14- The Sin of Achan the Son of Carmi

In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, One God, Amen

Lesson No. (14)

References:
Joshua 7:1-26.

Notes for Servants
-The people ofGod won victory over Jericho, the great city, but they could not stand before Ai the
small town because there were devoted things in the midst of them. This is a lesson for us. Many
times we submit ourselves to God and receive miraculous victory, but we soon think that our piety
and hard work enables us to lead a life of holiness so we fall before the smallest scene or sin or lust.
i The secret of our failure in all our life often seems as if it were simple. Let us glorify the Lord all
the time and thank Him so that He may give us victory and triumph.
Objectives
General: The punishment of sin.
Specific:
The children will be able to ...
A. Know that God did not tolerate sin and punishment was sever.
B. Understand that the Law was known to people as will as punishment.
C. Learn that in the New Testament God gave us the sacrament of confession and the
punishment for who does not confess the eternal death.

Bible Verse

" Neither will I be with you any more,
except ye destroy the accursed from among you. "
(Joshua 7:12)

Teaching Aids
1. Felt figure and flannel board.
2. Video.

Instruction
(1) Review last week's lesson.
(2) Who remembers the verse?
(3) Remind the children about the church occasions for the coming week.

Story Time
The ancient people gained victory in wars with the power of God and through their obedience to
His commandments. When they came to the small town of Ai, the spies said, "Let not all the people go up,
but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not make the whole people toil up there,
for they are but a few." So, about three thousand went up there from the people, and they fled from the
men of Ai, and the men of Ai killed about thirty-six men of them and chased them, and slew them, and the
hearts of the people melted and became as water. This was surprising. There must have been a reason
for that defeat. Then Joshua tore his clothes off in grief and threw himself to the ground before the Lord.
He prayed to God. The Lord said to him, "Arise, why have you thus fallen upon your face? Israel has
sinned, they have transgressed My covenant which I commanded them, they have taken some of the
devoted things, they have stolen and lied, and put them among their own stuff. I will be with you no more."
(Here the children repeat the verse).
So, Joshua rose early in the morning and searched for the man who was the cause of the trouble.
He found out who he was and the man confessed that he had stolen. His name was Achan the son of
Carmi. The man said, "I have sinned against the Lord, God of Israel, and this is what I did. When I saw
among the spoil a beautiful mantle from Shinar, and two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold
weighing fifty shekels, then I coveted them and took them, and behold they are hidden in the earth inside
my tent, with the silver underneath.
1. Who led the people?
2. How many men went to Ai?
3. Did they win victory? Why?
4. What was Achan's sin?
5. Do you say to the Lord, "forgive me" when you sin?
6. Who can say the verse?
So, Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent, and behold, it was hidden in his tent with
silver underneath. They took them out of the tent and brought them to Joshua and all the people of Israel,
and they laid them down before the Lord. Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan and the silver and the
mantle and the bar of gold and his sons and daughters, and his oxen and asses and sheep, and his tent and
all that he had, and they brought them up to the valley of Achor and all Israel stoned them with stones.
They burnt them with fire till they died and they raised over them a great heap of stones. This is the
punishment of sin.
1. What did they do with Achan?
2. What was the punishment of sin?

Discussion
1 - Follow up the story by talking about it with the children.
2 - Continue the discussion while they do the activity.

Learning Activities
Activity Sheet.