MEMORY VERSE: Judges 4::4 "And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time."
BOOK TO REMEMBER: Hebrews. Write "Hebrews" on small slips of paper and hand out at the end of class.
PRAYER: May we always be brave enough to stand up for God's Truth and never run away from opposition.
SPECIAL SONG:
God Raised Up Fifteen Judges
God raised up fifteen judges,
God raised up fifteen judges,
God raised fifteen judges,
To judge Israel.
Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah,
Gideon, Abimelech, Tola Jair,
Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon,
Samson, Eli, Samuel.
God raised up fifteen judges,
God raised up fifteen judges,
God raised up fifteen judges,
To judge Israel.
VISUAL AID: Large Activity (see below under Activity) or draw the mountain, the tent on the plain, and the soldiers on the whiteboard or chalkboard
LESSON POINTS:
- Remember last time when we were talking about the children of Israel and how they were in a 'cycle' during the times of the judges? The people would forget God, God would get angry and not be with them and help them, then the people's lives would become miserable, they would repent and cry out to God, He would raise up a judge to deliver them from their troubles, life would be good again, and then the people would forget God again, and they would go through the cycle all over again?
- During today's lesson, the people had forgotten God and they were very wicked. God was angry and he allowed the people to be sold to the king of Canaan. The king had 900 iron chariots and Sisera was the captain of the King's army. The Canaanites had been very mean to the children of Israel for twenty years.
- But there was a prophetess named Deborah who was judging Israel at that time. A prophet or prophetess was one who spoke for God. God would speak to the prophet or prophetess and then they would speak God's words to the people. This is what Deborah did under a palm tree in Mount Ephraim and the people would come to her for judgments from God.
- One day, Deborah sent for a man named Barak. She told him that the LORD commanded him to take 10,000 men to Mount Tabor and Deborah would lead the captain of the army and his soldiers to the river into the Barak's hand. But Barak was not very brave because he said that if Deborah would go with him, he would go, but if she would not go with him, then he would not go, either. Deborah said that she would definitely go with Barak, but because he would not go alone, then honor would not be Barak's, but the honor would go to a woman.
- Barak got his army of 10,000 men ready, along with Deborah at his side, and off they marched to the Mount Tabor. Now living out on the plain in a tent was a man named Heber who was a relative of Moses's father-in-law.
- When they told Sisera that Barak had gone to Mount Tabor, Sisera gathered all of his iron chariots and all the people who were with him. Deborah then told Barak, "GO! Today is the day that the LORD has delivered Sisera into your hand!" So, Barak went down the mountain with 10,000 men following him. They fought with the army.
- The LORD made Sisera nervous and Sisera jumped down from his iron chariot and ran away on foot, but Barak chased him and killed all of his soldiers as they fought. Because Sisera trusted Heber, Sisera ran away to Heber's wife, Jair's, tent. Jair ran out to meet Sisera and said to hide in the tent and she covered him with a coat. After he drank a little milk, he laid down and went to sleep. That's when the woman, Jair, killed him.
- Is that what God had told Deborah and what she said would happen? YES! Would the honor of delivering the children of Israel go to a woman and not to Barak? YES! God always knows the future, doesn't He? God listened to the children of Israel's cry of repentance and He raised up a deliverer. Life got better for the Israelites after Sisera died. The land rested for forty years (Judges 5:31). We will see if the people forget God again.
- The Bible teacher might want to read of Sisera's killing more in detail in Judges 4:18-24. God provided deliverance for His people and, for a little while, they remember God and appreciate His protection.
ACTIVITY: "Deborah" Scene
Materials needed: 9" x 12" blue construction paper, 2" x 9" light brown paper, 2" x 12" brown paper, 9" x 12" green construction paper, a scrap of any color paper, glue, scissors, crayons.
- Hand out blue paper to students. This is the background.
- Pass out 2" x 12" brown strip of paper.
- Glue brown strip to bottom on blue paper. This is the plain.
- Pass out 2" x 9" brown paper.
- Glue to bottom of brown strip. This is the palm tree's trunk.
- Pass out green paper.
- Fold paper in half, and in half again, lengthwise.
- Cut a half of a small palm leaf on the fold.
- Continue to use up all of the green paper in palm leaves.
- Glue to top of trunk, resembling a palm tree. It is nice when the leaves are sticking up off the blue paper.
- Cut a scrap of any color paper for a robe or dress for Deborah.
- With a crayon or marker, finish Deborah, perhaps with her mouth open speaking God's Word.
- Write "Deborah, a Judge Of Israel" and "Judges 4" at the top of the paper.