Strange Orders and The Walls Fall Down. Joshua 5-6

Transcription

1 Strange Orders and The Walls Fall Down Joshua 5-6

2 STRANGE ORDERS AND THE WALLS FALL DOWN Setting the scene You will need: The Bible Curriculum Flash Cards and The Children s Bible in 365 Stories, by Mary Batchelor (published by Lion Hudson plc. paperback /hardback ). Tell the children that the stories they will hear over the next few weeks come from the Old Testament part of the Bible. Show the appropriate section in the children s Bible. If you have The Bible Curriculum Flash Cards, show and talk about cards one to four: The Old Testament: A 10 point overview. Starter questions Have you ever visited an old castle? Some castles are so old that their walls have crumbled and fallen down. Sometimes all that is left are the ruins, parts of towers and underground cellars. The wall around a castle was very important it kept out enemy soldiers and protected the people inside. A castle wall would not only have been tall but thick too. It would have been made with heavy stones carefully placed one on top of the other. Story reference Joshua 5-6 The Children s Bible in 365 Stories, story numbers 79 and 80 pages 95 and 97. For a printable version of today s story see The fall of Jericho in this week s Printables. My story notes... Copyright 2016

3 How to illustrate the story Telling the story using props Pictures of castles perhaps from a library book A map of the Promised Land showing Jericho - if you are using the Old Testament flashcards, show flashcard six. Jericho was on the west of the River Jordan, just north of where the river flows into the Dead Sea A picture of a trumpet (see Printables) Another idea You will need party blowers enough for one per child and a piece of fabric 130cm x 80cm. Tell the story using the props then encourage the children to act out the story. Choose four children to pick up the fabric by the corners and pretend they are carrying the Ark. If you have fewer than fifteen children divide the rest of the children into two groups. Give one group the party blowers and explain that the other children are going to be the Israelites. If you have more than fourteen children give party blowers to seven of them and explain that the remaining children are to be the Israelites. Explain to the children that they are going to act out the final day of the battle. Discuss with the children what they think the Israelites shouted. Listen to their answers and choose what to shout out during the re-enactment. Arrange the children so that two or three lead the procession - these are the armed soldiers and should place one arm across their chest as if carrying a shield. Behind the 'soldiers' position the children with the party blowers behind them position the children holding the Ark and behind them the rest of the Israelites. Tell the children where you would like them to process. As they march, those with party blowers should blow them constantly while the 'Israelites' remain silent. Encourage the children to march around the room seven times. On the seventh time the children should stop so that they are spaced out around the room. The priests should then sound a blast on their trumpets and everyone should shout out the agreed shout. If the children have already made a ram s horn trumpet they should use their horn instead of a party blower. Children who have not yet made a ram s horn should keep their party blower and use it for the craft activity. Prayer Father we think about the Priests leading the Israelites round and round the walls of Jericho. We imagine the silence as each day they quietly returned to the camp. We imagine the tremendous noise on the seventh day as the trumpets sounded, the people shouted and the walls tumbled to the ground. Father thank You that day after day Joshua kept on trusting You. Father help us to trust You as Joshua did. To remember that You are always with us; loving us and caring for us each day. Amen. Things to take on Sunday... Copyright 2016

4 A RAM S HORN You will need: How to make a ram s horn instructions (see Printables) A ram s horn template (see Printables) One paper plate per child Masking tape - one roll between five or six children A hole punch Brown wool Pencils Scissors Party blowers that are age appropriate for the children in your groups (enough for one per child) How to prepare: Print off or photocopy sufficient instructions for one between three or four children. Print off a ram s horn template. Stick the template to a piece of card and cut around it. Use the cardboard template and follow the instructions to make a ram s horn so that the children know what they are making. Before the session begin to cut the masking tape into 15-20cm strips. Each child will need around 20 strips and it will be easier if some are available from the beginning of the session. How to make: 1. Give each child a paper plate. 2. Make sure all the children can see a set of instructions. 3. Work through the instructions together waiting for each child to complete each step before moving on. Dead Sea Comic Capers For an alternative activity, print off and enjoy colouring in this week s Dead Sea Comic Caper (see Printables). Shopping list... Copyright 2016

5 Printables 1. Story: The fall of Jericho 2. A picture of a trumpet 3. How to make a ram's horn instructions 4. A ram's horn template 5. Dead Sea Comic Caper

6 1. Story: The fall of Jericho THE FALL OF JERICHO Joshua 5:13-6:20 Have you ever visited an old castle? Some castles are so old that their walls have crumbled and fallen down. Sometimes all that is left are the ruins, parts of towers and underground cellars. The wall around a castle was very important it kept out enemy soldiers and protected the people inside. A castle wall would not only have been tall but thick too. It would have been made with heavy stones carefully placed one on top of the other. When the Israelites crossed over the River Jordan into the Promised Land there were already people living there. Near the River Jordan was a city called Jericho. Around the city was a tall, stone wall. When the people of Jericho heard that the Israelites were coming, they shut up their gates, locked them tight and wouldn t let anybody in or out. At that time Joshua was the leader of God s people. He stood next to the big city of Jericho. He could see the high wall that surrounded it. God spoke to Joshua: I ve given this city to you. When the walls fall down the Israelite people will be able to go straight in. God told Joshua what he should do. Joshua spoke to the priests. They looked after the Tabernacle tent where God had met with Moses. Inside the tent was a box covered in gold called the Ark of the Covenant. Joshua told the priests to pick up the Ark. He asked seven more priests to stand in front holding trumpets made from rams horns. He told armed soldiers to stand in front of the seven priests. Then Joshua called all the other Israelites. Advance! shouted Joshua, March around the city. At once the armed soldiers set off, the seven priests with their trumpets followed, four priests carried the Ark and all the people of Israel walked behind. As they marched around the city the seven priests blew their trumpets. Everybody else kept quiet, nobody said a single word they just marched. When the Israelites had walked around the wall once, they returned to their camp for the night. The next day they did the same. Around the wall marched the armed soldiers, seven priests blowing their trumpets, four priests carrying the Ark and the Israelites following not saying a single word. Every day for six days they marched around the wall. On the seventh day they got up early and began to march. This time they didn t stop one, two, three, four, five, six, seven times around the city. On the seventh occasion the Israelites walked in silence as they had done before, then as the priests gave a long blast on their trumpets, all the Israelites took a deep breath and at the top of their voices began to shout together. As the loud noise of the trumpets and shouting filled the air another noise could be heard - a rumbling and cracking. The Israelites looked up. The wall was crumbling before their eyes! As the dust clouds settled the Israelites saw that there was now nothing to stop them entering the city of Jericho. They charged in and took the city. Now that place belonged to God.

7 2. A picture of a trumpet

8 2. A picture of a trumpet

9 3. How to make a ram's horn instructions

10 3. How to make a ram's horn instructions A RAM S HORN 1. You will need: A ram s horn template One paper plate per child Masking tape - one roll between five or six children A hole punch Brown wool Pencils Scissors Party blowers that are age appropriate for the children in your groups (enough for one per child) 2. Cut out the ram's horn template. Cutting along the solid lines. 3. Fold the paper plate in half. 4. Lay the template over your folded plate and use a pencil to draw the curved line at the top. Cut along the curved line. 5. Cut off the ends off the template, cutting along the dashed lines. Use the hole punch to make two holes as shown in the picture. 6. Carefully wrap the strips of masking tape around the cut-out plate. You will need lots of strips. Keeps wrapping strips around the cut-out plate until it is covered Lay the template over your taped plate. Mark with a pencil the two end lines and the postion of the holes. Remove the template and cut along the pencil lines. Make the two holes using the hole punch. Cut a piece of wool 60cm long. Thread the wool through the holes and tie the ends. Pull out the coiled foil or paper of the party blower and cut down the middle towards the mouth piece. Do not cut off the foil/paper. Push the party blower into the small end of your ram's horn and secure tightly with lots of masking tape. Make sure the party blower cannot be pulled out of the rams horn.

11 4. A ram's horn template

12 5. Dead Sea Comic Caper