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Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: Old Testament 2022 “Judges 2–4; 6–8; 13–16” We all know what it’s like to make a mistake, feel bad about it, and then repent and resolve to change our ways. But in some cases we forget our earlier resolve, and, when we face temptation, we may find ourselves making the mistake again. This tragic pattern is typical of the Israelites’ experiences described in the book of Judges. Influenced by the beliefs and worship practices of the Canaanites—whom they were supposed to drive out of the land—the Israelites broke their covenants with the Lord and turned away from worshipping Him. As a result, they lost His protection and fell into captivity. And yet each time this happened, the Lord gave them the chance to repent and raised up a deliverer, a military leader called a “judge.” Not all of the judges in the book of Judges were righteous, but some of them exercised great faith in delivering the children of Israel and restoring them to their covenant relationship with the Lord. These stories remind us that no matter what has led us away from Jesus Christ, He is the Redeemer of Israel and is always willing to deliver us and welcome us back to Him.
Always Remember Him
An angel rebukes Israel for not serving the Lord—As a pattern of future events, a new generation arises that forsakes the Lord and serves Baal and Ashtaroth—The Lord is angry with the children of Israel and ceases to preserve them—He raises up judges to guide and lead them—The Canaanites are left in the land to test Israel.
After Joshua died, the next generation of Israelites “knew not the Lord.” Talk with your family about how they know the Lord and “the works which he [has] done” for them. How will you ensure that this knowledge will be preserved for future generations? (Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: Old Testament 2022 “Judges 2–4; 6–8; 13–16”)
How do we come to know the Lord? Through scripture study, prayer, sacrament, living the commandments. etc.
Friend June 2019 “The Sacrament Reminds Us of Jesus Christ” Ways to prepare for the sacrament before hand, what to do during the sacrament, and remembering Jesus and following him after the sacrament.
New Era March 2008 “How Can I Come to Know Christ?”
Friend November 2017 “Family Night Fun” Ways you can look for blessings every day.
Jesus Christ is my Savior.
The children of Israel intermarry with the Canaanites, worship false gods, and are cursed—Othniel judges the Israelites—They serve Moab and are delivered by Ehud, who slays Eglon.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Old Testament 2022 “Judges 2–4; 6–8; 13–16” When the Israelites prayed to the Lord, He raised up a deliverer for them. Help the children see that Jesus Christ is the Deliverer whom God has raised up for us.
- Explain to the children that when the Israelites stopped keeping God’s commandments, they lost His protection and were defeated by their enemies. Read from Judges 3:9 the phrase “the children of Israel cried unto the Lord.” What did the Israelites do when they needed help? Share an experience when you prayed for help and God answered your prayer.
- Read from Judges 3:9 the phrase “the Lord raised up a deliverer,” and invite the children to repeat it with you a few times. Explain that a deliverer is someone who saves us. Show the children several pictures of people, including a picture of Jesus Christ, and place the pictures face down on the floor. Let the children take turns turning over the pictures, finding the picture of Jesus, and holding it up. Testify that Jesus Christ is the Deliverer whom God has raised up to save us from sin and death.
Latter Day Kids “Jesus Delivers Us” Lesson ideas
Jesus Christ is my Deliverer.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Old Testament 2022 “Judges 2–4; 6–8; 13–16”
Judges 3 describes a cycle that you can use to teach the children that God delivers us from sin through the Savior Jesus Christ.
- Write the following on the board: “did evil,” “cried unto the Lord,” and “raised up a deliverer.” Invite some of the children to find these phrases in Judges 3:7–9, and invite others to find them in Judges 3:12–15. Explain to the children that over and over in the book of Judges, the Israelites “did evil.” Then, when their enemies attacked, they “cried unto the Lord,” and the Lord “raised up a deliverer” to help them. What do we learn about the Lord from this cycle?
- Sing a song together that helps the children understand that Jesus Christ is their Redeemer and Deliverer, such as “He Sent His Son” (Children’s Songbook, 34–35). Invite the children to share their feelings about what the Savior has done to deliver us from sin, trials, sorrow, and death.
These verses summarize a pattern that occurs often throughout the book of Judges. As your family members read these verses, they could identify what Israel did to stray from the Lord and what the Lord did to deliver them. What might lead us to forget the Lord? How can He deliver us? How can we be more consistently faithful to Him. (Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: Old Testament 2022 “Judges 2–4; 6–8; 13–16”)
I can be faithful to the Lord even if others are not.
Deborah, a prophetess, judges Israel—She and Barak deliver Israel from the Canaanites—Jael, a woman, slays Sisera, the Canaanite.
Although many of the Israelites fell away from the Lord, some remained true to Him and were able to help many others return to righteousness. How can you encourage the children to stay true to the Lord no matter what others are doing?
- Tell the children that during a time when the Israelites had been wicked, a righteous woman named Deborah and the commander of the Israelites’ army, Barak, delivered Israel from their enemies (see Judges 4:1–15). Read together Judges 4:14, and ask the children to find something Deborah said that showed that her faith in the Lord was strong. Then ask them to read Doctrine and Covenants 84:88 to find a principle that is also in Judges 4:14. Encourage them to share what the Lord’s promise “I will go before your face” means to them.
- Sing a song about obeying the commandments, such as “Choose the Right” (Hymns, no. 239) or “Choose the Right Way” (Children’s Songbook, 160–61). How can we stand for righteousness and obey the commandments even when others around us do not?
Old Testament Scripture Stories “Deborah the Prophetess”
Friend June 2022 “Come, Follow Me Activities” Deborah and the Palm Tree
Story: Deborah was a righteous leader. She sat under a palm tree and listened to her people (see Judges 4:4–5). She helped them repent and follow God.
Song: “Choose the Right Way” (Children’s Songbook, 160–61)
Activity: Psalm 92:12 says, “The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree.” Make the palm tree on page 36. Talk about ways you can follow God.
Friend June 2022 “Deborah under the Palm Tree” Color the pieces and cut them out along the blue lines. (Do not cut along the top of Deborah’s head—leave her attached to the base.) Fold the tab and then bend the tree base to glue the tab to the other side. Glue or tape the leaves to the top.
Friend July 2022 “Scripture Hero Cards”
The Lord can use small things to do great work.
Israel is in bondage to the Midianites—An angel appears to Gideon and calls him to deliver Israel—He overthrows the altar of Baal, the Spirit of the Lord rests upon him, and the Lord gives him a sign to show he is called to deliver Israel.
Gideon showed great courage in obeying the Lord, even though his actions were not popular. What has the Lord asked us to do that others might not agree with? How can the Lord’s words to Gideon in verses 13–16 inspire us to do the right thing?(Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: Old Testament 2022 “Judges 2–4; 6–8; 13–16”)
Gideon’s army is reduced to 300—They frighten the Midianite armies with trumpets and lights—The Midianites fight among themselves, flee, and are defeated by Israel.
Old Testament Stories “The Army of Gideon”
Gideon considered himself poor and insignificant, but God saw him as a “mighty man of valour” (Judges 6:12). Help the children see that even if they feel small, God can work through them to do important things (see Alma 37:6–7).
- Tell the children that the Lord needed someone to help Him save Israel from their enemies, the Midianites, and He chose Gideon. Read Judges 6:15 to the children, and ask them why Gideon didn’t feel he could do what the Lord wanted. Read verse 16, and ask them who the Lord said would help Gideon. Tell the children about a time when the Lord asked you to do something difficult to serve Him and you felt He was with you.
Friend February 2015 “Juliana Gives a Talk” Juliana is scared to give a talk, but Heavenly Father helps her.
See also “The Lord will help me accomplish his will”
- Display pictures of children or youth doing great things in the service of God (see Gospel Art Book, nos. 19, 23, 90, 102), or tell about examples you have seen. Help the children think of ways they can participate in God’s work, and invite them to draw pictures of themselves doing these things.
- Ask the children to imagine that they needed to gather an army together to go to battle. How many people would they want in their army? Using Judges 7:4–7, invite the children to act out how the Lord helped Gideon choose the army that would deliver Israel from the Midianites. Why did the Lord want Gideon’s army to be so small? (see Judges 7:2). Why might following the Lord’s command have been hard for Gideon and his army? Invite the children to share experiences when they learned to trust the Lord even though doing so was hard.
Friend October 2001 “Gordon B. Hinckley Faces “Pharaoh”
- Use this week’s activity page to teach the children about how the Lord made Israel’s army smaller so the Israelites would know that His power had saved them from their enemies. Share examples of small things that do a great work, such as bees gathering nectar to make honey. Bear your testimony that God can help us do a great work, even when we feel small.
God’s ways are different from the world’s ways.
- Invite the children to draw pictures of a sword, shield, trumpet, lamp, and pitcher. Ask the children which of these objects they would take with them into a battle. Invite them to read Judges 7:16 to learn what Gideon’s army took with them. Why would it have taken courage to do this? Read together Judges 7:19–21 to learn how the army used the trumpets and pitchers to defeat the Midianites. What do we learn about the Lord from this story?
Could you use a role play or other creative activity to help your family learn from the experience of Gideon’s army described in this chapter? How can the Lord’s words in this chapter (see, for example, verses 2 and 15) apply to our lives?(Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: Old Testament 2022 “Judges 2–4; 6–8; 13–16”)
Friend July 2022 “Scripture Hero Cards”
“Lesson 24: Gideon,” Primary 6: Old Testament (1996), 106–9
Have the children stand while you give them instructions such as turn around, raise your right hand, and so forth. Have the children list some of the specific instructions Gideon was given (see Judges 6:25–26 and Judges 7:3–6). Explain that because Gideon followed these instructions exactly, he and his army were successful. Point out that sometimes we are asked to do things that may not seem important or even make sense to us at the time. If we are given specific directions by Church leaders or parents acting in righteousness, we need to be obedient and have faith that what we are asked to do is important and right.
Gideon pursues and destroys the Midianites—He frees the children of Israel but refuses their invitation to reign as king over them—Gideon dies, and Israel returns to idolatry.
Strength comes from faithfulness to my covenants with God.
Samson lost both his physical strength and his spiritual strength because he violated his covenants with God,
Israel is in Philistine bondage for forty years—An angel comes to Manoah’s wife and promises a son who will begin to deliver Israel—The angel comes again; he ascends in a flame from the altar—Samson is born, and the Spirit of the Lord moves upon him.
Samson slays a young lion with his bare hands—He marries a Philistine wife, propounds a riddle, is deceived by his wife, and slays thirty Philistines.
Samson burns the grain of the Philistines—They burn his wife and father-in-law—Samson slays a thousand Philistines at Lehi with the jawbone of an ass.
Samson carries away the doors of the gate of Gaza—He loves Delilah, who delivers him to the Philistines—He destroys a building, killing himself and 3,000 others.
“Lesson 25: Samson,” Primary 6: Old Testament (1996), 110–13 Samson’s mission would require physical strength. The Lord made a covenant with Samson that as long as he obeyed the Lord, he would be physically strong. Samson’s long hair (see Judges 13:5) was a sign of this covenant. When Samson kept his covenants he was blessed with the ability to help his people, but when he broke his covenants he lost both his spiritual and physical strength.
What happens when people become spiritually weak? (They give in to temptations, they sin, they lose the guidance of the Holy Ghost, and they lose the ability to fulfill their callings and bless others.)
How are we blessed when we keep our covenants and are spiritually strong?
- Before class identify a strength you have observed in each child. Write a note to each one telling of this strength, such as, “Dear , you are strong in coming to Primary each week.” Some other ideas might include:
- Being kind to others
- Sharing your testimony
- Helping your parents
- Being a peacemaker
- Being a good friend
- Reading the scriptures
- Point out that we all have different kinds of strengths. Heavenly Father needs us to use these strengths to serve him and to serve others. Read aloud each note you have prepared, without reading the names, and then give them to the children. Help the children realize that these are only some of the many strengths Heavenly Father has blessed them with. Give the children an opportunity to mention other strengths they have observed in class members. Encourage them to develop these and other strengths during the coming week.
Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: Old Testament 2022 “Judges 2–4; 6–8; 13–16” Samson’s covenants with the Lord gave him strength, just as our covenants give us strength. Your family might enjoy doing some physical exercises and discussing how those exercises can help make us strong. What can we do to help us become spiritually stronger? For some ideas, family members could read Mosiah 18:8–10; Doctrine and Covenants 20:77, 79. How does keeping our covenants give us spiritual strength?
“Lesson 25: Samson,” Primary 6: Old Testament (1996), 110–13 Ask for a volunteer to demonstrate how to flex his or her arm muscles. Let the whole class try it to see if they can feel their own muscles. You may want to let two children arm wrestle or pull sticks (a game Joseph Smith enjoyed). To pull sticks, have two boys sit on the floor facing each other, legs extended, knees bent, and the soles of their feet touching. Have each boy grasp the same large stick and try to pull the other up until he is standing on his feet.
- How do muscles help us? Discuss what happens when we exercise our muscles and what happens when we do not use them. Help the children realize that exercise helps us develop strong muscles.
- Explain that our spirits also need to grow stronger. How can we become stronger spiritually? (By keeping our baptismal covenants, obeying our parents, praying, attending church, reading the scriptures, and so on.)
- Why is it important to become spiritually strong? (So we can avoid temptation, be guided in our decisions by the Holy Ghost, and know good from evil.)
Help the children understand that we need to develop spiritual strength just as we need to develop physical strength.
Why Was Idolatry So Attractive to the Israelites?
Old Testament Student Manual Genesis-2 Samuel “Enrichment Section F”
“Many have wondered why the Israelites were so easily led away from the true God, into the worship of idols. (1) Visible, outward signs, with shows, pageants, parades, have an attraction to the natural heart, which often fails to perceive the unseen spiritual realities. (2) But the greatest attraction seems to have been in licentious revelries and obscene orgies with which the worship of the Oriental idols was observed. This worship, appealing to every sensual passion, joined with the attractions of wealth and fashion and luxury, naturally was a great temptation to a simple, restrained, agricultural people, whose worship and laws demanded the greatest purity of heart and of life.” (Smith, Dictionary of the Bible, s.v. “idolatry,” p. 264.)
Often modern prophets have warned against making idols of money, automobiles, houses, and other material objects (see Reading 11-4 for President Spencer W. Kimball’s statement on modern idolatry). The worship of these things, of course, is symptomatic of the trust some have in natural law instead of God and His laws. They see the world as a place where the creature fares according to his genius (see Alma 30:17). Hence, they look upon all they gain as their own, not as the Lord’s. They forget that they are only stewards of the Lord’s goods.
Come Follow Me With Living Scriptures “True Strength” Lesson ideas
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