VERSES: Joshua 2:1-24
MEMORY VERSE: Joshua 2:14 "Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business..."
BOOK TO REMEMBER: Colossians Write "Colossians" on slips of paper and hand out to students as they leave the classroom.
PRAYER: Pray that we might trust God in all things, knowing that He knows best.
SPECIAL SONG: No, Not One (see June - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #6 on this blog)
VISUAL AID: Large Roof (see Activity below) and a map of Jericho and the Jordan River.
LESSON POINTS:
- The children of Israel had made camp and Joshua secretly sent out two spies to go into the land of Canaan and see the land, especially the town of Jericho. The two spies went as they were told and found a woman named Rahab and stayed at her house in Jericho. Someone told the King of Jericho that there were two spies who were staying at Rahab's house, so the king sent men to see Rahab, who told her to bring the men who were spies to them. Rahab said that there were two men, but she didn't know from where they came. She said when it was dark and just about the time they shut the gate, the men went out, but she didn't know where they went. She said to hurry and maybe they could catch the spies.
- The men hurried to where they thought the spies had gone which was outside of the gate, headed towards the Jordan River. The gate was closed after the King's men went through it. The King's men searched and searched for the two spies, but could not find them. The men did not know that Rahab had taken the two spies and hid them on top of her roof under stalks of flax that were on top of her flat roof. Before the two spies laid down that night, she went back up to the roof and said she knew that the LORD had given the land to the Israelites. She said that, because of God's people, everyone was afraid. She told them that they had heard about how the LORD had dried up the water of the Red Sea when the people came out of Egypt. They had also heard about how Joshua and the soldiers had fought with the Amorites and had won, killing the two kings. Rahab said that as soon as they heard all of these things, they lost their courage and their will to fight. She knew that the LORD God was the God in heaven and on earth.
- Rahab had a request for the two spies. She said that since she had shown kindness to the two spies, would the spies show kindness to her father's family? She wanted a sign to show that they would save her father, her mother, her brothers, her sisters, all that they had, and that they would be saved from death. The two spies said, "Our life for yours." If Rahab would keep quiet about what they were doing, then they would be kind to Rahab and her family.
- Rahab then let the two men down through the window by a cord or a rope because her house was built on the town wall. She told them to go the mountains and hide there three days until the men who were trying to find them came back to Jericho. After that, the two spies could go back to their camp.
- The two spies told Rahab that, since she made them promise to let her and her family live, she could not tell anyone about their business. They said that when she heard the Israelites coming into the land, to make sure she take the scarlet or red cord that she let the spies down through the window and tie it in her window. She should bring her family into her house because anyone else who was in the street or anywhere outside of Rahab's house would be killed. Again, they said if Rahab told anyone, then the promise would be broken. Rahab said that she would do what they spies asked. She sent the spies on their way and tied the scarlet cord in the window.
- The spies hid in the mountain for three days until the ones who were looking for them gave up and went back to Jericho. Then, the two spies went down the mountain and crossed over the river to their camp. They told Joshua all that had happened. They said that the LORD had surely given the land to the Israelites because all of the people in the land of Canaan were afraid of them. This is something different from what the ten spies had said the first time forty years ago when they came back from spying out the land, isn't it? Now the spies say, "Yes! We can take the land!" We will soon see what happens to Rahab, her family and her town.
"Older Student" Tips:
- Thinking Time: How would the people in Jericho know that there were two spies that had come into Jericho, if they came in secretly? (Someone might have seen them, or perhaps someone noticed how two men who were dressed in different clothing from themselves were walking among the people of Jericho, etc.)
- Discuss what flax is. (Flax is a plant that is dried and used as a linen thread to make clothing. Flax seed sprouts can be eaten.)
- Look at the map and see where Jericho and the Jordan River is on the map.
ACTIVITY: The Spies on Rahab's Roof
Materials needed: one 10" x 10" dark brown piece of construction paper, two 6"x 6" pieces of tan construction paper, tape, scissors, markers or crayons.
- Hand out dark brown paper to students.
- Very carefully, fold each edge of dark brown paper up 1 1/2" on all four sides.
- On two parallel sides, cut two little snips on the imprint of folds (see picture below).
- Fold side making a box.
- Tape to secure on all four edges. Should look like Rahab's flat roof.
- Hand out the other piece of tan paper.
- Draw and cut out two spies.
- Color spies.
- Fold the other piece of tan paper.
- Cut jagged edges like grass. This is the flax.
- Write "Rahab And The Two Spies" and "Joshua 2:1-24" in the middle of the roof. (See picture below).
- Place two spies inside roof.
- Place flax over the spies.
- Do not glue, so the story can be retold over and over again! Children love to retell stories!
