This lesson teaches children that God sees everything people do, even when no one else does, and that he keeps his promises. It suits children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
God sees every choice we make, and he always keeps his word. Nothing bad that happens in secret is hidden from him.
Memory Verse
Proverbs 15:3
The LORD’s eyes are everywhere, keeping watch on the evil and the good.
(WEB)
Have children cup both hands over their eyes, then slowly open their fingers and point up to heaven. Say the verse together while you point, so the motion reminds them that God is always watching and always near.
The Story: 1 Kings 16 for Kids
Long ago, God’s people lived in the land of Israel, and they had a series of kings. A man named Baasha was king, and he did many wrong things. God sent a prophet named Jehu to tell Baasha that God was not pleased. The prophet warned that Baasha’s family would be swept away because of their sin.
After Baasha died, his son Elah became king. Elah was not a good king either. One day, while Elah was drinking at a friend’s house in Tirzah, his servant Zimri came in and struck him down. Then Zimri became king and wiped out the whole family of Baasha, just as God’s word had said would happen.
But Zimri did not reign for long. The army was camped nearby, and when the soldiers heard what Zimri had done, they chose their captain, Omri, to be their king instead. Omri’s soldiers marched to Tirzah. When Zimri saw that the city had been taken, he went into the king’s house and set it on fire, and he died there.
The people of Israel were now split. Half followed a man named Tibni, and half followed Omri. Omri’s side won, and Tibni died. Omri became king and bought a hill called Samaria, where he built a new city. He was not a good king, though. The Bible says he walked in the same sinful ways as Jeroboam long before him.
Then Omri’s son Ahab became king. Ahab did more evil than all the kings before him. He married a woman named Jezebel, and together they worshiped Baal, a false god, and built an altar for him. God saw all of it, and his word would still be true.
Read It Together
1 Kings 16:2
“Because I exalted you out of the dust, and made you prince over my people Israel, and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam, and have made my people Israel to sin, to provoke me to anger with their sins…
(WEB)
Point out that God spoke to Baasha through Jehu and reminded him that God had made him king. Ask children what a kind king would do with a gift like that, and explain that Baasha chose to do wrong instead.
1 Kings 16:11-12
11 When he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne, he attacked all the house of Baasha. He didn’t leave him a single one who urinates on a wall among his relatives or his friends. 12 Thus Zimri destroyed all the house of Baasha, according to the LORD’s word, which he spoke against Baasha by Jehu the prophet…
(WEB)
Show children that God’s word came true, even though it took time. Explain that when people choose wrong, the results can reach their whole family, and that God still keeps his promises.
1 Kings 16:33
Ahab made the Asherah; and Ahab did more yet to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.
(WEB)
Help children see that Ahab chose to provoke God more than anyone before him. Remind them that every choice matters to God, and that he always invites us to turn back to him.
Talk About It
- What do you think it means that God saw what Zimri did, even though no one else knew?
- Why is it important that God keeps his promises, even when we don’t see them happen right away?
- What are some ways we can choose to honor God when no one else is watching?
- How do you think the people of Israel felt when their kings kept making bad choices?
- What is one thing you can do this week to follow God instead of doing what is wrong?
Activity Ideas
Watching Eyes Drawing
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and a pencil. Ask each child to draw a large pair of eyes in the middle of the paper, then draw small pictures of things people do in their daily lives around the edges, such as making a bed or sharing a toy. Explain that the eyes stand for God, who sees all of it. Let children share their pictures with the class.
Hide and Seek with God Sees
Play a simple game of hide and seek. One child hides while the others count, then the seeker finds the hider. Afterward, talk about how the hider could not hide from the seekers, and remind children that nothing can be hidden from God. You can also pause during the game to say a short thank you prayer for God seeing us.
Watching Reminder Card
Give each child an index card, a marker, and a sticker or a small picture of an eye. Have them write the words “God sees me” on one side and decorate the other side with the eye sticker. Encourage them to keep the card in a pocket, backpack, or on their bedside table as a reminder to choose what pleases God at home and at school.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that God is aware of every ruler, every choice, and every family. The reign of kings in Israel often went from bad to worse, and God’s word through the prophets held true. Readers can take comfort that God’s justice is certain even when history seems chaotic.
With children, avoid suggesting that God is only watching to catch us doing wrong. Frame his watching as loving attention, the same way a parent keeps an eye on a child because they care deeply about them.
A Prayer to Close
Lord, thank you for seeing everything we do and for loving us when no one else knows. Help us choose what is right, even when no one is watching. Thank you that you always keep your word and always stay close to us. Amen.
