Especially for Younger Students: Mercy and Justice

Learning Goal: Students will examine Caleb’s courageous faithfulness in God’s promises.

Divide students into two groups. Give each group a dictionary or allow students to use their smartphones to find definitions for the following words: mercy and justice. While students are searching, write Mercy on one side of the board and Justice on the other side. Invite students to share the definitions they found for these words, writing the definitions in the appropriate space on the board. Next, encourage groups to brainstorm synonyms for each word. (Synonyms for mercy include compassion, pity, forgiveness, and sympathy. People don’t receive what they deserve when they’re shown mercy. Synonyms for justice include fairness, impartiality, honesty, and rightfulness. People suffer consequences for their sins when they receive justice.) Ask: Are these two words different or the same? Ask: How is it possible for God to show mercy and justice at the same time?

Instruct groups to skim over Numbers 14:20–38 to answer the following questions:

Group 1: How did God show mercy to the following groups of people?

• The Israelites? (God forgave them and did not immediately kill them.)
• Joshua and Caleb? (God didn’t let them die of the plague.)

Group 2: How did He show justice to these groups of people?

• The Israelites? (He did not allow the current generation to enter the Promised Land. They wandered in the desert for 40 more years. They died in the desert.)
• The 10 spies? (They died of a plague.)
• Joshua and Caleb? (God allowed them to enter the Promised Land. Their descendants inherited the land. They were given life.)

Enlist another student to read Numbers 14:11–19 out loud. Say: God had revealed His character to Moses, and Moses offered God’s own words back to Him in prayer: “The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion.” Remind students that God showed His ultimate act of mercy and justice when Christ died on the cross for our sins.

Ask: How did God show mercy through Christ’s sacrifice? (Christ died in our place. Because of His sacrifice, we experience God’s mercy.) How did God show justice through Christ’s sacrifice? (Sin has to be paid for because God is a holy, righteous God. Christ bore our sins and made us right—just—before God.) Make sure they understand that Christ’s sacrifice satisfied God’s wrath against sin when Christ died on our behalf—this was God’s justice. Remind them that the consequence of sin is death, and Christ’s death on our behalf is the reason God has eternal mercy on us.