Latest / Wonderfully Made: Bible Stories for children / The Time of the Judges – When Israel Forgot God

Transcript

The Time of the Judges – When Israel Forgot God · Wonderfully Made: Bible Stories for children

• 0:00
  Hello friends! Welcome back to Wonderfully Made,
• 0:04
  Bible Stories for Children. I'm so glad you're
• 0:08
  here. Last time, we saw the amazing way God brought
• 0:13
  down the walls of Jericho and helped his people
• 0:16
  enter the Promised Land. But what happened after
• 0:20
  that? Did the people keep trusting God now that
• 0:24
  they were home? Or did they face new challenges?
• 0:29
  Let's find out what happened during a new part
• 0:32
  of their journey, something the Bible calls the
• 0:36
  time of the judges. At first, things went well.
• 0:53
  The Israelites lived in the land God had promised
• 0:57
  to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They built homes,
• 1:02
  planted gardens, and enjoyed the land flowing
• 1:05
  with milk and honey. But soon, they forgot. They
• 1:11
  forgot how God had rescued them. They forgot
• 1:15
  to obey his commandments. And instead of worshipping
• 1:19
  the one true God, they started to follow the
• 1:23
  false gods of the people around them. The Bible
• 1:26
  says, Everyone did what was right in their own
• 1:31
  eyes. That means people weren't listening to
• 1:35
  God anymore. They were just doing whatever they
• 1:39
  felt like. And that led to trouble. When the
• 1:44
  Israelites turned away from God, things would
• 1:47
  go badly. Enemies would attack, or trouble would
• 1:51
  come. The people would realize they needed help,
• 1:55
  and they would cry out to God. And do you know
• 1:59
  what God did? He sent help. God raised up special
• 2:04
  leaders called judges. These weren't judges with
• 2:08
  robes and gavels like in a courtroom. They were
• 2:12
  leaders and warriors who helped guide and rescue
• 2:15
  the people. Some of the judges were men like
• 2:19
  Gideon and Samson. Some were women like the wise
• 2:23
  and brave Deborah. And every time they listened
• 2:28
  to the judge, things got better. But then, they
• 2:32
  would forget again. And the cycle would start
• 2:35
  all over. Let me tell you a few short stories
• 2:40
  from the early time of the judges. There was
• 2:44
  a judge called Othniel. He was a brave leader
• 2:48
  from a strong family. When the people cried out
• 2:52
  to God, Othniel helped rescue them. and brought
• 2:55
  peace to the land for many years. Another judge
• 3:00
  was called Ehud. He was clever and courageous.
• 3:04
  When God's people were in trouble, Ehud came
• 3:08
  up with a bold plan to stop a cruel king, and
• 3:12
  God gave him victory. The last judge we'll cover
• 3:17
  was called Shamgar. He didn't have a sword or
• 3:21
  armor, but he used what he had. a farming tool.
• 3:25
  With God's help, he stood up to Israel's enemies
• 3:29
  and saved the people. Each of these leaders was
• 3:33
  different, but God used them in special ways
• 3:36
  to help his people. Through every story, we see
• 3:41
  that when God's people called out to him, he
• 3:44
  listened, and he answered. Have you ever made
• 3:53
  the same mistake more than once? That's what
• 3:56
  the Israelites were doing. God was always ready
• 4:00
  to forgive them and help them, but they kept
• 4:03
  turning away. Still, God never gave up. His love
• 4:08
  was bigger than their forgetfulness. Sometimes
• 4:12
  we forget too. We forget to pray. We forget to
• 4:18
  be kind. We forget what we've learned. But God
• 4:22
  is always there, waiting to help us come back
• 4:25
  to him. God doesn't want us to just do whatever
• 4:31
  we feel like. He wants us to follow him because
• 4:35
  he knows what's best. Even when we fail or forget,
• 4:39
  he's ready to help us start again. The time of
• 4:43
  the judges teaches us that God is faithful. even
• 4:47
  when we aren't. Let's think about a few things
• 4:52
  together. Do you ever forget to listen to God?
• 4:58
  What helps you remember? What can you do when
• 5:04
  you realize you've made a mistake? Can you think
• 5:09
  of someone who helps you make good choices, like
• 5:12
  a judge helped Israel? No matter what, remember
• 5:18
  this, God never gives up on you. He wants to
• 5:22
  help you grow, learn, and walk in His ways. Thanks
• 5:29
  for joining me today. Next time, we'll meet a
• 5:33
  woman named Deborah, one of the judges God sent
• 5:36
  to help His people when they got into trouble.
• 5:39
  She was wise, brave, and trusted God with all
• 5:44
  her heart. You won't want to miss her story.
• 5:48
  Until then, remember, you are wonderfully made,
• 5:52
  and God is with you every step of the way. Bye
• 5:56
  for now.