Session 10

Trust

Judges 7:1-8,19-23

Memory Verse: Judges 7:2

God provided victory and brought Himself glory through Gideon’s army.

In a culture (including our churches) obsessed with big numbers,
where quantity often supersedes quality,
it’s hard to imagine God downsizing in a plan for victory.
And yet that’s exactly what takes place in this session.
As Gideon learned how to trust God more, the Lord
continued to provide new opportunities for him to grow
in his faith.

Whereas God wants to include human beings in His work,
He also wants it clearly understood that He is the only One
who does the saving.
As a result, all the glory belongs to Him.
At every turn in his story, Gideon found that God had a plan,
and he needed to trust that plan-even when it didn’t make sense.

FIRST THOUGHTS

The expression, “Cinderella story,” is an analogy that originates
from the children’s story of “Cinderella.”
It refers to someone who has come from obscurity
to surprisingly gain significant recognition or success.
Most people enjoy a good Cinderella story.
Someone like Abraham Lincoln, who came
from a humble background to become president, is an example
of a Cinderella story.
There are many occasions in the Bible when God used
unlikely people to do extraordinary things
so that He would receive the glory. (PSG, p. 91)

Discuss:

• Why do stories of people rising from humble circumstances to achieve success resonate so strongly with us? (PSG, p. 91)

ENGAGE

Review:

Remind adults about God’s call of Gideon from the previous session.
Gideon’s story starts well, but ends with the same cycle of sin that plagues Israel throughout Judges:

Judges 7:1-8:21 recounts Gideon’s victory over Midian.
He began with thirty-two thousand men,
but God reduced the number to three hundred.
This was to ensure that Israel knew the victory was
by God’s power, not their own strength.
In the aftermath of victory over Midian, the Israelites
wanted to make Gideon king.
But he refused, saying God would be their king (Judg. 8:22-23).
Though there was peace in Israel for forty years until Gideon died,
Gideon himself led all of Israel to worship an idol in his hometown.
When Gideon died the Israelites began worshiping the Baals again (8:24-32). (PSG, p. 92)

Transition:

Gideon’s call was unlikely; but, as we’ll see today,
the way God provided deliverance for the Israelites
was even more unlikely.