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Leader Guide

Teaching

  • Bible or the Superbook Bible App
  • Walls of Jericho Pattern, for children who missed the previous lessons
  • Model of the finished craft to show children
  • Table
  • Window box used in Game
  • 6 feet of scarlet or red colored yarn or a string colored red with a marker
  • Signpost Cards Pattern
  • Optional: masking tape
  • Scissors
  • Card stock
  • Very sharp pencil

Copy the Walls of Jericho Pattern in color or in black and white for children who missed the previous lessons.

Make one copy of the Signposts Cards Pattern.   

Cut the Signpost Cards in half to separate the two cards.

Using the pencil, carefully punch two very tiny small holes where indicated on each card—just enough so the yarn can be pulled through and then fit snugly on the yarn. 

Fold the cards in half so the two holes line up.

Starting with Signpost card #4, thread the yarn through both holes, and carefully push the card along the yarn, stopping about 2 feet from the end.   

Do the same with the other 3 cards in this order—#3, #2, #1. Leave about 1 foot of space between each card. When complete, card #1 will be at one end and card #4 at the other end of the yarn. 

Place the assembled yarn and Signposts cards through the front window into the bottom of the box. Push the end of the yarn (closest to card #4) through the pre-punched hole in the bottom of the box. 

Tape the end of the yarn to the outside bottom of the box; or, if tape is not available, tie a knot large enough to keep the yarn from coming through the hole if it is pulled.

Place the box on the table with the window facing the children.  

Optional: tape the front end of the yarn onto the front of the box to hold it in place.

Today we are going to discuss some of the events we saw in our Signposts Video about how Rahab’s actions were Signposts to the life and death of Jesus Christ. To help us do that, we will use Rahab’s window from our game we just played. What was hung out of Rahab’s window?

Yes, a scarlet colored rope or cord. Rahab asked Joshua’s two spies for a sure sign that Joshua’s army would be kind to her and her family because she helped the two spies escape. Rahab is a model to us for how we can respond to God: The Supreme God of heaven and Earth!     

For each of the four Signposts, choose a child to come up and gently pull the end of the yarn until only one of the Signposts cards comes out of the window. Hold onto the yarn and have the child pull the card off and read it aloud. After each card is pulled off, place the yarn back down on the window edge so it hangs from the window for effect as you present the Signpost. The yarn will hang lower with each pull. 


Signpost 1: Hand the beginning of the yarn to the volunteer.

After hiding the spies on the roof, Rahab told them she knew that the Lord was with them and had given them the land. She told them that everyone was afraid of them because they had heard of the miracles God had performed and the victories that He had given them over their enemies. Rahab told them that because of all they had heard, no one had the courage now to fight the Israelites because God protected them! This is what God had promised Joshua—He would go with him and He would not fail or abandon him.   

This is a Signpost to Jesus. After Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, He promised to be with His followers always—until the end of the world! Today, we are His followers, and He is with us! God protects us and gives us victory over the world through Jesus Christ!

OPTIONAL 4–6 GRADE DISCUSSION

Have the children look up the scriptures below and discuss how they support the main points of the Signpost.

Joshua 1:3–6:

3“I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you — 4 from the Negev wilderness in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, including all the land of the Hittites.’5No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. 6Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them.”

1 Corinthians 15:57:

But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew 28:20:

“Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

John 17:12a:

“During My time here, I protected them by the power of the name You gave Me. I guarded them so that not one was lost.”

Signpost 2:

Rahab didn’t just know about God—she had faith that He is the One, True God! Rahab said in Joshua 2:11b: 

“For the Lord your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below.”

The book of Hebrews records Rahab’s faith and how she put her faith into action by helping the spies escape using a rope! Rahab also put her faith into action by obediently hanging the scarlet cord outside her window as the spies had instructed. 

Hold up the yarn. This is a Signpost to putting our faith and trust in Jesus. The red cord or rope represents Jesus’ blood that He shed on the cross to pay the punishment for our sins so we could be forgiven. Just as the scarlet cord or rope was used to protect the spies and Rahab, we have faith that the blood of Jesus protects and saves us!        

OPTIONAL 4–6 GRADE DISCUSSION

Have the children look up the scriptures below and discuss how they support the main points of the Signpost.   

Joshua 2:11:

“No wonder our hearts have melted in fear! No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things. For the Lord your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below.”

Hebrews 11:6:

And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him.

John 1:29:

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

Hebrews 9:14:

Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered Himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.

Signpost 3:

Rahab not only had faith in God to save herself, she trusted God to save her entire family! She asked for a promise from the spies that her family would be protected. The spies agreed, as long as her family stayed inside her house. Outside of her house, there was no promise of protection. Rahab’s family could not have escaped the attack had Rahab not shared what they must do to be protected and saved!   

This is a Signpost to sharing our faith and trust in Jesus, and how He sends us out to share the Good News of the Gospel with others, such as our family and friends. By doing this, we share the love of God and give them the opportunity to be forgiven for their sins and to receive the gift of eternal life! 

OPTIONAL 4–6 GRADE DISCUSSION

Have the children look up the scriptures below and discuss how they support the main points of the Signpost.   

Joshua 2:17–19a:

17 Before they left, the men told her, “We will be bound by the oath we have taken only if you follow these instructions.18 When we come into the land, you must leave this scarlet rope hanging from the window through which you let us down. And all your family members—your father, mother, brothers, and all your relatives—must be here inside the house.19 If they go out into the street and are killed, it will not be our fault.”

1 Peter 3:15:

Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.

Acts 16:31–32:

31They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” 32 And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household.

Signpost 4:

The Israelites kept their promise, and Rahab and her family were protected from harm. Rahab and her family were taken to Israel’s camp and lived with the Israelites as part of their family. Rahab shared in the blessings of God’s people. One of Rahab’s descendants was King David—and one of his descendants was Jesus! This means that Rahab and Jesus were related! 

This is a Signpost to Jesus. God planned to bring us to Himself through His Son Jesus. Our sins are forgiven when we trust in Jesus, and we are then adopted into God’s family as His sons and daughters. Because of this, we share in Jesus’ inheritance from God the Father.       

OPTIONAL 4–6 GRADE DISCUSSION

Have the children look up the scriptures below and discuss how they support the main points of the Signpost.

Joshua 6:23,25:

23 The men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, mother, brothers, and all the other relatives who were with her. They moved her whole family to a safe place near the camp of Israel.25 So Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute and her relatives who were with her in the house, because she had hidden the spies Joshua sent to Jericho. And she lives among the Israelites to this day.

Ephesians 1:5:

God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure.

Ephesians 3:6:

And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus.

Praise God! Through faith in Jesus and His blood that He shed on the cross, we are rescued from sin and can live as part of God’s family forever!  

Joshua trusted in God for help in a very difficult time. Joshua knew that in his own wisdom and strength, he could not defeat Jericho. Now it’s time for our Discipleship Challenge, where we will share how God helps us in difficult times. 

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Display the model and distribute a Walls of Jericho Pattern to any children who did not receive it in lesson one or two.

Our Discipleship Challenge for these three lessons is to take notice of situations in our lives where we need God to help us deal with a hard time or a difficult relationship. We are using this craft as a reminder to pray and ask God for His wisdom, patience, courage, and strength. Did anyone remember to ask God for help when you were facing a hard time, and what happened when you did?

Even though our lesson about Jericho is ending today, let’s continue to be alert for times that we should ask God for His help in our everyday lives.