Single lesson
Why Israel Needed Judges
Judges 2:10–3:6
This lesson helps children trace why Israel needed judges in this part of Judges. They will see a repeated pattern: forgetting Yahweh, turning to other gods, suffering trouble, and being rescued when Yahweh raised up judges.
Before you teach
Judges 2:10–3:6 explains what happened after an earlier generation died. A new generation did not know Yahweh or his work for Israel. The passage explains Israel’s evil, Yahweh’s response, the role of the judges, and why some nations remained in the land as a test.
Students will be able to explain from Judges 2:10–3:6 that Israel needed judges because they turned from Yahweh, came under trouble, and were rescued when Yahweh raised up judges.
Welcome: Spot the pattern
4 minWrite four simple words where everyone can see them: forgot, disobeyed, trouble, rescue. Tell the children that today’s passage explains why judges were needed in Israel. Ask them to listen for which parts of the reading match each word. This prepares them to trace the passage in order, not just remember one detail.
Judges 2:10, Judges 2:11, Judges 2:14, Judges 2:16
Read and explain: From forgetting to serving other gods
7 minRead Judges 2:10–13 aloud. Explain that the new generation did not know Yahweh or what he had done for Israel. Then they did evil by serving the Baals and Ashtaroth. Point out that the passage says they abandoned Yahweh and followed the gods of surrounding peoples.
Judges 2:10, Judges 2:11, Judges 2:12, Judges 2:13
Discuss: Trouble, rescue, and a repeated cycle
7 minRead Judges 2:14–19. Help the children notice the sequence. Israel was distressed when enemies overpowered them. Yahweh then raised up judges who saved them, and Yahweh was with the judge. Yet the people did not keep listening, and after a judge died they turned back again and became more corrupt.
Judges 2:14, Judges 2:15, Judges 2:16, Judges 2:17, Judges 2:18, Judges 2:19
Make and respond: Reminder card
7 minChoose one key verse together, such as Judges 2:10, 2:16, or 2:18. Children make a small card with the verse reference on one side and a short reminder on the other, such as “Remember Yahweh” or “Yahweh raised up judges”. As they work, explain that this is an application to help us remember the passage’s teaching.
Judges 2:10, Judges 2:16, Judges 2:18
Closing: Why some nations remained
5 minRead Judges 2:20–3:6. Explain that Yahweh said these nations remained to test whether Israel would listen to his commandments. The passage ends by showing the result: Israel lived among those peoples, married among them, and served their gods. Finish by asking the class to say the main lesson in one sentence.
Judges 2:20, Judges 2:21, Judges 2:22, Judges 2:23, Judges 3:4, Judges 3:5, Judges 3:6
Questions to explore
According to Judges 2:10, what was missing in the new generation?
Look for the two things they did not know: Yahweh and the work he had done for Israel.
Judges 2:10
What did Yahweh do when Israel was very distressed by their enemies?
Read Judges 2:16 and 2:18 and notice that Yahweh raised up judges who saved them.
Judges 2:15, Judges 2:16, Judges 2:18
Why were some nations left in the land, according to Judges 2:22 and 3:4?
The passage says they were left to test whether Israel would keep Yahweh’s way and listen to his commandments.
Judges 2:22, Judges 3:4
Make, think or respond
Pattern Reminder Card
What you’ll need
- paper or card
- pencils or textas
- Bibles
Try it together
- Read Judges 2:10, 2:16, and 2:18, then choose one verse reference as a class or individually.
- Fold a small piece of paper or card in half.
- On the front, write the verse reference and draw one small symbol, such as an ear for listening or a shield for rescue.
- On the inside, write a short reminder sentence based on the verse, such as “Remember Yahweh” or “Yahweh raised up judges”.
- Invite children to show their card and explain how it matches the passage.
The card gives children a simple way to remember the passage’s main teaching that Israel needed judges because they turned from Yahweh and Yahweh raised up judges to save them.
Adapt for your group
- For younger children, use four actions for the pattern: point to head for forgot, shake head for disobeyed, hug self for trouble, and lift hands for rescue.
- For older or stronger readers, ask them to compare Judges 2:17 and Judges 2:19 and explain how the passage shows the pattern repeating.
An optional closing prayer
You may pray: “God, please help us remember you, listen to your word, and learn from what happened in Israel. Thank you that this passage shows your justice and your mercy. Amen.”
Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic
Judges 2
10 After all that generation were gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who didn’t know Yahweh, nor the work which he had done for Israel.
11 The children of Israel did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and served the Baals.
12 They abandoned Yahweh, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed themselves down to them; and they provoked Yahweh to anger.
13 They abandoned Yahweh, and served Baal and the Ashtaroth.
14 Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, so that they could no longer stand before their enemies.
15 Wherever they went out, Yahweh’s hand was against them for evil, as Yahweh had spoken, and as Yahweh had sworn to them; and they were very distressed.
16 Yahweh raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them.
17 Yet they didn’t listen to their judges; for they prostituted themselves to other gods, and bowed themselves down to them. They quickly turned away from the way in which their fathers walked, obeying Yahweh’s commandments. They didn’t do so.
18 When Yahweh raised up judges for them, then Yahweh was with the judge, and saved them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for it grieved Yahweh because of their groaning by reason of those who oppressed them and troubled them.
19 But when the judge was dead, they turned back, and dealt more corruptly than their fathers in following other gods to serve them and to bow down to them. They didn’t cease what they were doing, or give up their stubborn ways.
20 Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel; and he said, “Because this nation transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not listened to my voice,
21 I also will no longer drive out any of the nations that Joshua left when he died from before them;
22 that by them I may test Israel, to see if they will keep Yahweh’s way to walk therein, as their fathers kept it, or not.”
23 So Yahweh left those nations, without driving them out hastily. He didn’t deliver them into Joshua’s hand.
Judges 3
1 Now these are the nations which Yahweh left, to test Israel by them, even as many as had not known all the wars of Canaan;
2 only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at least those who knew nothing of it before:
3 the five lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to the entrance of Hamath.
4 They were left to test Israel by them, to know whether they would listen to Yahweh’s commandments, which he commanded their fathers by Moses.
5 The children of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
6 They took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons and served their gods.
World English Bible Classic. Public domain.