The Battles Begin

Day 1-The LORD is My Banner

  • Pray.
  • Practice the first couple of verses of the memory passage. The memory passage is on The “Battles in the Bible” page.
  • Explain that this event takes place after God delivered the Israelites from slavery and led them out of Egypt. They are now wandering in the wilderness. They had just complained to Moses about how thirsty they were, and God told Moses to strike his staff on a stone and water would come out for the people to drink (Exodus 17:1-7).
  • Ask, “What are some of the amazing things the Israelites have already seen God do?”
  • Read Exodus 17:8-15.
  • Ask,
    • What was the outcome of the battle?
    • How did the Israelites win?
    • How did God show that He was with the Israelites through this battle?
    • How did Moses show his faith in God to save them?
    • Imagine you were in the Israelite army. Why or why not would this battle help you trust in God more?
    • After the battle, Moses built an altar to the Lord to worship Him and praise Him for giving the Israelites victory. What did he name the altar (verse 15)? What does the title of the altar mean? Have your kids think about what they know about banners.
      • They bring attention to something. They are used in celebrations or to honor someone. They announce something to people who pass by.
  • Moses recognized that God was with them, and he trusted Him and depended on Him. Moses would look to God to help him as he led his people, and other nations would know that the LORD was whom he served.
  • Ask, “Is God your banner?”
  • Activity
    • Make a banner to hang in your room or somewhere in your house that shows you trust in the Lord.

Day 2-The Spies

  • Pray.
  • Review the first couple verses of the memory passage.
  • Remember that God had made a covenant with Abraham that He would give his descendants the land of Canaan (Genesis 15:18-21). He reconfirmed that promise to Isaac (Genesis 26:3) and Jacob (Genesis 28:13). This land became known as the Promised Land. God was ready to give them the land, but they would have to conquer it first.
  • Read Numbers 13.
  • Ask, “Why were the spies sent out to go into the land of Canaan? What mission did Moses give them? What were they to bring back? How long were they gone?”
  • Ask, “What report did the spies bring back for the people: the good and the bad? Did the spies think they could conquer the land? What did Caleb think?”
  • Read Numbers 14:1-10.
  • After hearing the report from the spies, the people wept all night! They complained about Moses and Aaron and even wished they were slaves again in Egypt.
  • Ask, “Did the people show much faith? What were some things they should have remembered to help them have courage and faith (miracles in Egypt, manna, parting of the Red Sea, etc.)? Are you at all like the Israelites when you are afraid or facing something that seems too hard for you?”
  • Discuss how differently Joshua and Caleb reacted to what they saw in Canaan. Ask, “Did they show much faith? Why do you think was their faith in God so much stronger than the other spies?”
  • Pray. Thank God that He is the same now as He was back then. Ask Him to help us trust Him and remember how great and good and strong He is. Older kids may want to write a prayer out.

Day 3-40 Years

  • Pray.
  • Review the first two verses of the memory passage.
  • Play a quick review game with your kids. Tell them that you are going to say one word that was from the story yesterday. When they hear the word, they have to explain how that word fits in the story. Or you you could play Pictionary; where one person draws a word from the story and the others have to guess what they are drawing. After they have guessed the word, they need to explain how the word fits in the story. Here are some words you might use:
    • spies
    • grapes
    • giants
    • milk and honey
    • scared
    • brave
  • Read Numbers 14:11-19.
  • Ask, “How did God feel about the people’s lack of faith? What did He threaten to do (verse 12)? Why did He decide to relent and show mercy (verse 13-19)? What do we learn about God in these verses (verse 18)?
  • Read or summarize Numbers 14:20-38.
  • Discuss who would not see the Promised Land, who would see the Promised Land, how long they would wander in the wilderness, and why that number was chosen.
  • Read Numbers 14:39-45.
  • Ask, “What were the Israelites now ready to do? Why was this not a good idea? In order for the Israelites to be successful, Who must be with them; Who must send them? Would you say the Israelites had on their “full armor of God” (Ephesians 6:10-18) when they decided to fight this battle against the Amalekites? How can you tell?

Day 4-Be Strong and Courageous

  • Pray.
  • Review the first two verses of the memory passage.
  • Ask, “Imagine you were leading an army into battle, what do you think you would need?”
  • Explain that it had been 40 years since Moses sent spies into the land of Canaan, the Promised Land, and now it was time to try it again. After Moses’ death, Joshua became the leader of the Israelites. Ask, “What do you remember about Joshua from what we read yesterday (see Numbers 14:6-9, 30, 38)?”
  • Read Joshua 1.
  • Ask, “What are some things Joshua needed as he prepared for and went into battle in order to claim the Promised Land (verses 5-9).”
  • Have them compare Joshua 1:5-9 with the memory passage, Ephesians 6:10-18.
  • Ask, “How does putting on the full armor of God help us to be strong and courageous?”
  • For older kids, point out that the officers Joshua was speaking with had a very different reaction to the news that they were to take the Promised Land than the spies did. They responded with confidence while the spies (except Joshua and Caleb were very afraid). Ask, “What was the last thing they told Joshua? What made this generation so much more confident than the previous generation?”
  • Activity-
    • For summer handwriting practice, have your kids write or trace Joshua 1:9. Older kids can write Joshua 1:5-9.
    • Make a STRONG and COURAGEOUS poster for your room or make one as a family to hang in your playroom or shared space.

Day 5-More Spies

  • Pray.
  • Review the memory passage.
  • Read or tell in your own words the story of Rahab and the spies in Joshua 2. Be sure to read verses 9-11 aloud.
  • Ask:
    • What do you think about this story?
    • How were these spies different from the ones that were sent out 40 years before to spy out the land of Canaan?
    • How would you describe Rahab?
    • What do you think will happen to Rahab?

Day 6-The Battle of Jericho

  • Pray.
  • Review the memory passage: Ephesians 6:10-18 (older kids) or Ephesians 6:13-18 (younger kids). Commit the next verse of the passage to memory this week.
  • Remind your children that God wants Israel to claim the Promised Land. This has to be done by first conquering the cities that are around the land He promised to them. Remind them that the spies discovered that the people in Jericho were fearful of the Israelites because they had heard of all that God had done for them to save them. Rahab hid the spies in her house and recognized that God was sovereign and supreme.
  • Read about the battle of Jericho in Joshua 6:1-25.
  • God had promised that He would give the Israelites victory (verse 2). Ask, “What did the Israelites must have if they were going to follow God in this strange method of conquest (faith/trust that He would keep His promise of victory)? What were the people in Jericho probably feeling as they saw the Israelites marching around their city everyday for a week (fear/concern)?”
  • Ask, “How is the battle won? What does this event teach you about God?”
  • Have each kids pray silently to ask God about what He is wanting them to learn and understand through this Bible story.
  • Activity

Day 7-Israel vs. Ai

  • Pray.
  • Review the memory passage.
  • Play a quick game with your kids. Take turns saying the whole sentence, “I’m going to the store, and I’m going to get a(n) _____.” The first person that starts has to say something that they would get from the store that starts with an A, the next person says something that starts with a B, etc. Younger kids can just pick whatever they want to get; it doesn’t have to start with the right letter. Older kids can play where they have to remember what everyone else is getting and say everything that has already been said in order and then add their own.
  • Today we are going to read about a guy who brought something home from battle that he wasn’t supposed to.
  • Read or summarize Joshua 7. Warning: verses 25-26 are a little gruesome for younger ears.
  • Ask, “How did Achan’s sin affect other people? Can our sin affect other people? How? What are some things Achan could have done differently?”
  • God was still not done with Ai; we will read that they were defeated by the Israelites. You can read chapters 7 and 8 on the same day or you can spilt them up.
  • Read or summarize Joshua 8.
  • Things to talk about:
    • What was the outcome of this battle?
    • How do we see God at work in this battle (verses 18 and 26)?
    • What did the people do after the battle (verses 30-35)?

Day 8-The Sun Stands Still

  • Pray.
  • Review the memory passage.
  • Read Joshua 10:1-14.
  • Ask, “What amazing things did God do? How can this Bible story give us confidence as we go through our lives? Is God still the same God today as He was back then (Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 13:8)?
  • Activity-
    • Listen to “Surrounded” by Michael W. Smith