Joshua is Tricked
by Strangers
November 27, 2011
Joshua 9:3–27
The children will learn:
ON OUR
PL ATE
TODAY
• The account of Joshua being tricked by the Gibeonites.
• That the Gibeonites thought they were safe because of
their lies.
• That lies will not stay hidden.
ACTIVITY – VIDEO
Download the following YouTube video beforehand. It’s called “Kermit Reports News on Pinnochio.”
If you have difficulty downloading, we have provided an instruction file for both Mac and PC users.
ING RED IENT S
— YouTube video
download
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy49Yea3iZc
Watch “Kermit Reports News on Pinnochio.” What happened when Pinnochio told a lie? What happened when he told the truth? Does anything like that happen when you tell a lie? Can other people
“see” when you tell a lie? Some people won’t look you in the eyes when they’re lying. Other people
show it by getting real quiet, or talking real fast and loud, or going to their room … without being told
to. People lie to keep the truth hidden. Sometimes it’s because they’re scared of what might happen
… like when you’re in trouble. And, other times people lie to get what they want. Most of the time, the
person lying thinks that no one will find out, but someone usually does … and they’re nose doesn’t
have to grow to make it obvious!
Today, we’re going to learn about a whole group of people who tried lying by pretending to be
people they weren’t. Let’s go to our Bibles and find out what happened.
Copyright 2010
KidzMatter Ministries Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
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BIBLE ACCOUNT
Today’s story is an amazing story about someone being tricked … BIG time!
ING RED IENT S
— lots of army men
Oh wow! I love these things! Dump out a bunch of army men. Let’s see if we can recreate the Bible account
by using these fun army men. Set up an army of men in one area on the floor in front of you. Joshua and the
Israelites had just experienced a HUGE victory as an army. God had given them the land of Jericho. They had
marched around Jericho seven times, God caused the walls around the city to fall, and now Jericho belonged
to the Israelites.
Set up another group of army men in another area on the floor in front of you. Word began to spread throughout the land of the victory that Joshua and the Israelites had against Jericho. Set up more army men to demonstrate yet another army. The other armies started to get nervous. They didn’t want their land to also be captured
by the Israelites. They talked about what they could do so that they would not be next to fall to the Israelites.
One of the groups was from a place called Gibeon. They came up with a great plan to trick the Israelites. They
decided that they would act like they were friends with the Israelites and pretend they were from far away.
Move the army group towards the Israelite army men. The Gibeonites dressed up as if they’d been on a long
journey. They wore worn out shoes, brought dry, moldy bread, and loaded their donkeys to the max with worn
out sacks of their things.
As they approached Joshua, they said, “We are from a far away land and want to be your partners.” Joshua
wanted to know where they had come from. They told Joshua that they’d heard reports about how God had
delivered them and all that He’d done for them.
Joshua decided that it made sense to enter into an agreement with the Gibeonites. Combine the two armies by
moving the army men together. Joshua and the Israelites took an oath to be friends with the Gibeonites and
promised that they’d do their best to protect them, too.
Three days later, the Israelites learned the truth that the Gibeonites were actually really a neighboring army, not
visitors from a far away country. The Israelites were upset that they’d been lied to, but they chose to honor the
promise that they’d made to the Gibeonites. They did not want to go back on their word. They decided to let
the Gibeonites remain among them, but they told the Gibeonites that they would have to serve them as slaves in
the tabernacle. Maybe this would be the one opportunity the Gibeonites would have to actually hear about the
One True God. They were used to worshipping false gods, so this would be a new experience for them.
GAME
Beforehand, make a copy of the review question page at the end of the lesson. Cut the cards on the cut lines.
If you are setting up more than one game, then make a set for each group. Tape a masking tape grid on the
floor that is 4 squares x 4 squares (so you’ll need about a 4-foot square area). Write random point values
on 16 index cards and tape each of these in one of the squares. Remember, points are free, so make them in
increments of 100.
Divide the kids into two teams for each grid. The kids will take turns drawing a review question card. If they
get the answer correctly, they toss a bean bag to see how many points their team receives. Wherever the bean
bag lands on the grid, that’s the number of points they get.
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ING RED IENT S
— masking tape
— index cards
— bean bags (or
rolled socks)
— copies of review
questions
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GAME
Divide kids into two teams and from there, divide each team in half. Give each team one paper plate with
candy piled high in the middle. Each team will put half of their players at one end of the room and the other
half of the team at the other end of the room. At the signal, the first person on each team will carry the plate of
candy to their awaiting team members at the other end … BUT, they can only hold the plate by the very edges.
When the player reaches the other end, they will hand the plate off to the first team member there, who will
return the plate. Keep doing this until all team members at both ends have had a chance to carry the flimsy
plate of candy.
ING RED IENT S
— cheap paper
plates
— Hershey’s Kisses
— regular plates
Now, repeat the game, only this time pile the candy on a regular plate. Still, they can only hold onto the edges.
Show both plates. Which of these proved to be better to carry the candy? Why? The strength of these two
plates were completely different. When we tell the truth, it makes us a stronger person. Lies make us weak. Do
you know someone who lies a lot? Do you respect that person? Is that person someone that you would go to for
good advice? Why not? I would have a hard time believing anything they said.
MESSAGE
(show slide #1) Lying is hiding the truth.
The Gibeonites dressed up like they had been traveling from far, far away for a very long time and they lied to
Joshua and the Israelites about who they were. They were hiding the truth from Joshua with their lies.
ING RED IENT S
— PowerPoint slides
— bandana
When you lie to your parents or to your teacher or to a friend, you’re hiding the truth from them. You’re trying to
keep them from finding out what really happened by making up a different story.
The kids will turn to a neighbor and share about a time when they’ve told a lie.
Let’s look at some reasons the Gibeonites lied to Joshua and see what we can learn about ourselves. The
Gibeonites lied because they were …
(show slide #2) Scared.
They were scared of what Joshua and the Israelites would do to them if they found out that they were really an
army of people from nearby. They were scared of what might happen.
When people get scared of what might happen to them, or how they might get in trouble, they lie. They make
up a different version of the story, thinking that will make it all go away and keep them safe from punishment.
Have you ever thought you were going to get in trouble, so you made up a story about what happened, hoping
it would get you out of trouble? The kids will turn to a neighbor and share a lie they told, thinking it would get
them out of trouble.
Another reason people hide behind a lie is because they think it’s a way to …
(show slide #3) Get what they want.
The Gibeonites hid behind a lie to get what they wanted, and what they wanted was protection. They tricked
Joshua, because they thought that was the only way to get what they wanted.
Oh, this is so us! You lie about where you’re going, because you don’t want your parents to tell you that you
can’t go. You lie to get what you want. You lie about who’s going to be at a party, because you know your par-
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ents won’t let you go if a kid who tends to get you in trouble is going to be there. You lie to get what you want.
You lie about the movie only showing this weekend, because you want to go now. You lie to get what you want.
What usually happens with a lie?
(show slide #4) It’s found out.
The Gibeonites kept their lie hidden for about three days, and then Joshua found out. What usually happens
when a lie is found out? You get punished! Joshua had an interesting way of punishing the Gibeonites, though.
He made them do chores around the temple. That way, they would hear about God, be able to watch the Israelites worship the One True God, and hopefully, turn to God themselves. They deserved to be punished for their
lie, but Joshua did it in a very creative way.
When you lie, most of the time, it’s found out. It doesn’t stay hidden. Even if your parents or teacher never find
out about your hidden lie, though, God always knows. He knows the truth. And, God gives you a chance to
make it right. He offers you the opportunity to be forgiven, and through forgiveness you can come closer to Him.
(show slide #5) John 8:32, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Show the bandana and illustrate how sometimes in movies people are gagged with a bandana in order to
keep them silent. Sometimes when you tell a lie, you might feel like this … like there’s something you want to say.
Choose a student to try to say something when they are gagged with the bandana. See if the others can figure
out what he is trying to say. This bandana stopped him from being understood right. That’s what it’s like with a
lie. It stops us from saying the truth.
What does truth do? (It sets us free.) Untie the bandana and illustrate how clearly the student can now communicate. Jesus is The Truth and He is the only One who can set you free. The lie that Satan tries to hide behind is
that you don’t need Jesus. The Truth is that we all need Jesus, and believing in Him will set us free from anything
that ties us up, including lies.
OBJECT LESSON
Show the kids a cupcake that has a candle (a trick candle) in the top. Don’t tell them that this is an unusual
candle. Light the candle. While it’s lit, start the object lesson. Let’s say we’ve done something we shouldn’t
have. That’s like this lit candle. It’s pretty obvious what we’ve done. And then, we tell a lie to try to cover up the
truth—to try to put out the truth. Blow out the candle. There! What really happened is gone. It’s covered up. It’s
blown out! About this time, the candle will relight. Oh no! It’s back! I’ll have to tell another lie to try to cover up
what happened. Blow out the candle again. There! I got it this time. No one will ever find out now. The candle
will relight again.
ING RED IENT S
— match
— cupcake
— trick candle
When we tell a lie, no matter how we try to cover it up, it has a way of being found out. The truth will come out.
Remember, that no matter how we think we’ve covered it up, even if other people don’t find out, God always
knows the truth.
ACTIVITY
Form groups of four kids. The assignment for each group will be to create a scenario where someone tells a lie
and then gets caught. Give the groups plenty of time to come up with their scenario, figure out parts, gather
any props they may need, and rehearse.
If possible, draw a curtain in front of each group before and after they present their scenario, even if the curtain is two sheets that four helpers hold up and then pull apart. It’s important that you provide an opportunity
for the kids to actually present, since they’ve worked hard at putting it together. An alternative to presenting it
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live is to have a few people go around with video cameras to record each one. The next week, show the collection of videos as the kids arrive.
SNACK
You will want three kids to taste-test some small amounts of fruit cocktail. Beforehand, you will need to add
a lot of salt to their servings of fruit and make sure the salt dissolves. Do you like fruit cocktail? I love it! It’s so
refreshing on a hot day and it’s so good for you. I brought some today to share with you, but I’d like to know
what you think of my personal recipe. So, I’ve asked three kids to give me their honest opinions of this recipe I
put together. Give the three chosen kids the salted fruit cocktail.
ING RED IENT S
— fruit cocktail
— small cups
— salt
— spoons
Ask the kids who try the cocktail to give their evaluations. When they object and tell you it doesn’t taste right,
then tell them that you only added one ingredient. Did it really change it that much? I can’t believe just one ingredient could make that kind of difference! I didn’t think you’d even notice, since it was only one thing added.
Now, pass out fruit cocktail to all the kids and give them permission to eat. They will probably be hesitant after
the reaction of the three taste-testers. Why don’t you want to eat it? It’s really good! I didn’t add the ingredient
to what you’ve got. Why don’t you believe me?
How many lies did the Gibeonites tell Joshua? It was only one, but it was enough to change what happened.
Sometimes we tell what we think is just one little lie, and we think it won’t make that much of a difference … but
it does. One lie can ruin something really good, just like just one ingredient—the salt—that I added to the fruit
cocktail for my taste-testers ruined their fruit. That salt made it so the taste-testers didn’t want anything else to
do with that fruit cocktail. And, once you saw how I tricked the taste-testers many of you didn’t want to trust me
and taste your fruit cocktail. Whenever we lie, it makes people hesitant to believe us the next time they question
anything.
PUPPETS
ING RED IENT S
Make two signs: “Two weeks later” and “Girl’s bedroom.”
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Girl:
Oh, I am stuffed. I ate so much, but it seemed like Mom made all my favorites. I don’t think I
could eat another bite. (looking at one lone banana) Look at this one last banana. I
loooovvvvve bananas! Love, love, love, love, love, love, love bananas! But there’s only one
banana left. I can’t eat it now, but if I don’t, then someone else will eat it before I get hungry. I
know … I’ll take it and hide it in my room until I get ready for it. (takes banana and exits)
Mother:
(enters, looking for banana) I thought I had one banana left. I’m sure I didn’t eat it, because I
knew I needed it for the banana muffins. Where could that banana have gone?
Girl:
(enters, whistling lightly)
Mother:
Hi, Honey. Hey, did you happen to see where I put that one banana? I’m sure it was here on
the counter earlier today?
Girl:
Uh … no … I’m not sure what you’re talking about Mom.
Mother:
I packed the other bananas in lunches today, but there was one left.
Girl:
Uh … I really think you must’ve miscounted and put it in someone’s lunch.
— mother puppet
— girl puppet
— ripe banana
— black rotten
banana
— signs
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Mother:
That’s too bad, because I was going to make some of those yummy banana muffins for
tomorrow’s breakfast. I saved it just for that.
Girl:
Well … you’ve been really busy lately, Mom. You probably just forgot that you had already
used it.
Mother:
Oh well. I’ll just have to think of something else.
(Both exit. Hold up sign that says, “Two weeks later.”)
Mother:
(sniffs) Something sure smells funny in the house today.
Girl:
(enters) What are you doing, Mom?
Mother:
Don’t you smell that?
Girl:
Smell what?
Mother:
That awful smell. It smells like … like … like rotten bananas!
Girl:
Rotten bananas? (gasps, then under her breath) Rotten bananas, oh no!
(Both exit. Hold up sign “Girl’s bedroom.”)
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Girl:
I forgot all about that banana. Where did I put it?
Mother:
(enters) Oh my! Whew! Stink! The smell gets much stronger in your room. There’s something in
here that smells like a rotten banana. We’ve got to find it before we get bugs in the house.
Girl:
I … I … I think you’re imagining things, Mom. I don’t smell anything in here.
Mother:
(looks under bed) Here’s the culprit! I found it! Just as I thought … it’s a rotten banana. Now,
how in the world did this banana get in your room?
Girl:
I don’t have any idea, Mom.
Mother:
Well, I don’t see any little legs on it, so I don’t think it walked in here all by itself. The truth,
young lady.
Girl:
Uh … well …
Mother:
The truth. No more lies.
Girl:
(talking very fast) Well, I was so full that one night, and the banana was sitting on the counter,
and you know how I like bananas, and I was afraid someone else might get it, so I hid it under
the bed for later, and then I forgot that I’d put it there. (gasping for air after such a long
explanation)
Mother:
You forgot one thing.
Girl:
I did?
Mother:
You forgot the part where I asked you about the banana and you told me you didn’t know
where it was.
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Girl:
Oh, I did leave that out.
Mother:
You forgot the part about you lying to me.
Girl:
I’m sorry Mom. I didn’t realize that hiding one little banana was going to end up needing so
many lies.
Mother:
Lying stinks, doesn’t it?
Girl:
Definitely!
The puppet found out that hiding a banana for two weeks really causes a stink. But it’s not just bananas that
stink. Lying stinks! It gives you a bad reputation and people will find it difficult to believe you the next time you
tell the truth. Eventually, lies are found out, usually because they’ve caused such a mess that the person can’t get
out of it. It’s found out because it starts to really stink!
PRAYER
You couldn’t tell that the salt was in the fruit cocktail in our snack just by looking at it. You couldn’t tell that it had
ruined the fruit cocktail. It was kind of disguised in the juice, because you really couldn’t tell it was there. But the
truth came out when our three taste-testers took a taste! You can lie and think that no one will notice, but then
something happens and you’ll be found out. Remember that God always knows. He sees your every move and
He hears your every word. You can’t hide from God … not even behind a lie!
ING RED IENT S
— craft sticks
— pencils
You may think that one lie is not that much, but it’s still wrong in God’s sight. It’s still something you need to ask
forgiveness about. It’s still something you have to make right by telling the truth. Admitting your lie and then
believing on the One who IS the Truth—Jesus Christ—will set you free. Satan uses lying to keep us from being free
from sin. And, Jesus came to be the Truth that sets us free from Satan’s lie about lying.
Remember our video about Pinocchio. That’s just a made-up story, but his nose grew each time he told a lie.
Give each child a craft stick and a pencil. Let’s pretend this craft stick is your Pinocchio nose. In private, with no
one looking at what you’re doing, make a mark on the craft stick that indicates how long your nose would be
from lying … if your nose actually grew. Is that what you want? Or, do you want to ask Jesus to be the Truth that
sets you free from lying? Pray with the kids, specifically about lying and what it can do. Pray that they will not
let it sneak in, trying to be unnoticed, like the salt got into the fruit cocktail. Pray that their lives will be pure and
free from lying.
BLESSING
May you rely on the truth to set you free.
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EXTRA ACTIVITIES
SCRIPTURE MEMORIZATION
ING RED IENT S
Hebrews 4:13 (GNT)
“There is nothing that can be hid from God; everything in all creation is exposed and lies open before his eyes.
And it is to him that we must all give an account of ourselves.”
— tape
Beforehand, hang a clothesline between two posts, hooks on the wall, trees, or whatever. Make a copy of the
words in the scripture at the end of the lesson. Cut these apart and tape each one to a small t-shirt, handkerchief, and/or children’s clothing. Put the clothes in a clothesbasket.
— clothesline
— copy of scripture
— clothespins
— clothesbasket
— children’s
clothing
The kids will take turns pulling a piece of clothing out of the basket and attaching it to the clothesline with a
clothespin. By knowing the scripture in their heads, they will try to estimate where that word comes by the
placement on the clothesline. As clothing is added to the clothesline, some pieces may need to be moved by
other players.
MUSIC
We have provided you with two songs by Yancy, a wonderful contemporary Christian artist who writes songs
that kids relate to. The two songs for this quarter are: “Ask Me I Know” and “I Will Worship You.” If you’d like
more of Yancy’s music, please go to www.yancynotnancy.com.
OBJECT LESSON
Either the leader or a guest should enter wearing camouflage clothing. Anyone have any idea why I’m wearing
this special clothing today? Do you know what they call this kind of clothing? I’m going to go out in the woods
with a friend of mine to watch for wild animals. When I wear this clothing, it’s easier to blend in with the trees
and plants and the animals don’t notice me as much. What would happen if I wore bright yellow and red out
in the woods? Could I hide very well? Point out a couple of the kids who are wearing bright-colored clothes
today. Could I sneak up on an animal if I was wearing something like Marissa is? Marissa’s outfit is nice, but
it’s not for hiding in the woods. It’s not camouflage!
ING RED IENT S
— music DVD
downloads
ING RED IENT S
— camouflage
clothing
•How did the Gibeonites “hide” from Joshua and the Israelites?
•Were they just hiding or were they lying?
•When we lie, what are we hiding? (the truth)
•What are some ways that we camouflage the truth? (blame it on someone else, pretend we don’t know
anything about what happened, make up a new story, avoid people who may ask questions)
OBJECT LESSON
Show the picture of a penguin. Ask the kids to describe this animal. Would you ever describe the penguin as
wearing camouflage? Remember that camouflage is something that keeps someone or something hidden. You
might not think of the penguin as wearing camouflage, but for his environment he really is. When he’s swimming
along in the water, his white side is underneath and the black side is on top. If you look down into the ocean
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ING RED IENT S
— picture of a
penguin
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from above, it looks really dark. So, when a predator is looking down into the water, the only side they see is
the black side of the penguin and it blends in with the darkness of the ocean. From way down in the depths of
the ocean, when you look up, the sun is shining down and it makes the water above you look white in the light.
A predator underneath the penguin in the daytime wouldn’t notice him, because the white side would blend in
with the sunlight coming down at the water.
The penguin’s camouflage keeps the truth hidden about where he’s swimming. Camouflage just means to hide
something. Some things are good to hide and other things aren’t. Do you think it’s good for the penguin to have
a way to hide? Is it good to hide a banana under your bed all summer? Is it good to hide a key to the house
in case you get locked out? Name some things that are good to hide. Name some things that are not good to
keep hidden.
What about the truth? Hiding the truth is called a _____? Lie! Why is it wrong to hide the truth? What can happen when you hide the truth?
CRAFT
ING RED IENT S
The kids will absolutely love doing this! They can work in partners or trios. Each child will apply a good coat of — face paint
face cream. Then, they can use different shades of green and brown face paint to create a camouflage to his/ — medium art
her face.
brushes
•When you have all this camouflage paint on your face, it’s difficult to tell who you are. How is that like
what happens when you lie?
•If you’ve ever had face paint on for quite a while, do you remember what it felt like when you washed it
off? Describe it.
•How is that like when we admit that we’ve lied and God forgives us?
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— face cream
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REVIEW QUESTIONS
Joshua and the Israelites had just had victory over what city?
What did the men of Gibeon do to the Israelites?
How did the Gibeonites disguise themselves?
What lies did they tell?
Why did the Gibeonites lie to Joshua?
What did Joshua find out about the men of Gibeon after he made a promise to them?
What should Joshua have done before he made a contract with the men of Gibeon?
Why is it important to pray before we make big decisions?
What did the Israelites and Joshua do to the Gibeonites after they discovered the lie?
How did God bring good out of this situation?
What does God give us if we ask?
How might this have turned out differently if Joshua had asked for wisdom first?
SCRIPTURE MEMORY CARDS
There is nothing
before his eyes.
that can be hid
And it is to him
from God;
that we must all
everything in all
creation
give an account
is exposed
of ourselves.
and lies open
Hebrews 4:13