Deuteronomy 1 teaches children that God keeps His promises even when His people are scared and forget to trust Him. Children aged about 5 to 11 can follow this lesson, and it takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach with discussion and an activity.
Big Idea
God is faithful. He keeps His promises, even when we are afraid or make mistakes, so we can trust Him and be brave.
Memory Verse
Deuteronomy 1:30
The LORD your God who goes before you, he will fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes…
(WEB)
Teach the children to point forward with one finger, then open both hands wide in front of them, as if they are showing God going ahead to fight for them. Say the verse together three times, pointing and opening your hands each time.
The Story: Deuteronomy 1 for Kids
Long ago, the people of Israel had been wandering in the wilderness for many years. Moses stood up to speak to all of them, and he told them the things God had said to them. Moses reminded them that God had brought them a long way, and that they were very close to the land God had promised to give them.
God had told them to get up and keep going toward that land. But Moses was tired. He said, “I cannot carry all of your problems by myself.” So he asked the people to pick wise and good leaders from each tribe. Some were captains over thousands, some over hundreds, some over fifty, and some over ten. These leaders helped Moses judge the people fairly.
Next, twelve men went to look at the land. They came back carrying huge grapes and other fruit. Ten of the men said, “The people in the land are big and strong, and their cities are very big!” But two men, Joshua and Caleb, said, “God is with us, and we can go in!”
The people listened to the fearful report and started to complain. They said God hated them and had brought them out of Egypt just to be destroyed. They did not trust God to keep His promise. Moses reminded them, “Don’t be afraid of them. The LORD your God will fight for you, just as He did in Egypt. He carried you the whole way, like a father carries his child.” But the people still did not believe.
Because the people refused to trust God, they did not enter the land at that time. God said that Caleb and Joshua would go in, but the people who had doubted would not. Later, when the people decided to go up and fight without God’s help, they were chased away by their enemies. They wept before the LORD, but He did not listen to them then, and they stayed in Kadesh for many days.
Read It Together
Deuteronomy 1:6-8
6 “The LORD our God spoke to us in Horeb, saying, ‘You have lived long enough at this mountain. 7 Turn, and take your journey, and go to the hill country of the Amorites, and to all the places near there, in the Arabah, in the hill country, in the lowland, in the South, by the seashore, in the land of the Canaanites, and in Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates. 8 Behold, I have set the land before you. Go in and possess the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to them and to their offspring after them.’”
(WEB)
Point out that God told His people they had stayed at the mountain long enough. He was giving them a clear next step and a promise that the land was already theirs to receive. Ask the children to notice how God gives instructions and promises together.
Deuteronomy 1:21
Behold, the LORD your God has set the land before you. Go up, take possession, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has spoken to you. Don’t be afraid, neither be dismayed.”
(WEB)
Show the children the words “Don’t be afraid, neither be dismayed.” Explain that God gives a command and a reason in the same breath. He tells His people not to be afraid because He has already set the land before them.
Deuteronomy 1:36
Except Caleb the son of Jephunneh. He shall see it. I will give the land that he has trodden on to him, and to his children, because he has wholly followed the LORD.”
(WEB)
Point out that Caleb trusted God and wholeheartedly followed Him, even when others did not. Help the children see that God notices and rewards faithfulness, even when a whole group goes the wrong way.
Talk About It
- What made the people in the story feel scared when they looked at the land?
- How did Caleb and Joshua see the same giants and the same cities differently from the other men?
- What did God remind the people that He had already done for them in Egypt?
- Why do you think God wanted His people to trust Him instead of their own feelings?
- When is a time you felt scared, and what helped you remember that God is with you?
Activity Ideas
Draw the Giant Grapes
Give each child a sheet of paper, crayons or markers, and a pencil. Ask them to draw the big cluster of grapes the spies carried back from the land, then draw themselves standing next to it. As they draw, talk about how big God’s promises are, bigger than any fear. Let them write one word on the picture that describes how God helps them feel brave.
Follow the Leader Through the Wilderness
Clear a space in the room or outside and set up a simple path with pillows or chairs. Have one child lead as God’s guide while the others follow closely behind, singing or saying the memory verse together. Remind them that God went before the people with fire and cloud, showing the way. Switch leaders so every child gets a turn.
Trust Walk Take-Home Card
Give each child an index card and a marker. Ask them to write “God goes before me” on one side and draw a small picture of a path or a cloud on the other. Encourage them to carry the card in a pocket or backpack and look at it when they feel worried this week. Suggest they share one thing that helped them feel brave.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that unbelief has real consequences, but it also shows that God’s faithfulness does not depend on our perfect response. Moses recounts the people’s failure honestly, yet God still keeps His word to the next generation and to faithful servants like Caleb and Joshua. The passage invites us to remember God’s past works as the basis for trusting Him now.
Avoid overstating to children that bad feelings mean a person is a bad Christian, or that God will always punish fear immediately. The story is about trusting God when the path looks hard, and children can understand that fear is normal while trust is what God invites. Keep the focus on God’s faithfulness rather than on the people’s failure.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank You for keeping Your promises to us. When we feel scared or unsure, help us remember what You have already done and trust that You are with us. Give us brave hearts like Caleb and Joshua, and help us follow You every day. Amen.
