Free Bible lesson for kids · The Promised Land
The Sun Stands Still
Five kings of the Amorites came against the city of Gibeon, which had made peace with Israel, and the men of Gibeon begged Joshua to come quickly and help. God told Joshua, “Fear them not,” and Joshua marched all night. Then Joshua prayed, “Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon,” and the sun stood still in the midst of heaven for about a whole day, for the LORD fought for Israel.
- Bible passage
- Joshua 10:6–14
- Big idea
- The God who made the sun hears our prayers and fights for His people.
- Memory verse
And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel.
Joshua 10:14 (KJV)- Ages
- Preschool to preteen (3 to 12), with tips for each age
- Time
- About 45 minutes
- Included, free
- Animated story film, coloring page, class sheet, teacher guide, questions and answers, a game
The story
Five kings of the Amorites came to fight against Gibeon, a city that had made peace with Israel (Joshua 10:4–5). The men of Gibeon sent to Joshua, “Slack not thy hand from thy servants,” and begged him to come quickly and help them (Joshua 10:6). The LORD told Joshua, “Fear them not,” so Joshua marched all night from Gilgal and came upon them suddenly (Joshua 10:8–9).
The LORD threw the enemy into confusion and cast down great hailstones from heaven on them (Joshua 10:10–11). Then Joshua spoke to the LORD, and in front of all Israel he said, “Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon” (Joshua 10:12). The sun stood still in the middle of the sky for about a whole day (Joshua 10:13). There was never a day like it, “for the LORD fought for Israel” (Joshua 10:14).
Read it in the Bible: Joshua 10:6–14 (KJV)
6And the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, Slack not thy hand from thy servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us: for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains are gathered together against us. 7So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valour. 8And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee. 9Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, and went up from Gilgal all night. 10And the LORD discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth up to Bethhoron, and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah. 11And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Bethhoron, that the LORD cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword. 12Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. 13And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. 14And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel.
Questions to ask
Who asked Joshua for help?
The men of Gibeon (Joshua 10:6).
What did the LORD tell Joshua?
“Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand” (Joshua 10:8).
What did Joshua ask the sun and the moon to do?
To stand still, the sun upon Gibeon and the moon in the valley of Ajalon, and the sun stood still about a whole day (Joshua 10:12–13).
What this story teaches
- God tells His people not to be afraid (Joshua 10:8).
- The LORD fought for Israel and gave them the victory (Joshua 10:10–11).
- God has power even over the sun and moon (Joshua 10:12–13).
- The LORD listens to the prayers of His people (Joshua 10:14).
- Nothing is too hard for the LORD who made heaven and earth (Jeremiah 32:17).
Jesus Rules Over Creation
God made the sun stand still for Joshua. Jesus spoke to the wind and the sea, and they obeyed Him.
Mark 4:39–41
A 45-minute lesson plan
| 5 min | Welcome and pray. Greet each child by name and pray: Thank God that He hears us when we pray, and bring Him something big to ask. |
|---|---|
| 10 min | The story. Play the story film: each verse appears on screen in the King James Version while the scene plays. Pause to ask what happens next. |
| 10 min | Talk about it. Ask the three questions below. Then ask: “The God who made the sun hears our prayers and fights for His people.” What does that mean for us? |
| 5 min | Memory verse. Say Joshua 10:14 together, covering one word at a time until the children can say it alone. |
| 10 min | Activity. Younger children color the coloring page while you retell the story; older children do the class sheet (memory-verse fill-in, word search and questions). |
| 5 min | Pray and send home. Pray together and send the sheet home so families can talk about the first question this week. |
- Preschool: keep it short and physical. Act out the story, use a simple prop, and repeat the big idea in one sentence.
- Elementary: let children find the passage in their own Bibles. Ask “who, what, where” questions first, then “why.”
- Preteens: read the verses before and after the passage, and ask how this story fits the whole story of the Bible.
Game time
For kids · game · outdoors · about 10 minutes
Shadow Tag
You need: A sunny day
- The tagger tags by stepping on someone’s shadow.
- If your shadow is stepped on, you’re the new tagger.
- Talk: what would happen to the shadows if the sun stood still?
Joshua prayed, and the sun stood still. God made the sun, and He hears our prayers.
For youth group · activity · indoors · about 20 minutes
Pray Big
You need: Paper, pens
- Read Joshua 10:12–14: “there was no day like that… that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man.”
- Each person writes the biggest prayer they have for their family, school or town.
- Pray those big prayers together.
God hears His people’s prayers. No prayer is too big for the God who made the sun.
Pray
Thank God that He hears us when we pray, and bring Him something big to ask.