Deborah s Dice Game (10 mins)

Transcription

1 Theme: Deborah Title: Christian Leadership Target Group: Limited Church Background Age: 14+ Aims: Equipment: Print-outs: To explore how God works in the life of someone who loves Him To explore some of the characteristics of a Christian leader Dice; box of chocolates (e.g. Cadbury s Heroes ); highlighter pens Print-out 1 (Deborah s Dice Game); Print-out 2 (Deborah Becomes Israel s Judge); Print-out 3 (Bible Bit) Bible Base: Judges 4 and 5 Deborah s Dice Game (10 mins) For this activity people need to be in groups of about six or seven. If your group is large you will need to form several groups of six or seven. Give each group two dice and a copy of Print-out 1 (Deborah s Dice Game). Each person takes it in turn to throw the dice, and, depending what number they score, they have to do the following: if they throw the dice and have numbers that add to '1' You can t score 1 when using two dice! '2' Tell the rest of the group one thing you would like to ask God '3' Describe your favourite place '4' Tell the rest of the group about a time when you think it might be hard to be obedient to God '5' Tell the rest of the group about a disagreement that young people often have with their parents '6' Help yourself to a chocolate '7' Tell a clean joke '8' Tell the rest of the group something that you are grateful for at the moment '9' Tell the rest of group your most embarrassing moment '10' Tell the rest of the group about a leader (from any walk of life) that you respect and why you have that respect. '11' Describe one new school rule that you would make for your school '12' Describe the best Christmas present you got this year. Sum up by asking the group(s) the following question and discuss it for a few minutes: What do you think makes a good leader? Deborah the Woman of God and Leader of the People (10 mins) Split the students up into groups of about three and give each group a copy of Print-out 2 (Deborah Becomes Israel s Judge). Ask each group to highlight on the sheet (in different colours if possible) the parts of the story that showed that Deborah: (possible answers from Judges 4 are shown in italics) 1) Listened to God verse 4 prophetess; verse 6 The Lord commands you; verse 14 2) Obeyed God verse 9 Deborah went into battle with Barak; verse 31 3) Resolved conflicts verse 4 leading; verse 5 Held court, resolved conflicts 4) Worshipped God Judges 5:1,2,3,12

2 Bible Bit (15 mins) Read this to the whole group: Deborah was one of Israel s Judges, who were appointed by God to lead the people. God gave Israel judges before they had kings; Saul was the first king. Deborah was someone who trusted God and followed him. We are going to see what this meant for her, in particular: Deborah Listened to God Deborah obeyed what God says Deborah had the ability to wisely resolve conflict Deborah responded to God in worship NB: if your group is unfamiliar with studying the Bible you might decide to only look at two or three of these activities. Using your highlighted sheets from the previous activity, answer the following questions which are also contained on Print-out 3 (Bible Bit). Some possible answers have been given in italics. Listening to God: 1. Deborah gives a message to Barak that she believes is from God (v6). How can she be so sure it is from God? She was a prophetess and so was experienced at speaking God s word to His people. No doubt, this had been tried and tested over a long period. It is unlikely that it just happened. 2. How easy do you think it would be to hear from God? It is not easy; God has given us his word; hearing an audible voice from God is not the norm. Obeying what God says: 3. What does Deborah do that shows that she obeys God? She says what he tells her to say; she goes to the battle with Barak; verse 31 implies that she encourages others to love God too. 4. Do you think obeying God is always easy? If not, why not? There are probably many reasons that people will want to mention including fear, sin, disobedience, we think it s too hard, trying to do it on our own. The ability of wisely resolve conflict: 5. Why did people come to Deborah to have their conflicts resolved? Presumably because they believed that she would give them a fair and just hearing; she was wise; she could discern God s will; God had gifted her for this task. 6. What skills might she have needed to do this? Wisdom; discernment; grace; mercy; justice; the ability to listen and think carefully; impartiality. 7. When friends come to you with conflict situations, how easy do you find it to help them?

3 8. How can we become better at resolving conflict in our own situations? Learn to stop and think before reacting or getting angry; try to see things from other people s perspective; see how our actions effect and hurt other people; realise that we might actually be wrong every now and then!! Responding to God in worship: 9. Who gets the credit for defeating Sisera? God; Judges 5:2 3, 10, How do you respond to all the references to war and blood shed in this passage? Be sensitive to people s reactions this is meant to be an open question that allows people to honestly express their thought and feelings. 11. Why did God allow this conflict to take place? Verse 2 tells us that the people did evil in the eyes of the Lord so he handed them over to Jabin and Sisera; verse 3 tells us that the people had been brutally oppressed by Jabin and Sisera for twenty years and that the people cried out to God for help; he heard the people s cries and set about delivering them; Jabin and Sisera were at one time allowed to have control over Israel God allowed it as judgement; but later they were called to account for the cruel way that they had oppressed them. Response (5 mins) Make the following points to the group: Deborah was someone who was committed to God. This effected how she lived and the things that she did. As a result God used her to make a difference to her whole nation. God can use us too if we are willing to commit ourselves to him, allow him to use us and follow him day by day. What are some of the things that stop you having some of the characteristics of Deborah? Have a few minutes quiet for the students to think about what you have just said; and then give them the opportunity to talk to you, or another leader, about it if they would like to.

4 Print-out 1: (Deborah s Dice Game) Deborah s Dice Game Each person takes it in turn to throw the dice and depending what number you score, you have to do the following: if you throw the dice and have numbers that add to: '1' You can t score 1 when using two dice! '2' Tell the rest of the group one thing you would like to ask God '3' Describe your favourite place '4' Tell the rest of the group about a time when you think it might be hard to be obedient to God '5' Tell the rest of the group about a disagreement that young people often have with their parents '6' Help yourself to a chocolate '7' Tell a clean joke '8' Tell the rest of the group something that you are grateful for at the moment '9' Tell the rest of group your most embarrassing moment '10' Tell the rest of the group about a leader (from any walk of life) that you respect and why you have that respect. '11' Describe one new school rule that you would make for your school '12' Describe the best Christmas present you got this year. Deborah s Dice Game Each person takes it in turn to throw the dice and depending what number you score, you have to do the following: if you throw the dice and have numbers that add to: '1' You can t score 1 when using two dice! '2' Tell the rest of the group one thing you would like to ask God '3' Describe your favourite place '4' Tell the rest of the group about a time when you think it might be hard to be obedient to God '5' Tell the rest of the group about a disagreement that young people often have with their parents '6' Help yourself to a chocolate '7' Tell a clean joke '8' Tell the rest of the group something that you are grateful for at the moment '9' Tell the rest of group your most embarrassing moment '10' Tell the rest of the group about a leader (from any walk of life) that you respect and why you have that respect. '11' Describe one new school rule that you would make for your school '12' Describe the best Christmas present you got this year.

5 Print-out 2: (Deborah Becomes Israel s Leader) Judges 4: 1 9;10; 13 16; 23 (Abridged) 1 After Ehud died, the Israelites once again did evil in the eyes of the LORD. 2 So the LORD sold them into the hands of Jabin, a king of Canaan. The commander of his army was Sisera. 3 Because he had nine hundred iron chariots and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the LORD for help. 4 Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. 5 She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel, and the Israelites came to her to have their disputes decided. 6 She sent for Barak and said to him, "The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you: 'Go, take with you ten thousand men and lead the way to Mount Tabor. 7 I will lure Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.' " 8 Barak said to her, "If you go with me, I will go; but if you don't go with me, I won't go." 9 "Very well," Deborah said, "I will go with you. But because of the way you are going about this, the honor will not be yours, for the LORD will hand Sisera over to a woman." So Deborah went with Barak. 10 Ten thousand men followed him, and Deborah also went with him. 13 Sisera gathered together his nine hundred iron chariots and all the men with him. 14 Then Deborah said to Barak, "Go! This is the day the LORD has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the LORD gone ahead of you?" So Barak went down Mount Tabor, followed by ten thousand men. 15 At Barak's advance, the LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots and army by the sword, and Sisera abandoned his chariot and fled on foot. 16 But Barak pursued the chariots and army as far as Harosheth Haggoyim. All the troops of Sisera fell by the sword; not a man was left. 23 On that day God subdued Jabin, the Canaanite king, before the Israelites. 24 And the hand of the Israelites grew stronger and stronger against Jabin, the Canaanite king, until they destroyed him. Judges 5: 1 3; 10 12; 31 1 On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song: 2 "When the princes in Israel take the lead, when the people willingly offer themselves praise the LORD! 3 "Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers! I will sing to the LORD, I will sing; I will make music to the LORD, the God of Israel. 10 "You who ride on white donkeys, sitting on your saddle blankets, and you who walk along the road, consider 11 the voice of the singers at the watering places. They recite the righteous acts of the LORD, the righteous acts of his warriors in Israel. "Then the people of the LORD went down to the city gates. 12 'Wake up, wake up, Deborah! Wake up, wake up, break out in song! Arise, O Barak! Take captive your captives, O son of Abinoam.' 31 "So may all your enemies perish, O LORD! But may they who love you be like the sun when it rises in its strength." Then the land had peace forty years. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

6 Print-out 3 (Bible Bit) Using your highlighted sheets from the previous activity, answer the following questions: Listening to God: 1. Deborah gives a message to Barak that she believes is from God (v6). How can she be so sure it is from God? 2. How easy do you think it would be to hear from God? Obeying what God says: 3. What does Deborah do that shows that she obeys God? 4. Do you think obeying God is always easy? If not, why not? The ability of wisely resolve conflict: 5. Why did people come to Deborah to have their conflicts resolved? 6. What skills might she have needed to do this? 7. When friends come to you with conflict situations, how easy do you find it to help them? 8. How can we become better at resolving conflict in our own situations? Responding to God in worship: 9. Who gets the credit for defeating Sisera? 10. How do you respond to all the references to war and blood shed in this passage? 11. Why did God allow this conflict to take place?