This lesson teaches children that God keeps his promises and protects his people even when wicked people try to destroy them. It suits children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
God never forgets his promises. Even when bad people try to wipe out his family, God keeps his people safe and hidden in his care.
Memory Verse
2 Chronicles 22:12
He was with them hidden in God’s house six years while Athaliah reigned over the land.
(WEB)
Ask children to cup their hands over their eyes like a hiding place, then slowly open their fingers as they say the last part. Repeat the motion together three times so the picture of God keeping someone hidden sticks.
The Story: 2 Chronicles 22 for Kids
Ahaziah became king of Judah, but he was a wicked king who did what was evil in the LORD’s sight. He was only twenty-two years old when he became king, and he ruled for just one year in Jerusalem. His mother, Athaliah, gave him bad advice, and he listened to her.
Ahaziah made a friendship with Joram, the king of Israel, who was also wicked. The two kings went together to fight against Hazael, the king of Syria. Joram was wounded in the battle, so he went home to heal. Ahaziah went to visit him there.
God had decided that Ahaziah’s visit would end badly. Jehu, a man God had chosen to punish the evil house of Ahab, found Ahaziah with the princes of Judah. Jehu caught Ahaziah, who was hiding, and Ahaziah died.
When Athaliah heard that her son was dead, she was very angry and sad. She wanted power for herself, so she ordered the destruction of all the royal children in Judah. It was a terrible and frightening time for God’s people.
But one brave woman named Jehoshabeath, who was the king’s daughter and the wife of the priest Jehoiada, saved one small boy named Joash. She carefully took him away from the danger and hid him. She and her husband kept him hidden in the house of God for six whole years.
God kept little Joash safe during those years. Athaliah ruled the land, but God was still working, and his plan was not stopped by the wicked queen.
Read It Together
2 Chronicles 22:3-4
3 He also walked in the ways of Ahab’s house, because his mother was his counselor in acting wickedly. 4 He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, as did Ahab’s house, for they were his counselors after the death of his father, to his destruction.
(WEB)
Point out that Ahaziah followed bad advice from people who did not love God. Explain to children that choosing friends who obey God helps us make good choices, and ask who gives us good advice at home or church.
2 Chronicles 22:11
But Jehoshabeath, the king’s daughter, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stealthily rescued him from among the king’s sons who were slain, and put him and his nurse in the bedroom. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of king Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest (for she was the sister of Ahaziah), hid him from Athaliah, so that she didn’t kill him.
(WEB)
Show children how Jehoshabeath acted quickly and bravely to protect a little boy in danger. Tell them that God often works through ordinary people who choose to do the right thing, even when it is hard.
2 Chronicles 22:9
He sought Ahaziah, and they caught him (now he was hiding in Samaria), and they brought him to Jehu, and killed him; and they buried him, for they said, “He is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart.” The house of Ahaziah had no power to hold the kingdom.
(WEB)
Point out the words saying Ahaziah was the son of a king who sought the LORD with all his heart. Explain that a family’s faith does not decide everything, but it can teach us how to love God, and each person still chooses for himself.
Talk About It
- Why do you think Ahaziah listened to his mother when she gave him bad advice?
- What was Jehoshabeath brave to do, and what might have been scary about it?
- How did God keep little Joash safe even though the wicked queen was looking for him?
- Who are the grown-ups in your life who help you make good choices?
- What is one way you can trust God when things around you feel scary or unfair?
Activity Ideas
Hidden Treasure Drawing
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and a few small household items like a sock or a box. Have each child draw a picture of a safe hiding place, such as a cozy room or a tall tower, and add a small drawing of a child tucked inside. Talk together about how God is our safe hiding place, and let children color their pictures while they tell what makes them feel safe.
Shepherd Hide and Seek
You will need a blindfold or a towel and a few stuffed animals or small toys. One child hides the toys around the room while another child closes their eyes and counts to twenty. When the searching child finds a toy, they say something God does to keep us safe, such as “God protects us.” Play a few rounds so every child gets a turn to search and to hide.
Take-Home Safe Box
You will need a small paper bag or envelope, a sticky note, and a pencil for each child. Ask children to write or draw one way God keeps them safe on the sticky note and place it inside the bag. Encourage families to read the notes together at dinner or bedtime, reminding children that God watches over them every day.
Teacher Notes
This passage shows that God’s promises do not depend on human power or wicked rulers. Even when evil seems to win for a time, God’s purposes move forward, and he preserves the line through which the Messiah would come. Adults can see in Joash’s hidden survival a reminder that God faithfully guards his people through dark seasons.
Be careful not to overstate the details of the story to children, such as suggesting that every bad choice brings immediate punishment or that children must always be rescued from danger. Keep the focus on God’s faithfulness and on the courage of people like Jehoshabeath, rather than promising that God will always shield them from every hardship.
A Prayer to Close
Lord, thank you that you keep your promises and protect your people. Help us trust you when things feel scary, and help us choose good friends and good advice. Thank you for hiding us safely in your care every day. Amen.
