Gideon and the 300: Sunday School Lesson for Ages 6-10
Ages 6-10 · 45 minutes · free lesson plan · Judges 7:1-22
Elementary children act out Judges 7 as God shrinks Gideon's army to 300, play a shrinking-army game, make a lamp-and-pitcher craft, and learn that God gets the glory when we trust Him.
Memory verse
And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place. (Judges 7:7, KJV)
Lesson objectives
- Retell how God shrank Gideon's army to 300 and gave Israel the victory.
- Explain that God wanted Israel to know that He saved them, not their own strength.
- Choose one way to trust and obey God this week, even when it feels small or strange.
The full lesson plan
Welcome: Too Many! (5 min)
Setup: Write 32,000 and 300 on a board.
Say: Welcome! Today we meet an army with a big problem.
Ask: Would you rather have a huge team or a tiny team in a big contest? (Most will say huge.)
Say: In our story, God told Gideon his army was too big!
Say: Stand up. When I say "too many," sit down if you are wearing blue, then if you have a sibling, then if you like pizza. Keep going until only a few are standing.
Say: Notice how fast a big group got small. God did something like that with Gideon's army.
Say: Now let's hear what the Bible says.
Hear the Story (8 min)
Read or tell Judges 7:1-22 in order, with simple actions. Kids copy each action.
Say: Gideon and his people camped by the well of Harod. The Midianites were in the valley.
(Point to the valley.)
Say: The LORD said, "The people are too many." He did not want Israel to say, "My own hand saved me" (v. 2).
Say: Anyone afraid could go home. 22,000 went home. 10,000 stayed. (Tiptoe away.)
Say: God said it was still too many. He tested them at the water. Those who lapped with their tongues, like a dog, were 300. (Lap with hands.) God said, "By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you."
Say: That night, God sent Gideon to the edge of the enemy camp. He heard a man tell a dream about a barley cake that tumbled into the camp. A friend said it meant God had given Midian to Gideon. Gideon worshipped God (vv. 13-15).
Say: Gideon gave each man a trumpet, an empty pitcher and a lamp inside. (Hold up pretend trumpet and pitcher.)
Say: They blew the trumpets, broke the pitchers and shouted, "The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon!" (Shout together.)
Say: The 300 stood in their places. The LORD set every man's sword against his fellow in the enemy camp, and they fled (vv. 20-22).
Say: Now let's play the story.
Game: Shrinking Army (8 min)
Setup: Make small groups of 3-4. Give each group a pile of cards, each card standing for 1,000 soldiers. Use 32 cards, or scrap paper squares.
Steps:
1. Say: Your pile is Gideon's army, 32,000 strong. Lay it out.
2. Call: "Whoever is afraid may go home!" Groups remove 22 cards. 10 remain.
3. Say: Still too many! Groups count the cards left, then remove all but 1 card. Say: That one card stands for 300 men.
4. Say: Look how little is left! Ask: Who really won the battle? (God.)
5. Quiet round: Everyone crouches. On "Go!" they whisper-cheer, then shout together, "The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon!" Stay in your place and do not run.
Say: God made the army small so everyone would know the victory was His.
Say: Now let's think about why God did this.
Why Did God Do It This Way? (7 min)
Say: God told Gideon why. He did not want Israel to brag, "I saved myself."
Say: When we win, we can forget God and take the credit. God wanted Israel to remember He saved them.
Say: Look at what Gideon's men had. They held trumpets and lamps in pitchers, not swords. Their job was to obey God's plan, even when it looked strange.
Say: God is not impressed by how big, strong or popular we are. He works through people who trust Him.
Say: Background: Israel was often attacked by Midian at this time. The book of Judges tells how God rescued His people again and again.
Say: This story points ahead to Jesus. We cannot save ourselves from sin. God sent Jesus to save us, and we give Him the thanks.
Ask: What is something that feels too big or too hard for you? (A test, a new school, a friend problem.)
Say: God can work through you when you trust Him. Now let's make something to help us remember.
Craft: Gideon's Lamp Pitcher (8 min)
Safety: Check for allergies to markers or glue. Supervise scissors. Use paper flames only; no real fire.
Setup: Cut yellow and orange paper into flame shapes, or let older children cut them. Set out cups, crayons and tape.
Steps:
1. Decorate the outside of a paper cup like a clay pitcher.
2. Write "The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon" or "God saves!" on the cup.
3. Tape or glue two flames together, with a short strip to hold at the bottom.
4. Put the flame inside the cup, so it is hidden (like the lamp in the pitcher).
5. Practice: Lift the flame out and say, "God wins!"
Say: Gideon's men had the light hidden until it was time. Take yours home and tell your family how God used 300 men.
Talk It Over (5 min)
Ask each question and let a few children answer.
1. Why did God make Gideon's army smaller? (So Israel would know God saved them, not their own strength.)
2. How do you think the 300 men felt holding lamps and trumpets instead of swords? (Answers will vary. They had to trust God's plan.)
3. Who got the credit for the victory? (The LORD.)
4. When is it hard to trust God? (Answers vary: tests, scary new things.)
5. What can we do when we feel small? (Pray, remember God's help, obey Him.)
Say: God is the hero of this story.
Pray and Say the Verse (4 min)
Say: Let's say our verse together, Judges 7:7. Say it line by line, then again with the key words: "will I save you."
Say: Let's pray. Repeat after me:
- Thank You, God, that You are strong when we are small.
- Help us trust You when things feel too big.
- Help us obey You even when Your plan seems strange.
- Thank You for sending Jesus to save us.
Say: Amen! Take your lamp pitcher home and tell your family the story.
Materials
- Bible (KJV)
- Index cards (32 per group, or a pile of scrap paper squares)
- Paper cups (one per child)
- Yellow and orange paper
- Crayons or markers
- Child-safe scissors
- Tape or glue sticks
- Whiteboard or large paper
Teacher notes
- Safety: Check for allergies to markers or glue and supervise scissors. The craft uses paper flames only; no real fire or candles.
- Adaptation: For children with special needs or mixed ages, use pictures for each step and pair younger children with a buddy. Offer a quieter role, such as card counter, for anyone who dislikes shouting.
- Keep to the text: it does not say how Gideon felt, so avoid adding feelings or names. Label background clearly.
- If time runs short, shorten the craft decorating and keep the story and verse.
Send it home with parents
Your child heard how God shrank Gideon's army from 32,000 to 300 (Judges 7) so Israel would know the LORD saved them. With trumpets, pitchers and lamps, they won because God was with them. God works through people who trust and obey Him, and He gets the glory.
- Why did God want Gideon to have fewer soldiers?
- What is one thing that feels too big for you right now? How can we ask God for help?
Use the lamp pitcher craft to retell the story. Have everyone shout "The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon!" Then each person shares one time God helped your family.
Each day, thank God for one thing He did that you could not do yourself. Say Judges 7:7 together at dinner.
Make this lesson your own: change the age, length or language · Printables to go with this lesson · Printables for this story
More teaching resources
More free lessons
See all free lessons