VERSES: Joshua 4:1-24
MEMORY VERSE: Joshua 4:23 "For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan..." (The activity below may help your students with their memory verse this time.
BOOK TO REMEMBER: Review from Matthew to Colossians, making certain most, if not all, have this good foundation upon which to build.
PRAYER: Pray that we all might appreciate the greatness and forethought of God to provide for and preserve His people.
SPECIAL SONG: Read, Read Every Day (see February - Sons We Sing In Bible Class #1 on this blog)
VISUAL AID: TV Box (see February - Visual Aid #1 on this blog)
LESSON POINTS:
- When every one of the Israelites had hurried across the Jordan River and the priests carrying the ark of the covenant on poles were still standing in the middle of the river, God spoke to Joshua who told twelve men, one out of every tribe or family, to cross back over to the middle of the Jordan River and choose a stone. The stones were to be carried on each of the twelve men's shoulders and taken to the place where God's people were camped and the stones laid down there. Everything was done exactly as the LORD had told Joshua to tell the people. The place was called Gilgal.
- Joshua told the people that God said the stones were to be a sign or symbol for remembering what had happened that day. Joshua said, "When your children ask you what do these stones mean?" then the fathers were to tell their children about how the water in the Jordan River was stopped up, so the ark of the covenant could pass over the Jordan. Using the stones as a visual aid, it would help the people remember.
- When all the people were across the Jordan River, then the ark of the covenant went in front of the people and led the way. After the ark of the covenant and the priests, 40,000 soldiers prepared to fight followed the ark to the plains of Jericho. On that day, the Bible says that Joshua was great in the sight of all the people of Israel and the people feared or respected him just like they had respected Moses all the days of his life.
- Joshua commanded the priests to come out of the Jordan River and, just as soon as the priests' feet touched the riverside, the waters of the Jordan returned just like they had been before. God had dried up the Jordan River just like He had the Red Sea, so that all the people of the earth would know the greatness of the LORD God and that the children of Israel would always respect and show their devotion to the all powerful God.
- We have these lessons all written down in a book called the Bible, so anytime we want to remember a lesson, what do we need do? That's right! We open up the Bible and read! In the Old Testament, they didn't have a Bible like we do, so their fathers would tell their children the stories of how God had protected them, cared for them, and provided for them. We have it easier today, we can read these lessons anytime we choose by opening up God's Word and reading. We need to read each and every day.
"Older Student" Tips:
- Up to this point, how many times can we give an example of how God had provided for His people? (He provided water from the rock, manna and quail, cloud to lead the way, pillar of fire to provide light at night, etc.)
ACTIVITY: "Rocks In The River" Memory Verse Mix-Up
Materials needed: 48" x 4" piece of paper with a 'rock-type' of design on it, such as wallpaper, contact paper, scrapbook paper, or make your own paper by using white butcher paper and charcoal or black chalk. If you choose to make your own Rock Paper, scrunch the white paper up into a ball, them unfold it. Using the largest side of the chalk, lightly brush the chalk onto the paper; wipe off with a tissue or Kleenex. Then, either laminate, or spray lightly with hairspray to set the chalk. You will also need black markers or crayons, scissors, stapler, staples, and a piece of 8.5" x 11" paper.
- Pass out 'rock-type' paper.
- Cut out twelve good-sized (about 4") rocks.
- On the front with the rock design, write one word on eleven rocks. "For" "the" " LORD" "your' "God" "dried" "up" "the" "waters" "of" "Jordan..."
- On the twelfth rock, write "Joshua 4:23."
- Mix up the rocks and unscramble them, so that it will make up the memory verse.
- Hand out an 8.5" x 11" white paper to each student.
- Fold white paper in half.
- Staple white paper on two sides, forming a pocket.
- Write "Rocks In The River Memory Verse Mix-Up" on the outside of the white paper.
- Insert rocks into pocket to take home and show their families.
- The students can take out their "rocks" and form the memory verse. If they get stuck, they simply look up the verse in the Bible. Let's see how many students remember their memory verse next week!
