“…for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
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God gives His people power to serve Him.
God helps His people during hard times.
Nothing can stand against God’s power.
God’s power broke down the walls of Jericho.
Oh my! What a hard job God had given Joshua and the people of Israel!
“How would this ever happen?” they wondered. Joshua and all of the
people of Israel knew God had promised them a very special land, but
now they had come to the land and it was full of people; people that
were God’s enemies! How would they live in this land when it was full
of people who did not love God? The land was full of people that would
NOT obey God. The people in the land worshipped idols—idols are
things that people love instead of the one true God. Only the One true
God of the Bible is to be worshipped. Oh, but God was about to do a
mighty work using His people!
Joshua, the leader of God’s people, stood on a high place above the
river and looked over the new land. The first city they would have to
destroy was Jericho. Jericho was surrounded by a huge wall made up of
very large blocks of stone. There was no way that the Israelite army
could get through that wall. There was no way to go around that wall.
There was no way to climb over that wall. Joshua saw no way that the
Israelite army could defeat God’s enemy with such a big wall protecting
them. This job seemed so hard!
But, Joshua remembered God’s promise to him and to God’s people,
Israel! Joshua had faith. Joshua trusted God’s words to him were true
words! Joshua remembered what God told him, (read from Joshua 1:2,
5 & 9) “God said, ‘I am going to give you this land. No one will be able
to stand up against you all the days of your life. I will be with you, I will
never leave you ...be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or
discouraged for I, the Lord your God, will be with you wherever you
go.’” This was a very hard time for Joshua but God helps His people
during hard times. God gave Joshua a plan!
Now, this plan did not sound like a plan for soldiers who needed to
destroy a city. No, it was a very strange plan, but it was God’s plan!
God’s plans happen with God’s power. And nothing can stand against
God’s power!
Here is the plan Joshua received from God, the plan that Joshua obeyed
in every little detail: Early in the morning Joshua told the soldiers to line
up! Behind the soldiers stood seven priests carrying seven trumpets,
behind the priests with the trumpets stood four more priests who
carried the Ark of the Covenant—that was a precious box, covered with
gold. The Ark was a gift from God to carry God’s law and the Ark
represented God being with His people.
Then the long line of soldiers and priests walked around the walls of the
city of Jericho. While they walked, the seven priests with the trumpets
blew on their horns. The soldiers walked quietly without saying a word.
After they walked one time all the way around the city with its high,
strong walls, the Israelites went back to their camp. The next morning,
again, they all lined up and walked around the city with its towering
wall. The trumpets sounded but the people did not say a word. For six
days, they walked one time around the city each day.
One the morning of day number seven, when the sun came up the
Israelites lined up again. Around the city they walked, one, two, three,
four, five, six, seven times. After seven times around the city Joshua
cried out to the soldiers, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city!”
and shout they did! The soldiers shouted and the people shouted and
the walls of Jericho went… CRASH! God’s power broke down the walls
of Jericho!
The Israelites followed God’s plan. When God gives people a job, God
gives His people HIS power to serve Him. There is no power like God’s
power. Nothing can stand against God’s power.
The Israelites obeyed God when they faced this very hard time. Never
before had they needed to destroy a city of idol worshippers. Never
before had they faced an enemy protected by a strong, high wall. At the
beginning, it seemed like a very hard job. But God gives His people the
power to serve Him and obey Him.
1. God gives His people the power to serve Him. Who gives His
people the power to serve Him?
2. During very hard times, Who helps His people?
3. Whose power broke down the walls of Jericho?
4. Who is all-powerful?
5. How many priests carried trumpets?
6. How many priests carried the Ark of the Covenant?
7. What did the Ark of the Covenant remind the people of?
8. Was it the act of walking around the city that made the walls
come down or God’s power?
9. Did Joshua and the people obey just some of what God said to do
or did they obey all of God’s instructions?
10.
Did these seem like good instructions or strange
instructions?
11.
Who did Joshua and the people have to trust?
12.
Where do people now find the instructions from God?
With the older kids we will talk about “walls” that we may have that
God’s power has to break down. (Salvation from sin, sin habits,
wanting our way instead of God’s ways, being sad, hurt, etc.)
Songs:
Trust and Obey
How Wondrous and Great Thy Works God of Praise
Read Your Bible, Pray every day