“Dividing Doughnuts” · Attention Getter: “Dividing Doughnuts ... Everyone has their own idea of what is best and it can be hard to make everyone happy! That was the challenge

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OT6.7 Israel Divides the Land ©Beverly Wilson 2018

Unit 6: Life of Joshua OT6.7 Israel Divides the Land Lesson

Scripture: Joshua 11-22

Lesson Goal: God had chosen Joshua to lead the children of Israel in defeating their enemies and settling the Promised Land. In this lesson we will learn how they divided the land and learned to trust God as He conquered their enemies.

Introduction: This is seventh lesson in Unit 6: Life of Joshua. God had chosen Joshua to lead the children of Israel in defeating their enemies and settling the Promised Land. In this lesson we will learn how they divided the land and learned to trust God as He conquered their enemies.. This lesson is found in the book of Joshua. Joshua is the first Book of History in the Old Testament and was written by Joshua himself. This book tells the history of Israel’s conquest of the Promised Land. Let’s say the Old Testament Books of history together—Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, I Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.

Attention Getter: “Dividing Doughnuts” Have you ever had to share a box of doughnuts with friends? There are so many different kinds and all are so good! Who will get the chocolate one? Or who wants the glazed ones? Learning to share can sometimes be difficult. Everyone has their own idea of what is best and it can be hard to make everyone happy!

That was the challenge that the children of Israel faced after they defeated their enemies and were ready to live in the Promised Land. In this lesson we are going to learn how Israel divided the land into different places for each of the twelve families of Israel to live. We will see how they also learned to follow God’s plan for setting disputes.

Opening Prayer: “Dear Father in heaven, thank you for recording this great story of your faithfulness to the children of Israel in the Bible. You promised Joshua and Israel that they would have great victories in gaining possession of the land and You kept your Word! Thank you that You have promised us a refuge in trouble and strength for living a life for You. Please help us to trust in your faithfulness. Thank you for the promise of eternal life when we confess our sin and ask for your forgiveness. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.”

Memory Verse: The memory verse is Psalm 9:9 “The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed and a stronghold in times of trouble.”

Lesson Video: https://youtu.be/-mbz8_avLsg

Joshua was the man God chose to lead the nation of Israel into the Promised Land. God had promised Joshua that He would be with Him wherever He went. God also commanded Joshua to be careful to completely obey His Words and He promised that he would be prosperous.

As Joshua led the Israelites into the land of Canaan there was a lot of work that needed to be done before the Israelites could safely settle there. The Israelites had to take the land back from the Canaanites. The Promised Land was occupied by the Canaanite people who did many wicked things. These people did not obey God. They worshipped idols instead of the true God. And because they believed in false gods, God wanted the children of Israel to destroy them.

So God told Joshua exactly what to do. The first city they faced was Jericho. Jericho was a highly fortified city with a huge double wall around it. God told Joshua to have seven priests carrying seven

https://youtu.be/-mbz8_avLsg

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trumpets to walk in front of the Ark of the Covenant. These priests were to be followed by the armed men and finally the people of Israel. This caravan was to march around the city of Jericho one time for six straight days. On the seventh day they were to march seven times around the city. When the priests blew their trumpets and the people shouted to the Lord, the walls of Jericho collapsed and fell to the ground. The wicked city of Jericho was conquered because God made the walls fall down! What a miracle God accomplished for Israel on that day!

From Jericho the Israelites marched on to conquer the city of Ai where God taught them through the example of Achan that they must completely obey Him in order to be successful. Achan had stolen bounty from the city when God said that the Israelites must bring all the riches of the city to the tabernacle. God wanted the Israelites to know that it was He who was winning the battles for them. It was not their own strength alone! They must learn to praise and rely on Him for their victories!

After the Israelites took the city of Ai, word quickly spread of their victory. The Canaanites heard how the God of the Israelites had commanded them to destroy the entire city of Jericho because it was so sinful. They were terrified!

All the kings who lived in the land met to discuss what to do about the Israelites. The five kings who came to the meeting were from the hill country, from the western foothills, and from all along the entire coast of the Mediterranean Sea as far north as Lebanon. They came from the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites! Finally the kings all decided that there was only one thing that would work--everyone must come together and make war against Joshua and the Israelites! That is, everyone except the Gibeonites.

Instead of joining those gathering to fight the Israelites, the Gibeonites came up with a devious plan to save their lives. They decided to trick Joshua and the Israelites! They sent some messengers in old worn out clothes with some moldy bread to trick Joshua into believing they were from a far away country. Their trick worked and Joshua made a treaty with the people not to destroy them. When Joshua discovered that he had been lied to he made the Gibeonites become servants to the Israelites by chopping wood and carrying water.

When the kings of the Canaanite nations came against Israel in war, God miraculously saved his people by confusing the enemy and causing them to flee from the battle. Then God sent hail stones to kill the soldiers as they ran away. When Joshua prayed for help God miraculously stopped the sun and moon for a day so Joshua and his men could pursue and capture the remaining enemy. The Israelites totally wiped out the five armies except for a tiny remnant that managed to reach their fortified towns. Joshua then captured and destroyed the town of Makkedah.

This one big battle enabled Joshua to gained control of the hill country of Bethel and Gibeon. He captured the kings, struck them down, and killed all the people because they were determined to harden their heart toward God.

From there he subdued towns in the lowlands. Then his army conquered important armies in the north such as Hazor. Then Israel conquered land both east and west of the Jordan River from Mt. Hermon in the north to beyond the Negev to Mount Halak in the south. All of Israel’s victories came from God. He delivered Israel from their enemies.

Finally the Israelites went to on capture the cities of Libnah then Eglon, Hebron and Debir before returning victoriously to Gilgal. All these cities were destroyed, as the Lord had commanded. This was all accomplished because the Lord God of Israel was fighting for His people.

Then Joshua and the Israelites rested from war as they returned to their camp at Gilgal. God had kept His promise to Joshua that he would be successful in taking the Promised Land!

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With Joshua as their leader, the Israelites had crossed the River Jordan and many of the towns and cities in the Promised Land had been conquered. After seven years of battle Israel had gained control of the land and now it was time to divide the land and allocate it to the different tribes.

Joshua decided that it was time to dismiss the army. Each tribe would now be responsible for clearing out any remaining enemies from their own areas. The area of the Philistines and the Geshurites east of Egypt still remained.

Joshua and the Israelites set up the Tabernacle in a place called Shiloh in the middle of the Promised Land. This would be the place where all of Israel would come to worship. From here Joshua sent out three men from each of the seven tribes throughout the territory to scout out the land so it could be divided up between them. When they returned, the Lord showed Joshua the drawing of sacred lots showing which parts of the land should be allocated to each of the tribes. The division of the land was to follow the prophetic blessing of Jacob and Moses. And the remaining land was to be divided up by lot.

First Joshua assigned territory to the tribes of Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh on the east side of the Jordan which they had chosen because of the wonderful livestock country. This land had already been given to them by Moses.

Next the tribes of Judah and Joseph which were Ephraim and the other half tribe of Manasseh received the land that their ancestor Jacob had promised to them 450 years earlier. Because of Joseph’s godly character his sons received the richest most fertile land in all of Canaan. Judah who offered himself in exchange for his brother Benjamin received the largest portion of land.

The rest of the tribes divided up the remaining land by casting lots. Much of the land was still unconquered but God’s plan was to include it in the divisions among the tribes. God knew the future and what victories would be theirs. God wanted the tribes to finish the job of fully driving out all the inhabitants!

One tribe however, the Levites, were not to be given land as they were priests of the Lord. They were to spend all their time serving the people and leading them in worship. They consulted with Eleazar the High Priest, Joshua, and the leaders of the other tribes. They said, “The Lord instructed Moses to give cities to the Levites for our homes, and pasture land for our cattle. So the Levites were given cities scattered throughout the Promised Land where they could live and have land for their animals. The cities for the Levites were in every part of the land. They were not to own land so their service to God would not be hindered but they were to be supported by the donations of the other tribes.

One of the tasks God wanted the Israelites to do when they entered the Promised land was to designate certain cities as “cities of refuge.” Six cities were chosen. Three on the east side of the Jordan and three on the west side. Their purpose was to prevent injustice especially in the case of revenge.

For example If someone accidentally killed someone they could flee to a city of refuge and be protected from anyone wanting revenge. In a city of refuge both Jews and foreigners would be given a fair trial, and if innocent they could live there in safety. The Levites were in charge of these cities and they were to make sure God’s principles of justice and fairness were kept. So in this way, the Lord gave to Israel all the land He had promised. They conquered it and lived there. The Lord gave them peace, just as He had promised.

Just before everyone left for their land Joshua called together the troops from the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh living east of the Jordan. He said, “You have obeyed the Lord in every order I have given you.” Joshua told them. “Even though the campaign has lasted a long time you have not deserted the other tribes. Now go and live in the land Moses promised you on the east of the river Jordan and continue to obey the Lord your God.”

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“Remember to be careful to love the Lord your God, walk in all His ways, to obey His commands, to hold fast to His commands, and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul.”

The troops from these tribes headed for their lands. But before they crossed the River Jordan they built a large monument in the shape of an altar on the west bank. When the tribes on the west of the river saw the altar they were angry and feared the troops from the tribes to east had set up a rival place of worship. Such was their fury they were ready to go to war against their fellow Jews.

Before attacking, they sent a delegation to the eastern tribes. It included Phineas the son of Eleazar the High Priest and a representative of each of the tribes. “Why have you built an altar of rebellion against the Lord God?” they asked. “The one true altar of the Lord is at Shiloh here the Lord lives among us all.:

“We have not built this altar in rebellion,” the eastern tribes protested. “The river Jordan acts as a barrier between our tribes and yours. We wanted this monument to remind your children that we too worship the Lord God. The altar is not for burnt offerings or scarifies but a symbol of the relationship that both of us have. We will only worship God at the altar in front of the Tabernacle.”

Phineas replied, “Today we know that the Lord is with us because you have not rebelled against the Lord as we thought. Instead you have saved us from destruction!” Then Phineas and the delegation returned to the tribes on the west side of the River Jordan and explained why the monument had been built. They were glad to hear the report and praised God.

The people of Reuben and Gad named the altar, “The Altar of Witness,” saying, “It is a witness between us and them that the Lord is our God too.”

The people of Israel were now back living in the land that God had promised them. They lived in cities and towns and were able to raise their herds of cattle and sheep on the grassy slopes of the hills. Those who lived in the valleys could have vineyards and raise grain. God had blessed them with a rich and beautiful land!

In this lesson we can learn some important life principles. First we see that God is faithful in keeping His promises. He had given the land of Israel to the descendants of Abraham, Jacob, and Isaac. He had promised Moses that He would bring the Israelites out of slavery and return them to the Promised Land and He did it!

God had promised Joshua that if he obeyed the commandments of God that He would give him victory in the land. With God’s miraculous help Joshua and the Israelites were very successful in regaining possession of the land. They won great battles against overwhelming odds because God intervened on their behalf.

God’s promises are sure and true for us today as well. We can depend on Him to keep His Word. One of the greatest promises that He has made to us is the promise that if we believe in Him we will have eternal life.

God kept His promise to send His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. He rose again and went to heaven with the promise that we too will go to be with Him someday. We can count on God to keep His promises!

Another life principle illustrated in this Biblical account is the example of the way that Israel solved a misconception about the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh. When Joshua and the Israelites saw the altar they had built on the other side of the Jordan River they assumed that these tribes were disobeying God.

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Instead of reacting in fear and judging these tribes falsely, Phineas decided to send out a group of messengers to investigate the situation and to learn the truth. He learned that the memorial was not for pagan sacrifice but a way to remember the unity of Israel to serve God.

We too need to learn from this example when we are faced with resolving conflicts. We should not assume the worst before even trying to understand or find out the facts. We can avoid trouble and restore unity when we seek to discover the truth first.

We should commit ourselves to not reacting before we hear the whole story! This will keep us from falsely accusing others and blaming them for things they did not do! God wants us to live peacefully together as members of His family.

We also see in this lesson where God commanded the Israelites to establish cities of refuge or places of protection for people who had accidentally killed someone. The Lord wanted His people to be treated with mercy and forgiveness.

Our memory verse is Psalm 9:9 “The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed and a stronghold in times of trouble.” Just as God helped Joshua and His army defeat the enemy He will also come to our rescue when we are facing a difficult situation. He promises to give us strength for the battle and to enable us to overcome temptation. We can trust in Him! Let’s say our verse again together. Psalm 9:9 “The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed and a stronghold in times of trouble.”

God is also merciful to us. When we confess our sin and seek to be obedient to His will, He does not give us what we deserve. He extends mercy and forgiveness to us. We should thank Him for all His gifts of love toward us.

Let’s pray. “Dear Father in heaven, thank you for recording this great story of your faithfulness to the children of Israel in the Bible. You promised Joshua and Israel that they would have great victories in gaining possession of the land and You kept your Word! Thank you that You have promised us a refuge in trouble and strength for living a life for You. Please help us to trust in your faithfulness. Thank you for the promise of eternal life when we confess our sin and ask for your forgiveness. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.”

Remember God is faithful to keep His promises!

Review Questions: “Heart” Preparation: You will need a CD or Ipod to play music, markers, one index card and one envelope for each child. In advance draw a heart on one index card. Place a card in each envelop including the star card. Say: “Joshua was obedient to God. He served Him with all His heart. God blessed Joshua for his obedient heart by giving victory to the children of Israel as they conquered the Promised Land. Today we are going to look for the heart as we play this review game.” Procedure: Students are to sit in a circle. Give each child an envelope. Children pass envelopes around the circle as you play the music. After several moments stop the music. Children stop passing the envelopes and each opens an envelope to look for the heart card. Child with the heart card answers one of the following review questions.

1. Who did God choose to lead the children of Israel out into the Promised Land and to conquer it? (God chose Joshua.)

2. What promise did God make to Joshua as he led the people of Israel into the Promise Land? (God had promised Joshua that He would be with Him wherever He went. God also commanded Joshua to be careful to completely obey His Words and that he would be prosperous.)

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3. What direction did God give to Joshua concerning all the Canaanite people? (Because all the people were idol worshippers, God said that everyone must be destroyed and all the cities destroyed.)

4. Why were Canaanite people not allowed to live? (God knew that their idol worship would influence the Israelites and cause them to sin. The Canaanite people would always be the enemies of Israel and would continue to fight against them.)

5. After crossing the Jordan River, what was the first city God told Joshua to conquer? (Joshua and his army faced the city of Jericho which was well fortified with very thick walls.)

6. What battle plan did God give to Joshua to fight the battle of Jericho? (God told Joshua to have seven priests carrying seven trumpets to walk in front of the Ark of the Covenant. These priests were to be followed by the armed men and finally the people of Israel. This caravan was to march around the city of Jericho one time for six straight days. On the seventh day they were to march seven times around the city. When the priests blew their trumpets and the people shouted to the Lord, the walls of Jericho collapsed and fell to the ground.)

7. What important lesson did Israel learn when they were defeated at the first battle at the city of Ai? (To be successful in battle the Israelites must completely obey God and rely on His strength to save them.)

8. In the Israelites’ battle against the five Canaanite kings what miracles did God perform on their behalf? (God miraculously saved his people by confusing the enemy and causing them to flee from the battle. Then God sent hail stones to kill the soldiers as they ran away. When Joshua prayed for help God miraculously stopped the sun and moon for a day so Joshua and his men could pursue and capture the remaining enemy.)

9. Who really won the battles that Joshua and his soldiers fought? (God was the victor because He fought for Israel and allowed them to conquer their enemies in overwhelming odds against them.)

10. After seven years of battle and Israel controlled most of the land, what did Joshua decide to do? (He decided it was time to divide the land and assign it to the different tribes.)

11. What important place of worship did Joshua establish? (Joshua and the Israelites set up the Tabernacle in a place called Shiloh in the middle of the Promised Land.)

12. What important mission did Joshua send three men from each tribe? (He sent three men from each tribe to go out and survey the land so it could be divided up into territories for each of the tribes.)

13. How did Joshua decide which tribe got which piece of land? (First Joshua followed the promises of Jacob and Moses for the tribes of Joseph’s sons—Ephraim and Manasseh—and the prophetic promises of Moses who promised the tribes of Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh the east side of the Jordan. Then he decided the rest of the land by lot.)

14. Which tribe did not get any land and why? (The Levites did not get any land because they were to live throughout the land and lead the people in worship. The other tribes were to support them by donations.)

15. What six cities in Israel were given a special job of protecting those who had accidentally killed someone? (Six cities were given the title of “cities of refuge.” Someone could seek protection in those cities if they had been wrongly accused or kept from being avenged against while they were awaiting trial.)

16. Who had the job of running these “cities of refuge”? (The Levites were given the job of protecting the innocent and making sure justice and mercy were executed fairly.)

17. When the tribes of tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh were getting ready to move to their land east of the Jordan River, what did they do that cause conflict for the people of Israel? (They built a memorial that looked like an altar which was to remind the tribes west of the Jordan that they could worship in Shiloh.)

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18. How did Phineas solve the problem of the altar? (He went along with a group of men from each tribe to ask why this altar was built. They found out it was not an altar but a memorial and everyone was assured that they were not worshipping at another place.}

19. What lesson can we learn from how Israel handled the problem of the altar? (When we are faced with resolving conflicts we should not assume the worst before even trying to understand or find out the facts. We can avoid trouble and restore unity when we seek to discover the truth first.)

20. What lesson can we learn from the cities of refuge? (God wants his people to be treated fairly and with mercy and forgiveness. He offers us mercy and forgiveness through His Son Jesus.)

21. What important lesson can we learn about God in this lesson? (God is always faithful in keeping His promises.)

22. What is our memory verse? (Psalm 9:9 “The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed and a stronghold in times of trouble.”)

Bible Memory Verse Activity: “Refuge Necklace”

Have students locate memory verse in scripture and read aloud several times. Psalm 9:9 “The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed and a stronghold in times of trouble.”

Say: “This verse means that just as God helped Joshua and His army defeat the enemy He will also come to our rescue when we are facing a difficult situation. He promises to give us strength for the battle and to enable us to overcome temptation. We can trust in Him! Let’s say our verse again together. Psalm 9:9 “The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed and a stronghold in times of trouble.”

Preparation: You will need printed copy of “Refuge Necklace” on cardstock for each student, crayons, markers, or colored pencils, scissors, yarn, hole punch, and tape. Procedure: Give each student a copy of the necklace pattern that has been copied on cardstock. Have students color the pices of the necklace pattern. Instruct students to cut out the necklace pieces. Help the punch holes in each piece. Give each student a piece of yarn that is 24 inches long. Wrap a small piece of tape around one end of the yarn to make it easier to thread through the hole punches in each piece. Demonstrate to students how to string the pieces of the necklaces (the words in the correct order) onto the yarn string. Help students tie the ends of the “refuge necklace” together.

Group Learning Activity: “God is Our Refuge” (Grades K-3) Preparation: You will need a refrigerator box, a knife, marker or a sheet and two shares, a cardboard sign that reads “God”, a CD with scary noises like a T-Rex roar or thunderbolt (optional) Preparation: Set the refrigerator box in your teaching area. Cut a door opening at the front of the box, large enough for you or a child to get inside. Hang the “God” sign above the door. If using a sheet, make a tent (similar to ones children like to make in the living room) and hang the “God” sign over the opening. Say: “Oh, look everyone! I’ve got something awesome here. Who has ever built a tent in the living room or made a place to hide from a box? Me too! Did you know the Bible calls this a refuge? It’s like home base. When you are playing tag, if the players make it to home base, they are safe, right. That’s what a refuge is, a home base! God says He is a home base for those who trust Him.” “Let’s read this verse together then we will take turns taking refuge with God. Ready? (Read the memory verse together.) Now I want you to line up in a straight line. One at a time, we will take shelter in God. When you hear a scary sound, you go run and hide, okay? (Play the track over and over until everyone has a had a chance to hide for a few seconds.)”

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“We can always find shelter with God. Whenever you feel afraid or want to hide, you can depend on God. Whisper to Him, “Lord I am afraid. Please be my refuge like your Word says.” You’ll feel Him close!” Group Learning Activity: “Map Study of Tribes of Israel” (Grades 2-5) Preparation: Print a map of the land of the Tribes of Israel below for each student. Provide crayons or colored markers for each student to color the map as you direct. Procedure: Have students color each of the territories of Israel as you read the following facts and information about that piece of land. Say: “First Joshua assigned territory to the tribes of Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh on the east side of the Jordan which they had chosen because of the wonderful livestock country. This land had already been given to them by Moses. These tribes had promised to go over the Jordan River and fight alongside the other tribes until all the land was conquered. “Color these three areas: blue for Manasseh, yellow for Gad and red for Reuben. (Numbers 32). “The next area of land that Joshua assigned was to the two sons of Joseph—Ephraim and Manasseh (the other half tribe). Joseph received a double portion from his father Jacob which was given to his two sons. They received the land that their ancestor Jacob had promised to them 450 years earlier. Because of Joseph’s godly character his sons received the richest most fertile land in all of Canaan. Judah who offered himself in exchange for his brother Benjamin received the largest portion of land. (Genesis 48:22; Joshua 15-17).

Manasseh. The tribe of Manasseh was given a very large area of land to the south and bordering

Asher, Zebulun and Issachar. It stretched from the Mediterranean Sea on the west to the Jordan River on the east. The beautiful plain of Sharon famous for its "lily of the valleys" and roses "Rose of Sharon" was within the boundaries of Manasseh.

Ephraim. The tribe of Ephraim was allotted the area south of Manasseh and stretching from the Jordan River on the east almost to the hills before the Mediterranean Sea on the west.

Color Manasseh (on the west side of the Jordan River) blue and Ephraim bright pink. Say: “The rest of the tribes divided up the remaining land by casting lots. Much of the land was still unconquered but God’s plan was to include it in the divisions among the tribes. These are the territories:”

Asher. The tribe of Asher was given the land along the northern coast with all of its lush green plains, a 12 mile wide strip stretching from the Leontes River north of the famous Phoenician city of Tyre to the upper parts of the Plain of Sharon below the foot of Mount Carmel. Some of the cities were Tyre and Dor, and Mount Carmel was also within its region. Color it light blue.

Naphtali. The tribe of Naphtali was given the land next to the northern portion of Asher with all of its fertile hills. Running from the Leontes River in the North down to Mount Tabor and then eastward to the upper Jordan River and the Sea of Galilee (Chinnereth). Some of the cities were Hazor and Hammath. Color it light green.

Zebulun. The tribe of Zebulun was given the portion of land to the south of Asher and Naphtali. Color it light pink.

Issachar. The tribe of Issachar was given the area just to the east of Zebulun and south of Naphtali. Color it purple.

Dan. The tribe of Dan was given a small portion of land to the west and south of Ephraim. Its western border was the Mediterranean Sea. During that time Dan was not able to defeat the

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people on the coastal plains, which was the main portion of the land given to them, and since the hills were not big enough to contain them many of them went to the northern portion of the Jordan River and defeated the city of Laish. They changed its name to Dan and dwelt in this area. Color it light brown.

Benjamin. The tribe of Benjamin was allotted a small portion of land to the south of Ephraim. Its eastern border was the Jordan River. Color it orange.

Judah. The tribe of Judah was allotted a very large portion of land below Dan and Benjamin. It extended from the Mediterranean Sea at the Vale of Sorek eastward through Jerusalem and over to the western coast of the Dead Sea (Salt Sea). the southern boundary was the Wilderness of Paran. The entire territory was beautiful, and it was great for farming from the rich coastal plain for grain, to the fertile hills (Shephelah) for olives and grapes, and the mountains which descended quickly down to the Dead Sea. Color it bright green.

Simeon. The tribe of Simeon was very small and lived within the southern portion of Judah, in the South country "Negev" sharing with Judah the cities in the most southern portion of the land. Color it light blue.

Say: “The portion allotted to the Levites (Descendants of Levi) was the right to 48 cities that were scattered throughout the lands within all the tribal portions. The Levites were set aside as the priestly tribe, they were servants of the LORD to instruct the people in the things of God. They were also in charge of the Tabernacle, it's holy vessels, and the Ark of the Covenant. Say: “Joshua was rewarded by the Levites for his leadership and given a city of his own, it was called Timnath-serah which was a small insignificant place located in the hills of Ephraim. It was not until after the tribes received their portions that Joshua accepted his. It was here at Timnath-serah that the great leader Joshua died at 110 years old.” Say: “Shiloh was the place where lots were drawn and the land was divided among the tribes of Israel. Before Joshua died he chose the city of Shiloh to be a center for the worship of the LORD. it was here that the first city was built, the Tabernacle was erected, and the Ark of the Covenant was brought. “The problem that these tribes had was that they were not successful in removing the remaining people of the land. This was contrary to God’s desire and command. The failure to completely remove the pagan people and their gods from the land would cause many problems for the nation. The book of Judges records these struggles.”

Group Learning Activity: “Map Study of the Cities of Refuge” (Grades 3-5) Preparation: You will need a wall map of the world and a Bible Lands map of the Cities of Refuge. Print a copy of the map of the Cities of Refuge below for each student. You will need wet erase markers and colored markers.

Procedure: Use a wall map of the world and mark your location using a map pin or wet erase marker. Ask each child to mark their favorite place to visit or the longest trip they have taken. After each child has placed a mark on the world map, ask if anyone can locate the lands described in the Bible. Use a wet erase marker to draw a square around the lands of the Bible. Tape up a map of the Bible Lands with the Cities of Refuge marked. Explain that this map is an enlargement of the square you drew on the world map.

Say: “In this lesson we are going to learn how the God told Israel to establish the cities of refuge.” Have students locate in scripture and read aloud Joshua 20:1-9.”

Joshua 20:1-9 “Then the Lord said to Joshua: 2 “Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, 3 so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and

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unintentionally may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood. 4 When they flee to one of these cities, they are to stand in the entrance of the city gate and state their case before the elders of that city. Then the elders are to admit the fugitive into their city and provide a place to live among them. 5 If the avenger of blood comes in pursuit, the elders must not surrender the fugitive, because the fugitive killed their neighbor unintentionally and without malice aforethought. 6 They are to stay in that city until they have stood trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest who is serving at that time. Then they may go back to their own home in the town from which they fled. 7 So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. 8 East of the Jordan (on the other side from Jericho) they designated Bezer in the wilderness on the plateau in the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead in the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan in the tribe of Manasseh. 9 Any of the Israelites or any foreigner residing among them who killed someone accidentally could flee to these designated cities and not be killed by the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly.”

Locate and mark the following “Cities of Refuge” on the map:

Kedesh—Joshua 20:7

Shechem—Joshua 20:7

Kiriath Arba (Hebron) —Joshua 20:7

Bezer—Joshua 20:8

Ramoth—Joshua 20:8

Golan—Joshua 20:8

Say: “What were some of the cities to be used for? (The cities were for a place of protection and refuge until a fair trial could be held.) How long would a person have to wait until going back home? (He had to stay in the city until he stood trial and until the death of the high priest who was serving at that time.) Would the person be safe in the “city of refuge”? (He would be safe until a fair trial could be held. He would be kept safe from an avenger prior to standing trial.) What is the memory verse? (Psalm 9:9 “The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed and a stronghold in times of trouble.”) What lesson can we learn from this story of the cities of refuge? (God established the cities of refuge to insure that people were treated with justice and could not be killed for murder until they were given a fair trial. If the killing was accidental the person could stay in the city of refuge and start a new life without worrying that his avengers would come after him. The cities of refuge represented God’s concern and mercy. When a person is accused of a wrongdoing we should stand up for justice, protect those who are not yet proven guilty, and listen carefully to all sides of the story.” Background: These six cities of refuge were given to the Levites to supervise because they would be the most impartial judges. Such cities were needed because the ancient customs of justice called for revenge in the event of the death of a relative or loved one. (2 Samuel 14:7) The Levites would hold a preliminary hearing outside the gates while the accused person was kept in the city until the time of his trial. If the killing was judged accidental, the person would stay in the city until the death of the high priest. At that time he would be allowed to go free, and he could start a new life without worrying about the avengers. If it was not accidental, the person would be delivered to the slain person’s avengers. This system of justice shows how God’s law and his mercy go hand in hand. The Cities of Refuge (Numbers 35; Joshua 20; Deuteronomy 4, Deuteronomy 19) remind us of Christ Jesus our hiding place. Those cities of refuge portray how Christ shelters the sinner from death. It was a very marvelous provision for a man who accidentally killed someone could flee to the city. We have fled to Jesus Christ, and He is our eternal refuge. As our High Priest, He will never die (Hebrews 7:23-25); and we have eternal salvation. No avenger can touch us, because He has already died and arisen from the dead. These six cities of refuge are beautiful types of Christ, to whom we “have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us” (Hebrews 6:18).

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Group Learning Activity: “Human Timeline” (Grades K-5) Preparation: Print the following statements on strips of paper to make “TimeLine” strips covering the events in the Life of Joshua. Cut apart each strip. Place the strips in a small bag

God chose Joshua to the leader of the people of Israel as they entered the Promised Land.

Joshua sent two spies across the Jordan River to spy out the city of Jericho.

Rahab the harlot hid the two spies on her roof to save them from the King’s soldiers. God told Joshua to have the priests to carry the Ark of the Covenant first into the Jordan River and then have the people follow behind. God parted the Jordan River so the people could walk across on dry land.

Joshua had twelve men collect twelve stones from the dry Jordan River to make a monument to remember God’s miracle of helping them cross the river on dry ground.

The children of Israel marched around the city of Jericho for seven days carrying the Ark of the Covenant. On the seventh day they shouted and God made the walls of Jericho fall down.

Achan stole a robe, silver, and gold and hid them in his tent causing the Israelites to lose the first battle of Ai.

God showed Joshua who had stolen the items and Achan was punished. Now Israel could win the battle of Ai.

The Gibeonites heard about God’s power and were terrified. They decided to trick Joshua into making a treaty with them. When Joshua found out he had been deceived he made them become servants to the Israelites.

The five kings came against Joshua and his men. God helped the Israelites win the battle by confusing the enemy soldiers so they began to runaway, causing hailstones to fall on the soldiers killing most of them, and making the sun and moon to stand still for a day while Joshua and his men caught the remaining enemy soldiers.

Joshua and his men fought for six years conquering all the cities and towns from the plains to the mountains from the north to the south of Israel. God gave them victory over all the major cities in the land.

Joshua sent messengers out to survey the land so it could be divided up into territories for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. He followed the prophecies of Moses and Jacob in giving the land to the sons of Joseph and the tribes on the eastern side of the Jordan. The rest was assigned by lot.

Procedure: Say: “Joshua wanted the people to love and obey God. He encouraged them to do this by reminding them of all the things that God had done for them. Today we are going to make a human time line that tells of all the things that God did for His people. Inside this bag I have placed strips of paper with events that we have studied about the life of Joshua and how God led the people of Israel into the Promised Land.” Choose a child to draw a strip from the bag and stand holding the strip facing the other students. Select another child to draw a strip from the bag and decide if the event on the second strip happened before or after the event on the first child’s slip of paper. If the event happened before then have the second child stand to the right of the first child. If the event happened after the first child’s event then have him or her stand on the left of the first child. Continue allowing students to draw strips and stand in the appropriate place so that the strips are in chronological order. Conclude by saying: “When we think of all the things that God has done for His people then we know that we should love God more than anyone or anything else.” Optional: You can print the events on index cards and have students place the events in order by taping the cards to the whiteboard or to the table top.

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Craft Learning Activity: “Joshua” Puppet (Grades K-3) Purpose: To give students a creative way of remembering what messages God gave to Joshua to say to the people of Israel. Preparation: Provide a variety of art materials (markers, construction paper, yarn, wiggle eyes, etc.) and brown paper lunch sacks. Procedure: Give students the art materials and the brown paper lunch sacks. Say: “God used Joshua to tell the children of Israel many important things. Today we are going to make a paper sack puppet of Joshua. You are to use the art materials to decorate and make a paper sack puppet like Joshua. When you finish your puppet use it to tell all the different things that God told Joshua to say.” Have children use the puppets to act out the stories covered in this unit. (See list of events from the Human Timeline activity for different ideas of when God told Joshua to give a message to the people.) Optional: You can give students white paper plates and jumbo craft sticks to make stick puppets if desired. Glue the craft sticks to the paper plates to make paper plate puppets

Craft Learning Activity: “Obeying God” (Grades K-4) Purpose: To help students think of ways that they can obey God just like Joshua and the children of Israel did when they entered the Promised Land. Preparation: You will need Bible, large sheet of poster paper, pencils, scissors, old magazines, glue, construction paper, and markers. Draw an outline of a person on a large sheet of paper. Cut out the outline. Say: “God used Joshua and the Israelites to conquer the people of Cana so they could enter the Promised Land. God wanted the Israelites to obey him. He promised Joshua victory and success if the followed His commands. We too need to follow the commands of God if expect to receive the blessings of God. Today we are going to make a large picture of a person. We will glue pictures of people onto the person. Then we will make conversation balloons telling how we can love and obey God.” Procedure: Distribute magazines. Children cut out pictures of as many people (faces or whole bodies) as they can find. Children are to glue the pictures of the people on the person outline, fitting the pieces together to form a collage. Give each child a sheet of construction paper. Help the children cut the paper into large conversation balloon. Have students dictate as you print or older children can print their own advice in the balloons or instructions that will help others know different ways that they can love and obey God just like Joshua did. Have children glue the conversation balloons next to the people collage they created.

Craft Learning Activity: “Promises Wristband” (Grades K-5) Preparation: You will need Bibles, yarn in a variety of colors, measuring sticks, scissors, tape. Make a sample wrist band following the directions below. Say: “God promises to help us when we ask. In our lesson today God helped Joshua and the people of Israel have victory over their enemies in conquering the Promised Land. Let’s make wristbands to remind us to ask God for help in making good decisions.”

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Procedure: Children select colors of yarn and cut seven 3 foot pieces of yarn. Gather up the ends of yarn so the ends match up. Children are to tie a know 1 inch from one end holding all the ends of the yarn together. Each child tapes the knotted end of the yarn strands to a table and ask a friend to hold it. Holding on the other end, the child twists the yarn in one direction until it is tight. Then holding the center in one hand, the child brings together and holds the ends of the twisted yarn. The child releases center and the strands will twist together. See diagram. Say: “What kind of decisions do kids your age make that would be good to talk to God about? (Examples: Whether or not to join a sports team or whether or not to take music lessons.) Why can God help us make good decisions? (God know everything. God is wiser than anyone. God always does what is right and good.) Read Psalm 9:9 “The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed and a stronghold in times of trouble.”

When would be a good time to remember this verse? (Examples: When you need God’s help or when you have a decision to make or when you need to know that you are not alone.)

Life Application Challenge: “Jig Saw Puzzle It” Preparation: Print the jig saw puzzle piece template below on poster paper or cardstock. Cut the puzzle pieces apart. Place pieces on the table where all the students can see. OR make your own puzzle by writing the message on a piece of cardstock and then cutting the paper into puzzle pieces. Procedure: Have students put the puzzle pieces together to form a picture with an important message about God’s promises. (The puzzle will form the message: “Talk to God about all your decisions.”) Ask children if they have any special prayer requests that they would like to share. Lead children in prayer thanking God that we can pray for help and for His promise to always hear our prayers.

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Israel Divides the Land Joshua 11-22

Psalm 9:9 “The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed and a stronghold in times of trouble.”

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Documents

“Dividing Doughnuts” · Attention Getter: “Dividing Doughnuts ... Everyone has their own idea of what is best and it can be hard to make everyone happy! That was the challenge