As you know we are living the faith of the campaign of Israel and CBC is in the same faith, so the lesson of this week will teach us a story of faith and courage so let us learn from it and pass it to the children,so before the lesson we'll read and understand this story and then in the class you'll tell it to the children(please don't read it to them but tell them the story). So let's start!
There was a time in the land of Israel when the people of God kept
turning away from Him. Do you know what happened to them then? They
would lose His protection and His blessings. Do you remember a lesson
where you stood inside a circle and were protected by God? What happened
when you were outside the circle? You were attacked!!
*BE’s make a circle with the children and add some children inside,
explaining when you are inside of the circle, means you’ve been protected.
Well the people of Israel kept forgetting that very important lesson. They would stay close to God for a while, obey His commandments and love Him, and they would be safe and blessed and happy. But then some of them would look at the other gods of the other countries around them and like what they saw. Those other people could worship false gods and still get some answers to their prayers, and they didn’t have to live a good life, they could live just any old way they wanted to and became slaves of their enemies.
So when the people of God began to worship false gods, they pushed the true God away from them, and little by little all of God’s protection was gone from their lives. Their enemies began to take over their land, their farms and animals began to die, their army became weak and no one had faith anymore to fight and defend the land of Israel that God had given them. They became a great big shame. But was that God’s fault? Did He just make them suffer because He didn’t love them? NO!! It was their own fault because they pushed God away and DIDN’T OBEY HIM anymore!!
That’s why obeying God is so, so, very important. We bless ourselves when we obey. We protect ourselves and our families and even our future when we obey God. Who would be crazy enough of disobeying? Many people all around us are doing that right now, because they don’t want to obey God.
One day during one of those times that Israel had pushed God away from them and worshiped false gods, there was a man named Gideon who was angry that the enemies of Israel had destroyed their land and chased them all away from their farms to live in caves in the mountains. They were supposed to be the mighty people of God, but here they were, scared like little animals, hiding in caves. Meanwhile their enemies, the Midianites, could just come into all of their farms and eat whatever they wanted and steal whatever they wanted. It had been like this for seven years.
Well the people of Israel kept forgetting that very important lesson. They would stay close to God for a while, obey His commandments and love Him, and they would be safe and blessed and happy. But then some of them would look at the other gods of the other countries around them and like what they saw. Those other people could worship false gods and still get some answers to their prayers, and they didn’t have to live a good life, they could live just any old way they wanted to and became slaves of their enemies.
So when the people of God began to worship false gods, they pushed the true God away from them, and little by little all of God’s protection was gone from their lives. Their enemies began to take over their land, their farms and animals began to die, their army became weak and no one had faith anymore to fight and defend the land of Israel that God had given them. They became a great big shame. But was that God’s fault? Did He just make them suffer because He didn’t love them? NO!! It was their own fault because they pushed God away and DIDN’T OBEY HIM anymore!!
That’s why obeying God is so, so, very important. We bless ourselves when we obey. We protect ourselves and our families and even our future when we obey God. Who would be crazy enough of disobeying? Many people all around us are doing that right now, because they don’t want to obey God.
One day during one of those times that Israel had pushed God away from them and worshiped false gods, there was a man named Gideon who was angry that the enemies of Israel had destroyed their land and chased them all away from their farms to live in caves in the mountains. They were supposed to be the mighty people of God, but here they were, scared like little animals, hiding in caves. Meanwhile their enemies, the Midianites, could just come into all of their farms and eat whatever they wanted and steal whatever they wanted. It had been like this for seven years.
*BE’s can ask a question to the children,
If it is right to take people’s things like toys,
shoes or games without asking for it?
But who was trying to fight the Midianites? No one. Who was trying to repent and turn back to God and worship only Him? No one. No one except for Gideon. He looked out of his cave across the valley and saw where his old farm had been. He saw the place where he used to take the wheat to separate the seeds from the stalks. He saw the old carved hole in the ground where they used to press the grapes to make juice and wine. He thought to himself, “This is my land. This is the land that God gave to us. I’m sick and tired of hiding in a cave! I’m going back there to see if I can find a little bit of wheat still growing on my farm and I’ll thresh it to get the seeds to grind and make flour for bread.”
So he sneaked back to his old farm and gathered some wheat that was still growing there, but he didn’t dare thresh it in the regular place up on the hill. He was taking a big risk to go back there.
“Gideon!” He heard a deep voice. He looked up and saw a bright light – it was an angel of God sitting right there, talking to him! “Gideon, the Lord is with you mighty warrior!” said the angel.
Gideon was so surprised that God would send an angel to him, but he was also so angry that God’s people were suffering so much, he answered back and was a little rude: “If the Lord is with us, where are all the wonderful miracles that He used to do?”
Do you think God was angry because Gideon answered back? No, not at all, God was happy that Gideon wanted God’s people to be set free so much that he even answered God in a rude way. The angel of God was happy with what Gideon said, and then told him, “Gideon, this is your strength, go and lead God’s people to defeat the Midianites and God with be with you!”
“What?? Me??” said Gideon. “But my tribe is the smallest tribe in Israel, and my family is the smallest family, and I’m the weakest man!” he said.
But the angel told him not to be afraid, because God had chosen him to destroy all of their enemies. Gideon was amazed and knew he had to obey. He felt afraid, but one thing that he knew he had to do was to OBEY.
Gideon went back home amazed that he had seen an angel face to face. That night God spoke to Gideon directly. He said, “Gideon, this is what I need from you. Go to your father’s house, chop down all those statues of false gods that he has, and then offer me the strongest bull in your father’s herd, not the oldest one, but the second bull. Burn up the bull on the wood from the chopped up idols.”
That was a very scary thing to do because everyone in Israel had been worshiping these false idols, even his father. Everyone would be furious!
But one thing Gideon knew: he had to OBEY!!
So in the middle of the night, when everyone was asleep, and did exactly what God commanded. They were showing God that He came first. No more idols, only the One True God.
In the morning when all the people woke up, sure enough, they were furious! All of a sudden God gave him favor in everyone’s eyes. God caused the people to really respect him and want to follow him as their leader. At that moment, Gideon became one of the great judges of Israel and led them to a great victory.
But who was trying to fight the Midianites? No one. Who was trying to repent and turn back to God and worship only Him? No one. No one except for Gideon. He looked out of his cave across the valley and saw where his old farm had been. He saw the place where he used to take the wheat to separate the seeds from the stalks. He saw the old carved hole in the ground where they used to press the grapes to make juice and wine. He thought to himself, “This is my land. This is the land that God gave to us. I’m sick and tired of hiding in a cave! I’m going back there to see if I can find a little bit of wheat still growing on my farm and I’ll thresh it to get the seeds to grind and make flour for bread.”
So he sneaked back to his old farm and gathered some wheat that was still growing there, but he didn’t dare thresh it in the regular place up on the hill. He was taking a big risk to go back there.
“Gideon!” He heard a deep voice. He looked up and saw a bright light – it was an angel of God sitting right there, talking to him! “Gideon, the Lord is with you mighty warrior!” said the angel.
Gideon was so surprised that God would send an angel to him, but he was also so angry that God’s people were suffering so much, he answered back and was a little rude: “If the Lord is with us, where are all the wonderful miracles that He used to do?”
Do you think God was angry because Gideon answered back? No, not at all, God was happy that Gideon wanted God’s people to be set free so much that he even answered God in a rude way. The angel of God was happy with what Gideon said, and then told him, “Gideon, this is your strength, go and lead God’s people to defeat the Midianites and God with be with you!”
“What?? Me??” said Gideon. “But my tribe is the smallest tribe in Israel, and my family is the smallest family, and I’m the weakest man!” he said.
But the angel told him not to be afraid, because God had chosen him to destroy all of their enemies. Gideon was amazed and knew he had to obey. He felt afraid, but one thing that he knew he had to do was to OBEY.
Gideon went back home amazed that he had seen an angel face to face. That night God spoke to Gideon directly. He said, “Gideon, this is what I need from you. Go to your father’s house, chop down all those statues of false gods that he has, and then offer me the strongest bull in your father’s herd, not the oldest one, but the second bull. Burn up the bull on the wood from the chopped up idols.”
That was a very scary thing to do because everyone in Israel had been worshiping these false idols, even his father. Everyone would be furious!
But one thing Gideon knew: he had to OBEY!!
So in the middle of the night, when everyone was asleep, and did exactly what God commanded. They were showing God that He came first. No more idols, only the One True God.
In the morning when all the people woke up, sure enough, they were furious! All of a sudden God gave him favor in everyone’s eyes. God caused the people to really respect him and want to follow him as their leader. At that moment, Gideon became one of the great judges of Israel and led them to a great victory.
To be continued…
Don't forget to ask the children to prepare their prayer requests and bring it till the 16th of December to be sent to Israel.
ACTIVITY
Every warrior need a shield so today we are making our own follow the steps:
For this activity you will need:
Cardboard paper
Colorful papers Glue
Scissors
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