking that their city had been surrounded by thousands of soldiers. Their fear, and the surprise attack led to a victory for Gideon and his humble army.
Gideon Discussion Questions:
1. What did Gideon destroy that made his neighbors angry? Why?
A statue of Baal, because it was a false god/ idol.
2. How many men went to battle with Gideon?
300
3. What tools did they use to defeat the Midianite army?
Clay pots, fire, and trumpets.
Gideon Theme Song :
Gideon Theme Verse:
“And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.” Judges 6:12
Gideon Torch Craft Items Needed:
- Clear cup ( 1 per child)
- Toilet paper rolls
- Tissue Paper
- Hole Punch
- String
- Glue Stick
- Tea Light
Steps:
- First, punch a hole in the cup along the rim and punch one hole in the toilet paper roll near the edge.
- Next, using a string connect the cup and the roll together. The roll will be the base of the torch and the cup will be the cover.
- Allow children to cover the cup with different colors of tissue paper to create the lantern cover.
- Place tape in a x 1/2inch down from the top to close off the opening of the roll. The goal is to create a space for the tealight to sit in. Of course you can glue the tea light in but you will not have access to the on and off switch using this method.
- Affix the light to the toilet paper roll.
A Word on Bibles, we have quite a few versions of the Bible, these are our favorites for very young kids all the way to middle school aged kids. Of course God’s word can be accessible at any age but having a version with language that children can understand is vital to their comprehension and spiritual growth:
9 and up : The Action Bible
Ages 5-8 years old: The Jesus Storybook Bible
Ages 1-4 years: The Toddler’s Bible
-Patience
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