Judge Deborah – Judges 4 to 5

Judge Deborah – Judges 4 to 5

This next story is about an amazing woman from the Bible named Deborah. She lived about 1200 years before Christ Jesus.

Deborah was a judge. She was also a female prophet.

Question: What is a prophet?

Answer: A spokesperson for God

Deborah lived long after both Moses and Joshua had died.

Sadly, without their strong leadership, the Israelites seemed to have forgotten about God. Not Deborah! Never Deborah! But a bunch of the rest of them were actively worshiping idols.

Question: What are idols?

Answer: People mistakenly worshiped a statue or carving (i.e., golden calf, etc.) instead of God.

Deborah chose a palm tree with plenty of shade where the Israelites could come and sit with her daily.

She was a very wise mother whom the Israelites could talk to, tell their problems to, and ask for prayers and advice.

As a judge, Deborah would help the Israelites solve their problems. She would also help them to settle arguments.

As a female prophet, called a prophetess, Deborah would pray to God and reveal to the people what God willed for their lives.

The Israelites really needed somebody like Deborah, as they had been suffering from the cruelty of a very bad king from Canaan for 20 years. His name was King Jabin [Jay-bin].

His Canaan commander, Sisera [SIS-uh-ruh], was even worse. For 20 miserable years, he, along with his enormous army and 900 iron chariots, did all kinds of horrible things to the people of Israel.

The Israelites cried out to the Lord for help.

One of the ways God answered their prayers was by setting up the motherly Deborah as their Prophetess and Judge.

One day, Deborah sent for Barak [BAIR-uhk], the military commander of the Israelite army.

Deborah told him:

DEBORAH: Barak [BAIR-uhk], this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, commands you to do. Gather 10,000 warriors. You will fight against Sisera [SIS-uh-ruh], the commander of King Jabin's [Jay-bin's] army. There, God will give you victory over him.

Barak nervously declared:

BARAK: Deborah, I will go, but, ..., only if you go with me.

DEBORAH: Very well. I will go with you. But know this. The Lord's victory over Sisera [SIS-uh-ruh] will be in the hands of a woman and not with you.

So, Deborah went with Barak as he gathered his army of 10,000 Israelite warriors. Then, she announced:

DEBORAH: Get ready! On this day, the Lord will give you victory over Sisera, for the Lord is marching ahead of you.

Sure enough, when Deborah's army attacked, the Lord threw Sisera and all his chariots and warriors into a panic. As the Israelite army killed every single one of the bad guys, Sisera leaped down from his chariot and escaped on foot.

Sisera ran and ran until he came to the woman's tent belonging to Jael [Jay-uhl], the wife of Heber [Hee-bur]. Sisera said:

SISERA: Phew! I found Heber's wife's tent. Due to the peace treaty he has with my king, I know I will be safe.

The woman, named Jael [Jay-uhl], went out to meet Sisera. She invited him into her tent and hid him under a blanket.

SISERA: Woman, please, give me some water. I'm so thirsty.

Jael gave him milk instead of water.

JAEL: [Whisper this to the audience] As tired as Sisera is, this milk will help him sleep. Hee! Hee! Hee! ... Shhhhh! Don't tell.

Worn out, Sisera said:

SISERA: Stand at the door of the tent. If anybody comes and asks you if there is anyone here, [YAWN], say no.

Then, the cruel commander fell fast asleep.

Very quietly, Jael grabbed an extra tent peg and her hammer. She sneaked over and hammered that cruel commander's head into the ground. And so, after 20 years of cruelty, Sisera died.

Later, when Barak came looking for Sisera, Jael showed him his dead body.

So, Prophetess Deborah was correct. The Lord's victory over Sisera happened at the hands of a woman and not a man.

After that, under the motherly guidance of Deborah, there was peace in the land of Israel for 40 years.

Question: What do you call a female prophet?

Answer: Prophetess

Question: What was the name of the female prophet in this story?

Answer: Deborah

Question: How did the cruel commander die?

Answer: Jael hammered his head into the ground with a hammer and a tent peg.

Question: Any questions or comments?

Please note: These are Bible stories we use with the girls at our Wednesday night Youth Outreach program sponsored by West Highland Baptist Church in Athens, Alabama. The pastor uses his own material when working with the boys. I also use these Bible stories with the Youth Sunday School class I co-teach.

Books written by Debbie Dunn:

Here is the Amazon Link to Bible books about Jesus, middle school anti-bullying curriculum books, plus all children’s books written by Debbie Dunn (both paperback and Kindle).

It will open up in a new window.

• Author’s Page on Amazon.com

Here is my website: https://bible-books-for-his-glory.com/index.html. It describes which stores you can order any of my 7-book series called "Bible Books for His Glory."

It will open up in a new window.

• Bible Books for His Glory 7-book series

Balaam and the Talking Donkey – Numbers 22 to 24

Balaam and the Talking Donkey – Numbers 22 to 24

Balaam was a prophet who lived during the time of Moses.

Question: What is a prophet?

Answer: A spokesperson for God

Balaam wasn't the good kind of prophet. He was the bad kind of prophet because he was greedy and sometimes used magic to go against God's will.

King Balak was terrified when he realized that thousands upon thousands of Moses' Israelite army was heading toward his country of Moab.

Why was King Balak so scared? He heard that the God of Israel helped the Israelites win the fight with the Amorites by sending down gigantic icy hailstones to crush the heads of a bunch of them. God also allowed the sun to shine extra long so the Israelites could see to kill many more of those Amorites.

That frightened king decided, "I'd better send for Balaam, that prophet-for-hire. I will pay him lots of money to curse the Israelite army for me. That way, I have a better chance of beating the Israelites in a fight. "

Greedy Balaam tried to say no, but King Balak refused to take no for an answer. Finally, Balaam said:

BALAAM: Okay, I will saddle up my donkey and set out on my way.

There was a huge problem. God was angry with Balaam for agreeing to go. He sent an angel, holding a sharp sword, to block Balaam's path.

Balaam could not see the angel, but his female donkey could.

To avoid the angel killing Balaam, she ran from the road into the field. Balaam beat her.

When she saw the angel blocking the way between two stone walls, she tried to squeeze by and accidentally crushed Balaam's foot. Balaam beat her again.

When she saw the angel blocking a narrow path, she lay down and refused to get up, even though Balaam beat her a third time. Suddenly, God allowed that female donkey to speak out loud. She said:

DONKEY: Balaam, Hee-haw, what have I done to you that deserves you beating me 3 times?

BALAAM: You have made me look like a fool! If I had a sword, I would kill you!"

DONKEY: But I am the same donkey you have ridden all your life. Have I ever done anything like this before?

BALAAM: No, you have not.

At that moment, God opened up Balaam's eyes. When he saw that angel holding a very sharp sword, he fell to the ground in fear.

ANGEL OF THE LORD: Balaam, why did you beat your donkey 3 times? Look! I have come to block your way. If your donkey hadn't protected you, you would be dead right now.

BALAAM: Oh, Angel of the Lord, I have sinned. I didn't realize you were there, blocking my path. I will return home if you are against me going.

ANGEL OF THE LORD: Go with these men. But you are ONLY to say what I tell you to say.

When Balaam reached the country of Moab, King Balak impatiently said, "Balaam! I need you to curse the Israelite army for me so I have a better chance to beat them in a fight and drive them away from my land. " Balaam said:

BALAAM: King Balak, even if you offer me a palace full of silver and gold, I can only speak the message that God puts in my mouth.

Three times, Balaam told King Balak to build 7 altars. While he sacrificed a young bull and ram on each altar, Balaam would go to a lone hill to speak to God.

Each time, Balaam felt forced to bless the Israelite army rather than curse them. King Balak yelled:

BALAK: Balaam, I called you to curse my enemies! Instead, you have blessed them three times. Now get out of here! Go back home! I promised to reward you richly, but the Lord has kept you from your reward.

Before returning home, Balaam prophesied that the future Messiah would be born to the Israelite people.

Question: Who was the Messiah?

Answer: Jesus

Question: here is only one other Bible story with a talking animal. What was that animal?

Answer: Snake aka Serpent

Question: Who did that animal talk to?

Answer: Eve and Adam

Question: What was the name of the garden where Eve and Adam originally lived?

Answer: Garden of Eden

Question: Are there any questions or comments?

Please note: These are Bible stories we use with the girls at our Wednesday night Youth Outreach program sponsored by West Highland Baptist Church in Athens, Alabama. The pastor uses his own material when working with the boys. I also use these Bible stories with the Youth Sunday School class I co-teach.

Books written by Debbie Dunn:

Here is the Amazon Link to Bible books about Jesus, middle school anti-bullying curriculum books, plus all children’s books written by Debbie Dunn (both paperback and Kindle).

It will open up in a new window.

• Author’s Page on Amazon.com

Here is my website: https://bible-books-for-his-glory.com/index.html. It describes which stores you can order any of my 7-book series called "Bible Books for His Glory."

It will open up in a new window.

• Bible Books for His Glory 7-book series

Forgiveness of Sins Talk Show – Leviticus & N.T.

Forgiveness of Sins Talk Show – Leviticus & N.T.

TALK SHOW HOST: Debbie, I see you have a poster called 'FORGIVENESS OF SINS.' Why did you choose that topic?

DEBBIE: It's because of the upcoming holiday.

Please note: If this talk show is used after Easter or long before Easter, then adjust the question to read: “It is because of the religious holiday that we usually celebrate in either March or April.”

Question: What is the holiday that happens this Sunday?
OR
What is the religious holiday that happens in either March or April?

Answer: Easter

Question: What do we call the Friday that falls before Easter?

Answer: Good Friday

Question: About 2000 years ago, who was crucified on Friday and rose again on Sunday?

Answer: Jesus

Question: When Jesus volunteered to be crucified, what did He die to save us from?

Answer: Our sins

TALK SHOW HOST: Debbie, we probably all understand that the bottom half of this poster is about Jesus. But what is happening in the top half of this poster?

DEBBIE: The top half of the poster represents sins committed by any of the Israelites during the time of Moses.

TALK SHOW HOST: How long ago was that?

Question: Moses lived 1500 years before Jesus. Jesus lived 2000 years ago. So, 1500 plus 2000 = how many years ago did Moses live?

Answer: 1500 + 2000 = 3500

DEBBIE: Right. Moses lived about 3500 years ago.

TALK SHOW HOST: Okay. So, if one of those Israelite moms or dads or kids sinned, what did the family need to do?

DEBBIE: Great question. Since they did not want to die for their sins, they needed to choose a substitute to die in their place. Their substitute would be a lamb that was free of blemishes.

Question: What do you think it means for a lamb to be free of blemishes?

Answer: No physical marks or defects

TALK SHOW HOST: After picking out a lamb with no marks or defects, what did they have to do next?

DEBBIE: They had to bring that lamb to the priest. Then, in front of the priest and any witnesses, they would say, "I confess I have sinned. This is what I did wrong." Then, they would list their sins.

Question: What kinds of sins do you think they might have committed back then? [accept 3 answers]

Answer: Stole something, Coveted somebody's possession, Spread mean gossip or false rumors, etc.

TALK SHOW HOST: What was the third step?

DEBBIE: They would place their hands on top of the lamb's head. Then, they would imagine that all their sins entered the perfect body of the lamb.

TALK SHOW HOST: What was the final step?

DEBBIE: Then, the priest would sacrifice the lamb by killing it.

TALK SHOW HOST: Yikes! That lamb was innocent of committing sins, but it had to die for that family's sins anyway.

Question: Who else was innocent of committing any sins, but died anyway?

Answer: Jesus

TALK SHOW HOST: Debbie, tell us about the Scapegoat ceremony.

DEBBIE: Debbie: Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the High Priest would choose a scapegoat. He would imagine transferring every sin committed by any of the Israelites in the previous year into this goat. Then, another priest would take this scapegoat, supposedly full of everybody's sins, miles away into the wilderness.

Then, another priest would take this scapegoat, supposedly full of everybody's sins, miles away into the wilderness.

TALK SHOW HOST: What would happen if the goat came back?

DEBBIE: It's not in the Bible, but there is a Jewish tradition that states that the Israelites would panic and say, "Oh, no! Our sins are returning to us." So, to keep that from happening, the priest started to push the goat off the top of a mountain to its death.

TALK SHOW HOST: Yikes! Poor goat! So, how often would they do this scapegoat ceremony?

DEBBIE: They would do this once a year from the time of Moses.

TALK SHOW HOST: So that leads us to the bottom half of the poster. Tell us about that.

DEBBIE: The bottom half of the poster is all about Jesus. As John the Baptist said, "Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"

Question: Let's get a volunteer to read John 3:16.

Answer:
John 3:16 For this is how God loved the world:
He gave His one and only Son,
so that everyone who believes in Him
will not perish but have eternal life. (NLT)

TALK SHOW HOST: So, how did Jesus save us from our sins?

DEBBIE: Debbie: Short answer. As it says in Romans 6:23, "the wages of sin is death."

But instead of us having to die for our sins and go to hell, Jesus volunteered to be our substitute. Even though He never sinned during the 33 years He spent on earth, He was willing to die in our place.

And because He was crucified on the cross and rose again 3 days later in that tomb, as long as we confess our sins, do our best not to sin again, and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are saved from our sins and can spend eternity in Heaven.

In conclusion, as it states in 1 Peter 1:19, we are saved by the "precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God."

Question: Are there any questions or comments?

Please note: These are Bible stories we use with the girls at our Wednesday night Youth Outreach program sponsored by West Highland Baptist Church in Athens, Alabama. The pastor uses his own material when working with the boys. I also use these Bible stories with the Youth Sunday School class I co-teach.

Books written by Debbie Dunn:

Here is the Amazon Link to Bible books about Jesus, middle school anti-bullying curriculum books, plus all children’s books written by Debbie Dunn (both paperback and Kindle).

It will open up in a new window.

• Author’s Page on Amazon.com

Here is my website: https://bible-books-for-his-glory.com/index.html. It describes which stores you can order any of my 7-book series called "Bible Books for His Glory."

It will open up in a new window.

• Bible Books for His Glory 7-book series