This lesson teaches children that God can win a battle with a small group of people, so we do not need to be the strongest to trust Him. It suits children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes, so plan a short story, a little movement, and some quiet time.
Big Idea
God is strong enough to help us even when we feel small, so we trust Him instead of ourselves. When we rely on God, we can be brave because He is with us.
Memory Verse
Judges 7:2
The LORD said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel brag against me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’
(WEB)
Teach the children to stand tall with their arms folded, then slowly lift both hands up toward the sky as they say the verse together. Repeat it three times, getting a little quieter each time, so the words stay in their hearts.
The Story: Judges 7 for Kids
Gideon was a man of Israel, and God had chosen him to lead the people against a big army called the Midianites. The Midianite camp was in a valley, and it was huge, like grasshoppers covering the ground. Gideon gathered his men near a spring, and he had many, many soldiers with him. But God said, “You have too many people. If you win with so many, the people will say they saved themselves.”
So God told Gideon to let anyone who was scared go home. Many men left, and a lot of them went home. There were still too many men, so God told Gideon to take them down to the water and watch how they drank. Most of the men knelt down and drank with their faces in the water. Only three hundred men cupped the water in their hands and lapped it up quickly, looking all around them.
God said to Gideon, “I will save you with these three hundred men.” Gideon gave each man a trumpet, an empty jar, and a torch hidden inside the jar. Gideon was nervous, so God let him sneak down into the enemy camp and hear a man tell a dream about a barley loaf that knocked over a tent. The other man said, “That is the sword of Gideon!” Gideon heard this and worshiped God right there.
Gideon went back to his men and told them what to do. In the middle of the night, they broke their jars, blew their trumpets, and shouted, “For the LORD and for Gideon!” The Midianites woke up confused, and they started fighting each other and running away. The men of Israel chased them and won the battle, because God had done it.
Read It Together
Judges 7:7
The LORD said to Gideon, “By the three hundred men who lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand. Let all the other people go, each to his own place.”
(WEB)
Point out that God told Gideon He would save Israel with just three hundred men. Ask the children why God might choose a small group instead of a big army, and remind them that God’s power is never limited by how many people we have.
Judges 7:20
The three companies blew the trumpets, broke the pitchers, and held the torches in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands with which to blow; and they shouted, “The sword of the LORD and of Gideon!”
(WEB)
Show the children how the men held torches in one hand and trumpets in the other, shouting together. Explain that this shout was not about their own strength but about trusting the LORD and following Gideon’s brave lead.
Judges 7:22
They blew the three hundred trumpets, and the LORD set every man’s sword against his fellow, and against all the army; and the army fled as far as Beth Shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel Meholah, by Tabbath.
(WEB)
Point out that God caused the Midianites to turn on one another, so the battle belonged to Him. Help the children see that God can do surprising things that no one expects, and that He is always in control.
Talk About It
- How do you think Gideon felt when God told him to send so many men home?
- Why do you think God wanted the Israelites to know that He won the battle?
- What is something that feels too big for you, and how could you ask God to help?
- What did Gideon do when he heard the man talking about the dream?
- When have you seen someone be brave even when they felt scared?
Activity Ideas
Torch in a Jar Craft
You will need an empty clear jar or cup, tissue paper in yellow and orange, glue, and a flashlight or a small battery tea light. Let the children glue tissue paper flames inside the jar, then place a light inside so it glows. Talk about how Gideon’s men hid their light in jars until the right moment, and how God shows His light even in small things.
Trumpet Shout Game
You will need paper towel tubes or cardboard rolls to use as trumpets, and an open space. Have the children march quietly in a circle, then stop and blow their trumpets and shout together, “For the LORD and for Gideon!” Repeat the march and shout a few times so they remember how the men surrounded the camp.
Take-Home Trust Card
You will need index cards, markers, and a pencil. Have each child write or draw one thing that feels too big for them on one side and a picture of God’s help on the other. Encourage them to take the card home and show it to a family member each night this week, saying a short thank you to God for being strong when they feel weak.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that God delivered Israel not by numbers or human pride but by His own power working through an ordinary, fearful man. God was reducing the army so that Israel would recognize His hand in the victory, which reminds us that our strength is never the final source of help.
Avoid overstating to children that God will always give us a win in every situation or that He will make everything happen exactly as we want. Focus instead on the truth that God is trustworthy and near, and that He helps His people in His way and in His time.
A Prayer to Close
Father, we thank You that You are stronger than anything we face. Help us trust You instead of ourselves, even when we feel small or scared. Thank you for being with us every day. Amen.
