When finished with activities, return
all necessary items to bag and place
in the hallway for pick-up.
Programs A, B, C-1

Gideon
Judges 6 & 7
Judges Series: Lesson #2

Bible Verse: The LORD said, “I will be with you.” Judges 6:16
Past:
Trust in the LORD. Proverbs 3:5

Bible Story for children:

Focus on:
Trust God to fight your battles
Prop ideas: 2 Pieces of Wool or fleece, water
Bugle or trumpet, flashlight & bowl or can

SAMPLE STORY
For younger classes tell only one part. (Part A for 1st Session, B for 2nd Session)

Part A:
The Midianites were cruel to God’s people. They set fire to the crops;
they killed the animals. In fact, God’s people hid in caves to escape.
One day a man named Gideon was threshing wheat (separating the
grain from the husk). Suddenly the angel of the LORD appeared and
said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior!” The LORD told him that
he was the one who would help God’s people. Gideon was surprised.
“How can that be? My clan is the weakest in the tribe and I am the
least in my family.” He certainly couldn’t conquer the Midianites. The
LORD said, “I will be with you.” Judges 6:16

Gideon wanted proof that God would help him defeat the Midianites.
He set out some wool (fleece) on the ground. He told God only to have
dew on the wool and not on the ground around it. That next morning,
the wool was wet but the ground was dry! (You may have to explain
what dew is). The wool was so wet that Gideon wrung out a bowlful
of water.

Gideon decided he needed more proof. He said, “Please do not be
angry with me. Just do this one more test. Make the wool dry and the
ground wet.” Sure enough, that next morning the wool was dry and
the ground was wet! Gideon knew that he could trust God to be with
him in the fight.

Part B:
Gideon gathered his people to go into battle. There were thousands of
men who had come to fight. God told Gideon that there were too
many men. Tell anyone who is afraid to go home. God knew that if
Gideon had that many people, God would not get the credit for
helping them. The Israelites would think that they had done it all on
their own. More than half of the men left. But, there were still too
many. God told Gideon to take the men down to the water and watch
how they drank the water. Those who got down on their knees and
put their faces to the water would be sent home. Those who cupped
their hands and brought the water to their mouths would go into
battle. Few men cupped their hands and brought the water to their
mouths. Only 300 men remained! There were thousands of
Midianites. For every Israelite there were 400 Midianties. There is no
way 300 men could win such a battle. But Gideon trusted God. He
knew that God would win the battle for them.

In the middle of the night, God told Gideon to get up and get ready.
He divided the men into 3 groups and gave them trumpets and
torches covered with jars. When they surrounded the camp, Gideon
blew his trumpet and brought out his torch. All the men did this too.
The Midianites were so shocked and scared that they panicked! In the
confusion they ran around fighting each other and not the Israelites.
God won the battle; He was with them just as He had promised.



FYI
Second Session Classes will be:
Coloring “Gideon Leads an Army” Page
Playing “Baa, Baa Sheep” Game
Decorating a Drinking Cup


BUGLES AND TORCHES SNACK

Materials:
Box of Bugles Corn Snack


Can of Easy Cheese (or other canned cheese)


Paper Plates

Do:
Give children a paper plate with some Bugles. They can pretend to
blow a trumpet, stack them up or put them on their fingers before
eating.

To make a torch, fill the bugle with some Easy Cheese for a flame.

Talk About: When Gideon and his 300 men did go to fight, they carried a
trumpet and a torch covered with a jar. On the signal they blew
their trumpet and broke their jars.


HIDE THE SHOE

Materials:
None

Do:
Have each child remove just one shoe. As the children huddle with
their backs turned and eyes closed, (or wait in the hall if feasible),
hide their shoes around the room. Instruct the children to find only
their own shoes. If a child needs help and wants clues from others,
then they can help. Children really enjoy finding their own shoes
and can be disappointed if they do not. Continue until interest
stops.

Talk About: Gideon was hiding when the angel of the LORD found him. The
Israelites hid from the Midianites in caves and mountains.

WET AND DRY FLEECE

Materials:
Cotton Balls


Tan Construction Paper


Bible Verse Stickers


Glue




(In room)


Blue marker



(In room)

Do:

Give each child a piece of construction paper.


Draw a line down the middle.


Have the children stretch out the cotton balls.


Glue a few to each side of the paper.
On one side, color blue drops of water on the cotton, but not on the
‘ground.’
On the other side, color blue drops of water on the ‘ground’ but not
on the cotton.
Add a Bible verse sticker.

Talk About: On the first night, Gideon asked God to make the dew fall only on
the fleece. The ground was dry. On the second night Gideon asked
God to make the fleece stay dry and let dew fall on the ground.