LESSON OVERVIEW FOR ADULTS
In Joshua 6:18-19, before the Israelites ever entered the city of Jericho, God gave a very clear command: everything of value inside that city belonged to Him. The gold, silver, and all precious items were to be placed in God’s treasury. They were set apart and holy to the Lord. When the walls came down and Israel flooded into the city, almost every person obeyed. But one man, a man named Achan, saw the riches and wanted them for himself. He took a beautiful robe, a bag of silver, and a bar of gold, carried them back to his tent, and buried them in the dirt floor where no one could see them. He thought his secret was safe.
What followed in Joshua 7 shows us that nothing is ever truly hidden from God. Because of Achan’s secret disobedience, Israel suffered a crushing and unexpected defeat at the smaller city of Ai, losing thirty-six soldiers in battle. God told Joshua that sin was present in the camp and that it had to be dealt with. Through a process of identification, Achan was singled out before the entire nation. He confessed, the buried items were uncovered exactly as described, and the community faced serious consequences. After the matter was resolved, God instructed Joshua to attack Ai again. This time, walking in full obedience, Israel won a complete victory. The lesson is as clear for us today as it was for Israel then: God sees everything, hidden sin has real consequences, and returning to obedience restores God’s blessing.
OPENING ACTIVITY 6:00-6:15 | Dig items out of sand
Items Needed
- Plastic tub
- Kinetic sand
- Toy silver and gold coins
- Sand toys (optional)
Hide silver and gold coins in the sand. Provide sand toys for preschoolers to use as they play in the sand. Encourage preschoolers to search for the hidden coins.
Tell them in our story today, a man named Achan took some things that God said not to take. He hid them so no one would find them. God punished Achan for his sin. The Bible says that the punishment for sin is death. Because we sin, we deserve to be punished. Jesus came to take the punishment for us. God forgives our sin when we trust in Jesus
BIBLE STORY 6:15-6:25
Question 1: Where is this found in the Bible? Joshua
Question 2: Is it in the Old Testament or the New Testament? Old Testament
Object Lesson: The Mystery Bag
Before class, place a small gold-colored toy or foil-wrapped item inside a paper bag and staple or fold it shut. Hold the bag up and tell the children you have something hidden inside. Ask if they can see what it is. Let them guess. Then open it and reveal it. Say: Even though YOU could not see it, I knew what was in the bag the whole time. Today we are going to hear a story about a man who tried to hide something from God. But God always knew exactly what was there!
Our story today comes from the book of Joshua! Can you say Joshua?
[Wait for response.]
Joshua was a very brave leader who led God’s people, the Israelites.
Do you remember the big city called Jericho? It had HUGE walls all around it. God helped His people knock those walls down, and God’s people ran into the city. God gave them a very important rule. He said: Everything valuable inside this city belongs to ME. Put it all in My special treasury. It is mine.
Can you say treasury?
[Wait for response.]
Good! A treasury is like a special box where you keep precious things. God wanted all the gold and silver for Himself.
Now, almost everyone obeyed. But one man did not. His name was Achan. Can you say Achan?
[Wait for response.]
Achan walked through the city and he saw something sparkly. What do you think it was?
[Let kids respond: gold, silver, coins, treasure!]
That’s right! He saw a beautiful robe. And shiny silver. And a golden bar. And Achan thought to himself…
[Whisper conspiratorially:]
I want to keep these for ME.
[Look sneaky, tiptoe in place.]
So when nobody was looking, Achan snuck back to his tent. He dug a hole in the dirt floor. Can you help him dig?
[Pretend to dig with both hands.]
Dig, dig, dig! He put the robe and the silver and the gold in that hole. Then he covered it up. Pat, pat, pat.
[Pat the floor or pat knees.]
And Achan thought: Nobody will ever find it. Nobody will ever know.
But wait. Did anybody know?
[Pause. Look at the children with wide eyes.]
GOD knew! God sees EVERYTHING! Even things buried under the ground!
A little while later, Joshua led the army to fight a new city called Ai. Can you say Ai?
[Wait for response.]
But something went terribly wrong. The army lost the battle. Joshua fell down and cried out to God: Lord, what happened? Why did we lose?
And God said: Joshua, someone disobeyed Me. Someone kept things that belonged to Me. That is why you lost.
Joshua called ALL the people together. He needed to find out who had disobeyed God. God helped narrow it down, one group at a time, until finally one man was standing there. Who do you think it was?
[Let children respond: Achan!]
Achan! Joshua looked at Achan and said: Tell me what you did. Do not hide it. Achan told the truth. He said: I took the robe and the silver and the gold. I buried them in my tent.
Soldiers ran to his tent and dug in the ground. Dig, dig, dig!
[Dig together again.]
And there it was. Right where Achan said. The robe. The silver. The gold. Hidden from people, but never hidden from God.
This was very serious. Achan had taken something that belonged to God. He had tried to hide it, and it had caused a lot of hurt.
After everything was made right, God told Joshua to try again. The whole army obeyed God this time, and this time they won!
When we obey God, good things happen!
So what do we learn today? God sees EVERYTHING. We can never hide anything from God. And that is actually a wonderful thing, because it also means God sees every good thing we do, every time we love someone, and every time we tell the truth too.
Theological Questions:
- Can God see things that are hidden underground or in the dark?
- Why do you think it matters to God when we try to hide something we did wrong?
Life Application Questions:
- Have you ever tried to hide something you did? What happened?
- Knowing that God always sees you, what is one good thing you want God to see you do this week?
Story Prayer:
[Invite children to fold their hands and bow their heads.]
Lord, Your eyes see everything that happens. You watch over us all the time. Help us to live honest lives in front of You, and when we do something wrong, give us the courage to tell the truth because we know You love us and You forgive us. Amen!
[Lead children in a big group “Amen!”]
WORSHIP IN SONG 6:25-6:35
PRAYER 6:35-6:45
Transition kids to the floor for prayer time. Pray for honest hearts, asking God to help us live openly before Him and to give us the courage to tell the truth even when it is hard, knowing that He sees everything and loves us completely.
BIBLE VERSE GAME 6:45-6:55 | Who has it?
Items Needed:
- One small ball (bouncy ball)
- Blindfold (optional)
- Music
Invite preschoolers to sit in a tight circle. Select one child to be It. Lead It to sit in the middle of the circle with his/her eyes closed. Consider using a blindfold if needed. Give the small ball to one of the preschoolers. Explain that the preschoolers will pass the item around the circle while the music plays. When the music stops, the preschooler holding the item should hold it so It cannot see. It must try to guess who has the item.
Play again selecting another preschooler to be It.
It had to figure out who had the [item name]. In our Bible story today, someone took some things God said not to take. Israel lost a battle because of this man’s sin. Joshua didn’t have to guess who took the items because God showed him. The man and his whole family were punished.
BIBLE CRAFT 6:55-7:10 | Achan’s Tent
Items Needed
- Achan’s Tent Printout
- Crayons
- Glue
- Scissors
- Manilla Paper
- Tape
Give each child a piece of manilla paper folded in half. Precut the tent and items.
Give each child a tent piece to color and glue to their paper. Help them cut open the tent doors (cutting thru the manilla paper).
On the inside, have them glue the items Achan stole. Then help them tape the pile of dirt over the items to hide them.
Remind them we can’t hide anything from God. He knows all.
SNACK TIME AND BIBLE STORY VIDEO 7:10-7:25
Pass out snacks and allow kids time to watch the Bible story video.
BONUS ACTIVITY | Invisible Message Watercolor Reveal
Items Needed:
- White cardstock (one per child)
- White crayons
- Watercolor paints
- Brushes
- Water cups
- Paper towels
Before class, use a white crayon to write the words God Sees Everything on each child’s card. The words are invisible against the white paper. In class, children brush watercolor paint across the card and watch the secret message magically appear. Teachers explain that just like the hidden message was always there even when we could not see it, God always sees everything even when we think it is hidden.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE
Joshua 6:18-19 (ESV)
But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction and bring trouble upon it. But all silver and gold, and every vessel of bronze and iron, are holy to the Lord; they shall go into the treasury of the Lord.
Joshua 7:1 (ESV)
But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things, for Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things. And the anger of the Lord burned against the people of Israel.
Joshua 7:19-21 (ESV)
Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord God of Israel and give praise to him. And tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.” And Achan answered Joshua, “Truly I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I did: when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”
Joshua 8:1 (ESV)
And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear and do not be dismayed. Take all the fighting men with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, his city, and his land.”
Proverbs 15:3 (ESV) – Memory Verse
The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.
PARENT TAKE HOME SHEET
Today’s Key Takeaway
God Sees Everything
What I Learned Today
Today we heard the story of a man named Achan who took treasure from the city of Jericho and buried it in his tent, even though God had said all the treasure belonged to Him. Even though Achan thought no one could see it, God knew exactly where it was the whole time. We learned that God sees everything, all the time, and that living honestly before God is something He loves and blesses.
Questions to Ask Me
Theological Questions:
- Can God see things that are hidden? Yes! God sees everything everywhere, even things buried in the ground or hidden in the dark.
- Who was Achan? He was a man from the tribe of Judah who took treasure from Jericho and tried to hide it from God.
- What happened when Achan hid the treasure? Israel lost a battle at the city of Ai and thirty-six soldiers died because there was sin hiding in the camp.
- What does our memory verse say about God’s eyes? The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. Proverbs 15:3.
- What happened after Achan told the truth and the sin was made right? God helped Israel win the battle against Ai when they obeyed Him.
Life Application Questions:
- Have you ever tried to hide something you did? How did it feel? (Answers will vary. Guide your child gently toward how honesty feels better than hiding.)
- Since God always sees you, what is one good thing you want Him to see you do this week? (Encourage specific kind or honest actions.)
- What can you do when you do something wrong instead of hiding it? (Tell the truth, say sorry, ask God to forgive you.)
- Does knowing God sees everything make you feel safe or nervous? Why? (Help your child see that God’s eyes watching us means He loves us and is always with us.)
- Who can you talk to when you have done something wrong and need help? (God, parents, a trusted adult who loves you.)
Memory Verse: The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. Proverbs 15:3 (ESV)