NBC Sunday School Manual For October 16, 2022 :Topic – The Call Of Gideon

By | October 16, 2022

NBC Sunday School Manual For October 16, 2022 :Topic – The Call Of Gideon

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SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON (NBC)

Sunday, October 16, 2022

TOPIC: THE CALL OF GIDEON

Devotional Reading: 2Corinthians 12:1-10

Background Scripture: Judges 6:1-27

Lesson Scripture: Judges 6:1-2, 7-16

GOLDEN TEXT
The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” Judges 6:14

Objectives: By the end of the lesson, class members should be able to:

• Discuss the effects of sins on a nation;

• State common excuses people give when are called into leadership positions;

• Explain why God was interested in the well being of the Israelites, despite their unfaithfulness.

INTRODUCTION
We have heard stories of some people who were reluctant when they were called into leadership positions at one time or the other because of its challenges. A young man wrote a book and titled it “Leadership and its challenges.” The day the book was launched, he shared his testimony and the challenges he encountered throughout the period he occupied a particular leadership position. On many occasions in the Bible, God used doubtful and unprepared people to accomplish His purpose on earth. At a time when women were regarded as second-class citizens (Judges 9:54; 19:24), God chose Deborah to serve as a judge and to lead the people of Israel. Jephthah, another judge was a social outcast before God chose him to lead His people, Israel. Similarly, when God called Moses to lead His people out of Egypt, he was reluctant and gave many reasons why he could not be used (Exodus 3:11-13). He, however, yielded and eventually became an instrument in the hand of God.

Today’s lesson focuses on the call of Gideon to lead the people of Israel who were oppressed by the Midianites.
Before his call, he was not planning any heroic event until the angel of the Lord came to him with a call to go and save Israel from the hands of the Midianites (v.14). In fact, he expressed fear and doubt about his ability to fit into the position because of his background and probably the strength of the Midianites. However, God promised to be with him.

THE LESSON EXPLAINED

A. Israel’s Sin and the Consequences. Judges 6:1-2
The Israelites were not consistent in their relationship with God. They did not live the way God wanted them to live; rather, they mingled with their neighbours and began to worship idols and practise child sacrifice . They violated virtually every law of God and they did what was right in their own eyes.

God became furious with them and they became vulnerable to raiders and robbers without protection (Judges 2:11-15). However, God had mercy on them. In chapters 3, 4 and 5, God raised different leaders like Othniel, Ehud, Deborah and Barak to fight their battle and gave them victory. The Israelites were of the habit of sinning against God. There are several instances when they sinned and were forgiven by God. But in spite of God’s kindness of forgiving them, they did not stop sinning.

Again, the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and for seven years, He gave them into the hands of the Midianites. Verse 2 states that the power of the Midianites was so oppressive that the Israelites became fugitives in the land. They began to prepare shelters for themselves in caves and other safe places in the hills.

The devastation was so much that they were left impoverished. Their farms and livestock were not spared at all by this marauding Midianites who destroyed their farm like locust and also rustled their cattle. (vv. 3-6)

The consequences of sin in the life of an individual or a nation can be devastating. It is apparent from the passage that Israel’s punishment was as a result of their evil deeds, despite the fact that they are God’s people. But God did not leave them in their anguish forever.

Apart from the fact that He is merciful and His anger is but for a moment, He promised their ancestors that He will never break His covenant with His people, Israel. However, we should not take God’s love for granted. As He is a loving Father, He is also a disciplinarian- He disciplines those He loves. Therefore, God’s people should eschew evil that attracts God’s wrath.

Believers should not take for granted the grace of God that we enjoy in Christ as a license to sin (Romans 6:1). We should avoid anything that will enslave us, cause us to experience poverty, fear and invasion like the people of Israel.

DISCUSSION TIME
1. God used the Midianites as an instrument of divine chastening for Israel’s sin of idolatry and evil deeds. Can we say that bad and wicked leaders are also instrument of divine chastening for our nation today?
2. Discuss what you think Nigerians should learn from the lifestyle of the Israelites in order to avoid God’s wrath.

B. A Cry to God for Help. Judges 6:7-10
The severity of Israel’s suffering, which lasted seven years, is described in verses 3 to 6. The terror spread by the Amalekites and Midianites made the Israelites ‘to seek for refuge in caves and hid their grains in pits’ (vv. 2-4), to the point that they became helpless.

According to verse 7, when the suffering became unbearable, they cried out to the Lord for help. In other words, they acknowledged the cause of their problem and sought for the help of God. Because God’s ways are not the ways of humankind, He did not directly respond to their cry; rather, He sent a prophet who reminded them of God’s faithful acts in these ways:
▪︎ He brought them out of Egypt.
▪︎ He snatched them from the grip of the Egyptians and from the power of all their oppressors.
▪︎ He drove their enemies before them and gave their lands to them as an inheritance. The prophet reminded them of God’s warning against the worship of the gods of the Amorites, when they finally settled in the Promised Land (v.10). But they neither listened nor obeyed.

So, God was jealous; He would not share His glory with other gods. Despite the fact that He specifically warned them not to worship the gods of the Amorites, they turned deaf ears to God’s instruction. The sin of idolatry is great before God. (Deuteronomy 4:19; Exodus 20:4-5). Because of their sin of idolatry, God punished them ruthlessly through their enemies. Their punishment was as a result of disobedience. Are there areas where we are also disobeying God? Perhaps we need to check ourselves if some of the challenges we have today is as a result of our disobedience to God. God is merciful but believers should not take His mercy for granted and continue to live in sin because the consequences could be devastating.

DISCUSSION TIME
1. Why is it very easy for people to forget God when they are comfortable?
2. God listened to the outcry of the wayward Israelites, even when they have forsaken His commands and refused to obey Him.
Discuss what it teaches about God?

C. The Call of Gideon. Judges 6:11-16
God had always used people to achieve His purpose on earth. Even though the Israelites continuously sinned against God, He did not leave or forsake them. When they cried unto Him, He heard them and sent an angel who appeared to Gideon where he was secretly threshing wheat in a winepress.

The angel said to Gideon, “The Lord is with you, mighty man of warrior.” Gideon understood what it means for God to be with someone but he demanded to know why they were being oppressed by their enemies. He recounted the wonders God did among their ancestors, which they could not enjoy anymore.

He asked the angel “Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt? But now the LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian.” God did not respond to Gideon’s question but rather commanded him in verse 14 saying, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” The strength of the LORD refers to “God’s presence”.

Gideon considered himself unfit for the assignment because of his family background and position; his clan was the weakest among the tribe of Manasseh. In response, God reassured him saying, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together” (v.16). God is still in the business of calling people into different areas of ministry. However, people often give excuses for not accepting ministry assignment for various reasons.

For instance, some
people complain of lack of adequate time and competence, distance, low educational attainment. and so on. Christians should remember that God has called His children to serve Him in different ways, therefore, we should not make excuses.

He who has called us has promised us His presence and the needed strength to work and overcome every obstacle. We should see ourselves the way God sees us, trust Him for what He has promised to do through us.

DISCUSSION TIME
1. Discuss the importance of God’s presence with a person He intends to use to accomplish a purpose.
2. Is there hope that God can raise someone like Gideon to liberate this nation from the hands of the modern-day Midianites who are oppressing us?

Commitment: Make a verbal commitment to accept God’s call to serve, whenever you are opportune.

Fellowship and Ministry Building Activity
Let the class members pick a partner and tell each other of an instance when they struggled to obey God and the outcome. They should join hands and pray for the grace to always obey God.

Prayer Points
Lord, forgive my shortcomings. Jesus, come to my help over all the things that are causing me pain. Help me to see myself the way You see me, O Lord.

Take Home: Write down three lessons you are taking home from today’s lesson:

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