LESSON OVERVIEW FOR ADULTS
In Numbers 27:12-23 and Deuteronomy 31:1-8, we find the account of God’s final instructions to Moses and the transition of leadership to Joshua. God reminded Moses he would not be permitted to enter the Promised Land, a consequence of an earlier act of disobedience when Moses struck a rock instead of speaking to it as God had commanded. Rather than dwelling in bitterness, Moses showed the character of a true servant by immediately asking God to appoint a new leader so the people of Israel would not be left without guidance. God chose Joshua, a man who had demonstrated faithful trust in the Lord decades earlier when, as one of twelve spies sent into Canaan, he was one of only two who believed God could bring victory. Moses publicly laid his hands on Joshua, transferring visible authority and showing the people that Joshua was the one they should follow.
In Deuteronomy 32:48-52 and 34:1-12, Moses climbed to the top of Mount Nebo at the age of 120, still strong and sharp of vision. From that high place, God showed him the breadth of the Promised Land he had spent his life leading the people toward. Moses died there, and God himself buried him in a place that was never found. The Israelites mourned for thirty days. The closing words of Deuteronomy describe Moses as a prophet unlike any other, one whom the Lord knew face to face, who performed signs and wonders unlike anything seen before or since. This lesson gives us the opportunity to reflect with children on what it means to look up to faithful people in our lives, just as the Israelites looked to Moses, and how God raises up new leaders like Joshua to carry His work forward.
OPENING ACTIVITY 6:00-6:15 | Watercolor Promised Land Scene
Items Needed:
- Watercolor paint trays
- 5×7 Watercolor Paper
- Cups of water,
- Brushes,
- Table covering
Children paint what they imagine the Promised Land might look like, rolling hills, green fields, a river. Teachers can say: “Moses stood on a mountain and looked at a beautiful land God promised His people. What do you think it looked like?”
BIBLE STORY 6:15-6:25
Question 1: Where is this story found in the Bible? It is found in the books of Numbers and Deuteronomy.
Question 2: Are those books in the Old Testament or the New Testament? The Old Testament. Very good!
Object Lesson: Before the story, bring in a simple walking stick or a long wooden dowel. Hold it up and say: “This is like a staff. Moses carried a staff. He was a leader, and leaders help people know which way to go. Today we are going to learn about Moses and Joshua.”
[Hold up the walking stick.] This is a walking stick, just like Moses might have used.
Moses loved God very much. He spent his whole life helping God’s people.
Moses was very, very old. He was 120 years old!
Even though Moses was super old, he was still STRONG! Can you make your best strong muscles? [Wait for kids to flex their arms.]
But Moses knew something. He knew that one day he would go to be with God, and the people would need a new leader to help them.
So Moses talked to God.
Can you fold your hands and look up like you are talking to God? [Wait for response.]
Moses said, “God, Your people need a new leader. Please help me pick a good one.”
And God said, “I have already chosen someone. His name is Joshua.”
Can you say Joshua? [Wait for response: Joshua!]
Joshua had been Moses’s helper for a long, long time. He was kind. He was brave. He trusted God.
Moses called all the people together. That means everybody gathered around, just like you are gathered around right now.
Moses stood up tall and said to the people, “Joshua is going to be your new leader. Be strong! Do not be afraid! God is going with you!”
Can you say that with me? “Be strong! Do not be afraid!” [Wait for response: Be strong! Do not be afraid!]
Say it one more time, really loud! [Wait for response: Be strong! Do not be afraid!]
That is what Moses told the people, and it is what God tells us too.
Then God told Moses, “Moses, I want to show you something special. Climb up to the top of that big mountain.”
Let’s pretend to climb a mountain! March your feet in place and pump your arms like you are climbing! [March with the children for a few seconds.]
Up, up, up, up, up! Moses climbed all the way to the top of Mount Nebo.
[Stop marching and look out with your hand above your eyes like you are looking far away.]
Let’s look out from the mountain. Put your hand above your eyes and look really far! [Wait for kids to do the motion.]
What did Moses see? He saw the Promised Land! The land God had promised His people. It was beautiful. Green hills and a sparkling river. It was everything God said it would be.
Moses had spent his whole life helping God’s people get to that land. Now he got to see it.
[Speak more quietly.] After Moses looked at the land, he went to be with God. The Bible says God took care of Moses and buried him in a special place.
Joshua became the new leader. God promised to be with Joshua, just like He was with Moses.
God is always with us too.
We can learn from great people like Moses who love God and trust Him. We can learn about God by reading His stories in the Bible.
[Hold up the walking stick again.] Moses carried his staff and led God’s people. Who do you know in your life that loves God and helps you learn about Him? [Let kids respond: my mom, my dad, my teacher, etc.]
Those are our leaders, just like Moses was for God’s people.
Theological Questions:
- Who is always with us, just like God was with Moses and Joshua?
- Why do you think God chose Joshua to be the new leader?
Life Application Questions:
- Can you think of someone in your life who helps you learn about God?
- How can you be a good helper and leader to your friends?
Prayer:
Dear God, thank You for giving us leaders who love You and teach us about You, just like Moses showed Joshua. Help us to be strong and not afraid, because You are always with us, just like Your Word says. Amen! Can everyone say Amen? [Wait for response: Amen!]
WORSHIP IN SONG 6:25-6:35
PRAYER 6:35-6:45
Transition kids to the floor for prayer time. Have children sit in a circle or on their spots on the floor. Say: “Moses talked to God, and we can talk to God too. Let’s bow our heads and close our eyes.” Pray for the leaders in the children’s lives, their parents, grandparents, teachers, and church family, that God would help them be faithful like Moses and that the children would be thankful for the people who teach them about God.
BIBLE STORY GAME 6:45-6:55 | Mount Nebo Relay
Items Needed:
- Red Solo cups (10-15 per team)
- A small table or flat surface for each team
- A timer (phone timer works great)
- Masking tape to mark a starting line
Divide children into two teams. Each team gets their own pile of red Solo cups and a flat surface to stack on. Set a starting line with masking tape a few steps back from the table. When the teacher says go, children take turns running one at a time from the starting line to the table, placing one cup onto the stack, and running back to tag the next person. The team works together to build the tallest mountain they can before the timer goes off. Set the timer for 2 to 3 minutes depending on the group.
Rules:
- Only one child at the table at a time
- Each child places only one cup per turn
- If the tower falls, the team starts rebuilding from the beginning
- Leaders stand at the table to help keep the stack safe and encourage the kids
When the timer goes off, everyone steps back and the teacher counts each team’s cups. Celebrate all the mountains with cheers and clapping.
After the game, say: “Moses climbed all the way to the top of a very tall mountain called Mount Nebo. It was not easy, but Moses was strong because God made him strong. When he got to the very top, God showed him the most beautiful land he had ever seen. That is the Promised Land God had promised His people. Your cups made a mountain today.”
BIBLE CRAFT 6:55-7:10 | Moses Mountain Scene
Items Needed:
- Manilla paper
- Green paper torn into strips for ground
- Brown paper (precut like a mountain)
- Blue paper for sky and river
- Cotton balls for clouds
- Crayons
- Glue sticks
Children build a layered scene of Mount Nebo. They glue blue paper at the top for sky, cotton clouds, torn green ground, and a brown paper mountain. Remind children “Moses climbed all the way up and God showed him something beautiful.”
SNACK TIME AND BIBLE STORY VIDEO 7:10-7:25
Pass out snacks and allow kids time to eat snacks while watching the Bible video.
BONUS ACTIVITY: How Far Can You See?
Items Needed:
Remind children that Moses was 120 years old and could still see very well. Have children stand at different distances from the chart and try to identify what they see. Leaders play too. Talk about how Moses had strong vision even when he was very old because God made him strong.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE
Numbers 27:18-20, 22-23 (ESV): “So the LORD said to Moses, ‘Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him. Make him stand before Eleazar the priest and all the congregation, and you shall commission him in their sight. You shall invest him with some of your authority, that all the congregation of the people of Israel may obey… And Moses did as the LORD commanded him. He took Joshua and made him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation, and he laid his hands on him and commissioned him as the LORD directed through Moses.”
Deuteronomy 31:7-8 (ESV): “Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, ‘Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it. It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.'”
Deuteronomy 34:1, 4-5, 7, 10 (ESV): “Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the LORD showed him all the land… And the LORD said to him, ‘This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, “I will give it to your descendants.” I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.’ So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD… Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eye was undimmed, and his vigor unabated… And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face.””
PARENT TAKE HOME SHEET
Today’s Key Takeaway: Faithful Leaders Matter
What I Learned Today: Today we learned about a man named Moses who spent his whole life leading God’s people and trusting God. Before Moses died, God chose a new leader named Joshua and Moses told him to be strong and not afraid because God would be with him. We can learn from faithful people in our lives, just like Joshua learned from Moses.
Questions to Ask Me:
Theological Questions:
- Who was Moses? (Moses was a leader God chose to lead His people and teach them about God.)
- Why could Moses not go into the Promised Land? (Because he disobeyed God earlier when he hit the rock instead of speaking to it.)
- Who did God choose to be the new leader after Moses? (Joshua.)
- What does the Bible say was special about Moses? (There was no prophet like him. The Lord knew Moses face to face.)
- What does it mean that God knew Moses face to face? (It means God and Moses talked closely and personally, like good friends.)
Life Application Questions:
- Who is a leader in your life that loves God and teaches you about Him? (Answers will vary, such as a parent, grandparent, or teacher.)
- What does “be strong and courageous” mean? (It means to be brave and not afraid, especially because God is with you.)
- How can you be a good helper to your friends, like Joshua was to Moses? (Answers will vary.)
- When you feel scared, what can you remember from today’s lesson? (That God is with me and I do not have to be afraid.)
- How do you talk to God? (I pray. I can talk to God anytime, just like Moses did.)
Memory Verse: “There has never been another prophet like Moses. The LORD knew Moses face to face.” Deuteronomy 34:10 (ESV)