This lesson teaches children that God keeps His promises even when His plan looks strange, and that obeying Him brings His help. It suits children aged 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes, with time for a story, a memory verse, a few questions, and a short prayer.
Big Idea
God keeps His promises, and when we trust and obey Him, He can do things we could never do on our own.
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)
Have the children stand up and walk slowly in a circle around the room, then stop and shout together with a big voice when you clap once. Do the walking and shouting motions a few times so they connect the words with what the people of Israel did.
The Story: Joshua 6 for Kids
God’s people, the Israelites, had come to a land called Canaan. Right in front of them stood a big, strong city called Jericho. Its walls were so thick and high that no one could get in or out. The people inside were scared of the Israelites, and the gates stayed locked tight.
God spoke to Joshua, the leader of Israel, and gave him a surprising plan. “Have your soldiers march around the city once each day for six days,” God said. “Have seven priests carry trumpets made from rams’ horns, and walk in front of the special box that holds God’s promises.” Joshua told the people exactly what God said, and they obeyed.
On the seventh day, the people got up early and marched around the city seven times. The priests blew their trumpets as they walked. Then Joshua gave the signal. “Shout now, because the Lord has given you this city!” So the people gave a great shout, and the walls of Jericho fell down flat.
The Israelites ran straight into the city, just as God had said. But before they did anything else, Joshua remembered a promise he had made to Rahab. She was a woman in Jericho who had hidden the two men Joshua sent to spy on the city. Joshua told the two spies, “Go and bring Rahab and her family out to safety.” The spies found her, and she and her family were kept safe.
God was with Joshua, and everyone in the land heard about how powerful God is. The story shows that God does exactly what He says He will do.
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 told Joshua He had already given the city to them before the walls fell. Ask the children to notice that God’s promise came first, and the people’s obedience followed it.
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 how Joshua told the people to shout because God had already given them the city. Help the children see that the shout was an act of faith, trusting God before they could see the result.
Joshua 6:22-23
22 Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the prostitute’s house, and bring the woman and all that she has out from there, as you swore to her.” 23 The young men who were spies went in, and brought out Rahab with her father, her mother, her brothers, and all that she had. They also brought out all of her relatives, and they set them outside of the camp of Israel.
(WEB)
Point out that Joshua kept his word to Rahab, showing that God’s people keep their promises too. Talk about how kindness and keeping our word matter, even in the middle of a big story.
Talk About It
- What do you think the people of Jericho thought when they saw the Israelites marching around their city every day?
- Why do you think God asked the people to march and shout instead of fighting with swords first?
- How did the people of Israel show that they trusted God in this story?
- What did Rahab do to help the spies, and why do you think Joshua kept his promise to her?
- When is a time you felt like God’s plan was a little strange, and how can you trust Him in that time?
Activity Ideas
Paper Plate City Wall
You will need paper plates, markers, glue, and construction paper. Have each child draw a city wall with bricks on a paper plate, then cut a small gap or fold the plate in half to make it look like the wall is standing. Let them decorate their wall, then talk about how God made the walls of Jericho fall down. Hang the finished walls around the room as a reminder of the story.
March and Shout Game
You will need a few empty cardboard tubes or paper towel rolls to pretend they are trumpets, plus a clear floor space. Have the children march in a line around the room while blowing their “trumpets” softly. When you say “Shout!”, they all shout together, then freeze. Repeat this a few times so the children can feel the rhythm of the story.
Take-Home Promise Card
You will need index cards, a pencil, and a marker. Have each child write or draw one promise God has made in the Bible, such as “God is always with you,” and decorate the card. Encourage them to show it to a family member at home and tell them one thing they learned from Joshua 6. Keep the card somewhere they will see it each day.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this passage shows that God is faithful to His word and that He can accomplish His purposes in ways that seem unusual or even unlikely. Jericho fell not through human strength but through obedience to God’s command, which points to God as the true source of victory. The story also reveals God’s care for those who trust Him, as seen in His protection of Rahab and her family.
Avoid overstating to children that obeying God always brings an immediate, visible victory, since many faithful people in the Bible and today face hardship that does not disappear quickly. Keep the focus on God’s faithfulness and character rather than suggesting a formula that guarantees results.
A Prayer to Close
Lord God, thank You for keeping Your promises, just as You did for Joshua and the people of Israel. Help us trust You even when Your plans seem strange or hard to understand. Teach us to obey You and to keep our own promises to others. We love You and want to follow You every day. Amen.
