This lesson teaches children that God wants families to come back together and that he helps us make peace when we have been hurt or have hurt someone. It is made for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes, including the story, the verses, and the activity.
Big Idea
God loves families and wants to help us bring people back home. When someone is sad or far away, we can ask God to help us find a way to make things right.
Memory Verse
2 Samuel 14:14
For we must die, and are like water spilled on the ground, which can’t be gathered up again; neither does God take away life, but devises means, that he who is banished not be an outcast from him.
(WEB)
Teach the children to put both hands on their hearts, then slowly open their arms wide, like a door opening to let someone come home. Say the verse together while you move, and do it three times until everyone is smiling and moving along.
The Story: 2 Samuel 14 for Kids
Once there was a king named David. His son Absalom had done something very wrong, and David was sad and angry. Absalom had run far away to a country called Geshur, and he had stayed there for a long time. David missed him, but he did not go to find him.
Joab was a man who worked for the king, and he knew David’s heart was still sad about Absalom. So Joab found a wise woman from a town called Tekoa. He told her to dress like a woman in mourning, with sad clothes and no oil on her face, and to go to the king and tell him a story.
The woman went to the king and said, “Please help me, O king! My husband is dead, and my two sons had a fight in a field. One son was killed, and now the rest of my family wants to punish my other son for it. Then I will have no one left to carry on my husband’s name.” David said, “Go home, and I will make sure no one hurts your son.”
Then the woman said something wise to the king. She told him that God does not throw away people who are far away, but finds a way to bring them back. She said, “Why do you keep your own son far from you?” The king began to understand that his heart needed to change.
David called for Joab and told him, “Go and bring Absalom home.” Joab was so happy that he bowed down and thanked the king. He went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem.
But the story is not finished yet. Absalom came home, but the king did not want to see him right away. For two years, Absalom lived in Jerusalem without seeing his father’s face, and his heart was still far away.
Read It Together
2 Samuel 14:1
Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was toward Absalom.
(WEB)
Point out that Joab saw that the king’s heart was still turned toward his son. Ask the children how they think David was feeling while he missed Absalom, and remind them that God sees our hearts too.
2 Samuel 14:11
Then she said, “Please let the king remember the LORD your God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son.” He said, “As the LORD lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the earth.”
(WEB)
Show the children that the woman asked the king to remember the Lord. Explain that when we are worried about someone we love, we can ask God to protect them and keep them safe.
2 Samuel 14:21
The king said to Joab, “Behold now, I have done this thing. Go therefore, and bring the young man Absalom back.”
(WEB)
Point out the moment David finally says yes to bringing his son home. Talk about how forgiving someone can take courage, and how it makes a family happy when it happens.
Talk About It
- Why do you think the king was sad even though his son was still alive?
- How did the wise woman help the king see what he needed to do?
- Can you remember a time when you were far away from someone you loved? How did it feel?
- What is one thing you can do to help someone feel welcome at home or at school?
- How can we ask God to help us when we need to say sorry or forgive someone?
Activity Ideas
Draw a Homecoming Picture
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and a pencil. Ask each child to draw a picture of a family happily together, perhaps with a father welcoming a child home. Let them write a short sentence on the bottom, such as “God brings us home.” Hang the drawings where everyone can see them during the week.
Door Open, Door Closed
You will need a sheet of paper taped to a wall or chair to act as a door, and a small toy or stuffed animal to be the “returning” friend. Have the children take turns holding the door closed, then slowly opening it while they say the memory verse. Each child can take a turn being the one who opens the door to welcome someone back.
Welcome Home Card
You will need a piece of paper folded in half, crayons, and a stamp or sticker if you have one. Ask each child to make a card for someone at home, like a parent, grandparent, or sibling, that says something kind and welcoming. Encourage them to give the card to that person during the week and to tell them, “God loves our family.”
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that reconciliation is a process that often needs wise counsel, honest words, and a willing heart from those in authority. The story reminds us that God is interested in restoring broken relationships, and that he uses people like the wise woman to speak truth. It also shows that God is not careless with life, and he desires that the outcast be brought back.
Avoid overstating to children that every family conflict will be resolved quickly or that forgiveness always comes right away. The story itself shows that David’s reconciliation with Absalom was incomplete and difficult, and it is wise to be honest about how real relationships can take time to heal.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank you for loving our families and for wanting us to be together. Help us to be kind and forgiving when someone has hurt us, and help us to bring people back home when they are far away. Be with everyone we love, and help us to remember that you are always with us. Amen.
