This lesson teaches children that when God gives a promise, we can trust Him even when His plan looks strange. Children ages 5 to 11 can learn it in about 20 to 30 minutes, using the story of the walls of Jericho falling down.
Big Idea
God keeps His promises, and when we obey Him, we can trust that He will do what He said, even when we cannot see how.
Memory Verse
Joshua 6:20
So the people shouted and the priests blew the trumpets. When the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight in front of him, and they took the city.
(WEB)
Teach the children to stand up tall, raise both arms above their heads, and then shout together on the word “shout” in the verse. Let them practice standing, raising their arms, and shouting until they can say the verse without looking.
The Story: Joshua 6 for Kids
Long ago, the people of Israel were traveling toward a land God had promised to give them. Before they could enter it, they came to a big, strong city called Jericho. Its walls were so high and thick that the city was shut tight. Nobody went out, and nobody came in.
God spoke to Joshua, the leader of Israel. God said, “I have given Jericho into your hand.” It was God’s promise, and God wanted His people to trust Him. Joshua told the people to march around the city one time each day for six days. Seven priests walked in front, carrying special trumpets made from rams’ horns, and they carried the ark, which was the special box that showed God was with them.
Imagine how strange that must have felt! The people marched quietly, and no one was allowed to shout or even speak. They just walked and listened to the trumpets. Each day they marched once around the city, and then they went back to their camp.
On the seventh day, the people got up very early and marched around the city seven times. When they finished the seventh time, Joshua told them, “Shout! The LORD has given you the city!” The priests blew the trumpets, and the people shouted with all their strength. Then the walls of Jericho fell down flat, and the people walked straight into the city.
God remembered Rahab, a woman in Jericho who had hidden Israel’s messengers. Joshua sent two men to bring Rahab and her family out safely before the city was burned. God kept His promise to her, just as He had promised.
Read It Together
Joshua 6:2
The LORD said to Joshua, “Behold, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the mighty men of valor.
(WEB)
Point out that God spoke first and told Joshua what He had already done. Ask the children to notice that God said “I have given,” which means the victory was God’s gift before the people ever took a single step.
Joshua 6:16
At the seventh time, when the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “Shout, for the LORD has given you the city!
(WEB)
Show the children that the shout came only after the people obeyed God’s instructions for six days and then seven. Explain that their obedience was part of trusting God, even when they did not understand the plan.
Joshua 6:25
But Rahab the prostitute, her father’s household, and all that she had, Joshua saved alive. She lives in the middle of Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers, whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
(WEB)
Point out that God kept His promise to Rahab, who trusted God’s people. Help the children see that God remembers the people who trust Him and keeps every promise He makes.
Talk About It
- Why do you think God told the people to march around the city instead of attacking right away?
- What did the people have to do quietly, and how do you think that felt for them?
- When the walls fell, who did God remember, and why was that special?
- Can you think of a time when you did not understand what God was doing but trusted Him anyway?
- What is one way you can show God that you trust Him this week?
Activity Ideas
Paper Plate Walls
You will need paper plates, crayons or markers, and tape. Let each child draw a tall stone wall across the paper plate and write one way God kept a promise on the back. Tape the plates to the wall of your classroom to make a row of walls, and remind the children that God’s promises stand strong like walls.
March and Shout
Set up a path around the room or a hallway. Let the children march quietly in a line, one time around, six days in a row, and then march seven times on the last round. When you call “Shout,” everyone shouts together, just like the people of Israel. Keep the marching quiet at first so children feel the waiting.
Trust Walk Card
You will need index cards, a pen, and a stapler. Write “God keeps His promises” on the front of each card and have the children decorate it. Let them take the card home and read it aloud to a family member at dinner that week. Ask the family to share one time they trusted God.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that God gives His people victory, and obedience is how they receive it. The walls fell because God acted, not because of the people’s strength. It also reveals God’s faithfulness to Rahab, who trusted Him, and it reminds us that God’s plans often look unusual to us.
Avoid overstating to children that obedience earns God’s favor or that bad things will always be fixed if we trust hard enough. Keep the focus on God’s character and promises rather than on guaranteed outcomes, so children learn to trust Him even when the story does not match what they expect.
A Prayer to Close
Lord, thank You for keeping Your promises, even when Your plans look strange to us. Help us trust You when we cannot see how You will act. Make us brave and obedient like Joshua and the people of Israel. Thank You for remembering us and loving us every day. Amen.
