LESSON OVERVIEW FOR ADULTS
In Joshua 5, something remarkable happens before a single soldier takes a step toward Jericho. Joshua encounters a mysterious man standing with a drawn sword. When Joshua asks whose side the man is on, the answer is neither Joshua’s nor the enemy’s, but the Lord’s. Joshua immediately falls facedown in worship and is told he is standing on holy ground. This moment establishes the entire foundation of the story. The coming victory does not belong to Joshua or his army. It belongs to God. The battle has already been decided, and Joshua’s only assignment is to listen and obey.
God’s instructions for taking Jericho were unlike anything a military commander would devise. The Israelites were to march silently around the great walled city once each day for six days, with seven priests carrying ram’s horn trumpets before the ark of the covenant. On the seventh day, they were to march around seven times, the priests were to blow a long blast on the trumpets, and all the people were to shout. That was the plan. When the people did exactly as God commanded, the massive walls of Jericho collapsed. The city was taken not because of Israel’s military strength, but because a faithful people chose to trust and obey a faithful God. The heart of this lesson is when we obey God, even when it seems strange, God does what only He can do.
OPENING ACTIVITY 6:00-6:15 | Trumpet Horns
Here is a single combined craft that blends the trumpet (horn) idea with the marching/Jericho wall activity into one meaningful hands-on project for preschoolers:
BIBLE CRAFT 6:55-7:10 | Jericho Trumpet (Shofar) Craft
PLAY THE VIDEO BEFORE MAKING THE CRAFT
Items Needed:
- Jericho Trumpet Template (print on cardstock)
- Packing Tape
- Glue
- Crayons or markers
- Stickers
- String or yarn (for carrying strap)
Print on card stock and cut out one trumpet pattern for each student, or have students do the cutting. Have
students color and decorate their trumpets. Roll them up and tape closed.
Note: Wrap packing tape around the mouth section to prevent it from getting wet when blown.
BIBLE STORY 6:15-6:25
Question 1: Where is this found in the Bible? (Joshua)
Question 2: Is this in the Old Testament or New Testament? (Old Testament)
Object Lesson Setup: Before class, bring a small stack of blocks or cardboard boxes stacked up like a wall. You will knock them down at the end of the story.
Our Bible story today is about a man named Joshua. Can you say “Joshua?” [Wait for response]
Joshua loved God very much. God had a big job for Joshua. He wanted Joshua and his people, called the Israelites, to go into a special land that God had promised to give them.
But there was a problem. A BIG problem. There was a city called Jericho. Can you say “Jericho?” [Wait for response]
Jericho had a HUGE wall around it. Like this! [Point to your stack of blocks or boxes]
The wall was so big and so tall that nobody could get through it.
Now, one day Joshua was walking near Jericho, and he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a sword! But this was no ordinary man. It was a messenger from God! The messenger told Joshua not to be afraid. God had a plan! Can you whisper, “God has a plan?” [Whisper together]
God told Joshua exactly what to do. And it was a VERY unusual plan. Do you want to hear it? [Wait for response]
God said, “Joshua, I want you and all the soldiers to march around the wall. Just march around it. Once every day for six days.”
Let’s march like soldiers! [Stand up and march in place, swinging arms.]
And the priests, those are the men who helped lead worship, they were going to carry a special box called the Ark of the Covenant. It was where God’s presence was. Can you pretend to carry something very special and heavy? [Pretend to carry a heavy box carefully]
And seven priests were going to blow horns called trumpets! Can you pretend to blow your trumpet? [Allow kids to blow the trumpet they made in the opening craft]
So every day for six days, they marched. Day one… [March around the room]
Day two… [March around the room]
Day three, four, five, six… [March faster around the room]
They marched and the trumpets went TOOOOT, and they did not say a single word. They were quiet the whole time! Can you be super quiet like them? [Put finger to lips, pause in silence for a moment]
Now on the SEVENTH day, something different was going to happen. God said, “March around the wall SEVEN times today.” That is a lot of marching! Let’s count to seven together! [Count to seven together, marching in place]
One, two, three, four, five, six, SEVEN!
And then, when the priests blew the trumpets one last time, Joshua told all the people to SHOUT! A great big, loud shout! Can you practice your loudest shout? [Let kids shout]
So they marched all seven times. The priests blew the trumpets. TOOOOT! [Blow trumpet sound]
And then Joshua said SHOUT! And all the people shouted as loud as they could! [Encourage kids to shout together]
And do you know what happened to that great big wall?
[Dramatically knock over the stack of blocks or boxes]
It fell down! Just like that! The wall came tumbling ALL the way down! Because Joshua and the Israelites OBEYED God! They did exactly what God told them to do, even when it seemed really silly to just march around a wall.
Can you say, “We should obey God!” [Wait for response]
That is right! When we obey God, He does amazing things!
Theological Questions:
- Who made the walls of Jericho fall down?
- Why did God want Joshua to march around the walls instead of knocking them down himself?
Life Application Questions:
- Can you think of a time when a grown-up asked you to do something and you were not sure why? Did you obey anyway?
- When is it hard to obey? What can we do when obeying feels hard?
Prayer:
God, You are so powerful and You always have a plan. Help us to trust You and obey You, just like Joshua did, even when we do not understand. Amen!
WORSHIP IN SONG 6:25-6:35
PRAYER 6:35-6:45 p.m.
Transition kids to the floor for prayer time. Pray for hearts that listen and obey God.
BIBLE STORY GAME 6:45-6:55 | The Quiet Game
Items Needed:
- Party noise makers (one per round winner)
Description: Tell the kids that while the Israelites marched around Jericho for six whole days, they had to be completely silent. Not one word. Now it is their turn to try.
Have all kids sit down, close their mouths, and be as completely silent and still as possible. No talking, no giggling, no sounds at all. The teacher watches carefully. Any child who makes a sound, laughs, or talks is out and sits to the side. The last child remaining completely quiet wins that round and receives a party noise maker as their prize.
Play six rounds this way, with the winner of each round earning a noise maker. Between each round, the teacher counts out loud and says which day of marching the Israelites are on. For example, “That was day one. The Israelites kept marching. Let’s go again.”
On the seventh round, tell the kids, “The Israelites have marched six times. This is day seven. This time, when I say SHOUT, everybody shouts together. Play the quiet game one final time. The last child still quiet when the teacher yells “SHOUT!” wins the final prize. Then everybody, winners and all, stands up, blows their noise makers, and shouts together as loud as they can, just like the walls of Jericho coming tumbling down.
BIBLE CRAFT 6:55-7:10 | Sword Craft
Items Needed
- Sword (printed on cardstock)
- Crayons
- Glue or tape
- Jewel Stickers
Have kids color and decorate their sword. Then help then put the two pieces together (glue or tape) and remind them that Joshua met a man with his sword drawn who was a messenger from God.
SNACK TIME & BIBLE STORY VIDEO 7:10-7:25
Pass out snacks and allow kids time to eat while they watch the Bible story video.
BONUS ACTIVITY | Dancing Sprinkles
Items Needed
- Cup or bowl
- Rubber band that fits around the cup or bowl
- Plastic wrap
- Colored sprinkles (you can also use salt, but the sprinkles are easier to see)
- Large plate or tray
Stretch a piece of plastic wrap across the top of the bowl. Use a rubber band to hold the plastic wrap in place. Adjust the plastic wrap so it is tight and as flat as possible with no wrinkles. Put the bowl onto a plate or tray to catch any sprinkles that fall off.
Bring your lips very close to the edge of the bowl without touching it. Try humming loudly, and watch the plastic wrap closely.
Add some sprinkles to the top of the plastic wrap. Try humming again. Watch the sprinkles closely. If nothing happens, try humming louder. If nothing happens, try varying the pitch of your humming (higher or lower).
If the sprinkles fall off the bowl, add more of them as needed.
When you hummed loudly enough and at the right pitch, the sound waves generated by your voice should have made the plastic wrap membrane vibrate. The vibrations of the clear plastic wrap are hard to see on their own. When you add sprinkles, the vibrating membrane makes them bounce up and down, so the vibrations are much easier to see.
When Joshua and the Israelites shouted and blew their trumpets around the walls of Jericho, the sound was so powerful that God used it to bring the walls tumbling down. The vibrations from this activity help kids see in a small way that sound has real physical power. God took the sound of obedient people and did something miraculous with it.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE
Joshua 6:20 (ESV)
“So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they captured the city.”
PARENT TAKE HOME SHEET
Today’s Key Takeaway: Obey God
What I learned today:
Today we learned about Joshua and the Israelites and how God gave them the city of Jericho. God gave Joshua a very unusual plan to march around the walls of Jericho for seven days, and Joshua obeyed even when it seemed strange. When Joshua and the people did exactly what God said, the walls fell down and God kept His promise.
Questions to ask me:
Theological Questions
- Who is Joshua? (Joshua was a leader of God’s people, the Israelites, who God chose to lead them into the Promised Land.)
- What did God tell Joshua to do to the walls of Jericho? (God told Joshua to march around the city once a day for six days, and seven times on the seventh day, then shout.)
- Who made the walls of Jericho fall down? (God made the walls fall down.)
- Why did the Israelites need to obey God even when the plan seemed unusual? (Because God is trustworthy and always keeps His promises, and His ways are better than our ways.)
- Where is the story of Jericho found in the Bible? (In the book of Joshua, in the Old Testament.)
Life Application Questions
- What is one way you can obey God this week? (Answers will vary.)
- Why is it important to obey even when we do not understand why? (Because God loves us and His plans are always good, even when we cannot see the whole picture.)
- How did Joshua show he trusted God? (He did exactly what God said without arguing or changing the plan.)
- What should we do when obeying God feels hard or silly to us? (We can pray, ask God to help us trust Him, and remember what He has done before.)
- Who is someone in your family that helps you learn to obey God? (Answers will vary.)
Memory Verse: Proverbs 3:5-6