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When the Lord told the Israelites to divide the land, Caleb had a special request from Joshua. Caleb was an old man, but remembered forty-five years earlier when he was one of the twelve spies who had spied out of Canaan. Because Caleb had faith that God would help Israel conquer the land (even though the enemy seemed like giants), Moses had promised him the land. Although he was old, Caleb still believed that the Lord could help him fight the enemy. The Lord told Joshua to give the land of Hebron to Caleb. Caleb did indeed overtake the enemy and occupy Hebron.

Bible verses used in this episode:

Joshua 14:5-15; 15:13-15; and 21:43-45

Outline:

1. Caleb claims his part of the land (Joshua 14:5-15 and 15:13-15)
2. Go’d’s promises restated (Joshua 21:43-45)

Tips for teaching children:

• To begin a conversation about dividing the land, serve pizza and divide it into 12 portions before eating it. 
• Show a map of the land divided between the tribes. Many Bibles include this map in the back pages. Otherwise, a map such as this one will be helpful. https://bible-history.com/geography/map-canaan-tribal-portions 
• Invite an older Christian to visit your class and talk to the children about how they serve God.  
• Shared Craft: These older adults and the children can use paint and paper to make handprints together. 

Tips for teaching adults:

• Begin the class with any of the following questions for discussion: 
  • How hard is it to keep promises?  
  • What makes keeping promises difficult? 
  • What are some factors that prevent us from keeping our promises?
• Since the lesson is about a strong 85-year-old Caleb, follow up with these questions: 
  • Who knows some strong 80+-year-old people? 
  • What makes them strong? 
  • What keeps them going?
• One is never too old to serve the Lord.  Older people are still valuable in the work of God.  Ask the class to brainstorm ways that older people can serve the Lord. Then brainstorm ways your class can encourage older people to serve the Lord.   
• Consider making any of these ideas a project.
• Pray for the older people in your congregation.  Thank God for his faithfulness to his promises.

Full teaching instructions are free from Mission Bible Class:

Bible Lesson:  Conquering the Land & Fighting Giants

Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission.

Excerpts from Mission Bible Class used by permission.

Music: Upbeat Positive Culture (Acoustic Corporate Travel Promo Christian Rock), Individual License, Stock Media provided by HumansWin, pond5.com

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