Lesson 50 - Elementary

Memory Verse

"By faith the walls of Jericho fell down"  (Hebrews 11:30).

Notes

The New Home

When the people came into their new country they found plenty of food, as God had said there would be. No longer was the manna given them from Heaven. God had been very kind to them and had fed them when food was hard, if not impossible, to get. Now they were in a place where they could get all they needed. We wonder if they remembered to thank God for all His goodness to them. People often forget to do that.

The Captain

One day, before the battle, Joshua saw a Man standing before him with a sword in His hand. At first Joshua must have been a little bit afraid; so he went to the Man with the sword and asked Him if He were going to help Joshua or the enemies. The Man said He had come to be the Captain of God's people. Then Joshua knew He had come from Heaven. He called Him "lord,” and fell down and worshiped Him. We believe this "Man” was Jesus.

The People of Jericho

The people of the city that was to be taken by Joshua and his people had evidently heard that God had fed the people in the wilderness, had given them water to drink when there was none to be found, had protected them from wild animals, and had dried up the river so that they could cross it. All the things they had heard made them afraid of Joshua and his people. Perhaps they were afraid, too, of the God Who was helping Joshua. The idols, which the people of the city worshiped, could not do such wonderful things.

The city had high walls around it, and the gates were locked. People were not allowed to go out or come in. They were going to be sure that the enemy did not come inside the city. They were depending upon their walls; but Joshua and his people were depending upon God, for God had told Joshua that He would give him the city. The high walls could not keep God out, nor God's people, when He wanted them to go into the city.

Every day for six days, the soldiers marched around the city once. Seven priests went before the Ark, blowing the trumpets. But on the seventh day they went around seven times; and when Joshua told them to do so, they shouted. The walls fell down flat, and the soldiers went into the city and took it.

They remembered their promise to this kind woman who had protected the spies, and did not destroy her house. She had put the red thread in the window as the spies told her to do, and she and her family were safe. When we do as God tells us to do, we are always safe.

The red thread makes us think of the Blood of Jesus. When we have our hearts washed clean and holy we, too, are safe and in God's care.

Questions

1. How many times did the people march around the city on the seventh day? [JOS:6:15].

2. What did the people do when the priests blew the trumpets? [JOS:6:20].

3. What happened to the walls? [JOS:6:20].

4. Who was spared, when the city was destroyed? [JOS:6:23], [JOS:6:25].

5. Why were they spared? [JOS:6:25].