Dear Parents, Guardians, Teachers:
In this lesson, we will learn about Gideon and the brave 300 and how they were able to defeat the Midianites. Gideon was the “least of his family” (Judges 6:15) but with God’s help he would become a mighty warrior. It didn’t matter that he was small, or that he was afraid. God was with him. God showed Gideon that even though he was afraid, he would be okay. God had a plan. God made sure Gideon knew that he defeated the Midianites on God’s power, not his own strength.
Sometimes, we face big battles, and we think there’s no way we can get through them… but we can do anything with God. Just like Gideon, we will learn that if God is with us, we don’t need to be afraid or discouraged because there is nothing bigger than God.
Scripture Reference: Judges 6, 7
Memory Verse:
“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”
(Romans 8:31)
Bible Lesson:
The Midianites had hurt the Israelites for many years. They stole their crops and animals. The Israelites were so frightened that they hid in caves in the hills away from their homes. God chose a man named Gideon to help the Israelites fight the Midianites. Gideon was not a soldier – Gideon was a farmer. How could a farmer lead an army? He knew that he could not defeat the Midianites all by himself. Even though Gideon did not seem strong, the Lord chose him to lead Israel. Gideon knew that he must obey God. If God wanted Gideon to fight, then the Lord would help him defeat the Midianites.
Gideon gathered 30,000 men together. That was a big army. The problem was that the Midianites had an even bigger army with 132,000 men. Maybe if they fought really hard and used lots of tricks, the Israelites could beat the Midianites! But God had another idea. He did not think that Gideon’s army was too small. He told Gideon that his army was too big! He told Gideon to let all of the men who were afraid to go home. Gideon told the men what the Lord had said. Twenty thousand men went home. Now there were only 10,000 men left in the army. Ten thousand men to fight 132,000 men.
God spoke to Gideon again and guess what He said about Gideon’s army? It was still too big! God wanted Gideon all of Israel and all of Midian to know that when God is on your side, it doesn’t matter how big the enemy is. The side that God wants to win will always win. The Lord told Gideon to take the 10,000 men down to the water to drink. Gideon was to watch the men take a drink from the water. If a man knelt to the water and put his mouth to the water and lapped it like a dog, then he was told to go home. If a man knelt but scooped water into his hand and then up to his mouth to drink, he could stay in Gideon’s army.
Only 300 men scooped water up to their mouths. That meant that Gideon’s army now had only 300 men! Three hundred to fight against 132,000 Midianites! Gideon and his men knew that only God could help them win this battle.
That night, Gideon and his men went down to spy on the Midianite camp. Gideon heard some of Midianite soldiers talking. The Midianite soldiers were frightened. They had been having dreams about the Israelite soldiers defeating them. One dreamed that a giant round loaf of bread tumbled down the hill and crushed the Midianite camp.
Gideon divided his men into three groups of 100. He gave each man a clay jar with a torch inside. He told them to circle all around the outside of the Midianite camp and wait until they heard him blow his trumpet. When Gideon blew his trumpet, he and all of the rest of the soldiers started blowing their trumpets. Then they crushed their clay jars so that it looked like a circle of fire around the camp. They all yelled, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!”
All of this must have been terrifying for the Midianites. The Lord made them get all confused and so they took out their swords and started fighting. But they were not fighting Gideon’s army. They were fighting each other! They got so confused that they all started running away.
Gideon’s army of 300 beat the Midianite army of 132,000. Only God could make that happen!
Review Questions:
1. First, Gideon’s army had 30,000 men in it. Why did 20,000 men go home? The Lord said that the army was too big so Gideon told all of those who were afraid to go home.
2. How did Gideon choose the final 300 that would fight the Midianites? By the way they drank water. If they lapped like dogs they went home. If they scooped water up in their hand, then they stayed in the army.
3. What did the 300 Israelite soldiers carry with them when they fought the battle? Clay jars with burning torches inside. They also each carried a trumpet to blow.
4. When the Midianites heard the trumpets and saw the fires, what did they do? They started fighting and killing each other and then they ran away.
Learning Activities After the Lesson
1. Have your kids watch the animated story: Gideon and the Brave 300
2. Let your kids do this craft.
Sources: Mission Bible Class, Teaching Kids About Jesus
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