Judges 19
Explanation and Bible story for toddlers and preschoolers (ages 3-6)
The Explanation
Long, long ago, there was a man. He walked on a road. It was a long road. The sun was hot. Beside him walked a woman. And a helper. And two donkeys, clip clop, clip clop.
The man was on his way home. But home was still far. Very far. The sun began to set. The sky turned orange. Then pink. Then gray.
"Where shall we sleep?" said the helper. "In the next town," said the man. "That town is called Gibeah."
They came to the town. They sat down on a bench. They waited. And they waited. But no one said: come inside. No one said: are you hungry? No one said: sleep at my house.
The man felt sad. And a little scared. It was getting dark.
Then an old man walked by. He came from his field. He was tired. But he saw them sitting there. And he stopped.
"Come," said the old man. "Come to my house. You cannot sleep on the street."
The old man took them home. He gave the donkeys food. He gave the people bread. He gave them water to wash their feet. It was good in his house. Warm. Safe.
But outside… outside were bad men. Very bad men. They banged on the door. Bang! Bang! Bang! They shouted mean things.
The old man was shocked. He said: "No! Don't do that! That is not good!"
It was a very sad night. A dark night. Something very bad happened. The woman was hurt. Very badly hurt.
The next day the whole land heard about it. And everyone said: "This is bad. So very bad."
What Does This Mean?
This is a hard story. A story that hurts. There are people in the Bible who do bad things. Very bad things. God sees it. God sees everything.
Not everything in the Bible is nice. Some stories are dark. Like the night in Gibeah. God does not hide it. He says: look, this is what happens when people forget Me.
The Common Thread
Long after this story, Jesus came. Jesus is the good King. Jesus never hurts anyone. Jesus takes care of people who are sad. He takes care of women. He takes care of children. He takes care of you.
The old man opened his door. Jesus opens His arms. Come to Me, He says. With Me you are safe.
For You
Sometimes the world is scary. Sometimes people are mean. Then you may run to Jesus. He is like a big, strong house. His door is always open. Always.
And you? You can also open your door. You can be kind to a child who sits alone. Just like the old man.
Talk About It
Who took care of the tired travelers?
To whom can you always go when you are scared or sad?
Praying Together
Dear Jesus, Thank You that Your door is always open. Thank You that You see me. Please keep me safe tonight. And help me to be kind. Amen.
Questions about Judges 19
Short answers for anyone reading about this for the first time.
What is Judges 19 about?
What does Judges 19 say?
What does Judges 19 teach us about God?
What can toddlers learn from Judges 19?
Why is Judges 19 an important Bible story?
What others discovered
Everyone agreed it was monstrous. "Consider it, take counsel, and speak." So they considered, they spoke, and then they went to war and buried more bodies. Nobody asked, "What have we become?" Outrage can feel like righteousness. It isn't. When something horrifies you, let it search you too, not just the people you blame.
Looking for something for slightly older children?
We also have dedicated versions for elementary age (7-12) and teens (12 and up).
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