God s Unfolding Story - PDF Free Download

Bible Story: The Fall of Jericho (Joshua 6) Bible Phrase: Great is our Lord and mighty in power (Psalm 147:5). Bible Truth: God is mighty and powerful. Old Testament Unit 7: Joshua Lesson 4: The Fall of Jericho God s Unfolding Story 1. God created everything. 2. People disobeyed God. 3. God chose a special people. 4. God sent Jesus to help us. 5. Jesus began the Church. 6. Jesus is preparing heaven for us. Suggested Schedule: Arrival Centers 25 minutes Clean-up Time 5 minutes Bible Story Time 15 minutes Craft Time 10 minutes Snack Time 10 minutes Game Time/Dismissal Hour B Unfolding God s Story for Teachers Please read Joshua 6. Jericho was a tropical paradise sitting 800 feet below sea level. It wasn t a big city, but it was a stronghold. The city walls were possibly twenty feet thick and twenty-five feet high. Standing on top of the walls, guards could see for miles. This city represented the first step in Israel s conquest of the promised land. Taking Jericho and the neighboring city of Ai would give the Israelites a strategic advantage. Controlling the central ridge, Israel would be able to attack both the north and south. Taking Jericho first was a good battle plan, but the fall of Jericho was more a lesson of faith than battle strategy. This battle was not about weapons, but surrender unconditional surrender to God s plan, way, and timing. In Joshua 6:2 God said, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men (NIV*). The verb in this verse indicates God already had taken the city for His children. They needed to believe Him and be ready to receive it when the time was right. Whether or not Israel s army knew the whole plan is not evident. God had revealed the plan to Joshua, but Scripture reads as though it may have unfolded to the troops on a daily basis. Each morning they woke up ready to go and do what God commanded them. The walk around the city probably only took about twenty minutes. It was a simple walk, but a huge walk of faith. God instructed them to just walk, not shoot arrows or hurl spears. The only ones doing anything more were the priests, who blew their trumpets. These were not ordinary trumpets. They were jubilee trumpets, used during Israel s feasts to proclaim God s presence. God certainly was present! We do not know if the repeated trips around the city caused the Canaanites to cower in fear or led them to think their enemy was weak. Yet for the Israelites, each time they circled, their faith increased. So did the depth of their surrender to Yahweh. On the seventh day they marched around the city seven times, and at Joshua s command, they shouted. The walls tumbled down and the Israelites easily took the city. Except for Rahab and her family, all the inhabitants of Jericho were destroyed. The chapter ends with a short but important note, And the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land (Josh. 6:27). Joshua became famous because He followed God s plan and strategy, not his own. This story has deep application for us. God has already accomplished much for us salvation, victory over sin and death, victory over evil, and so much more. These treasures are ours for the taking if we walk in faith, totally surrendering ourselves to God, His plan, His way, and His timing. Move out! *Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Lesson Plan Arrival Greet children at eye level and express how happy you are to see them. Be sure each child has a name tag and the security measures of your church are followed. Label all coats and personal belongings. Strongly encourage children who have brought items from home, such as toys and books, to place them on a shelf while they are working with other materials. Assure children their items will be safe and they can take them home at the end of the session. Help each child make a choice where he or she would like to begin his or her Center Time. OT07 Lesson 4 Hour B Page 1

Puzzle Center: Work Puzzles Offer a variety of non-fantasy wooden or cardboard puzzles for children to work. What to Do: Invite preschoolers to work puzzles. Encourage each child to finish a puzzle before leaving the center. Give guidance rather than working the puzzle for a boy or girl. Link to the Bible Story: As children work, look for opportunities in conversation to say the Bible Phrase or to briefly tell the Bible story. Home Living Center: Role Play Small rocking chair, sink and stove unit and small table and chairs; plastic dishes, child pots and pans; pretend food items; doll, doll bed, and doll accessories What to Do: Home living items naturally encourage children to act out roles and activities they observe at home. Link to the Bible Story: As preschoolers pretend and act out roles they observe at home and in other places, look for opportunities to share the Bible Phrase, Bible truth, or a portion of the Bible story. Center Time Art Center: Tracing Blocks White construction paper Crayons and washable markers, pencils A variety of shaped wooden blocks from the Block Center What to Do: Print today s Bible Phrase, Great is our Lord and mighty in power (Psalm 147:5), at the bottom of each paper. Place blocks and other art materials on the table. Invite preschoolers to choose a block. Demonstrate how to trace around the block. Encourage preschoolers to trace several blocks on their papers and to color their traced blocks. Link to the Bible Story: As preschoolers work, read the Bible Phrase. Express to preschoolers that when God told the Israelites to take the land He had promised to give them, that meant they would need to take over the cities where their enemies lived. One city they needed to capture was called Jericho. God commanded the Israelites to walk around the city one time each day for six days, and on the seventh day to walk around it seven times. When the Israelites obeyed God, the walls of Jericho tumbled down. Say, The blocks on your papers remind us of God s mighty power that caused the walls to fall down. Bible Learning Center: Dot Paint Copies of Activity Page: Circle the Walls of Jericho (Reproducible, 1 copy per child) Commercial Dot Painters What to Do: Preschoolers should be encouraged to use dot painters to circle the walls of Jericho in the Bible story picture. Link to the Bible Story: As children use the paints, talk about the Bible story. Tell the boys and girls that after the Israelites marched around the city as God commanded, the walls of the city tumbled down. Block Center: Build with Blocks Wooden blocks What to Do: Provide a small carpet if possible. Blocks are best located in a corner of the room away from the traffic flow. Encourage preschoolers to build a city with a wall encircling it. Link to the Bible Story: As preschoolers build the city and walls, explain that in today s Bible story the Israelites needed to capture the city of Jericho, but the walls around it were too thick to get inside. God gave Joshua a plan to help them take the city. Tell preschoolers that they will hear in Bible Story Time how God made the city walls fall down. Preschoolers can gently knock down the walls of the city they built with blocks. OT07 Lesson 4 Hour B Page 2

Clean-up Time Encourage preschoolers to help at clean-up time. Assign specific tasks for preschoolers to do such as placing all the crayons in the basket, throwing away the trash, gathering all the glue sticks, etc. Guide children to the Bible Story Time area. Bible Story Time Bible Teaching Picture The Fall of Jericho (Reproducible) God s Unfolding Story Cube (Reproducible/Cardstock) Introduction Show the God s Unfolding Story Cube. Express to the boys and girls that even though we find many stories in the Bible, the Bible really tells one big story, and all the little stories are a part of the big one we can call God s Unfolding Story. Tell children that each picture represents a chapter in God s Unfolding Story. Turn the cube and talk about each chapter of the story. (Refer to page 1.) Express that every story from the Bible is from one of these main parts in God s Unfolding Story. Today s story is from the third chapter, God chose a special people. Express the following in your own words. Boys and girls, what do you think it would take to knock down a very thick wall that surrounded a city? (Accept all answers.) When God wants to knock down walls, He can do it any way He chooses. He does not need our ideas or even our strength. God is mighty and powerful on His own. In our Bible story today, God used the Israelites to knock down some very thick walls in a most unusual way. Listen to hear what God did. Bible Story The Fall of Jericho (Joshua 6) Joshua and the people of Israel were living in the land that God had promised. Other people also lived in the land, and many of them were not friendly to the Israelites. Some lived in a city called Jericho. Jericho was surrounded by thick walls. No one was going in or out of the city. The Israelites didn t know how to get through the thick walls to take the city. God told Joshua He would help the people capture Jericho. He gave Joshua instructions: For six days, march around the city one time each day. The priests should carry their trumpets as you march. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times. After marching, have the priests blow their trumpets with one long blow. Then everyone should shout, for the Lord has given you the city! After you do this, Jericho s walls will fall down. Surely Joshua thought this was a strange but amazing way for walls to come down! Joshua gave the people instructions. Early the next morning the people quietly marched around the city. No one said a word as they marched; but the priests blew their trumpets. The second day the people marched around the city again. Each day they marched, until the seventh day. On day seven, they got up early and began marching. They marched once, but they did not stop. They marched two, three, four, five, six, seven times around the city walls! Then the priests blew their trumpets one last time, for a long time! Joshua called for the people to shout, and shout they did as loud as they could! Suddenly the walls of the city came crashing down, and God s people were able to capture the city. What an amazing thing God had done! God was with Joshua and His people. Talk Time 1. Show the teaching picture for today s Bible story. Review by using these or similar questions. What did God ask the Israelites to do around the walls of Jericho? Did the people obey God? Who made the walls tumble down? 2. Read the Bible Phrase on the teaching picture. Say the phrase together, Great is our Lord and mighty in power (Psalm 147:5). Express to children that God really did not need the Israelites to walk around the city for the walls to come down. God was and is powerful enough to knock the walls down Himself. Still, God wanted the Israelites to obey Him and trust Him, and that is exactly what they did. God was with Joshua and the Israelites. God helped them capture the city. 3. Close the Bible Story Time by inviting children to join you in prayer. Thank God that He is with people who love Him today, and that He is mighty and powerful. OT07 Lesson 4 Hour B Page 3

Craft Time: Bible Phrase Horn Copies of Bible Phrase Horn (Reproducible, 1 copy for every child, cardstock recommended) Crayons or washable markers Tape Foam stick-on shapes or non-fantasy stickers What to Do: Cut out each horn. Invite children to color and decorate their horns with the stickers. Assist with bending the horn into a cone shape and taping it to make it secure. Link to the Bible Story: Review the Bible Phrase with the children. Ask them to say today s Bible Phrase, Great is our Lord and mighty in power (Psalm 147:5). Review the story and talk about what God asked His people to do and how God showed His power. Children can use their horns during the Game Time activity. Snack Time Be sure to wash hands or use hand sanitizer. Say a thank-you prayer to God for the snack. When snack time has ended, encourage preschoolers to help with cleaning up. Game Time / Dismissal Seven Times Around Masking tape or wooden blocks What to Do: Tape the outline of a large square in the Game Time area or use wooden blocks to mark the square. Begin the game by talking about the Bible story. Remind children that God commanded Joshua and the Israelites to march around the city walls one time each day for six days. Then on the seventh day they were to march around the walls seven times. Ask children what happened on the seventh day after the Israelites had marched. Explain to children they will march around the square seven times. Count out loud each time the group goes around. After the seventh time around you will say, Shout! and they will shout out the Bible Phrase, Great is our Lord and mighty in power (Psalm 147:5). (If your any of your children made the Bible Phrase Horns, encourage them to put them to their mouths when they say the Bible Phrase.) After saying the Bible Phrase, all the children should drop to the floor. If wooden blocks have been used, the children can knock them down. Comment to children the Israelites obeyed God and marched around the city, but God caused the walls to fall down. God was with Joshua and the people. The Israelites and other nations of people saw the power of God when the walls of the city tumbled down. Dismiss children as parents arrive. Be sure to follow the security procedures of your church. OT07 Lesson 4 Hour B Page 4

Resources and Supplies Old Testament Unit 7: Joshua Lesson 4: The Fall of Jericho Hour B Standard Art Supplies (Supplies that are generally in the room) Washable markers Crayons Child scissors Playdough and accessories Drawing paper Easel (optional) Glue/glue sticks Tempera paint, 4 colors Tape/masking tape Pencils/colored pencils Hole punch Teacher scissors Stapler/staples Permanent markers Watercolors Paintbrushes Yarn Standard Equipment (Equipment that is generally in the room) Bible Small beanbag for Bible Story Time Assorted wooden/cardboard puzzles Set of wooden blocks Small cars and trucks Doll bed Baby doll (soft plastic) Stove/sink unit Play dishes/pots and pans Small table and chairs Small carpet for block area Play food items Storage shelf for blocks Tables and chairs for art, puzzles, and Bible Learning Center CD player/children s Worship CDs Reproducibles (Included with the lesson plan downloads) Activity Page: Circle the Walls of Jericho (1 copy per child) Bible Phrase Horn (1 copy for every child, cardstock recommended) Teaching Picture: The Fall of Jericho (1 copy per class) God s Unfolding Story Cube (Cardstock 1 copy per class) Parent Page (1 copy per child) Coloring Page, The Fall of Jericho (1 copy per child) Additional Art Materials White construction paper (1 per child) Additional Bible Learning Materials Commercial Dot Painters Additional Craft Materials Foam stick-on shapes or non-fantasy stickers OT07 Lesson 4 Hour B

Circle the Walls of Jericho Great is our Lord and mighty in power. Psalm 147:5 Activity Page, Circle the Walls of Jericho Instructions: One copy per child. Use dot painters to circle the walls of Jericho in the Bible story picture. OT07 Lesson 4 Hour B Bible Learning Center

Craft Time: Bible Phrase Horn Instructions: One copy for every child, cardstock recommended. Cut out the horn. Use washable markers or crayons to color the horn, decorate with stickers or foam stick-on shapes. Bible Phrase Horn Great is our Lord and mighty in power. Psalm 147:5 OT07 Lesson 4 Hour B Craft Time

Great is our Lord and mighty in power. Psalm 147:5 Coloring Page The Fall of Jericho OT07 Lesson 4 Optional