Tuesday, October 8, 2013

The Battle Of Jericho

Joshua 5:13-6:16, 20


Joshua was near Jericho. He looked up and saw a man standing in front of him. The man had a sword in his hand. Joshua went to him and asked, “Are you a friend or an enemy?”

The man answered, “I am neither one. I have come as the commander of the Lord’s army.”

Then Joshua bowed facedown on the ground. He asked, “Does my master have a command for me, his servant?”

The commander of the Lord’s army answered, “Take off your sandals. The place where you are standing is holy.” So Joshua did.

Now the people of Jericho were afraid because the Israelites were near. So they closed the city gates and guarded them. No one went into the city. And no one came out.

Then the Lord spoke to Joshua. He said, “Look, I have given you Jericho, its king and all its fighting men. March around the city with your army one time every day. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets made from horns of male sheep. Tell them to march in front of the Holy Box. On the seventh day march around the city seven times. On that day tell the priests to blow the trumpets as they march. They will make one long blast on the trumpets. When you hear that sound, have all the people give a loud shout. Then the walls of the city will fall. And the people will go straight into the city.”

So Joshua son of Nun called the priests together. He said, “Carry the Box of the Agreement with the Lord. Tell seven priests to carry trumpets and march in front of it.” Then Joshua ordered the people, “Now go! March around the city. The soldiers with weapons should march in front of the Box of the Agreement with the Lord.”

So Joshua finished speaking to the people. Then the seven priests began marching before the Lord. They carried the seven trumpets and blew them as they marched. The priests carrying the Box of the Agreement with the Lord followed them. The soldiers with weapons marched in front of the priests. And the armed men walked behind the Holy Box. They were blowing their trumpets. But Joshua had told the people not to give a war cry. He said, “Don’t shout. Don’t say a word until the day I tell you. Then shout!” So Joshua had the Holy Box of the Lord carried around the city one time. Then they went back to camp for the night. They did this every day for six days.

On the seventh day they got up at dawn. They marched around the city seven times. They marched just as they had on the days before. But on that day they marched around the city seven times. The seventh time around the priests blew their trumpets. Then Joshua gave the command: “Now, shout! The Lord has give you this city! The city and everything in it are to be destroyed as an offering to the Lord.

When the priests blew the trumpets, the people shouted. At the sound of the trumpets and the people’s shout, the walls fell. And everyone ran straight into the city. So the Israelites defeated the city.

Discussion Questions

  • Who told Joshua how to defeat Jericho?  The commander of the army of the Lord.
  • How many days did the Israelites walk around Jericho? Seven
  • What noise did they make on the first 6 days? Only the trumpets. What noise did they make on the seventh day? Trumpets and people shouting.
  • What happened when the trumpets blew and people shouted? The walls of Jericho fell down

Prayer

Dear God,

Thank you for the story of The Battle of Jericho.  Thank you for teaching us that you do what you promise, and you are with us everywhere we go.  Amen.

Bible Verse for September

“Great is our Lord and mighty in power.”    Psalm 147:5


Activity

Cooking: Hot Cider
Ingredients:
· 1 quart of apple juice
· 3 cloves
· 1 quart of cranberry juice
· 1/4 teaspoon allspice
· 2 tablespoons lemon juice
· 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
· 1 stick cinnamon

Guide Your Child To:
· Help put the ingredients in a large pot.
· Wait for the mixture to heat to a boil.  Watch as you strain out the spices, and pour the cider
   for each family member.

Talk About:
· Discuss waiting. We have to wait for many things such as Christmas, birthdays or vacations.
  What does it feel like to wait?
· Who was waiting in our story about the Battle of Jericho? What happened?