This lesson teaches children that God hears His people when they cry out, and He sends rescuers to save them. It works well for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
When God’s people turn away from Him and then cry to Him for help, God hears them and rescues them. He is faithful even when we forget Him.
Memory Verse
Judges 3:9
When the children of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised up a savior to the children of Israel, who saved them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.
(WEB)
Ask the children to cup their hands beside their mouths and call out “Help!” on the word “cried.” Then have them lift both arms high on “raised up a savior,” as if reaching for someone coming to rescue them. Repeat the verse together three times with the motions.
The Story: Judges 3 for Kids
The people of Israel lived in the land God had given them, but they did not finish driving out the people who lived there. Some of those people stayed, and Israel began to marry them and copy their ways. Soon the Israelites were worshiping the false gods called Baals and Asheroth instead of the LORD, the one true God who had rescued them from Egypt.
God was not pleased, so He let a king named Cushan Rishathaim from Mesopotamia make Israel his servants. For eight long years the people worked hard under his rule. Their hearts were tired, and they began to remember the God they had forgotten.
When the people cried out to the LORD, He heard them. He raised up a man named Othniel, the nephew of Caleb, to be their leader. The Spirit of the LORD came upon Othniel, and he went to war and set Israel free. The land then had peace for forty years.
But the people forgot God again, and this time a king named Eglon of Moab took control of them for eighteen years. God raised up a left-handed man named Ehud from the tribe of Benjamin. Ehud made a sword that could be hidden under his clothes, and he went to bring the tribute money to the king. He told Eglon, “I have a message from God for you,” and when the king stood up, Ehud struck him down.
Ehud escaped and blew a trumpet in the hills of Ephraim. The people came down to follow him, and together they defeated the Moabites. The land had rest for eighty years. The chapter ends with a man named Shamgar, who fought off six hundred Philistines with an ox goad, a long stick used to guide oxen. God used even a farm tool to save His people.
Read It Together
Judges 3:7
The children of Israel did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, and forgot the LORD their God, and served the Baals and the Asheroth.
(WEB)
Point out that the people forgot the LORD, which is how the trouble started. Ask the children what it looks like today when someone forgets to remember God in their everyday life.
Judges 3:10
The LORD’s Spirit came on him, and he judged Israel; and he went out to war, and the LORD delivered Cushan Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. His hand prevailed against Cushan Rishathaim.
(WEB)
Show the children that God’s Spirit came upon Othniel before he went to fight. Explain that God gives His helpers the strength they need for the task He gives them.
Judges 3:28
He said to them, “Follow me; for the LORD has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” They followed him, and took the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites, and didn’t allow any man to pass over.
(WEB)
Point out the words “the LORD has delivered your enemies” and talk about who gave the victory. Remind the children that the people only followed Ehud because they trusted God had already acted.
Talk About It
- What did the people of Israel do that made God unhappy?
- How did God answer when His people called out to Him for help?
- Why do you think God chose a left-handed man like Ehud to save His people?
- What is one way you can remember God during your busy day?
- What can we learn about God from the way He kept saving His people again and again?
Activity Ideas
Draw a Rescue Scene
Give each child a sheet of paper and crayons or markers. Ask them to draw a picture of a rescuer, such as Othniel, Ehud, or Shamgar, coming to help God’s people. Encourage them to add the LORD in the sky or a small sign of God’s help. Let each child tell you one sentence about their picture.
Ehud and the King Game
Set up a small table with a few cushions to be the king’s room. Choose one child to be Ehud and another to be King Eglon, with a few other children acting as the king’s guards. Let Ehud tiptoe in carefully with a paper sword, then return to the hills with the others. Keep it gentle, and focus on the courage and the rescue rather than the violence.
Rescue Reminder Card
Give each child an index card and a pencil. Have them write “Cry to God” on one side and draw a small heart or open hands on the other. Explain that they can keep the card in a pocket or backpack. Encourage them to take it out during the week and pray a short prayer whenever they see it.
Teacher Notes
For adults, Judges 3 shows a repeating pattern: God’s people drift away, face the results, cry out, and find that God raises up deliverers in His mercy. The chapter reminds us that God is faithful even when we are not, and that He often works through unlikely people, including a left-handed man and a farmer with an ox goad.
With children, avoid overstating the violence in the Ehud story or making it into a model for solving problems. Focus instead on God’s faithfulness, the people’s need to cry out, and God’s willingness to answer. Keep the tone calm and the details simple.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank You for hearing us when we call to You. Help us remember You every day, even when things are busy. Thank You for being faithful when we forget You, and for sending help when we need it. Amen.
