Story of Joshua - Bible Stories for Kids

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Story of Joshua

Numbers 13:1-30

The people traveled many months inthe wilderness. One day God said toMoses, "Send spies into Canaan, thecountry I am giving you. Tell them tosee what sort of land it is. Find outwhat the people are like who livethere."

Moses did as God asked. He choseone man from each of the twelvetribes of Israel. Moses raised his handand blessed the twelve men as they leftcamp.

After many, many days the menreturned. One was Caleb and anotherwas Joshua, the general. Caleb and

Joshua told Moses, "Oh yes! Youshould see the land. It's so beautiful,with strong trees, and gentle hills.Flowers bloom everywhere and thecrops are rich and plentiful. It really isas God promised, a land of milk andhoney."

There was only one problem. Thepeople who lived on the land were allvery good fighters. Joshua and Calebknew that with God's help, they coulddrive those people out of the land.Not everybody agreed with Joshuaand Caleb, though. Some of the otherspies were troublemakers. In the end,they spoiled the trip for everyone thatday.

The other spies disagreed with Joshuaand Caleb. They did not trust God tohelp them win their battles. Theythought the tribes in Canaan were toodangerous to fight.

The Israelites believed these othermen instead of believing God'spromises. "Oh Moses!" they cried."What have you done?"

Moses groaned. The people werecomplaining again! "Moses, we wantto go back to Egypt!"

"Moses, it was your idea to leaveEgypt in the first place. We shouldnever have listened to you. Look, nowwe will die and for what?"

Moses and Aaron fell to their knees.They begged the people to trust God.Joshua and Caleb ripped their clothes.They swore God's promised land wasa good place to live. But the people would not listen. They were verystubborn. They liked feeling sorry forthemselves.

Once again God forgave the people.But they had to pay for being sostubborn. Too often they had notbelieved God or trusted Him. Becauseof this God said they would neverreach the promised land.

"These people must wander in thewilderness," He said. "They will allspend the rest of their lives in thedesert, all of them except Caleb andJoshua, who believed Me. I could havebrought them to the promised landwithin a year. Instead, the people willwander in the desert for forty years.They will die in the desert. Theirchildren will be the ones to finallysettle in the land of milk and honey.This is their punishment."

When the people heard this, theycried out loud. It was too late, though.God had made up His mind.

Despite God's punishment, thepeople decided since the land was soclose, they should go and fight thetribes anyway. They had forgottenthat God had just said they would notbe the ones to drive the tribes away.Their childrenwould do that.

The people went off to battle, butthey lost. Many men died in a battlewhich God had not helped them win.For the next forty years the peopleof Israel would wander from place toplace. The Lord did not stop leadingthem, but He did not lead themstraight to the promised land. Theirpunishment was real. They had tospend the rest of their lives walking incircles, so close to Canaan, but neverable to enter it.

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