This lesson teaches children that God cares about His house and that people who work faithfully for Him can be trusted with what they are given. It suits children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes, including the story, a short discussion, and one activity.
Big Idea
God’s house matters, and when people give and work faithfully, God’s work gets done well. Honest helpers make God happy.
Memory Verse
2 Kings 12:15
Moreover they didn’t demand an accounting from the men into whose hand they delivered the money to give to those who did the work; for they dealt faithfully.
(WEB)
Hold both hands out flat, palms up, as if carrying a heavy box. Lower them slowly as you say the words, then lift them back up to show that the workers were trusted with the money. Have the children copy you three times until they can say it along with the motions.
The Story: 2 Kings 12 for Kids
A young king named Jehoash became king of Judah when he was only a child. He ruled in Jerusalem for forty years. Jehoash loved God, and he did what was right while his teacher, the priest Jehoiada, was helping him. Jehoiada showed the young king how to follow God.
King Jehoash noticed that God’s house in Jerusalem, the Temple, was cracked and falling apart. He said to the priests, “Take the money people bring to God’s house and use it to fix the damage.” The people had given money to God, and the king wanted it spent on repairs.
But years went by, and the priests still had not fixed the Temple. So the king called for Jehoiada and the other priests. He asked them, “Why haven’t you repaired the house? Stop taking money from the people and use it for the repairs.” The priests agreed to stop taking the money, but they still did nothing with it.
Then Jehoiada had a clever idea. He took a big chest, cut a hole in the lid, and set it beside the altar where people walked into the Temple. Every person who came in could put money into the chest. When the chest was full, the king’s secretary and the high priest counted the money and handed it to the workers.
The workers were carpenters, builders, masons, and stone cutters. They bought wood and cut stone and fixed every crack in God’s house. The workers were honest, so no one had to check up on them. Their work was faithful, and the Temple was made strong again.
Later, a sad thing happened to Jehoash. Some of his own servants made a plan against him, and they struck him down. When he died, he was buried with his fathers in David’s city, and his son Amaziah became king.
Read It Together
2 Kings 12:2
Jehoash did that which was right in the LORD’s eyes all his days in which Jehoiada the priest instructed him.
(WEB)
Point out that Jehoash did right “all his days” while Jehoiada taught him. Explain that a good teacher can help a child grow in following God, and ask the children who has helped them learn about God.
2 Kings 12:9
But Jehoiada the priest took a chest, and bored a hole in its lid, and set it beside the altar, on the right side as one comes into the LORD’s house; and the priests who kept the threshold put all the money that was brought into the LORD’s house into it.
(WEB)
Show the children the clever chest and explain that it had a hole so that everyone could give. Point out that God wanted every person to have a place to help with His work, no matter how small their gift.
2 Kings 12:11-12
11 They gave the money that was weighed out into the hands of those who did the work, who had the oversight of the LORD’s house; and they paid it out to the carpenters and the builders, who worked on the LORD’s house, 12 and to the masons and the stone cutters, and for buying timber and cut stone to repair the damage to the LORD’s house, and for all that was laid out for the house to repair it.
(WEB)
Read slowly and name each kind of worker you hear: carpenters, builders, masons, and stone cutters. Explain that many different people working together made the Temple strong, and that every helper was important.
Talk About It
- What did the people bring to God’s house, and why do you think they wanted to help?
- Why did the king want the priests to fix the damage to God’s house?
- What was clever about the chest with a hole in its lid?
- How can you take care of the place where you go to learn about God?
- What is one way you can be honest and faithful to the people who trust you?
Activity Ideas
Build a Temple Out of Blocks
You will need empty cereal boxes, tape, markers, and a few paper towel tubes. Have the children build a small Temple together and draw cracks on the walls with a marker. Then let them “repair” the cracks with paper scraps and tape, talking about how each worker helped. Finish by setting the finished Temple on a table where everyone can see it.
The Offering Chest Game
You will need a shoebox with a slot cut in the lid, a bag of pennies or paper coins, and a bell. Line the children up and have them walk past the box one at a time to drop in a coin. When the bell rings, count the coins together out loud, then pretend to hand them to the workers. Remind the children that God’s work depends on everyone giving.
Take-Home Faithful Helper Card
You will need index cards, crayons, and a hole punch with string. Ask each child to draw a picture of a faithful helper, such as a builder or a teacher, and write or dictate one way they can be faithful this week. Punch a hole, tie on the string, and send the card home so the family can talk about it at dinner.
Teacher Notes
This passage shows that God cares about the places where His people meet and worship, and that He values honest, careful work done for Him. For adults, it also highlights that leaders must follow through on what they promise, since the priests delayed the repairs for years. The chest solved the problem by making giving simple and open, and the workers were trusted to spend it faithfully.
Avoid suggesting to children that God’s work depends on how much money they give or that they can earn God’s favor with coins. The lesson is about honest helping and faithful giving, not a formula that guarantees anything.
A Prayer to Close
Lord, thank You for Your house and for all the helpers who make Your work strong. Help us to be honest and faithful, and to give what we can with a happy heart. Teach us to take care of the places where we learn about You. Amen.
