JOSHUA AND CALEB
Leader Bible Study
When asked the purpose of the Christian life, theologian R.C. Sproul responded with one Latin phrase, "coram Deo." The words literally mean "before the face of God." Sproul explained that coram Deo means living all of life "in the presence of God, under the authority of God, to the glory of God." The believer, aware of the nearness of God, lives a life of obedience and worship.
Moses understood the nearness of God. Exodus 33–34 reveals a mountaintop conversation between Moses and God. In desperation and weariness over the Israelites' rebellion, Moses begs to see God's glory. God expresses His pleasure at Moses' continued obedience and agrees to reveal Himself. Hidden in the safety of the rock, Moses sees a limited view of God's glory as he hears God's voice proclaim compassion, love, forgiveness, and judgment. Moses immediately falls to the ground in worship.
Facing yet another crisis moment, Moses draws on this experience in Numbers 14. Again Moses begs God to act. He pleads for God's mercy over the rebellious Israelites. He reminds God of the promises He made on the mountain. The Lord holds His judgment and honors the faithfulness of Joshua and Caleb. Moses, as well as Joshua and Caleb, lived coram Deo. They recognized God's hand in Israel's journey. They chose to submit to God's authority and obeyed, even in the face of adversity. They glorified God through their obedience.
Introductory Activity
Form two teams, Spies and Canaanites. Instruct the spies to face the opposite wall. Let Canaanites find objects around the room and place on a tray. Cover with a cloth. Call the Spies back and direct them to look under the cloth. Give them 10 seconds to see what was there and cover the tray. The Spies must report back what they saw. Play again by switching the team names and letting the Canaanites be the Spies. Remark that in the scriptures kids will learn about the Israelite spies who went into Canaan to scout out what was there. Mention that not all the spies obeyed God.
Bible Story
Invite a volunteer to hold the Teaching Picture.
Explain that God sent many spies into a land called Canaan, but only two spies trusted God.
Lead kids to open their Bibles to Numbers 13.
Encourage kids to listen for names of people and places in today’s story.
Open your Bible to Numbers 13 and tell the Bible story.
Before the Israelite people moved into Canaan, God told Moses to send 12 men to scout out the land. Moses said to the men, "Find out what the land is like. Bring back some fruit. Are the people strong or weak? Is the land good or bad? Are the cities surrounded by walls?"
The scouts were gone for 40 days. When they returned, they brought back pomegranates, figs, and a cluster of grapes so big, two men carried it on a pole!
"The land is good," the scouts reported, "but we also saw well-guarded cities full of many people. We can't attack the people because they are stronger than we are! We are like grasshoppers next to them!"
The people cried and complained, "Why is the Lord bringing us into this land to die? It would be better to go back to Egypt or die here in the wilderness!" Two of the scouts, Caleb and Joshua, told the people, "If God is pleased with us, He will bring us into this land. The Lord is with us! Don't be afraid!" The people believed the other men and threatened to throw stones at Caleb and Joshua.
God told Moses that none of the adults who disobeyed Him would enter the land He promised. The disobedient people would live in the wilderness, and the adults would die there. Their children would grow up and be shepherds. After 40 years, Caleb, Joshua, and those who remained would enter the land.
Moses told the people what God said, and they were overcome with sadness. "We were wrong," they decided. "Let's go into the land God promised us." Moses warned them not to go, but the people dared to enter the country anyway. When they did, the Canaanites attacked and chased them away.
- BASED ON NUMBERS 13–14
Review Questions
PLAY GRAPES AND GRASSHOPPERS
- Divide kids into two teams: Grapes & Grasshoppers.
- Line teams up at one end of room. One leader (student helper) stand at opposite end of room.
- On “go” one grape rolls and one grasshopper jumps on all fours to the leader. First person to the leader answers a reveiw question. If answer is not correct, the opposing team may have a turn to answer.
- Repeat giving each child a turn to play. Keep points and announce winners. Encourage teams to create a celebration dance based on their team name.
- What did Moses tell the scouts to find out from the land of Canaan? (what the land, people, and cities were like)
- What did the men bring back with them? (pomegranates, figs, and grapes)
- How did some of the scouts compare themselves to the Canaanite people? (The Canaanites were strong. The Israelites were like grasshoppers next to them.)
- What did Caleb and Joshua tell the people? (If God is pleased with them, He would bring them into the land and be with them. Don't be afraid.)
- What consequences did God announce to Moses? (The people would live in the wilderness for 40 years. The adults would not enter the land.)
- What did the people try to do when they decided they were wrong? (They tried to enter Canaan without God's permission.)
Set up a carrying relay using a broomstick, pool noodle, or dowel rod with a large cluster of paper grapes or purple balloons attached to the center. Have children pair up and stand on opposite ends of the pole. Explain that when the twelve spies returned from Canaan, they brought back a cluster of grapes so large that it took two men to carry it on a pole. Instruct each pair to carefully carry the grapes from one side of the room to the other without dropping them. If space allows, create a winding path for them to follow. After each pair finishes, gather the children and remind them that the giant grapes were proof that God had given the Israelites a rich and fruitful land. Ask the children why the grapes should have encouraged the people to trust God. Emphasize that God showed the Israelites evidence that His promise was good, but many of the people focused on their fears instead of God's faithfulness.
Place a beanbag toss at the station. On the floor or wall, create two clearly marked targets. One target should say "Trust God," and the other should say "Fear." Begin by explaining that when Caleb and Joshua encouraged the people to trust God, the crowd became angry and wanted to throw stones at them. Tell the children that instead of choosing faith, the people chose fear. Invite each child to take a stone and toss it toward the "Trust God" target. After each toss, ask the child to name a situation where it can be hard to trust God, such as being afraid, trying something new, or facing a challenge at school. Remind the group that Caleb and Joshua trusted God's promise even when everyone else disagreed with them. Help the children understand that God wants us to choose faith and trust Him when we feel afraid.
Place a piece of paper flat inside the bottom of several boxes. Put small amounts of different paint colors into separate little cups. Drop a few grapes into the paint cups so they get completely covered. Use a spoon to move the painted grapes onto the paper inside the box. Tilt the box back and forth so the marbles roll all over the paper, leaving colorful lines and trails. While children paint, talk about who obeyed God and ways children can obey God.
Fill a sensory table with sand, soil, or rice with plastic insects. Provide binoculars and magnifying glasses for children, "spies," to pretend to spy out the land. Imagine what the spies might have seen in the land of Canaan.
Build a tent and place lanterns, backpacks and camping supplies and pretend to live in the land of Canaan. Bring sleeping bags from home. Talk about how obedience is a choice. Ask children ways that they can obey God.
Place a long piece of neatly cut butcher paper on the floor. Trace or paint children's feet on the paper. Invite children to write or draw ways they can "GO" and obey God on the paper. Hang on the wall with painter's tape rolled neatly behind the paper. Each Sunday, ask children how they obeyed God during the week. Add their responses to the paper.