In 2 Kings 18, King Hezekiah trusts the LORD even when a powerful enemy army surrounds Jerusalem, and children can learn that God is faithful when we feel afraid. This lesson suits children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
God is strong, and we can trust him even when something scary is coming. Good kings and good people look to God first, not to their own strength.
Memory Verse
Psalm 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth.”
(WEB)
Hold both hands up with palms facing out, like a stop sign, when you say “Be still.” Then slowly bring your hands down to your heart as you say “and know that I am God.” Do this together three times until the motion and the words stick.
The Story: 2 Kings 18 for Kids
Long ago in the land of Judah, a young king named Hezekiah became king in Jerusalem. He was twenty-five years old, and he loved God with all his heart. He did what was right in the LORD’s eyes, just like his father David had done. He tore down the places where people had been wrongly worshiping idols, and he smashed a bronze snake that the people had started to worship instead of God.
Hezekiah trusted the LORD more than any king before him. God was with him, and everywhere he went, he was successful. He even refused to serve the king of Assyria, who was a very powerful and cruel ruler.
Later, the Assyrian king Sennacherib came with a huge army and took many of the fortified cities of Judah. Hezekiah was worried, so he sent a message saying, “I have done wrong. Please leave my land, and I will pay whatever you ask.” Hezekiah even gave him silver from the LORD’s house and gold from the temple doors to try to make peace.
But the king of Assyria did not keep his word. He sent his officers to Jerusalem with a great army, and their spokesman, Rabshakeh, stood by the wall and shouted, “Do not let Hezekiah tell you that his God will save you!” He tried to make the people give up hope and trust in him instead of in the LORD.
Hezekiah’s officers came back to him with their clothes torn in sadness, and they told him everything the enemy had said. Hezekiah did not panic, and he did not answer with his own cleverness. He trusted God to fight for them.
Read It Together
2 Kings 18:5-6
5 He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel; so that after him was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among them that were before him. 6 For he joined with the LORD. He didn’t depart from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses.
(WEB)
Point out how the Bible says Hezekiah trusted the LORD and kept his commandments. Ask children what it means to trust someone, and how trusting God is like trusting a parent who keeps every promise.
2 Kings 18:7
The LORD was with him. Wherever he went, he prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria, and didn’t serve him.
(WEB)
Show that the LORD was with Hezekiah and helped him succeed. Explain that God does not always make life easy, but he is always with his people wherever they go.
2 Kings 18:36
But the people stayed quiet, and answered him not a word; for the king’s commandment was, “Don’t answer him.”
(WEB)
Tell children that the people stayed quiet when the enemy shouted at them. Talk about how sometimes the best response to a loud, scary voice is to stay calm and wait for God to act.
Talk About It
- What did King Hezekiah do when he was scared of the enemy army?
- Why do you think Hezekiah tore down the bronze snake that people had started to worship?
- What are some things that make you feel scared, and how can God help you with them?
- How did the enemy try to get the people of Jerusalem to stop trusting God?
- What is one way you can show God that you trust him this week?
Activity Ideas
Paper Plate Shield Craft
You will need a paper plate, markers, crayons, and tape or a craft stick. Have each child decorate the plate and write “God is my shield” or draw a picture of something God protects them from. Tape the plate to the stick so they can carry it around as a reminder that God protects them when they feel afraid.
Walls and Trust Game
Set up a few cushions or chairs as a “wall” around one side of the room. Have children take turns being Hezekiah, standing behind the wall while others shout pretend scary messages from the outside. Each time, the child answers by saying “The LORD is with us” and sitting calmly. Talk about how trusting God helps us stay steady.
Take-Home Trust Jar
Give each family a clean jar, a marker, and a stack of small paper slips. Ask them to write one fear on each slip, then place the slips in the jar and pray over them together during the week. Each time they pray, they can take one slip out and throw it away, showing that God is bigger than their worries.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that faithful leadership begins with trust in God rather than in military strength or political deals. Hezekiah’s reforms and his refusal to bow to Assyria reveal a heart that looks first to the LORD, and the enemy’s taunts show how fear can be used to pull God’s people away from him.
Be careful not to suggest to children that trusting God means nothing bad will ever happen to them. The story shows that Jerusalem faced a terrible threat, and the faithfulness of God means he is with his people in danger, not that they are guaranteed to escape every hardship.
A Prayer to Close
Lord, when we feel scared, help us remember that you are strong and you are with us. Help us trust you like King Hezekiah did, and stay calm when we hear loud and frightening voices. Thank you for always being faithful to us. Amen.
