This lesson teaches children that God cares about fairness, honesty, and looking after people who are weak or treated unfairly. It suits children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes, including the story, verses, and a short activity.
Big Idea
God wants us to be honest, to make things right when we hurt someone, and to take good care of people who need help.
Memory Verse
Exodus 22:21
“You shall not wrong an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.
(WEB)
Put one hand on your heart, then open both hands wide, like you are welcoming a friend. Say the verse together slowly while you do the motions, and repeat it three times.
The Story: Exodus 22 for Kids
God gave His people many rules to help them live well together. Some rules were about things people owned, like oxen, sheep, and fields. If someone took an animal that did not belong to him, he had to pay it back, and even more than it was worth. God wanted people to be honest and to make things right.
God also cared for people who had no one to protect them. He said His people must never be unkind to a stranger who lived among them. God reminded them, “You were strangers in Egypt,” so they should remember how it felt to be treated badly. Widows and orphans had no father or husband to speak for them, so God promised to hear them when they cried out.
God said that if someone lent money to a poor neighbor, he must not charge that neighbor extra money to pay it back. If a neighbor gave his coat as a promise to pay, it had to be given back before night, because a person needs a coat to keep warm while he sleeps. God wanted His people to be kind, not greedy.
God asked His people to give Him the first and best of what they had. The first baby animals and the first of the harvest belonged to God, and they were a way to say thank you. God also said His people were to be holy, which means set apart to belong to Him. So they were not to eat meat that had been torn by wild animals.
Read It Together
Exodus 22:22-23
22 “You shall not take advantage of any widow or fatherless child. 23 If you take advantage of them at all, and they cry at all to me, I will surely hear their cry…
(WEB)
Point out that God notices when people are treated unfairly. Ask the children what it means that God hears the cries of people who are hurting.
Exodus 22:25
“If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be to him as a creditor. You shall not charge him interest.
(WEB)
Explain that God wanted His people to help poor neighbors without taking advantage of them. Show how kindness means giving help, not making things harder for someone who has less.
Exodus 22:1
“If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it, or sells it; he shall pay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.
(WEB)
Help the children see that God takes honesty seriously and wants people to make things right when they take something that is not theirs. Talk about how a sorry word alone is not always enough.
Talk About It
- What is one way we can be honest with our family or friends this week?
- Why do you think God cares so much about people who have no one to help them?
- What is something you could do to make things right if you broke or took something?
- How did God want His people to remember how it felt to be strangers in Egypt?
- What is one thing you could give to God to say thank you for what He has given you?
Activity Ideas
Draw a Helping Hand
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and a pencil. Trace each child’s hand on the paper, then ask them to draw one person they could help this week inside the outline. Let the children talk about who they chose and what kind of help they could give.
Fair Share Relay
You will need two cups, a bowl of dry beans or small toys, and a spoon. Divide the children into two teams and have them pass beans from one cup to the other using only the spoon. After each round, talk about what it felt like to share fairly and how God wants us to treat others with the same care.
Kindness Card for Home
You will need an index card, a marker, and a sticky note. Have each child write or draw one honest or helpful action they will try at home this week. Let them tape the card to the fridge or their bedroom door as a reminder to keep doing what is right.
Teacher Notes
For adults, Exodus 22 shows that God’s law was concerned with everyday justice, including property, lending, and the treatment of the vulnerable. The chapter reveals God’s heart for those who are powerless and His desire that His people reflect His fairness in ordinary life.
Avoid suggesting to children that God rewards good behavior with money or that following rules guarantees a happy life. Keep the focus on God’s character and His care for people, rather than on the specific penalties in the chapter, which are largely about ancient Israelite society.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank You for caring about us and for hearing when we are hurt or sad. Help us to be honest, to make things right when we get it wrong, and to be kind to people who need help. Teach us to share what we have with thankful hearts. Amen.
