A Sunday School study plan for kids by Bible Lessons 4 Kids including large group lesson, small group lesson and family devotions. For more information, please read About Bible Lessons 4 Kidz.
PPT TITLE
Main Point: We can trust in God’s promises.
PPT VERSE
Key Verse:
Some trust in chariots. Some trust in horses. But we trust in the Lord our God. - Psalm 20:7
Props: A small inexpensive statue (or doll) painted gold
Say: At the end of our lesson last week, Joshua died and we learned that the very next generation of Israelites broke one of the Ten Commandments. Ask: Who can remember which commandment they broke? The first one; They turned away from God and worshipped false gods.
Say: The Bible has many names for God. Last week, we learned that one of God’s names is “Jealous” (Exodus 34:14). This use of the word means that God will not stand for any rival. He is the Creator of the universe, the Beginning and the End (Genesis 1; Revelation 21:6). There is none like Him (Isaiah 46:9). There is no one else in His category. He deserves all praise and all worship (Psalm 29:2), and He will not stand for His people worshipping anything else.
PPT CUE
God had made an IF, THEN promise to the Israelites. God said IF they followed Him, THEN He would bless the them and fight for them (Exodus 34:10-11).
It’s like if your parents say, “IF you get a good grade on your Math test, THEN we will go out for ice cream.” But what happens if you decide not to study? What if you think, “Oh, my parents don’t mean it. I’m sure we’ll get ice cream whether I get a good grade or not.” So, you play with your friends, watch TV, and do not study. The tests come back and you failed!
Your parents made an IF, THEN promise. You did not do your part - you did not get a good grade. Will you go out for ice cream? No! If your parents are “just”, and keep their word, you will not go for ice cream. In the same way, there was another side to God’s promise. God had also said that IF the Israelites did not follow Him, THEN He would not bless them, and He would not fight their enemies for them (Joshua 23:12-13). God ALWAYS keeps His promises!
Say: This is a lot like a Mom telling her son, “IF you touch the stove, THEN you will burn your hand.” How many times do you think a Mom would need to tell that to her son? Well, if the son is very small, she may have to say it many times. But how many times would she need to tell her teenager about the stove, before he understood the warning? Hopefully, just once. The Israelites were definitely grown ups, yet God warned them over and over again that they would be punished if they worshipped anything other than Him.
He first told them in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3-6). Then He told them many times in the wilderness (Exodus 32:8-10, 34:15-17, Leviticus 19:4, 26:1-39, Deuteronomy 8:19). Before Moses died, he warned the Israelites that once they were living in the Promised Land, they would forget about God and worship false gods (Deuteronomy 6:13-15). And, before Joshua died, Joshua warned the Israelites not to live with the people in Canaan because they would surely begin to follow the Canaanites’ false gods (Joshua 23:12-13,16).
Ask: Do you think this was a fair number of times to warn the Israelites? Yes, more than fair!
Say: Let’s talk for just a minute about these idols and false gods. Teacher: Show your homemade idol, or gold painted doll. The people in Canaan worshipped statues that were carved by people. Look, here is a statue (or doll) that is similar. I painted it gold so it is nice to look at. It looks kind of fancy and expensive. What if I decided to worship it, instead of worshipping God?
Ask: What do you think this statue can do for me? Nothing! Well, what if I ask it to make it rain outside? What if I ask it to get me a new job? What if I asked it to bless me? It can’t! You mean this thing can’t do anything for me? No! Why not? It is not alive, It is not powerful, It was created by a person
Say: If we compare what this statue can do to what God can do, there is absolutely no contest! There is a Bible verse about this. 1 Chronicles 16:26 says:
PPT VERSE
All of the gods of the nations are like their statues. They can’t do anything. But the Lord made the heavens.
Ask: Okay, so maybe my statue can’t do anything, but how about if I worship it just because I think it deserves to be praised? Doesn’t it deserve to be praised because it is so great? No. I think it is great because it is shiny and has a nice face carved on it. (List some additional attributes of the statue as reasons to worship it.) But, wait just a minute. Now that I think about it, the statue did not create itself. Someone made this statue. If I think the statue is so great, isn’t the one who created it much greater? Yes!
Say: This is absolutely true of God! He is the Creator of heaven and earth (Genesis 1). If we look around, we see all the amazing things He created. He created the mountains, the oceans, the sun and moon, and each of you. There is nothing more worthy of our worship than God is. Yet, the Canaanites worshipped things that were created rather than the Creator. The Bible puts it this way:
PPT VERSE
They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator - Who is forever praised. - Romans 1:25
Say: And then there were false gods. These were not objects, but made up spirits. They were not real gods. They were just imaginary. The people made up names for them and worshipped them as though they were real. Over and over, God warned His people, the Israelites, not to worship idols and false gods. But, as soon as Joshua and the men of his generation died, listen to what the Israelites did:
The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God. They served the gods that were named after Baal. They also served the goddesses that were named after Asherah. So the Lord’s anger burned against Israel. He gave them over to the power of Cushan-Rishathaim. He was the king of Aram Naharaim. For eight years Israel was under his rule. - Judges 3:7-8
After all the blessings God had given them and after all the fighting God did for them, the Israelites forgot God and began to worship false gods. Just like He promised He would do, God stopped blessing and protecting His people. Another king took them over and ruled them for eight years. This is the first time the Israelites had been under someone else’s rule since they God freed them from slavery in Egypt, decades earlier. Even though it was their own fault for ignoring God’s warnings, listen to what happened next:
They cried out to the Lord. Then he gave them a man to save them. His name was Othniel, the son of Kenaz. He was Caleb’s younger brother. - Judges 3:9
Remember, Caleb was Joshua’s good friend. The Bible says that he followed God with all of his heart. Joshua and Caleb were the only two Israelites who were faithful to God way back before they entered the Promised Land (Numbers 14:24, 31). Now, God raised up Caleb’s brother to lead the Israelites, and free them from the foreign king. The Bible says the Spirit of the Lord filled Othniel. He went to war and God handed the king over to Othniel.
So the land was at peace for 40 years. Then Othniel, the son of Kenaz, died. - Judges 3:11
Say: Finally, the people turned back to God. In His mercy and love, God rescued His people, and there was peace for 40 years. Now, it would be great if the story stopped there. But as soon as their Othniel died, they forgot about God again! In fact, this becomes a tragic pattern, or cycle, with the Israelites. A cycle is a chain of events that happen over and over. The entire book of Judges that we are studying tells of this cycle that the Israelites do over and over. Let’s look at the cycle. Teacher: Discuss the cycle, beginning with the top. Say: When the Israelites were under Joshua’s leadership, they followed God. They obeyed Him and worshipped Him. Moving clockwise, point to the correlating entry on the chart. (If not using the powerpoint presentation, explain the cycle by drawing the chart on paper or white board.) But soon they forgot about God and worshipped Baal. Then they were taken over by the king of Aram. The Israelites cried out to God. God raised up Othniel. Othniel went to war and the Israelites were rescued. While Othniel was alive, the Israelites followed God again.
Ask: Remember, a cycle runs over and over again. So as soon as Othniel died, what do you think will happen? They will forget about God again, they will worship false gods Point to the words, “Israelites sin & worship false gods.”
Once again the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. Because they did that, the Lord gave Eglon power over Israel. - Judges 3:12
Say: Eglon was the king of Moab. He got two other nations to join him, and together, they attacked the Israelites. This time, the Israelites were captured for 18 years. 18 years is a really long time. It is longer than any of you have been alive. Just imagine, your family and friends being captured and treated badly for as long as you have been alive. So, in keeping with the cycle, what will happen next? Point to chart. The Israelites cried out to God (Judges 3:15). And then? Point to chart. Encourage the kids by saying, “Now you’re getting the hang of this chart.” God sent a judge, or deliverer (Judges 3:15). This judge’s name was Ehud. He tricked the king of Moab, and killed him. Ehud also led the Israelites in battle. God gave Moab into the hands of the Israelites (Judges 3:28-30). Point to, “Israelites are rescued.” This time there was peace for 80 years. Point to, “Israelites follow God.”
Say: Sadly, the Israelites do NOT learn from the cycle they are in. They choose not to REMEMBER their own history. And, even sadder still, the cycle chart should actually look more like a downward spiral. The Bible tells us that every time the Israelites went through this cycle, their sinning against God became worse and worse!
When the Lord gave them a leader [or judge], He was with that leader. He saved the people from the power of their enemies. He did it as long as the leader lived. He was very sorry for the people. They groaned because of what their enemies did to them. The enemies beat them down. They treated them badly. But when the leader died, the people returned to their evil ways. The things they did were even more sinful than the things their people before them had done. They followed other gods. They served them. They worshiped them. They refused to give up their evil practices. They wouldn’t change their stubborn ways. - Judges 2:18-19
God raised up another judge after Ehud. His name was Shamgar. We are not told too much about him, except that he killed 600 Philistines and he also rescued the Israelites.
After their eighty years of peace, the Israelites chose to sin once again. As we know from the verses we just read, they were even more sinful this time than before. The Lord gave them into the hands of Jabin, the king in Hazor. The commander of Jabin’s army was Sisera. The Bible tells us that Sisera had 900 iron chariots and that he was very cruel to the Israelites. Jabin and Sisera ruled over the Israelites for twenty years. Just as before, the Israelites cried out to God. This time, God raised up a woman named Deborah. Deborah had been a leader of the Israelites. The people came to her when they had disagreements, and she would decide who was right and who was wrong, much like a judge does today (Judges 4:5). The Bible often speaks about prophets. A prophet is a man to whom God gives messages and insight. Often, prophets in the Bible tell what is going to happen in the future. A prophetess is a woman prophet. The Bible tells us that Deborah was a prophetess (Judges 4:4). All of the Israelites would have respected her and would have known she was a messenger from God. Deborah called for a man named Barak (pronounced Baw-rawk’).
Deborah said to Barak, “The Lord, the God of Israel, is giving you a command. He says, ‘Go! Take 10,000 men from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun with you. Then lead the way to Mount Tabor. I will draw Sisera into a trap. He is the commander of Jabin’s army. I will bring him, his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River. There I will hand him over to you.’ “- Judges 4:6b-7
PPT CUE
Say: Wow. This command would have been a really tall order. And, humanly speaking, it would have been very scary. But there are two little words that change everything: “I will.” God said “I will!” I will draw Sisera into a trap, I will bring him and his chariots, and I will hand him over to Barak. The “I will” makes all the difference because it is God who is doing the work. There is nothing too difficult for God. And when God says He will do something, we can be sure it will be done! God always keeps His promises! Because God promised it, Sisera and his army were sure to be destroyed. It was like a gift that Barak was chosen to receive this command from the all-powerful Lord. Let’s read Barak’s response to Deborah.
Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I’ll go. But if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.” - Judges 4:8
Say: Well, Barak was not exactly overflowing with confidence. He did not refuse to go, but he demanded that Deborah - a woman - go with him. We see Barak’s hesitation as a lack of faith in God’s promise. Perhaps he wanted Deborah to go so that she could give him Godly advice along the way. Deborah agreed to go with him. But because Barak put conditions on God’s command, Deborah told him that the victory would go to a woman instead of to him.
“All right,” Deborah said. “I’ll go with you. But because of the way you are doing this, you won’t receive any honor. The Lord will hand Sisera over to a woman.” - Judges 4:9a
Barak and Deborah set out and led 10,000 men up Mount Tabor. When Sisera heard that Barak and his men were there, Sisera led his army and his chariots up the mountain toward them. Deborah told Barak to go down. She announced that God had gone ahead of him, and that very day God would win the battle against Sisera’s army. As Barak’s men marched down, God drove Sisera away from the battlefield. All of the chariots scattered, and Barak’s army killed every single man in Sisera’s army.
But Sisera ran away on foot. He ran to the tent of Jael. She was the wife of Heber, the Kenite. Sisera ran there because Heber’s family was friendly toward Jabin, the king of Hazor.
Jael went out to meet Sisera. “Come in, sir,” she said. “Come right in. Don’t be afraid.” So he entered her tent. Then she covered him up.
“I’m thirsty,” he said. “Please give me some water.” So Jael opened a bottle of milk. The bottle was made out of animal skin. She gave him a drink of milk. Then she covered him up again. - Judges 4:17-19
Cleverly, Jael offered the exhausted Sisera milk to drink instead of water. Sisera told her to stand guard so no one would find him. Exhausted, with a belly full of warm milk, and sure he was safe for the time being, Sisera fell fast asleep. Jael seized the opportunity and killed Sisera while he slept. Soon, Barak came near the tent looking for Sisera. Jael took Barak into her tent and showed him that Sisera was dead. The Bible says the Israelites grew stronger and stronger until they destroyed King Jabin who had been ruling over them.
After Sisera was killed, Deborah sang a song of praise to God.
“Kings, hear this! Rulers, listen!
I will sing to the Lord. I will sing.
I will make music to the Lord. He is the God of Israel.
Lord, you went out from Mount Seir.
You marched out from the land of Edom.
The earth shook. The heavens poured.
The clouds poured down their water.” - Judges 5:3-4
In her song, Deborah also praised Jael’s heroic act.
“May Jael be the most blessed woman of all.
May the wife of the Kenite Heber be blessed.
May she be the most blessed woman of all those who live in tents.” - Judges 5:24
So, it came to be that a woman was given credit for rescuing the Israelites from the cruel commander, Sisera. This happened, just as Deborah told Barak it would.
Application: Barak did not obey God without hesitation as Abraham and Joshua did when God called them into action (Genesis 12:4; Exodus 17:10, Numbers 14:6-9, Joshua 1:2, 10). Barak’s answer was more like that of Moses at the burning bush.
The Bible says that Moses was well educated and a powerful speaker (Acts 7:22). But Moses told God he could not speak in front of Pharoah. Moses even referred to himself as, “slow of speech and tongue.” (Exodus 4:10 NIV) God assured him, “I will help you speak. I will teach you what to say.” (Exodus 4:12) Yet Moses did not relent. Finally, God gave Moses what he asked for. God allowed Moses’ brother, Aaron, to go with him to speak to Pharoah. Later in Exodus, however, we see some disasterous consequences to the authority given to Aaron when Aaron leads the people in forming a golden idol to worship (Exodus 32:1-8).
We can’t help but wonder what the outcome would have been if Moses had obeyed God’s original command fully, without question. Certainly, God would have given Moses the words that He promised to give him. Likewise, we wonder how Barak’s story would have ended if Barak had submitted completely to God’s order. We are certain that God would have handed Sisera and his entire army right into Barak’s hand, just as He promised.
Yet, despite their lack of faith, both Moses and Barak were unquestionably used by God. Surely each man did have some faith. The Bible says we can do great things with faith as small as a mustard seed (Matthew 17:20). At times, we can each understand how these men felt. Another man in the Bible put it this way, “I do believe; help me overcome my disbelief!” (Mark 9:24 NIV) Inwardly, we each struggle with moments of doubt. Perhaps, both Moses and Barak doubted their own abilities. Maybe they were overwhelmed by their great enemies. Either way, their focus was on the wrong thing. Look again at this verse from Psalm 20:
PPT VERSE
Some trust in chariots. Some trust in horses. But we trust in the Lord our God. - Psalm 20:7
The key to overcoming our disbelief is focusing not on ourselves or our circumstances, but on the Promise Maker! When our eyes are not centered on the One who can do all things, our doubt keeps us from submitting fully to His will. When we hold back from full obedience, we will miss out on the full victory God has in store for us. We may miss out on some of the blessings He has planned for us.
PPT CUE
However, even when our faith is not perfect, we must act on the faith we do have. Because he did go to war, Barak is mentioned among the great people of faith in Hebrews 11. Barak is listed as one of those, “whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.” (Hebrews 11:32-34 NIV)
PPT MAIN POINT
Main Point: We can trust in God’s promises.
© 2007 BibleLessons4Kidz.com All rights reserved worldwide. May be reproduced for personal, nonprofit, and non-commercial uses only.
Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®)
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society / Used by permission of IBS-STL. All rights reserved worldwide.
Special thanks to John R. Cross, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, GoodSeed International.
PPT TITLE
Main Point: God uses our weaknesses to show His glory when we realize we must depend on Him.
PPT VERSE
Key Verse:
But He said to me, “My grace is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak.” - 2 Corinthians 12:9
Props: Two pieces of fleece (or faux fur cut into animal skin shape) and spray bottle containing water - just prior to teaching, spray one of the fleeces with water; Two identical glass jars, three large rocks that together fill one jar, three very small rocks, two identical clear pitchers filled with the exact same amount of water (enough water in each pitcher to fill one of the jars)
PPT CUE
Say: Last week we saw the beginning of a tragic cycle for the Israelites. God had kept every promise He ever made to the Israelites. He fought for them and blessed them more than any people had ever been blessed (Deuteronomy 7:14). All that God asked of them was for them to obey Him and worship Him alone. God made an IF, THEN promise to His people. God said IF they followed Him, THEN He would bless them and fight for them (Exodus 34:10-11). However, God also said that IF the Israelites did not follow Him, THEN He would not bless them, and He would not fight their enemies for them (Joshua 23:12-13). God ALWAYS keeps His promises!
It did not take long for the Israelites to forget about God’s goodness, and worship the false gods of the Canaanites. Just as God had warned them, He stopped fighting for them, and they were conquered by other nations. After the people had been enslaved for several years, they cried out to God. In His mercy and goodness, He sent them a deliverer, also called a judge. The judge rescued them from their enemies, and the people followed God. But, sadly, as soon as the judge died, they fell into the temptation of worshipping false Gods again. Teacher: Point to the cycle chart and review how this happened over and over. Again, they were given over to their enemies, they suffered, they called out to God, He sent a deliverer, they were rescued, and they followed God - but only until that judge died. Then they chose to sin and the cycle started all over again.
Last week we looked at one of God’s judges, Deborah the prophetess. Through Deborah, God commanded Barak to lead the Israelites into war and freedom. Barak did not follow God’s command immediately. Instead, he put a condition on God’s command to fight the enemy.
Ask: Does anyone remember what Barak’s condition was? (You may need to give students a clue: He said he would only go to war if someone went with him. Who was that person?) He demanded that Deborah go with him.
Deborah agreed to go, but because Barak put this condition on God’s orders, Deborah told him that the victory would go to a woman. The victory went to a woman when the enemy commander, Sisera, was killed by a woman named Jael instead of by Barak. We learned that complete obedience to God will bring the greatest victory and blessing.
Say: After God used Deborah, Barak, and Jael to free them, the Israelites followed
God and lived in peace for forty years (Judges 5:31). Look at our cycle chart. Ask: What do you think will happen next? (If needed, point to top of chart to help students.) The Israelites will sin.
Once again the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. So for seven years he handed them over to the people of Midian. - Judges 6:1
The Midianites were very powerful and they treated the Israelites very badly. The Israelites even tried to hide from the Midianites in caves and clefts in the mountains. The Bible tells us that every year the Israelites planted their crops and then the Midianites and other tribes came and devoured the crops. There were so many Midianites that no one could even count them. The Bible describes the people like a swarm of locusts because they ravaged everything in their path. They killed the Israelites’ animals. They destroyed nearly everything. It was difficult for the Israelites to even survive. There was barely any food left to eat, and very few animals to work the land. (Point to “the Israelites become slaves” on the cycle chart.) So, we are right about here on our chart. Ask: Who can tell me what the Israelites will do next? The Israelites will cry out to the Lord.
Say: The Israelites cried out to God for help. God always hears the prayers of His people! (Exodus 3:7, 2 Chronicles 30:27) God sent a prophet to remind the Israelites about the amazing things He had done for them by bringing them out of Egypt and conquering their enemies in Canaan. The prophet also reminded them that they did not listen to God’s warning about worshipping false gods.
Then God sent an angel to a man named Gideon. The Bible tells us that Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress. Threshing wheat is what farmers do to separate the good wheat from the parts of the plant that you can’t eat, called chaff. Normally, the separating was done outside. The farmer would actually toss the wheat and chaff into the air, and the wind would blow the chaff away. But because the Midianites devoured everything the Israelites had, Gideon was trying to hide his wheat from them.
The angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon. He said, “Mighty warrior, the Lord is with you.” - Judges 6:12
This seems like a strange thing to call Gideon. There is Gideon, hiding out in a wine cellar to protect a little bit of grain. He didn’t look like a mighty warrior at this point! And we will see in a moment that Gideon didn’t think he was a mighty warrior either. What we will find out is that this name is prophetic. That means it is going to happen. It was God’s plan that Gideon would become a mighty warrior. Because it was God’s plan, it was as good as done already (Isaiah 25:1).
Teacher note: This is similar to Christ naming Simon “Peter” which means “rock” when at that time, Peter was anything but a solid foundation. His doubt had caused him to sink into the sea (Matthew 14:30-31) and in his doubt, he would soon try to take matters into his own hands by using force to stop the arrest of Jesus (Matthew 26:51-54). And, perhaps the most infamous scene of all, Peter would soon deny that he even knew Jesus (Matthew 26:69-75). Yet, Christ said, “On this rock I will build my church.” (Matthew 16:18) By the grace of God, Peter was restored (John 21:15-19) and filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4). By the power of God, Peter became an unshakable rock. He refused to stop preaching the Gospel, no matter what the threat (Acts 4:20). And as we see throughout Acts, it truly was on the rock of Peter that the church - the same church we are part of today - was built.
“But sir,” Gideon replied, “you say the Lord is with us. Then why has all of this happened to us? Where are all of the wonderful things he has done? Our parents told us about them. They said, ‘Didn’t the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has deserted us. He has handed us over to Midian.” - Judges 6:13
Ask: Who would like to answer Gideon? Who can tell us why this had happened to them? The Israelites did evil and worshipped false gods!
Say: God could not have been more clear on this! God did not leave the Israelites. The Israelites turned their backs on God.
The Lord turned to Gideon. He said to him, “You are strong. Go and save Israel from the power of Midian. I am sending you.”
“But Lord,” Gideon asked, “how can I possibly save Israel? My family group is the weakest in the tribe of Manasseh. And I’m the least important member of my family.”
The Lord answered, “I will be with you. So you will strike down the men of Midian all at one time.” - Judges 6:14-16
PPT CUE
Gideon was quite surprised at these orders. He explained that he was the weakest person in the weakest family in the whole tribe. It is as if he was saying, “Lord, you must have the wrong person.” But God said, “I will be with you.” We have heard these words before. God said these same words to Moses (Exodus 3:12) and to Joshua (Joshua 1:5). Now He was saying them to Gideon. Gideon was still a bit unsure about this. He might have thought he was dreaming. So he asked God for a sign to be sure it was really the Lord talking to him. Gideon went to prepare an offering to give to God. He cooked a goat and made some soup with it. He also made a large loaf of bread that had no yeast in it. The angel told him to put the bread and the meat on a rock, and pour the soup out. Gideon did it. The angel touched the meat and bread with his staff. Instantly fire came from the rock and burned up the meat and bread. Then the angel disappeared. So, Gideon knew it was the Lord who had spoken to him. Gideon built an altar to God on that spot.
Say: Remember, the Israelites had been sinning against God. They had been worshipping a false god named Baal and a false goddess named Asherah.
That same night the Lord spoke to Gideon. He said, “Get the second bull from your father’s herd. Get the one that is seven years old. Tear down the altar your father built in honor of Baal. Cut down the pole that is beside it. The pole is used to worship the goddess Asherah.
“Then build the right kind of altar. Build it in honor of the Lord your God. Build it on top of this hill. Then use the wood from the Asherah pole you cut down. Sacrifice the second bull as a burnt offering.” - Judges 6:25-26
Gideon got ten of his servants and did just what God had instructed him to do. However, he was afraid of his family and the men in the town, so he did it at night when it was dark outside. In the morning, the men saw that the altar to Baal was torn down. They were furious. When they found out Gideon had done it, they demanded that Gideon’s father bring him outside. The men wanted to kill him! But wisely, Gideon’s father said that if Baal was really a god, he could stand up for himself. So the men left him alone.
It is amazing that these men were willing to kill one of their own people to defend a false god who had never done anything for them. They were ready to kill Gideon for building an altar to the one true God. These Israelite men had it backwards! The men should have been willing to fight for the one true God, and against those who worshipped false gods. It was worshipping Baal that had gotten them into the mess they were in with the Midianites.
The Midianite army joined with the Amalekite army. Many other eastern people joined with them. Together, they crossed the Jordan River and camped in the Jezreel Valley. All together, over 135,000 enemy soldiers were in the middle of the Israelites’ territory (Judges 8:10). God’s Spirit filled Gideon and Gideon blew a trumpet to call his army together. Many Israelite tribes joined Gideon’s army. So Gideon’s army had formed. The Bible tells us there were about 32,000 men ready to follow Gideon into battle to take their land back from the Midianites (Judges 7:3). Remember we learned that Gideon was the weakest person in the weakest family of his tribe? As Gideon saw the huge army forming, he must have felt very small and weak. He needed reassurance from the Lord, so he asked God to give him a sign.
Gideon said to God, “You promised you would use me to save Israel. Please do something for me. I’ll put a piece of wool on the threshing floor. Suppose dew is only on the wool tomorrow morning. And suppose the ground all around it is dry. Then I will know that you will use me to save Israel. I’ll know that your promise will come true.” - Judges 6:36-37
Say: The piece of lamb’s wool was called a fleece. Teacher: hold up your wet “fleece.” Do not let the kids know it is wet. Gideon laid it outside his tent at night. Lay your fleece out on the ground. Early the next day, Gideon got up and checked the fleece. The ground around it was dry, but the fleece was wet. He squeezed the fleece and the water from it filled up a bowl. Pick up your fleece and let the kids feel that it is wet.
Gideon was still not quite convinced. A trace of doubt was lingering in his mind. We have all felt similar doubts at times. Our minds have a funny way of taking something miraculous and explaining it away. Gideon’s thoughts might have gone something like this: “Maybe there was dew on everything, but it just dried up. Maybe dirt dries faster than wool. Maybe the wet fleece really wasn’t a sign from God at all.” So he asked for another sign.
Then Gideon said to God, “Don’t let your anger burn against me. Let me ask you for just one more thing. Let me use the wool for one more test. This time make the wool dry. And cover the ground with dew.” - Judges 6:39
So Gideon laid the fleece outside his tent again. Teacher: lay out your dry “fleece.” This time when Gideon woke up and checked, all the ground was wet with dew, but the fleece was completely dry. Pick up your fleece and let the kids feel that it is dry. This time Gideon must have finally realized that this was indeed a sign from God.
Application: Even today, the word “fleece” is used as a term meaning that someone is looking for a sign of confirmation from God. God was very kind and gracious to Gideon to give him the signs he asked for. God did not tell Gideon he was wrong to ask for a sign, but we must always be careful not to make demands on God, or challenge God (Psalm 78:17-21). Gideon was earnestly seeking to do the will of God, and he was in a unique situation because he was about to lead over 30,000 men into a battle against an army four times their size. When we sense that God is leading us to do something, there are several key things we must do. First, it is necessary to pray about the action. Also, go to the Bible to make sure the action is in line with God’s word. God will never ask you to do something that is contrary the Bible! Also, talk to your parents and other people who love the Lord and who follow His word. The Bible says it is wise to seek the advice of godly people (Proverbs 15:22).
Say: Gideon’s army was camped just south of the Midianite army. The Israelites numbered about 32,000 soldiers, while the enemy numbered 135,000. Let’s take a look at how these numbers compare to each other. Refer to power point chart. If not using power point, prepare a similar chart on paper or white board. Each dot on this chart represents 100 soldiers. Ask: Does this look like a fair fight to you? No.
Say: God didn’t think these numbers were right, either. Listen to what He told Gideon:
The Lord spoke to Gideon. He said, “I want to hand Midian over to you. But you have too many men for me to do that. I do not want Israel to brag that their own strength has saved them. 3 So here is what I want you to announce to your men. Tell them, ‘Those who tremble with fear can turn back. They can leave Mount Gilead.’ “So 22,000 men left. But 10,000 remained. - Judges 7:2-3
Wow. Well, that is not the direction we were expecting. Now there were fewer Israelites than before. Let’s take a look at how the armies matched up now. Refer to new power point chart. Notice why God sent some men away. God did not want the Israelites bragging that they won the battle because they were so strong. God wanted the praise for winning the battle to go to Him! Ask: How would you feel if you were a soldier in Gideon’s army now? Nervous, scared.
Say: God had another message for Gideon.
The Lord spoke to Gideon again. He said, “There are still too many men. So take them down to the water. I will sort them out for you there. If I say, ‘This one will go with you,’ he will go. But if I say, ‘That one will not go with you,’ he will not go.”
So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the Lord spoke to him. He said, “Some men will drink the way dogs do. They will lap up the water with their tongues. Separate them from those who get down on their knees to drink.”
Three hundred men lapped up the water. They brought it up to their mouths with their hands. All of the rest got down on their knees to drink.
The Lord spoke to Gideon. He said, “With the help of the 300 men who lapped up the water I will save you. I will hand the Midianites over to you. Let all of the other men go home.” - Judges 7:4-7
WOW! Now, all but 300 men were sent away! Let’s see how this looks. Refer to new power point chart. 300 men against 135,000 men. Do you think these 300 men were praying now? Before, when the whole Israelite army was together, some of them might have thought, “I’m not too worried. That Gideon is a good leader, and we have our best fighters on the front lines. I think we’ll do okay.” But with only 300 men taking on 132,000 men, they had to depend on God! Ask: How many of us would volunteer to fight on Gideon’s side in a battle with numbers like this?
Say: Let’s not forget the most important part of the Israelite army. Refer to new chart with GOD in the equation. Now, this really turns things around! Now the Midianite army is the underdog by far! Because God was fighting for Gideon’s army, the Midianites wouldn’t stand a chance. Gideon sent the rest of the men back to their tents, and the 300 men took their supplies.
Say: The Midianite army was camped in a valley below the Israelite army. In order to give Gideon the courage to lead the battle, God sent Gideon and one of his servants to the edge of the enemy camp during the night. There were so many soldiers and camels that it seemed like counting them would be like counting the grains of sand on the seashore. There, Gideon overheard two Midianite soldiers talking. One man told the other about a dream he had. In the dream, a round loaf of barley bread rolled into their camp and destroyed a tent. The man’s friend explained that the bread was a symbol for Gideon. He believed that God would fight for Gideon and the Midianites would be destroyed.
Gideon rushed back to his own camp. He called out for his men to get up because God had handed the Midianites over to them. He separated his men into three groups of 100 each. He gave each man a trumpet and a clay jar with a torch in it. Then Gideon’s men positioned themselves all around the camp. At the same time, all the men blew their trumpets and smashed their jars to reveal their torches. Then they shouted the battle cry, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon.”
When the 300 trumpets were blown, the Lord caused all of the men in the enemy camp to start fighting each other. They attacked each other with their swords. The army ran away to Beth Shittah toward Zererah. They ran all the way to the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. - Judges 7:22
The Midianite army was frightened and startled at the sudden sound and light piercing the night sky. In their confusion, they began fighting each other. Those who were left ran away from the valley. Gideon called for the other Israelite tribes to chase after the soldiers who had fled. All of the Midianite soldiers and their leaders were tracked down and killed (Judges 7:24-25; 8:10-13, 21). The Midianite people never tried to attack the Israelites again (Judges 8:28).
The Israelites were so happy with Gideon that they wanted him to become their king, but Gideon refused.
The people of Israel spoke to Gideon. They said, “Rule over us. We want you, your son and your grandson to be our rulers. You have saved us from the power of Midian.”
But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you. My son won’t rule over you either. The Lord will rule over you.” - Judges 8:22-23
This was a wise response from Gideon. It was not Gideon who defeated the enemy. Ask: Who defeated the enemy? God did.
Say: Now that is a great ending to a story. But, sadly, that is not the end of the story. I hate to mention it, but remember our cycle chart? Gideon asked the people to give him some of the jewelry that they had taken from the enemy. They gave him a large amount. He took the jewelry and made an object out of it. It looked like the apron that the high priest of Israel wore. Gideon may not have intended to do wrong, but it ended up becoming like an idol to the people. He placed it in his home town and the Israelites began to worship it.
Gideon lived for 40 more years after the Midianite battle. The Bible says there was peace during those 40 years. Who can guess what happened as soon as Gideon died? The Israelites sinned and followed false gods.
Say: The Israelites went back to following the false gods like Baal. Next week we will learn about the next cycle of the Israelites.
Application: Many times in the Bible, we see that God uses those who are weak or those who are in an impossible situation to show His power and might. As we saw with Gideon, God specifically chose the weakest person in the weakest tribe to lead His people into battle. Then we saw that God decreased the size of the army, and then decreased it again, until there were just a handful of men up against a sea of warriors. At the time, anyone watching all of this would have shaken their head and said, “There is NO way Gideon’s side even stands a chance.” But God showed that nothing is too difficult for Him. It was all about God’s power, not Gideon’s.
Teacher note: We saw the same principle when God chose an old, barren couple, Abraham and Sarah, to parent a nation (Genesis 21:1-7). And, when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, God instructed Moses to lead them right up to the edge of the Red Sea with Pharaoh’s army chasing right behind. They were trapped. It looked like an impossible situation. This set the stage for God to do what only God can do. He parted the sea, and the Israelites crossed on dry ground (Exodus 14:10-22).
The Bible puts it this way: But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. He chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the things of this world that are common and looked down on. He chose what is not considered to be important to do away with what is considered to be important. So no one can brag to God. - 1 Corinthians 1:27-28
In the New Testament, God told the apostle Paul, “My power is strongest when you are weak.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) So Paul said he was happy in the hard times, when things were difficult. Paul even said he was thrilled to tell people about his weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). Paul said, “I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.” (2 Corinthians 12:10, The Message)
PPT VERSE
Teacher: Demonstrate with two glass jars the exact same size. Say: Let’s say these jars represent two boys’ lives. Hold up one jar and say: This boy seems to have everything going for him. Let’s name him Bobby. Write “Bobby” on the jar with a permanent marker. But our second boy (hold up the other jar) has many hardships, or weaknesses. We’ll call him Sam. Write “Sam” on the jar. Bobby has a strong family life. He has great parents who get along and take great care of him. Hold up a large rock. Let’s say this large rock represents Bobby’s family life, because it is very solid and strong. Place it in the “Bobby” jar. On the other hand, Sam’s family is in kind of a mess. His parents don’t get along and there is a lot of stress in their home. Hold up a very small rock. We’ll say this small rock represents his family life because it not strong. Place it in the “Sam” jar. Schoolwork comes easily for Bobby. Hold up another large rock. This rock stands for Bobby’s good grades. Place it in Bobby’s jar. Unfortunately, Sam struggles in school and his parents can’t seem to find time to help him. We’ll say this small rock represents Sam’s academic ability. Place it in Sam’s jar. Lastly, Bobby has lots of friends. He often has friends come over to play. Hold up another large rock. We’ll say this rock represents Bobby’s strength in friendships. Place it in Bobby’s jar. Sam, however, is actually a little afraid to get close to other kids. He would not feel comfortable inviting anyone to his house to play. This small rock will represent Sam’s friendships. Place a small rock in Sam’s jar. Hold up both jars. Say: All of the areas we discussed - family life, schoolwork, and friendships - are strengths in Bobby’s life. But in Sam’s life, through no fault of his own, these areas are weaknesses.
Now, let’s see how God can turn things around. Let’s imagine that God wants each boy to accomplish something. Let’s say, for instance, God wanted one of the boys to start a club at school so he could share God’s truth with lots of other kids. We’ll say that filling this jar is the same as accomplishing this goal of starting the club and having many kids attend. Hold up both jars. Look at the jars. Ask: Whose jar is closer to being full? Bobby’s.
Say: Bobby has many things going for him, many strengths. Bobby may rely on his own strengths to accomplish starting the club and having lots of kids attend. But in order for Sam to accomplish the same thing, he would really need to rely on God’s power. We will use water to represent God’s power. Hold up one pitcher of water. This is God’s power pouring into the life of each boy. Pour water from one pitcher to fill Bobby’s jar, and water from the other pitcher to fill Sam’s jar. Hold up the pitchers to show that Sam’s pitcher now has less water. Ask: Whose life needed more of God’s power? Sam’s. Say: It is Sam’s life that had so many weaknesses that he could not accomplish starting the club without God’s power. You never know how God’s power might look in this situation. God might even change the weather to rain out the championship soccer game so that all his classmates ended up going to Sam’s after school club!
With all of his strengths, no one would be surprised if Bobby started a club that was very successful. After all, he is smart and popular. But if Sam started a successful club, with all of his weaknesses, people might wonder how it all came together. When God does something that only God can do, He will get the praise. The Bible tells us we should want people to look at us less, and look at God more (John 3:30).
Say: Now, there is nothing wrong with having strengths. God equips each person some strengths and allows each person to have some weaknesses. At different times, we will feel we have more strengths or more weaknesses than at other times. Don’t be discouraged by your weaknesses or difficult times. Instead, rejoice at the opportunity for God’s power to fill your life! Remember, no matter what you are going through - family illness, death of a loved one, parents fighting, being made fun of at school, hard time with grades, hard time with friends - when we are weak, God is strong. When we can’t, God can. When we are unable, God is more than able! And then, as it should be, God will receive the glory He deserves.
PPT MAIN POINT
Main Point: God uses our weaknesses to show His glory when we realize we must depend on Him.
© 2007 BibleLessons4Kidz.com All rights reserved worldwide. May be reproduced for personal, nonprofit, and non-commercial uses only.
Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®)
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society / Used by permission of IBS-STL. All rights reserved worldwide.
Special thanks to John R. Cross, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, GoodSeed International.
PPT TITLE
Main Point: Anyone who chooses to follow God will become a part of God’s family.
PPT VERSE
Key Verse:
Where you go I’ll go. Where you stay I’ll stay. Your people will be my people. Your God will be my God. - Ruth 1:16b
Props: a tarnished silver spoon or other silver object, silver polish and rag
Say: God had led His people, the Israelites, into the land He had promised to give them. We call this land the Promised Land. Joshua led the people, and God fought for them and blessed them. But after Joshua and the people his age had died, the Israelites forgot about all the amazing things God had done for them. They began to worship the false gods of the people who were in the Promised Land before them. God warned them that this would happen, but the stubborn people did not listen to the warnings. So God stopped fighting for them and their enemies made them slaves. Each time the Israelites were in trouble, they called out to God. Each time, God sent a judge to rescue them. This happened many times. We call this the period of the judges. The Bible tells us an interesting story that happened during this period of time.
There wasn’t enough food in the land of Judah. So a man went to live in the country of Moab for a while. He was from Bethlehem in Judah. His wife and two sons went with him. The man’s name was Elimelech. His wife’s name was Naomi. The names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. - Ruth 1b-2a
Say: We learned in the book of Judges that the Israelites continually turned their backs on God. Their sin caused a land that once had been abundant, flowing with milk and honey, to be a difficult place to survive in. At this time there was a terrible famine in the land. There was not enough food to eat. Instead of turning from their sin, Elimelech took his wife, Naomi, and their two sons, to a place where there was food to eat. Teacher: Point to the city of Bethlehem near the Dead Sea in the land of Judah, and show the route to Moab. They probably traveled north, across the Jordan River, then south. They left the Promised Land that God had given to the Israelites. When they came to the land of Moab, they settled there. Moab was one of Lot’s sons. Lot was Abraham’s nephew. The land of Moab is where Lot’s descendants lived.
Sadly, Elimelech died while they were living in the land of Moab. So Naomi was left with her two sons. Her sons married two women from Moab. Their names were Orpah and Ruth. Orpah and Ruth were Moabites, from the line of Lot. They were not Israelites. After they had lived in Moab for about 10 years, Mahlon and Kilion also died. So, Naomi had lost her husband and both of her sons.
While Naomi was in Moab, she heard that the Lord had helped his people. He had begun to provide food for them again. So Naomi and her daughters-in-law prepared to go from Moab back to her home. - Ruth 1:6
God provided food for the Israelites back in the Promised Land, so Naomi decided to return to her homeland. Orpah and Ruth planned to go with her.
Naomi spoke to her two daughters-in-law. “Both of you go back,” she said. “Each of you go to your own mother’s home. You were kind to your husbands, who have died. You have also been kind to me. So may the Lord be just as kind to you. May he help each of you find a secure place in the home of another husband. May he give you peace and rest.” - Ruth 1:8-9
Naomi kissed them good-bye. Orpah and Ruth cried and said they wanted to go with her. Both of the women were still young, and Naomi told them they should each go back to the home of their parents and find another husband. In Old Testament times, women could not have a job to support themselves. They each needed a husband who could take care of them. Naomi said something funny. She said she wasn’t going to have anymore sons for them to marry, so why would they want to go with her? The women cried some more, then Orpah kissed Naomi and went home to her parents. But Ruth refused to leave Naomi.
But Ruth replied, “Don’t try to make me leave you and go back. Where you go I’ll go. Where you stay I’ll stay. Your people will be my people. Your God will be my God. Where you die I’ll die. And there my body will be buried. I won’t let anything except death separate you from me. If I do, may the Lord punish me greatly.” - Ruth 1:16-17
Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, so she let her come along. They arrived in Bethlehem at harvest time. Soon, everyone was talking about them. They couldn’t believe Naomi was back. Naomi said she was terribly sad about her husband and sons. She said they should not call her Naomi, which means “my delight,” but they should name her Mara, which means “bitterness.”
Application: Ruth who was a widow herself, did not pity herself or look out for her own good. She did not go to look for a new husband who could meet her needs. Instead, Ruth left her home, her family, her friends, and all that was familiar to her to go with her mother-in-law. Ruth knew Naomi was too old to marry another man who could take care of her. Ruth was dedicated to caring for her mother-in-law who was a widow. God is very pleased when we take care of those who can not care for themselves. James 1:27 says, “Here are the kinds of beliefs that God our Father accepts as pure and without fault. When widows and children who have no parents are in trouble, take care of them.”
With no men to take care of them, Ruth knew she needed to go find food for Naomi and herself. She told Naomi she was going to go into a field and walk behind the harvesters. The harvesters were either servants or men that the land owner had hired to pick his grain. The harvesters would pick the best pieces of grain for their master to sell at market. Ruth would pick up any of the grain that was left behind. This grain would not be the best pieces, but it would certainly feed Naomi and Ruth. Picking up the leftover grain was called “gleaning.” Ruth set out, hoping that someone would be kind enough to let her glean in his field.
As it turned out, Ruth ended up gathering grain in the field belonging to a man named Boaz. Boaz was a relative of Ruth’s father-in-law, Elimelech. After Ruth had gleaned grain all morning, Boaz came to check on his harvesters. He noticed Ruth, and asked his foreman who she was. The foreman told Boaz that she was Naomi’s daughter-in-law from Moab. He also told Boaz that Ruth had asked permission to glean there, and that she had worked very hard all day. Boaz went to meet Ruth. He told her to stay in his field. He warned his men not to harm her. He told Ruth to drink his water when she was thirsty. Ruth was very surprised by his kindness to her. She asked Boaz why he was so kind to her even though she was a foreigner.
Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband - how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” - Ruth 2:11-12
At mealtime, Boaz invited Ruth to eat with the harvesters. She had more than enough to eat. Boaz then told his men to leave some stalks of the good grain for Ruth to gather. Ruth gathered until night time. She took the grain back to show Naomi. She also took her leftover food to Naomi. Naomi was very excited to see what Ruth had gleaned that day. She asked Ruth who had been so generous to her. Naomi recognized Boaz’s name and prayed blessings over him. So Ruth returned to Boaz’s field every day until the harvest was finished.
Application: Boaz was also determined to follow God’s commands concerning widows. Deuteronomy 24:19 says, “When you are gathering crops in your field, you might leave some grain behind by mistake. Don’t go back to get it. Leave it for outsiders and widows. Leave it for children whose fathers have died. Then the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do.” Boaz went out of his way to take care of two widows - Ruth and Naomi. Did you hear the promise in this verse? God promises to bless those who take care of widows and orphans. God ALWAYS keeps His promises! Listen for the blessings as we continue our story.
Let’s take a moment to talk about the word restore because it has to do with the next part of our story. Restore means to bring something back to its original condition. Look at this silver spoon. When the silver company made it, it was perfectly clean and bright. Its original condition was shiny and beautiful. But over the years, it has become tarnished. This dark stain has crept over it, and now it looks dirty and dull. Water won’t wash this off. This takes a special cleaner called silver polish. Teacher: dip the spoon in silver polish, or wipe polish on with a rag. Polish for a few moments, then show the shiny spoon to the students. Say: The polish is working. The spoon is being restored. It is becoming like it used to be. Keep the word restore in mind as we return to our story.
One day Naomi said she should try to find a new husband for Ruth. Naomi told Ruth to bathe and put on perfume, and then go visit Boaz, because he was a kinsman-redeemer of theirs. A kinsman is a relative. And to redeem means to restore, or make right, the way it used to be. Therefore, a kinsman-redeemer was a relative who was supposed to restore something.
In the law that God gave to Moses, God gave clear instructions about how a man could restore something that his relative lost or sold. For example, if an Israelite person became poor and had to sell all of his property to pay his debts, his closest relative could come and buy back the land. That way, the relative had “restored” the man’s home and land (Leviticus 25:25). Similarly, if a man was desperate and sold himself into slavery, his closest relative could come and pay the price to free him. The relative would have bought back, or “restored,” the person’s freedom (Leviticus 25:48). Also, if a man died before he had any children, it was the closest relative’s duty to marry the man’s widow and have a son. That son would be named after the first husband, so that his name would be carried on. In that way, the second man would have “restored” or “redeemed” his relative’s name that would have been lost otherwise.
Ruth obeyed Naomi and went to visit Boaz. Ruth mentioned to Boaz that he was a kinsman-redeemer to her. Boaz was happy that Ruth was willing to marry him. But he told her that he was not the closest relative to Elimelech. There was one who was closer. Boaz said he would go to talk to him in the morning. If the other relative did not want to redeem Ruth, Boaz promised that he would marry her. Then Boaz sent a gift of barley grain back to Naomi.
Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat there. When the kinsman-redeemer he had mentioned came along, Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down. - Ruth 4:1
Boaz also asked ten elders to sit with them. He began to tell his relative about Naomi and Ruth. He said that Naomi was going to sell the land that had belonged to her husband. Boaz told the relative that he was first in line to buy it, and Boaz was next in line. The land sounded good to the relative and he said he would redeem it by buying it. Boaz told him that on the day he bought the land, he would also have to marry Ruth. Then the property would remain in the name of Elimelech and his sons. The relative did not like that part of the deal, because it would cause problems with the land he already owned. The relative told Boaz to buy the land and marry Ruth himself.
Then Boaz spoke to the elders and all of the people. He said, “Today you are witnesses. You have seen that I have bought land from Naomi. I have bought all of the property that had belonged to Elimelech, Kilion and Mahlon. “I’ve also taken Ruth, who is from Moab, to become my wife. She is Mahlon’s widow. I’ve decided to get married to her so the dead man’s name will stay with his property. Now his name won’t disappear from his family line. It won’t disappear from the town records. Today you are witnesses!” - Ruth 4:9-10
The elders prayed blessings over Boaz and Ruth. They asked the Lord to give them many children. They prayed that Boaz would be an important man in Bethlehem. So Boaz and Ruth were married, and God blessed them with a son.
After his birth, the women said to Naomi: Praise the LORD! Today he has given you a grandson to take care of you. We pray that the boy will grow up to be famous everywhere in Israel. He will make you happy and take care of you in your old age, because he is the son of your daughter-in-law. And she loves you more than seven sons of your own would love you. Naomi loved the boy and took good care of him. The neighborhood women named him Obed, but they called him “Naomi’s Boy.” - Ruth 4:14-17a CEV
Ask: What do you think became of that boy? Listen to the next verse in Ruth:
When Obed grew up he had a son named Jesse, who later became the father of King David. - Ruth 4:117b CEV
Obed’s grandson was King David! He was one of the greatest kings the Israelites ever had. He even wrote part of the Bible! God called him, “A man after My own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14). Indeed the prayers of the elders were answered. David had a son, and his son had a son, and his son had a son. Many generations later, Joseph was born into this family line. This is the Joseph who took a young Hebrew woman named Mary to be his wife. This is the Joseph who was blessed to raise Jesus, the very son of God.
Application: Who would have imagined that God would use a girl from Moab to be part of Jesus’ heritage? Ruth was born in a country that worshipped false gods (Ruth 1:15). She was raised by people who did not acknowledge the one true God. She was not one of God’s chosen people. But she chose to follow God. She refused to return to her people and to their gods (Ruth 1:16). She believed in God and trusted that He would provide for her (Ruth 2:12). And she was faithful to God’s people (Ruth 1:8, 2:11).
This is an example of how God looks at the heart (1 Chronicles 28:9). It is far more important to God that we trust in Him than what family or nation we were born in. Our belief and dependence on Him is what makes us right with Him (Genesis 15:6). The Israelites were God’s chosen people, not because they were special, strong, or talented, but simply because God loved them (Deuteronomy 7:6-8). To us, it would seem that anyone born an Israelite would be right with Him. But God said most of them did not trust in Him, so they were not part of Him (Romans 11:19-20). On the other hand, God accepts anyone who trusts that He sent His perfect Son to die for us, and then raised Him from the dead (Romans 4:23-24).
The story of Ruth and Boaz is a picture of God paying the price to restore our relationship with Him. Just as Boaz paid a price to bring Ruth back into the family and give her a lasting inheritance, Jesus paid a price for us.
Galatians 4:4-5 says that when the time was right, God sent His Son, to redeem us, to give us all the rights that a son would have. Titus 2:14 tells us that Jesus gave Himself to redeem us from all wickedness, to make us pure and make us His very own.
When we chose to sin, our relationship with God became tarnished. It was no longer the way God had intended it to be. Our sin came between us and God (Isaiah 59:2). Because of our sin, we deserved punishment (Romans 6:23). We deserved to be separated from God forever (Revelation 20:14-15). Jesus came to restore what was tarnished, to make things the way God had intended them to be.
There are two qualifications that must be met in order for a kinsman-redeemer to redeem. He must have the means to pay off the debt or buy the land, and he must choose to do so. Jesus meets both of these requirements. He had what it took to pay our sin debt. God would only accept a perfect, sinless sacrifice (1 Peter 1:19). And Jesus willingly chose to die on the cross to take away the sins of all who would believe (John 10:18). Jesus is our kinsman-redeemer. He paid the price to free us from our sin and our punishment.
The blood of Christ set you free from an empty way of life. You know that you were not bought with things that can pass away, like silver or gold. Instead, you were bought by the priceless blood of Christ. He is a perfect lamb. He doesn’t have any flaws at all. - 1 Peter 1:18a,19
PPT MAIN POINT
Main Point: Anyone who chooses to follow God will become a part of God’s family.
© 2007 BibleLessons4Kidz.com All rights reserved worldwide. May be reproduced for personal, nonprofit, and non-commercial uses only.
Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®)
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society / Used by permission of IBS-STL. All rights reserved worldwide.
Special thanks to John R. Cross, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, GoodSeed International.
PPT TITLE
Main Point: God always hears and answers the cries of His people.
PPT VERSE
Key Verse:
Then they got rid of the strange gods that were among them. They served the Lord. And He couldn’t stand to see Israel suffer anymore. - Judges 10:16
Props: long wig, bunch of grapes, picture of grave or tombstone; several cups, each with about a tablespoon of honey and a popsicle stick for dipping
Ask: Who can remember the name of the judge, or deliverer, that we studied about last week? Gideon
Say: Last week we learned about Gideon. God told Gideon to lead the Israelites in battle against their savage enemy, the Midianites. There were 135,000 Midianite soldiers. But God told Gideon to send all but 300 of his soldiers home. Miraculously, God caused the Midianite army to fight against themselves, and Gideon’s army was victorious.
Ask: Does anyone remember why God chose to shrink Gideon’s army down to only 300 men? So the Israelites couldn’t take credit for winning the battle, So the Israelites would know that God fought for them.
Say: God did not want the Israelites to think they were so great at fighting that they could win a battle over 135,000 men. God set up the battle so that it was humanly impossible to win. Then, when they did win, there was no mistake that God did the fighting for them. The main point of our lesson last week was: God uses our weaknesses to show His power.
The Israelites wanted Gideon to be their king. Gideon wisely refused to become the king of the Israelites, saying that the Lord was the only leader they needed. After Gideon died, one of his sons, Abimelech, decided he should become king. Abimelech was a wicked man who murdered his own family in order to gain power. His reign was full of violence and he died a violent death at the hands of a woman (Judges 9).
God raised up many judges to save and lead the Israelites after their sin caused them to fall into enemy hands. The Bible tells us very little about some of these judges. We are told that after Abimelech died, God sent Tola to save Israel and he led them for 23 years. After Tola, there was Jair who led Israel for 22 years.
After Jair died, the Israelites did it again! Again, they chose to abandon God and follow the false gods that the people around them worshipped. This made God very angry. He allowed the Philistines and the Ammonites to take over the Israelites. They ruled very harshly over the Israelites for 18 years. So, once again, the Israelites called out to God for help. In reply, God gave His people a long list of the enemies He had already saved them from. Listen to what God said next:
“But you have deserted Me. You have served other gods. So I will not save you anymore. Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you get into trouble!” - Judges 10:13-14
The Israelites certainly deserved that comment!
But the people of Israel replied to the Lord. They said, “We have sinned. Do to us what you think is best. But please save us now.” Then they got rid of the strange gods that were among them. They served the Lord. And He couldn’t stand to see Israel suffer anymore. - Judges 10:15-16
Don’t miss the heart of God in this verse. He can’t stand to see His children suffer - even when it is caused by their own sinful choices. Just like a dad and his child, no matter what the child has done, the dad can’t stand to see the child suffer. The Israelites certainly deserved to suffer, but God is love. He is full of mercy, and His heart breaks when He sees His children suffering. God sent another judge. His name was Jephthah. Jephthah was a mighty warrior, but he was outcast from his own family. God’s Spirit was on Jephthah, and he led the Israelite armies to victory over their enemy, the Ammonites. Jephthah led Israel for six years before he died. After Jephthah, came Ibzan, who led the Israelites for seven years. Then Elon led them for ten years, and Abdon led for eight years.
We are tempted to think, “What is wrong with those Israelites? When will they ever learn?” But, we are very much like them. Because each of us has a sin nature, we continue to sin, no matter how many times we vow not to (Romans 7:19). As soon as the Israelites turned back to the Lord, He was eager to help them. Likewise, when we confess our sins to God, He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and make us pure (1 John 1:9). Jesus described God, as a father who paces back and forth, looking down a dusty road, waiting - with open arms - for his wandering child to return to him. And when the child returns, God is overjoyed to have him home (Luke 15:11-32).
Say: After Gideon died, the Israelites continued in their sin cycle. Because of His love and mercy, God could not stand to see His people suffer (Judges 10:16). He sent a deliverer to save them every time they cried out to Him for help. The Bible lists six judges who led the Israelites for several decades after Gideon. Then we are introduced to the most interesting, though not the most godly, of the judges, Samson.
Once again, the Israelites had sinned and turned away from God. This time, God allowed the Philistines to take them over. The Philistines ruled over the Israelites for 40 years.
There was an Israelite man named Manoah. His wife was not able to have children. One day, an angel of the Lord appeared to her.
The angel of the Lord appeared to Manoah’s wife. He said, “You are not able to have children. But you are going to become pregnant. You will have a baby boy. Make sure you do not drink any kind of wine. Also make sure you do not eat anything that is ‘unclean.’ You will become pregnant. You will have a son. He must not use a razor on his head. He must not cut his hair. That is because the boy will be a Nazirite. He will be set apart to God from the day he is born. He will begin to save Israel from the power of the Philistines.” - Judges 13:3-5
A Nazirite was a person who was set apart to serve God. There were three rules a man or woman had to follow to be a Nazirite. Show your grapes, wig, and tombstone when you mention each item. (1) He or she could not eat or drink anything that came from the grapevine. This meant they could not drink juice or wine, and they could not even eat grapes or raisins. (2) They were not allowed to cut their hair at all. Men could not cut their beards either. (3) And they had to stay away from dead bodies and graves - even those of their family members. (Numbers 6:1-21)
Manoah’s wife ran to tell her husband about the amazing messenger from God. Manoah prayed that God would send the angel back to tell them how to raise their son. Manoah and his wife sought wisdom from God. The Bible tells us that if we need wisdom we should ask God for it and He will give it to us freely. He will never be angry with us for asking for wisdom (James 1:5). So, God sent the angel back to Manoah and his wife. The angel told Manoah that his wife should not eat or drink anything that came from grapevines. She must not drink wine or eat anything that was considered unclean.
Manoah sacrificed a burnt offering to the Lord that day.
Later, the woman had a baby boy. She named him Samson. As he grew up, the Lord blessed him. The Spirit of the Lord began to work in his life. - Judges 13:24-25a
Even as a very young boy, the Spirit of God was at work in Samson’s life. He had parents who obeyed God and wanted to raise their son according to God’s word. God blessed Samson.
One day, after Samson had grown into a young man, he saw a woman who caught his eye.
Samson went down to Timnah. There he saw a young Philistine woman. When he returned, he spoke to his father and mother. He said, “I’ve seen a Philistine woman in Timnah. Get her for me. I want her to be my wife.” - Judges 14:1-2
Ask: Did anyone hear where this woman was from? She was a Philistine.
Say: The Philistines were the enemy of Samson’s people. Samson’s parents were upset about this. They encouraged Samson to find a wife among the Israelite women instead. But Samson insisted that the Philistine woman was the right one for him. We come across a very interesting verse right here.
Samson’s parents didn’t know that the Lord wanted things to happen that way. He was working out his plans against the Philistines. That’s because the Philistines were ruling over Israel at that time. - Judges 14:4
God wanted Samson to like this woman. God was going to use this situation to confront the Philistines because they were ruling over His people.
So Samson and his parents went back to the town where he saw the woman. As they approached the vineyards of the town, Samson must have been some distance away from his parents. The Bible says that a young lion suddenly came roaring toward Samson.
Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Samson with power. He tore the lion apart with his bare hands. He did it as easily as he might have torn a young goat apart. But he didn’t tell his father or mother what he had done. - Judges 14:6
Then Samson went and talked to the young woman. He liked her very much. Samson went home, and some time later, he returned to her town to marry her. On the way, he turned off the road to look at the dead body of the lion he had killed. Bees had made a beehive in the lion’s skeleton. The hive was full of honey. Samson stuck his hand inside and got some of the honey. Now, wait just a minute. Do you remember the three rules of being a Nazirite? Hold up your props as you list them. No grapes, no haircuts, and stay away from dead bodies! Samson’s curiosity caused him to disobey God’s command. Samson went back and joined his parents on the road. He gave them some honey, and they all ate it as they went. He did not tell his parents where the honey came from. Hand out your cups of honey to random students.
As was the custom, Samson threw a big party at the time of his wedding. This party was going to last for seven days! The Philistines told 30 of their young men to stay with Samson. Samson decided to make a bet with the 30 young men. He said he would tell them a riddle. If they could solve the riddle at the end of the seven day party, he would give them 30 linen shirts and 30 sets of clothes. If they could not answer the riddle by the end of the party, they would have to give him 30 linen shirts and 30 sets of clothes. The men accepted Samson’s challenge.
Say: Just for fun, we’ll try a few riddles of our own. Raise your hand if you think you know the answer.
1) What has two hands and a face, always runs, but stays in place?
A clock!
2) What is full of holes but can still hold water?
A sponge!
3) If you were in a race and you passed the person in 2nd place, what place would you be in?
2nd place!
Say: Okay, back to our story. Samson’s riddle went like this:
PPT VERSE
“Out of the eater came something to eat.
Out of the strong came something sweet.” - Judges 14:14a
Of course, he was talking about the honey he ate out of the dead lion. For three days, the 30 men were puzzled. They couldn’t come up with an answer. So they went to Samson’s bride and threatened her. They asked, “Did you invite us here just to rob us?” They told her that she had to find out the answer for them or they would kill her and everyone in her family (Judges 14:15). Samson’s bride threw herself on Samson and sobbed. She told him that he must hate her because he had given this riddle to her people without telling her the answer. Finally, after hearing her cry for days, Samson gave in and told her. Immediately, she told the young men.
Before sunset on the seventh day the men of the town spoke to Samson. They said,
“What is sweeter than honey?
What is stronger than a lion?” - Judges 14:18
Samson knew his bride had given them the answer. Filled with power, Samson went to Ashkelon and killed 30 of the men there. He took all of their belongings and gave their clothes to the 30 young men. Samson went to his father’s house. He was burning with anger (Judges 14:19).
Then, without Samson knowing it, his bride was given to another man - a friend of Samson’s. Later, at harvest time, Samson went to see his bride. Her father would not let Samson go in her room.
Her father said, “I was sure you really hated her. So I gave her to your friend. Isn’t her younger sister more beautiful? Take her instead.”
Samson said to them, “This time I have a right to get even with the Philistines. I’m going to hurt them badly.”
So he went out and caught 300 foxes. He tied them in pairs by their tails. Then he tied a torch to each pair of tails. He lit the torches. He let the foxes loose in the fields of grain that belonged to the Philistines. He burned up the grain that had been cut and stacked. He burned up the grain that was still growing. He also burned up the vineyards and olive trees. - Judges 15:2-3
Ask: Has anyone ever heard the phrase, “Quick like a fox”? Foxes are known for being quick. It would not take long for 150 pairs of foxes to set the whole countryside on fire.
Say: Not many of us are farmers, but we can imagine the devastation this caused. The Bible tells us this happened right at harvest time, when the wheat was being gathered (Judges 15:1). A year’s worth of food had gone up in smoke. The Philistines were furious about their fields. They found out that it was Samson who had set the fires because his bride was given to his friend. The Philistines killed Samson’s bride and her father. This made Samson even more angry. He swore he would pay them back. Samson killed many of the Philistines, then he hid out in a cave. A large group of Philistine men went to the Israelite town of Judah looking for Samson. At that time, the Philistines still ruled over the Israelites. The Israelite men were afraid of them, so 3,000 men from Judah went to find Samson, and hand him over to the Philistines.
When the men of Judah came to Samson’s cave, they told Samson they had come to tie him up and hand him over to the Philistines. Samson made the men of Judah promise that they would not kill him themselves. So they tied him up with two new ropes, and walked him back to the Philistines. When the Philistines saw him coming, they ran toward him.
Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Samson with power. The ropes on his arms became like burned thread. They dropped off his hands. He found a fresh jawbone of a donkey. He grabbed hold of it and struck down 1,000 men.
Then Samson said, “By using a donkey’s jawbone I’ve made them look like donkeys. By using a donkey’s jawbone I’ve struck down 1,000 men.” - Judges 15:14b-16
After the battle, Samson was tired and thirsty, so he cried out to God. God made water come flowing out of a rock. Samson was a leader of the Israelites for 20 years, but the Philistines still ruled over the Israelites.
Application: Samson seemed to have everything going for him from the very beginning. His parents listened to the Lord and tried to obey His commands. Samson was chosen to be used by God before he was even born. He was blessed by God, and God’s Spirit began to work in him at a very young age (Judges 13:24-25). Yet, Samson did not seem to put God first in his life. Samson was almost always focused on himself, and what he wanted. Samson is not our ideal role-model. In fact, his life was tragic, marked with pride, anger, violence, and lack of self-control. God did use Samson’s flaws to overcome the Philistines, perhaps because out of all the Israelites, there was no one better to use. (Remember, each time the Israelites went through the cycle of sin, their behavior became worse than it was before.) Next week, we will see that Samson’s life has a very sad ending. We wonder how his life might have turned out if he had not thought only of himself, and if he had given God the glory for his blessings.
We must not be like Samson. We must not waste the talents God has given us, or use them for selfish reasons. We must praise God for the blessings we have, and use them according to His plan. Thinking only of ourselves always leads to trouble. When we allow God’s Spirit to control our lives, our lives will be fruitful and will draw others to Him.
But the fruit the Holy Spirit produces is love, joy and peace. It is being patient, kind and good. It is being faithful and gentle and having control of oneself. There is no law against things of that kind. - Galatians 5:22
PPT MAIN POINT
Main Point: God always hears and answers the cries of His people.
© 2007 BibleLessons4Kidz.com All rights reserved worldwide. May be reproduced for personal, nonprofit, and non-commercial uses only.
Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®)
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society / Used by permission of IBS-STL. All rights reserved worldwide.
Special thanks to John R. Cross, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, GoodSeed International.
PPT TITLE
Main Point: God is full of mercy, rescuing those who do not deserve it.
PPT VERSE
Key Verse:
Have mercy on me, O God, because of Your unfailing love. Because of Your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. - Psalm 51:1 NLT
Props: Strips of leather, new rope, loosely woven cloth, scissors
Say: Last week we started to learn about a very unique man named Samson.
Ask: Who can tell me something about Samson? He was very strong, He killed a lion
Say: Let’s do a quick review. Before Samson was born, an angel of the Lord came to tell Samson’s parents that they would have a son. This boy was to be set apart for the Lord. He would be raised as a Nazirite. This meant he could never eat or drink anything from the grapevine, he had to stay away from graves, and he could never cut his hair. This will be an important thing to remember this week. As Samson grew up, the Spirit of God came upon him. Samson was very strong. God planned to use Samson to deliver the Israelites from the power of the Philistines.
Last week we learned about his marriage that did not go very well. Samson was determined to marry a certain Philistine woman. A foolish bet with her people turned into several battles in which Samson killed many Philistines. Samson’s life was full of pride, anger, and violence.
Say: Samson was a leader of the Israelites, even though the Philistines still ruled over them. Samson had a reputation as an extremely strong and fierce enemy of the Philistines. The Philistines continually looked for a way to trap him (Judges 16:2).
Samson fell in love with another Philistine woman. Her name was Delilah.
The rulers of the Philistines went to her. They said, “See if you can get him to tell you the secret of why he’s so strong. Find out how we can overpower him. Then we can tie him up. We can bring him under our control. Each of us will give you 28 pounds of silver.” - Judges 16:5
So Delilah asked Samson to tell her the secret of his great strength. This would seem like a great opportunity to give God the praise for the strength that God had given to Samson. But instead, Samson lied to Delilah. He told her that if someone tied him up with seven leather straps that were not completely dry, then he would become as weak as any other man. So, the Philistine rulers gave Delilah the seven leather straps. Hold up your leather strips. Then the men hid in the room while Delilah tied up Samson. We are not told if Samson was asleep, or if he allowed Delilah to tie him up, the way a father might allow his young child to tie him up, knowing he could easily escape. After Samson was tied up, Delilah shouted to him.
She said, “Samson! The Philistines are attacking you!” But he snapped the leather straps easily. (Drop your leather strips.) They were like pieces of string that had come too close to a flame. So the secret of why he was so strong wasn’t discovered. - Judges 16:9b
Delilah told Samson that he made her look foolish by lying to her. Again, she pleaded for Samson to tell her how he could be tied up. Samson must have thought it was all a joke. This time he told her that if he were tied up with ropes that had never been used, he would become as weak as any other man. Hold up your ropes. So Delilah got some new ropes and tied Samson up with them. Just as before, men were hiding in the room. Again Delilah shouted that the Philistines were attacking. Samson snapped through the ropes as if they were threads. Drop your ropes.
Once again, Delilah told Samson he was making her look foolish. Again, she begged for an answer to her question of how to tie him up. Remember that Samson’s hair had never been cut. He wore his hair in seven braids. This time, Samson told her that if she were to weave the braids of his hair into the cloth that was on her weaving loom, he would become weak. Hold up your cloth. Delilah waited until Samson was asleep, then she took the seven braids of his hair and wove them into the cloth on her loom. Once more, Delilah shouted that the Philistines were attacking. Samson woke up and broke free with no problem. Drop your cloth.
Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you’? You won’t even share your secret with me. This is the third time you have made me look foolish. And you still haven’t told me the secret of why you are so strong.” She continued to pester him day after day. She nagged him until he was sick and tired of it. - Judges 16:15-16
Finally, Delilah wore Samson down with her nagging. Nagging is complaining over and over and over and over. Samson was so annoyed by her repeated words, he couldn’t take it anymore.
So he told her everything. “I’ve never used a razor on my head,” he said. “I’ve never cut my hair. That’s because I’ve been a Nazirite since the day I was born. A Nazirite is set apart to God. If you shave my head, I won’t be strong anymore. I’ll become as weak as any other man.” - Judges 16:17
Delilah sent word to the Philistine rulers to come back one more time. They came, and brought the silver with them. Delilah lulled Samson to sleep. She called for a man to come and cut off the braids of his hair. Hold up your scissors and make the cutting motion. His strength left him. Then, one final time, Delilah shouted to Samson that the Philistines were attacking. As Samson woke up, he thought he would break free as he always had before. Listen to what the Bible says next: “But he didn’t know that the Lord had left him.” (Judges 16:20) The Philistines grabbed him and poked his eyes out. They took him to Gaza, put chains on him, and put him in prison. Then Samson, once the strongest warrior in the land, spent his days grinding grain in prison.
Application: We see that Samson did not inquire of God which woman he should pursue. We should always go to God first, and ask for His wisdom (Psalm 73:24, James 1:5). Samson did not take his parent’s advice on this matter, either. The Bible tells us to ask the advice of godly people when we make decisions (Proverbs 15:22). We can read God’s plan for choosing a wife in His word. The Bible has wonderful guidelines for what type of woman makes a good wife. For instance, it tells us that the most important thing is not her beauty, which will fade away, but that she loves the Lord (Proverbs 31:30). God’s word also says not to marry a woman who nags or argues (Proverbs 19:13). Other qualities to look for are a woman who works hard and helps those in need (Proverbs 31:17, 20). None of these qualities fit the women that Samson chose. Samson would have done well to seek godly wisdom about whom he spent his time with. We should also seek God’s wisdom about the people we spend time with. We should choose our close friends using the Bible as our guide. For example, the Bible says not to spend time with people who get angry easily or those who gossip (Proverbs 22:24, Proverbs 16:28). Use God’s wisdom to choose your close friends, because they are who you spend the most time with, and who will influence you. Also, listen to your parent’s advice about who to have for a close friend. The Bible promises that things will go well for you if you honor parents (Ephesians 6:1-3). Your parents can help you choose the type of person you should or should not have for a close friend. Now, we are not supposed to just ignore the other people in the world. They need to see our example. They need the Lord (Acts 1:8). Spend some time with them, but keep in mind that they are people that you are trying to help. Look for ways to tell them about God and His word. Do not allow them to influence you.
Also, notice Delilah’s final plea to Samson. She said, “If you love me, you will tell me your secret.” This is never a good sign! This is manipulation. That means, she was tricking him with her words. This situation had nothing to do with love! Delilah wanted the information so she would get paid with 28 pounds of silver. She wanted to make Samson feel bad so that she could get what she wanted. Be very cautious of anyone who has similar words to you. If someone says, “If you are my friend, you will do this,” or, “I won’t be your friend unless you do this,” watch out! (Proverbs 12:26) They are not trying to do what is best for you. They simply want something from you and they are trying to trick you. There should be no “conditions” on friendship (Matthew 22:39).
Say: While Samson was in prison, his hair began to grow again. One day the rulers of the Philistines held a big celebration. They were going to offer a sacrifice to their false god. They believed their god had delivered Samson into their hands. Of course, this was not true. The Philistines were only able to capture Samson because the one true God left Samson when he treated the gifts God gave him so carelessly. During their celebration, the crowd called for Samson to be brought out. They thought it was funny to see Samson blind and weak. They wanted him to put on a show for them.
Samson asked the servant who was holding his hand to take him near the great pillars that held up the temple so he could lean on them. The Bible tells us that the temple was packed full of people. There were 3000 Philistine men and women on the roof of the temple in addition to all the Philistine leaders.
Then (Samson) prayed to the Lord. He said, “Lord and King, show me that you still have concern for me. God, please make me strong just one more time. Let me pay the Philistines back for what they did to my two eyes. Let me do it with only one blow.”
Then Samson reached toward the two pillars that were in the middle of the temple. They held the temple up. He put his right hand on one of them. He put his left hand on the other. He leaned hard against them.
Samson said, “Let me die together with the Philistines!” Then he pushed with all his might. The temple came down on the rulers. It fell on all of the people who were in it. So Samson killed many more Philistines when he died than he did while he lived. - Judges 16:28-30
Notice that Samson prayed for strength to get revenge for his own eyes. He didn’t ask for strength so he could give God glory, or even to set his fellow Israelites free from the Philistines. Even in his final hour, Samson was thinking only of himself. Samson died in the temple that day. Then Samson’s brothers and relatives got his body and buried him.
Application: Samson’s story is really a tragic one. We cannot hold Samson up as a godly hero that we should try to be like. Many times in the Bible, we see that God can accomplish His plans, even through the sins of men.
Teacher note: In Genesis, Joseph’s jealous brothers sold him into slavery, but God used it to save an entire nation from starvation. With godly vision, Joseph told his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.” (Genesis 50:20 NLT) But by far, the greatest example is that of the crucifixion of our Lord. In Matthew 16:21-23, Jesus explained to His disciples the necessity of the suffering He would do at the hands of the religious leaders. He foretold His death and resurrection on the third day. When Peter protested, Jesus rebuked him emphatically. Jesus said, “You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s” (Matthew 16:23b NLT) Other examples of God accomplishing His goals through the evil deeds of men are found in Exodus 10:1-2 and Acts 8:4.
PPT VERSE
Psalm 33:11 says, “The plans of the Lord stand firm forever. What He wants to do will last for all time.” God even used the self-centeredness, pride, and rage of Samson to accomplish His goal of rescuing His people from the Philistines. But because of all of his shortcomings, Samson lived a troubled life and died a violent death. With all the gifts God had given him, we wonder what Samson’s life would have been like if he had lived according to God’s laws.
In the story of Samson, we must focus on the heart of God. Once again, God had heard His people cry out for His help. Even though they had turned away from Him over and over again, God heard them and wanted to help them (Judges 10:16). The story of Samson is the story of God rescuing His unfaithful people from the cruel hand of their enemy. It is a story of God’s mercy. The dictionary says mercy is, “The power of a judge to pardon someone from their punishment.” Mercy is taking away punishment that is deserved. The Israelites deserved to be under the power of the Philistines because they turned their backs on the One who protected them. But, in His abundant mercy, God came to their rescue. That is the God that we serve - a God full of mercy. A God like that deserves our praise!
Samson can be seen as a symbol of the Israelite people. Just like Samson, the Israelites had been chosen by God to be set apart, to be used by Him (Deuteronomy 7:6). Just like Samson, the Israelites did nothing to deserve their blessings from God (Deuteronomy 7:7). And just like Samson, the Israelites squandered, or wasted, the gifts God had given them. They did not use their blessings to glorify God. Instead, both Samson and the Israelites did what was right in their own eyes, not in God’s eyes (Judges 17:6).
After the story of Samson, the book of Judges continues to tell of more failures of the Israelites. We learn of more idol worship (Judges 17:3-5). We learn of Levite priests who were not performing the duties that God had given them to do. Instead they chose to sin (Judges 17:7-12, ch. 19). And we even learn of Israelite tribes going to war with other Israelite tribes (Judges 20). The people in the book of Judges had fallen a long way from the book of Joshua when the Israelites worked together and obeyed God.
There is a phrase that is repeated several times in the book of Judges (Judges 17:6, 18:1, 19:1, 21:25):
In those days Israel didn’t have a king. The people did anything they thought was right. - Judges 17:6
Let’s look at the phrase, “They did anything they thought was right.” The Israelites did whatever felt right to them. They did not do what God said was right. The Bible calls this, “Being wise in your own eyes.” Proverbs 3:7 says, “Don’t be wise in your own eyes. Have respect for the Lord and avoid evil.” And Proverbs 26:12 says that someone who is wise in his own eyes is worse off than a fool. The Israelites were completely foolish to turn their backs on God and do things their way.
Think of it this way. God knows everything. Did you know that God does not have a birthday? That’s because God was never born. He simply has always existed. That is hard for us to understand, but it is true. Psalm 90:2 says, “From the beginning to the end, You are God.” The Bible also says God is in control of everything (Job 37:15-16, Daniel 5:21b). He knows everything that will ever happen. We, on the other hand, do NOT know everything. We only know what we have seen or what we have been taught. Why wouldn’t those who do NOT know everything listen to the One who DOES know everything?
Imagine a little ant. An ant is tiny to us. Things that are very small to us, like blades of grass, leaves, or rocks, are huge to him. That ant climbing up a blade a grass would be like us climbing up Stone Mountain. The ant can only see what is right around him. But we can stand up above the ant. From our point of view, we can see far more than the ant can. We can see across the whole yard, and beyond. If we really cared about the ant, and we could talk to him, we could help direct him. We could tell him the shortest way to get where he was going. We could tell him where food was, and we could warn him when there was danger ahead. Ask: Would the ant be wise to listen to us? Yes! Now imagine if the ant said, “Those people don’t know anything. I know what is best. I won’t listen to them.” We would say he was “wise in his own eyes.” We would also say he was a fool.
Be certain, God cares about us immensely! Since He knows everything, and He only wants the very best for us, aren’t we foolish not to follow His direction? We should pray to Him and study His word. The more we obey, the better our lives will be.
Now let’s look at the other phrase, “In those days Israel did not have a king.” It seems the only time the Israelites did anything right was when they had a strong leader, like Moses and Joshua. In Judges, the only time the Israelites had peace was when they were under the leadership of one of the judges, or deliverers. As soon as the judge died, they fell back into sin, idol worship, and captivity. Indeed, it seemed that Israel needed a king. Soon the Israelites would cry out for a king. But an earthly king would not be the answer for them. They needed a king who would rule perfectly - a king who would never die. In time, God, who is rich in mercy, who rescues those who do not deserve it, would send His Son to be the perfect King. Jesus was sent first to the Israelites, to be their king (Matthew 1:17, Mark 15:2). He was no ordinary king. He was fully God and fully man. Jesus laid down His life as a sin offering, to take away the sins of the world. On the third day, God raised Him from the dead.
Soon, God made it clear that Jesus died to take away the sins of all men and women, boys and girls (Acts 10:28). Anyone who puts their trust in Him will be forgiven of their sin, and rescued from eternal punishment (John 11:25-26, Acts 16:31). The Bible says that Jesus is the King of kings and the Lord of lords (Revelation 17:14). He will never die. He will return to earth and He will reign forever (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Luke 1:32-33). Each of us is called to take the free gift of eternal life that our merciful God has offered us. We are called to live our lives following the King of kings and Lord of lords, Jesus Christ.
God’s grace has saved you because of your faith in Christ. Your salvation doesn’t come from anything you do. It is God’s gift. It is not based on anything you have done. No one can brag about earning it. God made us. He created us to belong to Christ Jesus. Now we can do good things. - Ephesians 2:8-10a
PPT MAIN POINT
Main Point: God is full of mercy, rescuing those who do not deserve it.
© 2007 BibleLessons4Kidz.com All rights reserved worldwide. May be reproduced for personal, nonprofit, and non-commercial uses only.
Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®)
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society / Used by permission of IBS-STL. All rights reserved worldwide.
Special thanks to John R. Cross, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, GoodSeed International.