Elementary Level, Block 5—Aaron to Ruth
Week 45
Judah Helping Simeon
Point to Emphasize: We should help our brothers and sisters; we should not just take care of ourselves.
Reference Reading: Judges 1:2-19; 2:11-20; 4:1-3
Memory Verse: Love one another warmly in brotherly love; take the lead in showing honor one to another. (Romans 12:10)
Story Sample
Week by week we have been discovering together what kind of people were special to God. By seeing who they were we can learn from them and we can choose to be like them. Today we are going to see the way an older brother treated his younger brother. Who in this room has younger siblings? You might not have a younger brother or a younger sister, but maybe you have a younger cousin or a younger neighbor or a younger friend. So, I am very sure that if you listen carefully to this story you will learn something and you will choose to be like these two brothers.
The children of Israel finally arrived to the land God gave them. God told them He had given this land to them, but first Judah needed to go up and fight the enemies who were occupying the land! The people took God’s word. They believed His promise. Now, Judah was the strongest tribe among the children of Israel. They could have just taken God’s word and do it all by themselves, without any help. But instead of going off to fight the enemy and gain the land by themselves, Judah went and talked with the weakest tribe, the tribe of Simeon. Judah told Simeon, his brother, that if he would come and fight with him, then later he would go with Simeon and join to fight the enemies of Simeon’s tribe. Did Judah need Simeon’s help? NO! But Judah was looking out for his brother. Judah knew that Simeon would need help.
Here you have two things happening. Judah, the big, strong brother is looking after the weaker brother AND he is doing it in a way that does not make his brother feel less than him. Sometimes when we help our brother or sister out, we let them know that we are helping them out because we are “better” or “older” or “smarter” than they are. Are you happy when someone helps you in that way? I’m not either.
You see, I am the oldest sibling and I remember that one time that one of my sisters was in trouble at school. Without thinking twice, I ran to where my sister was and I tried my best to calm the situation. Sure enough, I got my sister out of trouble! Growing up I knew that one of my responsibilities was to look out for my younger siblings. [Tell a personal story about looking out for your own brother or sister, especially in a way of helping him and not causing him to feel like he owes you a favor.]
What a super brother Judah was! He helped out his brother in such a way that did not make Simeon feel weak. Rather, they were equal partners—each helping the other. Now this week let us practice helping someone, like a younger sibling, cousin or friend, and not just take care of ourselves.