Joshua

Joshua

The following script was written for use with Object Theatre. Object Theatre is the use of household objects as puppets. It's usually performed on a table top. Additional information about Object Theatre can be found in "Puppets, Kids, and Christian Education." The script is availabe for personal use, but may not be redistributed.

Joshua and the Walls of Jericho

SCENE 1 – Crossing the Jordan River

When God gave the ten commandments to Moses, God also had the Hebrew people build a beautiful box. The ten commandments were kept in this box called the ark of the covenant. The covenant was God’s promise that if the people obeyed Him, He would always be with them and protect them. The ark reminded the Hebrew people of this promise.

When Moses died, God chose Joshua to lead the Hebrew people. You will lead the people across the Jordan River to the land that I have promised you, said God, a land of milk and honey.

Joshua had the people do exactly what God had told him. The priests carried the ark on their shoulders and walked to the Jordan River. The people followed them. As soon as the priests stepped in the Jordan River, the water stopped flowing. The whole nation of Hebrew people walked across the river on dry land as the priests stood in the middle of the river.

God had Joshua choose one man from each of the twelve Hebrew tribes. Each man picked up a large stone from the middle of the river and put it on his shoulder. They carried the stones back to the camp and Joshua arranged them as a monument. The stones would always remind them how God had stopped the Jordan River.

When the priests came out of the river, it began flowing again, and the priests carried the ark to their camp.

SCENE 2 – The Walls of Jericho

When the kings in this land heard how God had stopped the Jordan River, they became very afraid. In the city of Jericho, near where the Hebrews were camped, they shut the gates to the city and no one could come in or go out, because there were tall walls all around the city.

God told Joshua that he would give them the city of Jericho, if the people did exactly what He told them to. Seven priests with seven trumpets would march ahead of the ark of the covenant carried by other priests. The people would follow them. They would march around the city of Jericho.

On the first day, they all marched once around the city just as God had told them and then went back to their camp. On the second day, they also marched around the city just once.

They did this for six days. On the seventh day, they marched around the city seven times. The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpets, Joshua told the people to shout and all the people shouted. When they shouted the enormous walls of the city came crumbling down.

The people obeyed God and He had given them the land of milk and honey.

THE END