In this lesson, children learn that God knows and remembers every family, even the ones that seem hard to keep track of. The chapter is a long list of family names, so it works best with kids ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes. Keep the energy high and let the children help you find the names.
Big Idea
God knows every person in every family, and nobody is forgotten. Even when a list seems long and boring, God pays attention to each name.
Memory Verse
1 Chronicles 7:2
The sons of Tola: Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam, and Shemuel, heads of their fathers’ houses, of Tola; mighty men of valor in their generations. Their number in the days of David was twenty-two thousand six hundred.
(WEB)
Teach the children to hold both hands up and wiggle their fingers slowly, like counting people one by one. Each time they say the word “names,” they should wiggle again. This helps them remember that God counts each person carefully.
The Story: 1 Chronicles 7 for Kids
Long ago, God’s people lived in the land He had given them. The families were large, and each tribe kept careful track of who belonged to which family. A man named Tola was the leader of a big family from the tribe of Issachar. His sons were brave and strong, and they helped their people.
Next, the story moves to the tribe of Benjamin. Bela, Becher, and Jediael each had sons, and the men in these families were mighty warriors. The people counted them all, because God’s people needed brave helpers. One of the men in this list was named Bilhan, and he had many sons of his own.
The story also tells about Ephraim, a man who was very sad. Some men had hurt his family, and he mourned for a long time. His brothers came to comfort him. Then God gave Ephraim another son, and Ephraim named him Beriah, which reminded him of the trouble his house had faced. God was still with the family, even in hard days.
The chapter ends with the tribe of Asher. Its sons were choice and mighty men, leaders among the princes of their people. Their names were written down so everyone would know who they were. Every family in the chapter had a place in God’s plan.
Read It Together
1 Chronicles 7:20-21
20 The sons of Ephraim: Shuthelah, Bered his son, Tahath his son, Eleadah his son, Tahath his son, 21 Zabad his son, Shuthelah his son, Ezer, and Elead, whom the men of Gath who were born in the land killed, because they came down to take away their livestock.
(WEB)
Point out how Ephraim’s family line is listed one name after another. Explain that even a sad story was remembered, because God keeps track of every person and every hard moment.
1 Chronicles 7:23
He went in to his wife, and she conceived, and bore a son, and he named him Beriah, because there was trouble with his house.
(WEB)
Show the children how Ephraim gave his son a name that told the story of his trouble. Explain that God can bring new life and hope into hard times, just as He did for this family.
1 Chronicles 7:40
All these were the children of Asher, heads of the fathers’ houses, choice and mighty men of valor, chief of the princes. The number of them listed by genealogy for service in war was twenty-six thousand men.
(WEB)
Point out the words “choice and mighty men of valor.” Explain that God values each person in His family, and each one has a part to play.
Talk About It
- Why do you think God wanted the names of all these families written down?
- How did Ephraim feel when his family was hurt, and who came to help him?
- What is one way you can show someone that they matter to you?
- Even when a list seems long, what does it tell us about how God sees each person?
- What is one hard time in your family that God still cares about?
Activity Ideas
Family Name Tree Drawing
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and a pencil. Have each child draw a simple tree with branches. On the trunk, they write their own name, and on the branches they write or draw the names of family members they know. Talk together about how God knows every name on the tree, just as He knew every name in the chapter.
Counting Names Movement Game
You will need a open space and a few soft objects such as stuffed animals or balls. Call out a name from the chapter, such as Tola or Bilhan, and have the children stand up tall. Then ask them to count together out loud as they pass one object from person to person. This shows that every person is counted and remembered.
Take-Home Name Card
You will need index cards, a pen, and a small piece of string or ribbon. Help each child write their full name on a card and punch a hole in the corner. They tie the ribbon through it and wear it or hang it at home. Encourage them to tell a family member, “God knows my name,” as they show it to them.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows how God’s people were carefully recorded in history, with every tribe and family accounted for. The long lists reveal that God’s plan involves real people with real stories, including joy, loss, and courage. Each name matters in God’s eyes, and the chapter reminds us that God works through ordinary families across generations.
Avoid overstating the lesson for children by suggesting that God always gives a family a happy ending or that hard things will quickly disappear. Ephraim’s story includes real grief, and it is important to let children know that God is with us in sadness, even when we do not understand why hard things happen.
A Prayer to Close
Dear Father, thank You for knowing every one of our names. Help us remember that You see each person in our families and never forget us. When times are hard, help us trust that You are still with us. Amen.
