The Palm of Deborah

Your Children Will Learn: Deborah was a leader. Deborah worked for God.

Memory verse for unit 12- You were made by God. He made you to do good things. Ephesians 2:10

Just for Parents -
Deborah’s willingness to serve God kept the tiny nation of Israel from being wiped out by yet  another evil king. It is clear she was highly respected and heavily leaned upon by the Israelites. But Barak’s refusal to go into battle against Sisera without her showed his overreliance on her  presence, rather than God’s. Perhaps he felt more confident in her ability to hear from God. Or,  maybe having Deborah along would inspire courage in the men, and instill fear in the enemy. Whatever the case, we can relate to Barak. We are eager to bring a friend to pray for the sick  because their prayers for healing seem more effective. We attend only certain small groups led by popular leaders. We hesitate to step into a role as a leader because there are more qualified individuals. God has called each of us to work for Him. We can be confident that He will make us good leaders, just like Deborah.

Monday - Read & Do

Read Judges 4:1-16. Ask your child: “What kind of work did Deborah do for God? What kind of work can you do for God?”

Tuesday - Art

You can make fun “palm-palms trees!” Spread some green paint on a paper plate and press your hands in the paint. Then press your hands on the top half of a sheet of paper. Draw palm tree  trunks below the handprints. Glue pieces of mulch on the trunks. Talk about how God’s people went to see Deborah as she sat under her palm tree.

Wednesday - Pray & Praise

Deborah worked for God. Her job was to listen to God and give His messages to His people. You can teach your child God wants us to listen to Him, too. We can talk to God and listen to God during our prayer times. Take time with your child to talk to God and listen to Him.

Thursday - Out & About

God gives us many materials to make things out of such as clay, wood, and metals. Go on a hunt around your home and yard to find as many different materials as you can. Then, talk about mean Sisera’s army and the 900 chariots that were partly made from iron. Ask your child, “What happened to mean Sisera’s chariots in the Bible story? Who won the battle?

Friday - Play
Find a hill in your yard or a nearby park. Pretend to be in the army of God’s people going up and down the mountain. When you run down the hill yell out, “God goes ahead of us!”

Adapted from ©2009 Little Son Catchers, Year Two, Summer Quarter