For Kids · 4 min with a grown-up
A huge city with huge walls stands in Israel's way. God's plan to bring it down is the strangest battle plan you've ever heard — and it works.
Today's Story
The city of Jericho had walls so big and so thick that the people inside felt completely safe. And it stood right in the way of God's people.
God gave Joshua a battle plan unlike any other. “Don't attack the walls. Instead, march around the city once a day for six days, with the priests blowing trumpets. Then on the seventh day, march around seven times — and have everyone give one great big SHOUT.”
It sounded silly. But Joshua trusted God. So every day, God's people marched all the way around Jericho in quiet — just the trumpets sounding. The people inside must have wondered what in the world they were doing.
On the seventh day, they marched around once, twice… all the way to seven times. The priests blew the trumpets long and loud. And Joshua shouted, “SHOUT! The Lord has given you the city!”
So all the people shouted as loud as they could — and the great thick walls of Jericho rumbled, cracked, and came tumbling DOWN, flat to the ground! (And a woman named Rahab, who had been kind to God's people, was kept safe with her whole family, just as Joshua had promised.)
God had won the battle — not with swords first, but with trust, and obedience, and a shout.
A Big Word
Memory Verse
Talk About It
- God's plan — just march and shout — probably seemed silly to the people. When has obeying God (or a grown-up) seemed strange but turned out to be right?
- The people had to march quietly for six whole days before anything happened. Is it hard to keep obeying when you don't see results yet?
- God brought the walls down, not the people's strength. What's a “wall” or a big problem you could ask God to help with?