Christian Churches of God
No. CB46_2
Lesson:
Exploring Canaan
(Edition 1.0 20060824-20060824)
In this Lesson we will review the paper Exploring Canaan (No. CB46). Children will learn about the forty years the Israelites spent in the wilderness and their entry into the Promised Land.
Christian Churches of God
PO Box 369, WODEN ACT 2606, AUSTRALIA
E-mail:
secretary@ccg.org
(Copyright ã 2006 Leslie Hilburn, ed. Wade Cox)
This paper may be freely copied and distributed provided it is copied in total with no alterations or deletions. The publisher’s name and address and the copyright notice must be included. No charge may be levied on recipients of distributed copies. Brief quotations may be embodied in critical articles and reviews without breaching copyright.
This paper is available from the World Wide Web page:
Lesson:
Exploring Canaan
Goal:
The children will learn about the Promised Land and the forty years in the wilderness.
Objectives:
To give the children a basic understanding of where the Promised Land was.
For the children to understand the importance of trusting in God and realising that there are consequences for disobeying God.
Resources:
Exploring Canaan (No. CB46)
Relevant Scriptures:
Numbers chapters 13, 14 and 15.
Format:
Open with prayer.
Lesson on Exploring Canaan – interactive questions with children.
Activity associated with Exploring Canaan.
Close with prayer.
Lesson:
Read through the paper Exploring Canaan (No. CB46) unless the lesson is read as a sermonette with the children present.
Children’s questions are in bold. This is a general review of the material covered in the study paper. Not all the questions need to be reviewed – it is up to the facilitator to determine how many (and which) questions should be reviewed.
Q1. What was the name of the Promised Land?
A. The land of Canaan.
Q2. How many scouts were sent out to explore the Promised Land and bring back a full report?
A. Twelve, one from each tribe (Num. 13:1-3).
Q3. There were two men put in charge. What were their names?
A. Joshua and Caleb.
Q4. What was the Promised Land like?
A. There were beautiful farms and the crops were excellent. The land was fertile and green and there were signs of prosperity and richness.
Q5. What were some of the things that the scouts brought back from their trip?
A. A large cluster of grapes, pomegranates, and figs (vv. 23-24).
Q6. Do you remember where else in the Bible it talks about pomegranates?
A. They are on the bottom of the blue robe of the High Priest and on the pillars in the Temple.
Q7. How long were the scouts gone?
A. 40 days (v. 25).
Q8. What did the 40 days symbolise?
A. 40 is the number for repentance. It was to represent the forty years that Israel and then Judah were given to repent, both in the wilderness and also from the time of Messiah to the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE.
Q9. Did the scouts give a good report?
A. No, ten scouts gave a false report. They were afraid of the giants and all of their other enemies. They did not trust in God (vv. 31-33).
Q10. Did all of the scouts give a false report?
A. No. Joshua and Caleb spoke the truth. They told the people the land flowed with milk and honey (Num. 14:7-8). They told them, "Do not be afraid of the people of the land because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us" (v. 9).
Q11. Did the Israelites listen to Joshua and Caleb?
A. No, they wanted to stone them (v. 10).
Q12. What did Moses do?
A. He prayed to God to step in and take control of the people.
Q13. What was God’s response to Moses’ prayer?
A. God said, "I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them" (v. 12).
Q14. What did Moses do after God said he was going to destroy Israel for refusing to believe in God?
A. Moses asked God to spare the people and forgive them of their sins (v. 19).
Q15. What was God’s response?
A. God said He would not destroy the Israelites. However, God said He would refuse them entrance into the Promised Land because they had broken their covenant with Him and had lacked faith (vv. 22-23).
Q16. Did any of the Israelites get to go into the Promised Land?
A. Yes, all of the people that were under 20 years old, plus Joshua and Caleb (vv. 29-30).
Q17. How long did the Israelites wander in the desert?
A. 40 years. One year for every day required for the scouts to search Canaan (v. 32-34). The punishment of forty years in the wilderness was to represent the forty jubilees (or 2,000 years) of the wanderings of Israel until Christ’s second coming.
Q18. What happened to the ten scouts that lied and gave a false report?
A. God killed them with a plague (v. 37).
Q19. What happened when the people tried to go into the Promised Land anyway?
A. They were immediately defeated in battle. Not only was the Lord not with them; but He also was against them (vv. 41-45).
Q20. Did God remove the cloud and pillar of fire?
A. No, it was not God’s intention to entirely forsake Israel.
Q21. What do we wear as a reminder of the commandments?
A. Blue ribbons on the edges of our clothing.
The Lord spoke to Moses and said, "Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue chord on each tassel. You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the Lord, that you may obey them and not sin by going after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes. Then you will remember to obey all my commands and will be consecrated to your God" (Num. 15:37-40).
Activity:
A. The Promised Land
Give the children a map and have them colour in the Promised Land. Talk about how it took 40 days to scout out the land. Also, that when the inheritance promises were given to the twelve tribes, Manasseh, Gad and Reuben’s inheritance was on the other side of the Jordan River.
B. Blue Ribbons
Give each child four small blue ribbons and four small safety pins. Have them pin blue ribbons on their clothing. Talk about how if we put blue ribbons on our clothes each morning it will remind us of God’s Commandments and how we should be following them.
C. Scavenger Hunt
For this activity you will need a large space, preferably outdoors.
Close with prayer.
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