This lesson teaches children that God keeps every promise He makes, even when His people have to wait for the good things He has planned. Joshua 19 tells how the land of Canaan was shared out to the tribes of Israel, one piece at a time. It suits children aged 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes.
Big Idea
God gave His people a home, and He keeps every promise He makes. We can trust Him to do what He says, even when we are waiting.
Memory Verse
Joshua 21:45
Nothing failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.
(WEB)
Hold your hands out in front of you, palms up, like you are receiving a gift. Then slowly bring them together over your heart while you say the words out loud. Doing this every time you say it helps the verse stick.
The Story: Joshua 19 for Kids
After many years of hard work, the people of Israel had come to the land God promised them. Joshua was their leader, and he wanted everyone to have a fair share. So the leaders decided to choose the land by drawing lots, which was like drawing names out of a hat. God was guiding each choice.
The tribe of Simeon went first. Their land was tucked in the middle of Judah’s land, because Judah’s share was so big. Simeon got thirteen towns and their villages, and four more towns after that. The people of Simeon did not mind. They knew the land had come from God.
Next came Zebulun, Issachar, and Asher, each drawing their own lot in turn. Each tribe received towns, fields, and villages, with clear borders marking where their land began and ended. Joshua and the other leaders wrote down every boundary so no one would be confused.
Naphtali was given a land with strong fortified cities. The people of Dan had a harder time at first, because their land was not enough for them. So the tribe of Dan went out and fought to take a city called Leshem. They settled there and named it Dan, after their forefather.
When everyone had received their land, the people gave a special gift to Joshua. He asked for a small town called Timnathserah, and God had said it should be his. Joshua built the town and lived there. Everyone saw that God had kept His word from start to finish.
Read It Together
Joshua 19:49
So they finished distributing the land for inheritance by its borders. The children of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun among them.
(WEB)
Point out that the people finished sharing the land, piece by piece, until every family had a place. Ask the children to notice that the people did this together and that they did it carefully.
Joshua 19:50
According to the LORD’s commandment, they gave him the city which he asked, even Timnathserah in the hill country of Ephraim; and he built the city, and lived there.
(WEB)
Show that Joshua asked for his town, and God had already said yes. Explain that God answers in His own way and His own time, and that this was a good gift from Him.
Joshua 19:51
These are the inheritances, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the tribes of the children of Israel, distributed for inheritance by lot in Shiloh before the LORD, at the door of the Tent of Meeting. So they finished dividing the land.
(WEB)
Point to the place where the land was divided, at the Tent of Meeting in Shiloh before the LORD. Remind children that the whole process was done in God’s presence and under His care.
Talk About It
- What is one good thing God has given you that you did not have to earn?
- Why do you think the people of Dan had to work hard to get their land?
- How did the people show that they trusted God when they drew lots for their land?
- What is a promise someone has made to you, and how did it feel when they kept it?
- When you have to wait for something good, what helps you keep trusting God?
Activity Ideas
Draw Your Own Map
You will need paper, crayons or colored pencils, and a ruler if you have one. Ask each child to draw a simple map of a land with four or five areas, one for each tribe. Let them label each area with a name and draw a small town or house inside it. Talk about how each family got a special place to live.
Lots and Lucky Spots
Write the names of several tribes on small slips of paper and fold them. Put them in a bowl or cup. Have each child draw one slip, and let them move to a spot in the room that stands for their land. Remind them that God guided the drawing of lots, and that their place has been chosen with care.
Promise Keeper Card
Give each child a card and a pencil. Ask them to write or draw one promise God has kept in their own life, or one promise they want to keep for someone else. Let them take the card home and put it on the fridge or by their bed. This helps the lesson continue through the week.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter is less about a list of towns and more about God’s faithfulness to His people. The land was a real gift that God had promised to Abraham’s descendants, and the careful division shows that He orders even the details of our lives. The passage reminds us that God’s promises are reliable, even when we cannot see the whole picture.
Be careful not to overstate the lesson to children by suggesting that God always gives us exactly what we want when we ask. Joshua 19 shows a fair and orderly division of land, not a formula for getting blessings. Focus on trusting God’s character and faithfulness rather than on promises of specific outcomes.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank You for keeping every promise You make. Help us to wait patiently and trust You, even when we do not understand. Thank You for the good gifts You give us every day. Help us to share them with others. Amen.
