THE WALLS CAME TUMBLING DOWN – Joshua 6:1-20

Preparation:  Have the boys and girls form a large circle.  Choose half of the children to be priests who will make trumpet sounds.  The other children will be the Israelites who shout at the end of the story.  Have the priests practice blowing their pretend rams horn trumpets and the Israelites practice shouting.  Explain to the boys and girls that at the appropriate time in the story they are to march, going to their right.  Stand in the middle of the circle as you tell the story.

Story:  How would Joshua and his soldiers capture Jericho?  The city was surrounded with thick stone walls.  They had no equipment strong enough to break down the walls.

Then God said He had a plan for getting Joshua and his men into the city.  God said they were to march silently around the city one time every day for six days.  The priests were to blow their trumpets.  On the seventh day, they were to march around the city six times silently.  Then on the seventh time around, they were to shout.

Day one they marched around the city.  (March)  Stop.  Day two they marched around the city.  (March)  Everyone stop.  Day three they marched around the city.  (March)  Everyone stop.  Day four they marched around the city.  (March)  Everyone stop.  Day five they marched around the city.  (March)  Everyone stop.  Day six they marched around the city.  (March).  Everyone stop.
Now it’s day seven.  They marched around the city one time. (March)  Stop.  They marched a second time. (March)  Stop.  They marched a third time.  (March)  Stop.  They marched a fourth time. (March)  Stop.  They marched  a fifth time.  (March)  Stop.  They marched a sixth time (March)  Stop.  As they marched around the city the seventh time on the seventh day, the trumpets blew a long blast and the Israelites gave a loud shout.  (March with priests blowing horns and others shouting.)  Stop.

SUDDENLY,  there was a deep, long rumbling sound and the walls of Jericho came tumbling down!

God performed a miracle and the walls fell down flat.  Then the soldiers rushed up the hill, went straight into the town, and captured it.

Sing: “Joshua” from Dancing in the Desert album.  (Click on song title to hear a clip.)

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