VERSES: Joshua 10:1-43
MEMORY VERSE: Joshua 10:13 "And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed..."
BOOK TO REMEMBER: Review all books learned, including the Old Testament books.
PRAYER: Thank God for being a great God, one who can control the sun and the moon!
SPECIAL SONG: Read, Read Every Day (see February - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #1 on this blog.)
VISUAL AID: Large Activity (see below)
LESSON POINTS:
- During this time of Joshua's life, it was a time of fighting. The Israelites were doing what the LORD commanded them and that command was to take the land away from the people who lived in Canaan. The people who lived in Canaan did not worship God, but worshiped idols.
- Remember last time how the Gibeonites had tricked the Israelites into not killing them and how Joshua had made them into their servants? Do you remember what their jobs were when they were punished? That's right! They were to chop wood and draw water all of their lives. The city that these people had lived in was called Gibeon. It was a very large city, and it had many mighty men of valor or brave men.
- The king of Jerusalem had heard how Joshua had taken Ai and destroyed it as he had done with Jericho. Even though it was based on a lie, the children of Israel had made peace with the Gibeonites and the king of Jerusalem did not like it one bit! He was very afraid of the Israelites and decided to invite other Amorite kings who lived around Canaan to talk about how they should fight the Gibeonites because they had made peace with Israel. All five kings thought fighting with the Gibeonites was a great idea and started fighting with them.
- The Gibeonites sent word to Joshua way down in Gilgal asking the Israelites to come and save them from the five kings. God told Joshua not to be afraid because He had delivered them all into Joshua's hand, meaning Joshua and the Israelites were going to win the battle. Joshua, all the soldiers, and the mighty men of valor hurried and traveled all night and attacked the enemy. The LORD had confused the soldiers of the Amorite kings and a great number of the enemy died and the others were chased away. But, as the enemy ran away, God made great hailstones come down from heaven and even the ones who ran away died. In fact, more soldiers died from the hailstones than from the Israelites killing them with swords.
- Then something unusual happened! Joshua spoke to the Lord in the hearing of the all the children of Israel, asking God to make the sun stand still and the moon stop...and they did! The sun did not move and the moon stayed still a whole day until the Israelites finished fighting and won the battle. The Bible says that the LORD fought for Israel that day. There was never a day like that before or after. God had listened to the voice of a man--Joshua's voice--that day.
- Joshua and all his soldiers returned to their camp at Gilgal where Joshua found out that the five kings had escaped and were hiding in a cave in a city called Makkedah. Joshua told his men to roll great stones in front of the cave and told soldiers to stand guard. While Joshua and the other soldiers continued to pursue the enemy, the soldiers were not to let the kings escape. The Israelites, again, won the battle, but Joshua had not forgotten the five kings. In the end, the kings were killed because God was against them. Whenever the Israelites obeyed God and did what He said, they always won the battle because they were doing what God had told them to do. But there were always grave consequences for those who were against God.
- All the time the Israelites were conquering the land of Canaan, there were battles and more battles. Joshua was a great leader and he had many men of valor fighting beside him. Joshua always obeyed God and God was with him. God is with us, too, when we obey God.
- Had God ever made the sun stand still or commanded the moon not to move before this? After this? Read Joshua 10:14. God is a great God!
Materials needed: 12" x 18" light blue construction paper, 10" x 18" of orange cellophane, 4" x 10" white construction paper, scissors, glue, crayon.
- Pass out orange cellophane to students.
- Cut in half with scissors.
- On one half, cut large sun out with rays of sunshine.
- On other half, cut a circle out of the cellophane.
- On left side of blue paper, glue sun with rays.
- In the middle of the sun with rays, glue the circle.
- Cut crescent moon out of white paper.
- Glue white moon on right side of blue paper.
- Write "Sun stand still..." and it did!" and "The moon didn't move" and "Joshua 10:13" wiggling around the sun and moon.