Confirmation Lesson
Judges
Opening Prayer
Lord, bless our church and its leaders. We ask for your continued guidance for the people we now name. (Name those leaders in your life and offer thanks for their leadership.) We pray for these and all other leaders in our church. Draw us all together as a family and help us all participate in the mission of our church. Amen.
Where were we?...
Moses received the 10 Commandments but there's more to the story. Catch that here:
Moses was leading the Israelites to the Promised Land but unfortunately Moses died before they arrived at their destination. Joshua then took over leading the people. He led them to the Promised Land of Canaan.
Create an Acrostic
On a sheet of paper, write the word LEADERSHIP vertically (up and down along the left side of the paper) then come up with ten words, each beginning with a letter of LEADERSHIP, that name qualities of a good leader.

• What do you think are the most important qualities of a leader?
• What role do leaders play in your school, church, and community?
Introduction to the book of Judges

While Joshua was alive and ruling the people of Israel in Canaan, most everything went really well. After Joshua’s death, the people started to forget about God and how God rescued them from slavery in Egypt. They began worshiping Baal and other false gods of the Canaanites.

The book of Judges is about the struggle between the Israelites and God, and the struggle between the Israelites and their neighbors. This pattern is repeated again and again: the people turned away from God; God punished them by sending an enemy to rule them; when the people repented of their sin, God sent temporary leaders (judges) to rescue them. After the judge died, the people returned to their evil ways, and the cycle repeated once again. This continued to happen over a 200-year period. This is one of the clearest examples in the Bible of the tendency of humans, even those who know God, to forget God and go their own way.
Where are they now?

As you read Judges 4, here's a map to show where the story takes place:
Judges 4
Before you read chapter 4, be mindful to listen for the way in which God used two women to rescue the people of Israel.
Look for the behavior pattern: the Israelites sin; the Canaanites take over; the Israelites cry for help; God sends a judge to rescue Israel.
Circle, underline, take notes where there are things that stick out to you, you see patterns or you have questions.

• Deborah was both a prophet and a judge. What is the difference between a prophet and a judge? A prophet was one who spoke for another, and a judge was one who assumed leadership in times of emergencies. How are they the same?
• What role did Jael play in the story? Jael could have been one of the enemy, but she was not; instead, she killed the Canaanite commander with a hammer.

The book of Judges is full of violence and an awful pattern of the people of God turning away from God - even after all that God had brought them through!

• Why do you think that the people turned from God after all God had done for them?
• Can you think of times in your life that you strayed from God? How did you/can you get back on track?
Woah, the violence!
What do you think?...

• Was violent behavior an unavoidable feature of the culture and the times?
• How does God punish evil today? Does God punish evil?
• How can a person of faith respond to violence today?
Do you have any questions?
If you have any questions or would like to share your thoughts, you can email Leisha at ltays@oursaviourslc.org