Elementary Level, Block 5—Aaron to Ruth
Week 47
Gideon—Listening and Obeying God’s Word
Point to Emphasize: We can be those who listen and obey and do as we are told.
Reference Reading: Judges 6—8
Memory Verse: …Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it. (Luke 11:28b)
Story Sample
Last week, we heard about a wonderful judge named Deborah. Well, after Deborah, a very long time passed, and the children of Israel went back to their old ways of doing evil things and not listening to God. So God put them in the hands of their enemy, the Midianites, for seven years. The Midianites treated them so horribly that the Israelites had to hide in caves from them. It got so bad that they finally remembered to call out to God. Whenever they got in trouble, they would remember to call out to Jehovah. And God, being the faithful God, answered their call once again.
So, God sent a prophet to speak to them. This prophet reminded them of all that God had done for them, bringing them out of the land of Egypt to the good land. He also reminded them that they had refused to listen to God. Sometimes we are like this with our parents, aren’t we? We don’t always WANT TO listen to them and do things their way. So we need to be reminded of all they do for us.
Then God appeared to a man named Gideon. Gideon was a judge who was called and used by God. God had chosen him to lead the Israelites to battle and win against their enemy. Do you know why God chose Gideon? Gideon wasn’t a very special young man. Actually, he did not think he could do anything for God. But he was successful because he listened carefully to the word of God and he obeyed God’s word and acted on it. He was a marvelous judge because he did not do things according to his own way. He was one who listened to God’s word, obeyed God’s word, and did as he was told.
One time my daughter had to learn a new music piece at her piano lesson. It had new things on it that she had never played before, and she said it was too hard for her. But step by step, her teacher taught her what she needed to know to play it. Before long, she was able to first play with her right hand by itself, then her left hand, then both hands together. And after practicing every day that week, she was able to learn and play that piece perfectly! She learned how to read the music and how to play the piece properly because she listened to her teacher’s instructions and followed them every day as she practiced. [Storyteller, insert your own story of listening and obeying or following instructions.]
God spoke to Gideon many times to let him know what he needed to do in order to go into battle. Gideon listened carefully to God’s word, he trusted God in everything, he was sure that God was with him, and then he took action. So Gideon was ready for battle, but he needed warriors to go with him. The Israelites had more than 30,000 men who could be the mighty army. But Jehovah told Gideon that was too many men. In fact, most of them did not believe that Jehovah would win the battle for them. Eventually, God only sent 300 men to go to battle with Gideon. That is not a lot of men at all to win a battle! But Gideon listened carefully to all that God told him and he obeyed, trusting in God’s word. God needed a man who would listen to God’s word in order to go to battle against the enemy. Because Gideon was such a man and did not do things according to his own way, God made him victorious over the enemy. And they won the battle!
Wouldn’t you like to be like Gideon? God was with him and blessed him because he listened to and obeyed God’s word. Like Gideon, we can be those who listen and obey and do as we are told, not thinking that our way is better.