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.
Take a moment today and read Exodus 33-34. Grab a notebook. Write coram Deo at the top of the page. Then create three columns labeled Presence of God, Authority of God, and Glory of God. In the first column, make a list of ways you are practicing the presence of God in your life. Are you spending time in prayer, Bible study, and fellowship with other believers? Next, think about how you're submitting to God's authority. How are you obeying God? What areas do you need to submit to the lordship of Christ? Write those responses in column two. As you pray this week, write words that describe God's glory in column three. Pray those words back to God in adoration and praise. Commit to live coram Deo, before the face of the God who loves you.
Introductory Activity
After clean-up time, gather the children in the circle time area. Sing, "One little, Two little, Three Little Spies" (up to 12) to the tune of "One little,Two Little, Three Little." Open your bible to Numbers 13, and invite the children to count to twelve together using fingers and toes. Explain that in today's story, Moses sent twelve men to a new land. Display the teaching picture as you tell the Bible story.
Bible Story
God promised the people of Israel a new home in Canaan. God told Moses to choose 12 men to go look at the land. Joshua and Caleb were 2 of the men. The 12 men traveled into Canaan and looked at many towns. The men also gathered fruit from the land like Moses told them to. They found grapes, pomegranates, and figs.
The 12 men were gone for 40 days, then they reported back to Moses and the people. "We looked at the land, and it is good for growing food." The men showed the people the fruit they gathered.
Some men said, "The people who live in Canaan are tall and strong. We felt small when we looked at them; we felt like grasshoppers. The towns have tall walls around them."
Caleb stopped the men and said, "We should go and take the land. We can do it."
The people were scared. Joshua and Caleb said, "The land is a good place to live. God wants us to go. He will give us the land. Do not be afraid of the people who live there. God is with us and will help us. We should choose to obey Him."
Wrap It Up
Re view the Bible story and Life Point.
Learn the Bible verses: Open your Bible to Jeremiah 31:3 and point out the verse to them! Read the verse aloud. Say the verse several times together. Remind the boys and girls that God loves us even if we make wrong choices. Mention that Jesus came to lead people to love and obey God. We can ask God to forgive us when we make wrong choices and to help us obey Him.
Wrap it up and pray. Lead the children in prayer. Ask God to help them obey Him, even when others do not.
Place a sheet of paper inside a box lid. Add a few grapes on top of the paper. Have children drip paint onto the paper, then roll the grapes back and forth by rocking the lid to create colorful patterns. As they paint with grapes, say: "Moses sent the spies to look at the land God promised! They brought back grapes on a large stick to show the land was very good! God tells people to obey Him, just like Caleb and Joshua did. You can choose to obey God, too!"
Add blocks, people figures, trees, animals, blue and green fabric, and other natural-looking loose parts. Children can create mountains, rivers, farms, and cities for the spies to explore. Say, "Moses sent twelve spies to explore the land God promised. Joshua and Caleb saw everything in the land, and they trusted that God would help His people to live in the land He promised them."
Fill baskets with pretend fruits and vegetables and add dishes, cooking utensils, and reusable grocery bags. Children can gather food, carry their baskets home, prepare meals, and share what they discovered. Say, "The spies found lots of good food in the land! Joshua and Caleb knew God had given His people a good land. They trusted God's promise and obeyed God. We can choose to obey God even when it's hard!"
Hide rocks, leaves, sticks, artificial fruit, insects, and people figures throughout a tub of sand. Add magnifying glasses, scoops, and paintbrushes for investigating. Say, "The spies explored the land to see what they could discover. Joshua and Caleb saw the same things as everyone else, but they chose to trust God."
Place scented cotton balls (e.g., vanilla, lemon, cinnamon, vinegar, almond) inside sealed containers or baggies. Invite the children to smell and explore the scents. On a table, place one red and one green sheet of paper. Have the children sort the scents they like on the green sheet and the scents they do not like on the red sheet. As they explore, say, "The spies explored the land to discover what it was like. They looked carefully at everything they found. Joshua and Caleb saw the land was good and trusted God's promise."