The Children's Chapel Award-winning site, featuring Bible stories from a variety of authors, excellent Christian resources for children, and over 140 links to other Christian and family-friendly sites for kids. ~ A Ministry of The Missing Link, Inc. ~ Trumpets, Torches and the Sword of the Lord by Sophia Prinsloo and Barbara Wilmerton Haas A Bible story about Gideon - Part 4 Text Version | Afrikaans [picture of preschool children smiling and looking down at something on the ground] (Continued from Part 3) Helen was not sure she would be able to do it. Their church needed someone to help with Sunday school for the 3-5 year olds and Mom had asked if she would be interested in doing it. She loved little ones, but handling more than ten of them at one time would be no mean feat. She asked herself, "What if they all start crying at once, or bully each other, or won't listen to me?" But, on the other hand, she really wanted to do something for the Lord Jesus, Who had given his life for her and saved her. Helen had until the next day to decide and, as she went to bed, she pondered and prayed about what to do. She remembered Jesus Himself had said, "Let the little ones come to Me." Surely, if Jesus loves and wants the little ones, He would help her by his Holy Spirit bring them to Him if she would ask Him in prayer before each Sunday school class. Helen also remembered the awesome power of the Rock the prophet Daniel spoke about. That Rock was cut without human help and shattered all earthly kingdoms to become a mountain so enormous that it filled the whole earth. Helen knew that Rock represented Jesus and his Kingdom. With such power behind the message of Jesus Christ, why should she be afraid of a bunch of little kids? The next morning at home, Helen announced her decision to her family. She would take up the challenge God had given her. Later at church, she also told her pastor. They all were greatly pleased with her decision to cast all doubts aside and serve in children's ministry. Have you ever been afraid to do something for the Lord? Have you ever been afraid to do the right thing? Let us see from the Bible how Gideon overcame his fears and was mightily used by God because he was obedient. [picture of grassy graphics divider with butterflies] Gideon and his army of 300 men were expectantly waiting on the Lord's command to attack the thousands of Midianites, Amalekites and nations of the East camping in the valley of Jezreel down below. [picture of the valley of enemy tents looking down from the mountaintop in the dark] That night the Lord said to Gideon, "Get up! Take your 300 soldiers and attack the Midianites for I am giving you a great victory! But first, if you are afraid, take your servant Purah and go down to the enemy camp. LISTEN to what they say and you will HEAR something that will give you great COURAGE for the battle." So Gideon said to Purah, "Let us go down to the camp below, spy on the enemy and hear what the Lord wants us to know." Then, in the shadows of the night, the two of them climbed down the mountain and bravely crept up to the enemy camp. As they reached the outpost of the armed forces, they were careful not to disturb even one of the thousands of the enemy's camels. The camels were resting, lying down and chewing the cud. Gideon and Purah sneaked from camel hump to camel hump, hiding from the guards. "Watch out!" Gideon whispered an alarm. "Don't step on that camel's tail!" Thankfully, Gideon was able to warn Purah just in time, preventing a peeved, grunting camel from revealing their presence. [picture of Gideon and Purah listening intently to the enemy soldier telling a friend about a nightmare] Voices could be heard coming from one of the tents close by. They crept up next to the tent and LISTENED intently. The soldier inside the tent had just woken up from a nightmare. He was telling his tent-mate, "I had the strangest dream. There was this huge loaf of barley that came tumbling down into our camp. It hit our tent and knocked it down flat. I wonder what it could mean…?" After a moment of thought, the tent-mate said fearfully, "UH-UH! That loaf of barley can only mean one thing - GIDEON, the son of Joash, the Israelite! And knocking down our tent can only mean he is coming down from the mountain to kill all of us with our allied forces camping down here in the valley." Gideon's heart leaped with joy as he overheard the dream and its interpretation. "HALLELUJAH! Glory to the Lord God of Israel! He is faithful! He just now confirmed that we will win the battle!" Gideon was worshipping quietly as he knelt in awe before the Lord. Then he signaled to Purah for them to go back to his men. Back in their own camp, Gideon woke the men up from their sleep and said excitedly, "Get up and get ready, oh you soldiers of light! We are going to put the enemy to flight!" Then, as the men gathered around Gideon, he told them what he and Pura had overheard, "The enemy is SO AFRAID of us, they can't help themselves. BE BRAVE! The Lord is going to use you to conquer the vast armies of Midian. NOW you will see how great our God is!" [picture of Gideon giving each man a trumpet and also a torch inside a clay jar] Gideon divided the 300 men into three groups of 100 each. He gave each man a trumpet and also a torch inside a clay jar to hide the light of the flames, while sneaking up to the enemy camp. "What about our SWORDS?" the men asked. "Don't expect OUR swords to give us victory. This time it will be the invisible, but audible Sword of the LORD giving a mighty victory! Watch and see! God will make the demon forces flee," Gideon replied. "Now, listen carefully," he said as the men listened attentively. "Here is the plan: When we get to the outpost of the enemy camp, follow my lead and do as I do. When I and the men in my group blow our trumpets, you all must do the same and then yell as hard as you can: 'The Sword of the Lord and of Gideon!' But we MUST do it TOGETHER." So just after midnight, three groups of 100 men carefully climbed down the mountain and ever so quietly sneaked up to the outposts of the enemy camp. They watched as the guards of the enemy changed shifts. The camels were still restfully chewing the cud. Neither the enemy nor their camels had noticed that trouble was brewing. [picture of Gideon's men blewing their trumpets and breaking their clay jars] Then suddenly, Gideon and his group of men loudly BLEW their trumpets and BROKE their clay jars, causing their torches to BLAZE into the night! The other two groups did the same, blowing their trumpets with their right hands and holding their torches with their left hands, SHOUTING as loudly as they could, "THE SWORD OF THE LORD AND OF GIDEON!" All that noise rudely awakened the enemy soldiers from their sleep. When they heard the NAMES of the Lord and of Gideon being shouted, it sent chills down their spines. They were surrounded with blazing lights coming from torches in all directions. They thought surely they were outnumbered with THOUSANDS of Gideon's soldiers attacking them. The NOISE and the LIGHTS gave the enemy soldiers such a huge FRIGHT that, in a state of panic, they began rushing around in every direction, shouting and trying to flee from Gideon and his men. Even the camels got to their feet stricken with fear and began kicking, bucking and spitting. The camels began rolling their eyes and making thundering groans, while running around, joining the crazy commotion. What utter CONFUSION and CHAOS! In all the confusion, the Lord caused the enemy troops to begin fighting and killing each other from one end of the camp to the other. The rest of them fled into the night to places as far away as Beth-Shittah near Zererah, and to the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbah. [two pictures of enemy troops fighting and killing one another] That night, Gideon knew that the Lord God, Who brought their ancestors out of Egypt by doing many miracles, was really with them again. The Lord was fighting for them because, although there were so few set against so many, they courageously trusted Him without fear. God was giving them victory because they were obedient to Him. He was pleased with them because they worked together as one. Just as Gideon and his men broke those clay jars, we must shatter our fears with trust in the Lord. Just as the torches shone brightly in the night, we must be aflame with the Holy Spirit to allow the light of Jesus to shine brightly through us in this wicked world. Just like Gideon and his men blew their trumpets and shouted, "THE SWORD OF THE LORD AND OF GIDEON!" we must proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ in unison and God will, by His mighty power, make his enemies flee. Oh, Praise the Lord for his great VICTORY! [picture of grassy graphics divider with butterflies] REMEMBER! God wants to make you brave. The Holy Spirit will help you be obedient to his Word and cause enemies to flee. THINK! 1. How did God help Gideon know beyond a doubt that they would win the battle? 2. What did Gideon do when he heard what the enemy soldier said? 3. What items did Gideon give to each of the 300 men? 4. What did the men do with those items? 5. What did the men shout? 6. What is the Sword of the Lord? 7. What happened to the enemy? A VERSE TO LEARN: "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7). AN ALTERNATIVE VERSE TO LEARN "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). LET'S PRAY: [picture of little boy kneeling and praying beside his bed with his big dog earnestly praying beside him] Heavenly Father, help me courageously do your will. Give me the power of the Holy Spirit to become obedient to your Word and make your enemies flee. In Jesus' Name. Amen. CAN YOU FIND THIS STORY IN THE BIBLE? Judges 7:9-22 BIBLE STORY ARCHIVE www.childrenschapel.org/bibstory2.html [picture of coloring page and three crayons] Memory verse coloring page Bible Heroes: Gideon Coloring Book Colour the Bible Book 1: Genesis - 2 Chronicles Gideon coloring page Gideon: Draw the Scene Coloring Through the Bible Beginner's Bible Super-Duper Mighty Jumbo Coloring Book Bible Story Coloring Pages V2 Really Big Book of Bible Story Coloring Pages My Bible Coloring Book Thru-the-Bible Coloring Pages What's in the Bible Reproducible Coloring Book-Genesis to Revelation Children's Bible Coloring Books [picture of puzzle pieces] Crossword puzzle Cryptogram Double puzzle Fill In the Blanks Maze Word Search Fear in a Hat game Gideon, Blow Your Horn! Story and Activity Book Gideon Picture Clue Read and Trace activity worksheet God Sends Gideon Fear Factor Game Memory Verse Activity Sense how you feel: Imagine you are Gideon The Calling of Gideon Word Scramble Best Book of Bible Activities Encyclopedia Of Bible Games For Children's Ministry The Humongous Book of Games for Children's Ministry The Super Sized Book of Bible Puzzles Memory Verse Games for Kids Big Book Of Bible Puzzles Bible Puzzles: Word Search Big Book Of Bible Story Activity Pages V1 Jumbo Bible Activity Book 4 Christian and educational toys Children's Activity Books Children's Puzzles Crossword Books Games Sticker Books [picture of craft supplies - paper, glue, scissors, ruler] Gideon Toilet Paper Roll Craft (Adapt by changing trumpet to a rope. He needed torch to see at night. Or you could tape a birthday candle to one hand and a piece of string to the other.) Gideon Cube Craft Mighty Man of Valour Craft Bible Crafts Bible Crafts & More (Ages 3-6) Bible Crafts On A Shoestring Budget: Paper Sacks & Cardboard Tubes (Reproducible: Ages 5-10) Big Book of Bible Crafts (Ages 3-12) Encyclopedia Of Bible Crafts For Preschoolers Praise God with Paper Plates (Reproducible: PreK-Grade 2) Really Big Book Of Cool Crafts For Kids w/CD-Ages 4-12 [picture of birds singing in the branch of a tree] Giddy-Up, Gideon - Split Track [Music Download] I Can Be Your Friend, VeggieTales Sing-Alongs DVD Let Your Light Shine 100 Ways To Know God Loves Me & 100 Songs 100 Bible Stories 100 Bible Songs Action Bible Songs Bible Songs on CD Bible Songs on DVD 100 Singalong Bible Songs For Kids 21 Bible Action Songs (watch online) 25 Favorite Sunday School Songs Children's Music [picture of little boy reading a book] Angels in the Bible Storybook Bible Story Cards: Super Cards (Mini-posters), Old Testament Gideon and the Small Army - eBook Gideon - eBook Gideon-Soldier of God: A Bibletime Book God Provides Victory through Gideon Samson/Gideon Flip-Over Book Walls, Brawls, and the Great Rebellion - eBook 365 Read-Aloud Bedtime Bible Stories 365 Activities For Kids: A Bible Story And Activity For Each Day Of The Year 100 Bible Stories 100 Bible Songs w/2 CD Beginner's Bible Bible in Pictures For Toddlers Bible stories Egermeier's Bible Storybook for Beginners Early Reader's Bible The Action Storybook Bible The Children's Illustrated Bible The Preschooler's Bible Toddler's Bible Pilgrim's Progress Comic Children's Books Spanish Children's Books The Picture Bible (also in Spanish) [picture of CDs and DVDs] Watch and listen to the story of Gideon https://youtu.be/xawbxc7wezM Adventures in Odyssey(R) 461: B-TV: Obedience [Download] Bible on the Go Vol. 13: The Stories of Gideon and Samson (Judges 6-8, 13, 16) - Unabridged Audiobook [Download] Gideon: Tuba Warrior, VeggieTales DVD God Loves You Very Much, DVD Jacob's Ladder, Episodes 1 & 2: Gideon, DVD Read and Share DVD Bible Volume #4 Scare Tactics (Gideon), Bugtime Adventures DVD Superbook: Gideon, DVD The Bible Comes Alive, Your Story Hour Volume 2, Audiobook on CD The Call of Gideon Animated Children's Bible Story (watch online) The Animated Kid's Bible (3-DVD Set) The Beginner's Bible Box Set, 4 DVDs #1: Read and Share: The Ultimate DVD Bible Storybook God's Story from Creation to Eternity (listen & watch online) The Bible MiniSeries DVD Set The Jesus Storybook Bible Curriculum Kit Bible story DVDs Children's DVDs RESOURCES FOR PARENTS AND TEACHERS Action Bible Curriculum Student Books Q2 The Calling of Gideon 801 Questions Kids Ask About God Absentee Postcards African American Resources Almost Every Answer for Practically Any Teacher Children's Ministry Bible Memory Games Bible Story Coloring Pages Vol. 2 The Jesus Storybook Bible Curriculum Kit Bible Crafts and Activities for Any Story Big Book of Bible Games Bulletin Board helps Chicken Soup for the Teacher's Soul Children's Sermon Church Nanny Sos: Teaching Discipline Essentials for Preschool Ministry Volunteers Church Supplies Closing Prayer FREE materials to Bible schools, Bible colleges, seminaries, churches, missionaries & individuals worldwide 52 Games That Teach The Bible Free educational videos God's Servants Teach Me God's Wisdom for Little Boys: Character-Building Fun from Proverbs Help! I'm a Sunday School Teacher How To Lead a Child To Christ King James Version Gift & Award Bibles Leading Little Ones to God: A Child's Book of Bible Teachings Lord Teach Me To Pray For Kids Making Children Mind Without Losing Yours Memory Verse Ideas Memory Verse Resources Object Talks Opening Prayer Parenting Resources Pray & Play Bible for Young Children Puppet Scripts Seven Laws of the Learner Spanish Resources Sunday school resources Talking to God Teachers' Reproducible Classroom Pages Teaching Children Memory Verses Ages 4-5 Teaching Children To Pray Ages 4-5 Teaching to Change Lives The Big Book of Bible Skits Things To Make Craft Activities Vacation Bible School What Every Sunday School Teacher Should Know Children's resources [picture of grassy graphics divider with butterflies] Pictures Courtesy of Free Bible Images ----------------------------------------------------------------- BIBLE STORY ARCHIVE http://childrenschapel.org/bibstory2.html Add/update a Bible story resource The Children\'s Chapel - Award-winning site, featuring Bible stories from a variety of authors, excellent Christian resources for children, and over 140 links to other Christian and family-friendly sites for kids Copyright (c) 2023 by Barbara Wilmerton Haas You may NOT re-post this Bible story. 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