Background Information

• After Joshua died, God gave Israel Judges to lead His people and deliver them from their enemies (Joshua 2:16-19). While Joshua was alive, the people were obedient to conquer the Promised Land and follow God’s laws. But Israel had gotten into a bad habit of following after other gods and turning away from the Lord during the time of the Judges. The people followed this pattern:
  • They would turn away from God.
  • God allowed them to be defeated and allowed other nations to rule over them.
  • Israel prayed and pleaded with God too save them from their oppressors.
  • God raised up a judge to deliver them from their enemy.
  • When the judge died, they would turn away from the Lord again. and the cycle would repeat.

Day 1-An Unlikely Leader

• Pray.
• Review the memory passage.
• Summarize Judges 6:1-10. Help your kids understand that this was the beginning of another cycle (see above) that was so common during the time of the judges.
• Read Judges 6:11-16.
• Ask, “Who came to visit Gideon?” Explain that the angel of the LORD is actually the Lord Himself!
• Ask:
  • What does the angel of the LORD call Gideon in verse 12?
  • After reading this part of the story, does Gideon seem like a valiant warrior? Why or why not?
  • What does God tell Gideon to do (verse 14)? What assurance does He give him (verse 16)?
• Read or tell in your own words Judges 6:17-24.
• Gideon had just been given a very big job, and he was not feeling like he was up to the task. He wanted a sign that showed him that it was really God giving him this message that would challenge him and change his life. When he saw fire come out of the rock and consume the bread and meat, he knew that he had seen the Lord, and he was afraid. He knew God had seen his unbelief and anger- and sin. But God was gracious to Gideon, just like He is to us. He knows our weakness, our fear, and our sin and He promises us peace and life with Him when we accept His gift of salvation and surrender our lives to Him.

Day 2-Gideon’s First Assignment

• Pray.
• Review the memory passage. Add the next verse from Ephesians 6 to your memory work.
• If you are reading this before your kids get up, go do something surprising for them. Here are some ideas:
  • Leave them a cool chalk message on your patio, sidewalk, or driveway.
  • Tape balloons all over the bedroom doors.
  • Put streamers in the doorway of their rooms.
  • Make a big I LOVE YOU sign and hang it in a prominent place.
  • Hide sweet notes under their pillows or put them up on the bathroom mirror.
• Tell your kids that, just like you did something surprising “at night” (or in the early morning), Gideon also did something in secret at night.
• Read Judges 6:25-35.
• The first step to leading God’s people in victory was to remind them of Whom they should worship.
• Ask, “What was Gideon to do? Why were these to be torn down? How did Gideon’s dad react? How did he help the people see that Gideon was right in doing what He did (verses 31-32)?”
• Explain that the Israelite’s enemies began gathering together. So God’s Spirit came upon Gideon, he blew a trumpet, and people from his tribe and others gathered with him to follow him for the upcoming battle. But Gideon was still unsure and lacked the faith he needed. He asked God for another sign, just to be sure.
• Read Judges 6:36-40.
• Show your kids a sponge or a washcloth or piece of fabric. Ask, “If we set this outside on the grass tonight, would it be damp in the morning because of the dew?” Help them understand that Gideon was asking to see a miracle, something only God could do, so he would have the faith, courage, and confidence in God he needed to lead the people.
• Ask, “Do you ever wish God would give you a sign that shows He is with you and that He will give you what you need for what you have to do? What do we learn about God from today’s reading?”
• Remember: God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Malachi 3:6 and Hebrews 13:8)! He gives us stories in the Bible, like Gideon’s, to show us Who is. He still promises to be with us and that He can still do what seems impossible!

Day 3-Only 300

• Pray.
• Review the memory passage from Ephesians 6 (see the Battles in the Bible page).
• Have your kids try to count to 300 (by ones, twos, fives, and tens).
• Read Judges 7:1-8.
• Ask, “How did God tell Gideon to weed out the army? Why did God want the army to be so small (verse 2)?”
• Read Judges 7:9-15.
• Discuss with your kids about how God saw that Gideon was afraid, and He knew what Gideon needed. He needed to be strengthened and gain courage. Help them connect this battle to their own lives and their own battles by reminding them that God sees when we are afraid too. When those times comes, we can remember what God said to Joshua: “Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
• Read Joshua 7:16-22.
• Ask older kids, “What character trait of God has most stood out to you through the story of Gideon?”
• Ask younger kids, “What are some words you could use to tell about God after reading the story of Gideon?”
• Have one child pray, thanking God that He watches over us and that He will help us in every battle we face. Ask Him to give us strength and courage.

Day 4-Samson

• Pray.
• Review the memory passage from Ephesians 6 (see the Battles in the Bible page). Add another verse to what you have already memorized.
• After Gideon died, the Israelites fell back into their usual cycle: they turned away from the Lord so they were given over to other nations for a time. God raised up more judges to lead them to victory over their enemies and to lead them back to Him, but they kept falling back to their old habits. That’s where we find the Israelites at the beginning of Judges 13.
• Read Judges 13:1-7, 24-25.
• Ask, “What nation had the Israelites fallen to? How long had they been under their rule? What was God’s plan for rescuing the Israelites (verse 5)?
• Explain that a Nazirite was set apart for the work of the Lord. They were very careful in how they lived and followed very specific instructions on what they did because they were dedicated to the Lord. They were set apart from others for the Lord. (Numbers 6:1-21)
• Ask, “What were specific requirement for Samson did the angel of the Lord mention to Samson’s mom (verse 5)?”
• Read Judges 14:1-4.
• Discuss how surprising it was that Samson was wanting to marry a Philistine-their enemy! We will see as we keep reading about Samson that he had a history of making unwise choices. But we will also see that God can turn any situation around and do what pleases Him.
• Read Judges 14:5-11.
• Ask, “How was Samson able to defeat the lion? Would he have been able to beat the lion without God’s help?”
• Activity
  • Eat a snack with honey.

Day 5-Riddles, Foxes, and a Donkey’s Bone

• Pray.
• Review the memory passage.
• Have your kids try to answer some of these riddles:
  • https://icebreakerideas.com/riddles-for-kids/
• Read Judges 14:12-20. Ask your kids what they thought about this passage.
• Read Judges 15:4-8. Ask your kids what they thought about this passage.
• Read Judges 15:9-20.
• Discuss with your kids how God used Samson to begin delivering his people from the control of the Philistines.
• Ask, “How was Samson able to have such strength and power that he could defeat first 30 and then later 1,000 men ((Judges 14:19 and Judges 15:14)?”
• Help your kids understand that hearing about this great victory must have given the fearful Israelites renewed confidence that God was still with them, even though their faith had been weak.
• Ask, “What one last miracle did we read about today; reread Judges 15:19? What does this verse tell you about God?”

Day 6-Samson’s Hair

• Pray.
• Review the memory passage.
• Ask your kids if they remember the instructions that God gave to Samson’s mom before he was born (Judges 13:5). Remind them that Samson was to be called to a stricter lifestyle than most other people because he was to have a dedication to God that was stronger than most. By not cutting his hair, he kept his dedication to God, and God’s strength and supernatural power was in him.
• Read Judges 16:4-14.
• Ask, “What do you notice about Samson’s choices so far in this chapter?”
• Read Judges 16:15-20.
• The battle Samson faced is similar to the battles we face. We have some questions to consider: Will we listen to God or to other people? Will we run to what is good and pure or go where our temptations lead us? Will we daily put on our armor so we can be ready for whatever comes at us?
• Ask, “Did Samson seem to have on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:13-17)? How can you tell?”
• Read 16:21-30.
• Ask, “What characteristics of God do we see in this last section of our reading today (forgiveness, strength, grace, sovereign, faithful)? On whom does Samson rely in the end? Does it seem like he had his armor of God on (Ephesians 6:13-17) at the end of his life? “
• Activity
  • Do some family strength challenges.
    • parents.com