A leader is a person who leads ISRAEL or directs a group, an organization, or a country. He is the one in charge and convinces other people to follow. It is important to note that no one gets to any throne or position of leadership without God’s permission and appointment.
As a believer, you are a leader in one way or the other, at home, church, school, office, etc. God expects you to be godly, trustworthy, sober, diligent, a lover of truth, able to teach, and to always live with the consciousness that God has entrusted you with this authority to bring glory to His name. This month, you shall be learning about leaders in Israel and I trust God to open your eyes to different lessons you can learn from them.
Note to Teachers: How is your leadership style at home, in the church, and your workplace? Are you leading by example or you are using your position to oppress your subordinates? Remember, you are in that position today because the Lord wants you there. Be a good ambassador of Christ, follow His leadership style, and see things working out for your good.
Deborah (A Judge and Prophetess)
After the death of Joshua, the children of Israel were ruled by judges, whom the Lord used to deliver them from their enemies. Among these judges was a noblewoman, who was also a prophetess. She was used by the Lord to deliver the Israelites from the hands of a wicked king called Jabin. You shall be learning about this noble woman today. Open your Bibles to Judges 4:4-24.
When Deborah was judging Israel, the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord subjected them to suffering in the hands of Jabin, king of Canaan. Jabin and the commander of his army, Sisera oppressed the children of Israel for 20 years. This made the Israelites cry to the Lord for help.
Then the spirit of the Lord came upon Deborah, and she sent for Barak as the Lord commanded her to deploy ten thousand men of the sons of Naphtali and the sons of Zebulun to go against Sisera (the commander of the army of Jabin, the king of Canaan). Deborah prophesied to Barak that a woman would take the honor, for Sisera would be delivered into the hands of a woman.
Still, Barak urged Deborah to follow him to the battleground. He said if Deborah would not go with him to the battleground, he would not go, and Deborah agreed to go with him. Barakdid as Deborah commanded her. Thus, the Lord delivered Sisera and his army into the hands of the Israelites. When the battle was tough for Sisera, he came down from his chariot and fled on foot, but he ran into the hands of a woman called Jael who gave him a jug of milk to drink. When he was asleep, she used a hammer to drive a tent peg (big nail) into his head and hedged in the process. Thus the Lord used
Deborah, Barak, and Jael defeat Jabin and his entire army. And the Israelites were freed from their enemies for some time. Deborah was a bold leader. Throughout, God gave victory to His people. In what area are you a leader? Do you also lead with boldness? Ask the Lord to make you a leader today.
Gideon(A Deliverer)
A long time ago, a village was troubled by a neighboring community and they were not allowed to enjoy their farm produce. Whenever they planted their crops, the troublers would go to their farms and destroy all their farm produce. It continued that way for some years until the villagers cried to God Almighty and he answered them by raising a deliverer for them who fought against their enemies. Today’s lesson is about a young man the Lord used to deliver his people from their oppressors. Open your Bible to Judges 6:11-15,28-35&7:19-25.
The children of Israel were being oppressed by the Midianites. Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites would invade their farm and ruin it. It continued like that for about seven years until the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help. One day, Gideon the son of Joash was in Oprah under the oak tree that belonged to his father, threshing wheat in a winepress when an angel of the Lord appeared to him. He commanded him to go in the strength he had to save Israel from the hands of the Midianites.
Even though Gideon protested that his clan was the weakest among his people and did not see himself as a deliverer, the Lord assured him of his presence. In obedience to God’s instruction, Gideon destroyed the altar of Baal built by his people and built another altar where he sacrificed a bull to the Lord. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he summoned the Abiezrites and also sent messengers throughout Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali to follow him. Gideon gathered 33,000 men for the battle but at God’s instructions, the number was reduced to 300.
With the 300 men, the Lord delivered the Midianites into the hands of Gideon and his army. At the sound of their trumpets, they Caused the Midianites to turn to each other with their swords. They also captured two of the Indianite leaders named Oreb and Zeeb and killed them. Thus, the Lord used Gideon and his army to deliver Israel from the hands of the Midianites.
Are you being oppressed by anyone in your neighborhood, class, or school? Tell ittoesus now. He will fight for you and give you victory over them. You cannot fight for yourself. You need the power and the Spirit of the Lord to defeat the devil. Close your eyes and ask God to strengthen and give you His Spirit to overcome the enemies of your life.
Jephthah (An Army Commandant)
Phillips had loved to become a soldier since he was a child. He grew up to become a committed Royal Ambassador in one of the Baptist churches in Lagos. His interest in the military grew and eventually, he became a soldier after his first degree at the university. His dream came true. After several years in service, he became the Chief of Army Staff. Today, we shall be learning about a similar story. Open your Bible to Judges 11: 1-6,29-33.
Jephthah was the ninth judge of Israel who delivered God’s people from 18 years of oppression by the Ammonites. He was an illegitimate child(An illegitimate child is a child born out of wedlock). He was cast out of the family house by his half-brothers to prevent him from sharing in their father’s inheritance.
He ran to the land of Tob and engaged in dubious activities with a gang of scoundrels(disreputable people, rascals, worthless men). (Children, you must be careful of people you are friends with). He was later called back to fight for his people’s freedom, the Gileadites. God used him greatly to fight the battle and through him, the Ammonites were defeated. He eventually became the army commander of the Guileadites.
Nobody is useless before God. Do not allow your background to put your back to the ground. Though Jephthah was hated by his half-brothers and sent out of his father’s house, he believed in the Lord God of Israel and what He only did. He ran to God for help when he was called upon by the Gileadites to fight their battle. He led others to fight their enemies and they won. It was a great victory for Jephthah and the children of Israel.
Nothing is difficult or impossible for God to do. If God could raise Jephthah, an outcast, a nobody, and make him an army commander, he can change your situation(s)for the best. All you need to do is to come to Jesus as Jephthah did. Accept Him into your life as your Lord and Saviour, and He will lift you and you shall be victorious over all your enemies and life challenges.
Challenge: Today, many people place limitations on themselves, thinking they do not have what it takes to succeed, perhaps because of their poor background. Jephthah thought the same way until he cried unto God and God changed his story. Do you also think you don’t have a solid background to succeed in life? Take up the challenge. Call on God who helped Jephthah, and He will also help you and change your story for good.
Growing More: Let the pre-schoolers recite the memory verse over and over again. Encourage younger and older children to write a commitment never to give up in whatever situation they find themselves in.
