This lesson teaches children that God wants people to be fair, to tell the truth, and to care about what is right, even when it is hard. It is best for ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes, including the story, questions, and a short activity.
Big Idea
God wants us to be fair and tell the truth, because He cares about people and about doing what is right.
Memory Verse
Deuteronomy 19:13
Your eye shall not pity him, but you shall purge the innocent blood from Israel that it may go well with you.
(WEB)
Place one hand over your heart, then hold up both hands with palms open, as if you are weighing two sides of a story. Say the verse together while you move, and ask children to show you what “fair” looks like.
The Story: Deuteronomy 19 for Kids
God was preparing the people of Israel to enter a new land, a land full of towns and homes. Moses reminded them that God would give them this good land. Before they settled in, God gave them some important instructions about how to treat one another.
God told the people to set apart three special cities where a person could run for safety. Sometimes a person might cause someone’s death by accident, like a man whose axe head flew off the handle while he was chopping wood. That person was not meant to be punished the same way as someone who had done something wicked on purpose. The city gave him a safe place to stay while the truth was found out.
God also knew that people can be dishonest. He told the people that they must not lie about their neighbors. If someone told a false story to hurt another person, the judges would look carefully into what really happened. God said, “So you shall remove the evil from among you.” The people were to deal honestly with everyone.
God wanted His people to be a community where everyone could be safe and where truth mattered. He cared about every person, from the one who made a mistake to the one who was wronged. Fairness and honesty were ways to show that they belonged to Him.
Read It Together
Deuteronomy 19:1-3
1 When the LORD your God cuts off the nations whose land the LORD your God gives you, and you succeed them and dwell in their cities and in their houses; 2 you shall set apart three cities for yourselves in the middle of your land, which the LORD your God gives you to possess it. 3 You shall prepare the way, and divide the borders of your land which the LORD your God causes you to inherit into three parts, that every man slayer may flee there.
(WEB)
Point out that God was giving the people a land and a place to live. Ask children what a safe place feels like to them, and connect that to the cities God set apart for safety.
Deuteronomy 19:15
One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sins. At the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a matter be established.
(WEB)
Explain that God wanted the truth to be known clearly, not guessed at or made up. Show children how important it is to tell the truth and to be sure before we accuse someone.
Deuteronomy 19:18-19
18 And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and behold, if the witness is a false witness, and has testified falsely against his brother; 19 then you shall do to him as he had thought to do to his brother. So you shall remove the evil from among you.
(WEB)
Help children see that God wants liars to face the consequences of their lies, and that He wants the truth to win. Remind them that God is always watching over what is right.
Talk About It
- Why do you think God wanted the people to have safe cities where someone could run to?
- What is one way you can show fairness to a friend or classmate this week?
- How does it feel when someone tells a lie about you, and why is the truth so important?
- What does it mean that God cares about every person, even the ones who make mistakes?
- When you are not sure what really happened, what could you do instead of guessing or blaming someone?
Activity Ideas
Draw a Safe City
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and tape. Ask each child to draw a town with a big wall or gate around a small area labeled “Safe Place.” Inside the wall, have them draw people sitting together peacefully. Talk about how God’s city was a place of care and protection, and let children explain their drawings to the group.
Balance the Truth
You will need a kitchen scale or a balance made from a coat hanger and two paper cups, plus small items like coins or pebbles. Let children place a “true” object in one cup and a “false” object in the other, and watch which side tips. Explain that God wants the truth to weigh the most, and ask children how they can make sure what they say is true.
Fair Promise Card
You will need index cards, a pencil, and a fridge or bulletin board. Have each child write or draw one way they will be fair or honest this week, such as sharing turns or telling the truth about a mistake. Tape the cards where the family can see them, and check in together at the end of the week about how it went.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that God’s law balances mercy and justice. He provides refuge for those who harm others accidentally, while insisting that truth be established carefully and that false witnesses face consequences. The passage reveals a God who cares deeply about how communities treat one another and about the protection of innocent life.
With children, avoid suggesting that the cities of refuge or the harsh penalties described here are direct models for how society should handle crime today. Keep the focus on God’s heart for fairness, honesty, and safety, and gently explain that the specific laws belonged to Israel’s time and place.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank You for caring about what is fair and true. Help us to tell the truth, to be kind and honest with our friends, and to treat everyone with care. Thank You that You keep us safe and that You always see what is right. Please help us to love You and to walk in Your ways every day. Amen.
