This lesson teaches children that God cares about every detail of the place where His people worship, and that every willing helper has a part to play. It suits children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes. Because Exodus 38 is a long list of measurements and materials, keep the focus on the people and the purpose behind the work.
Big Idea
God wants His house to be built with care, and He uses all kinds of people to help make it happen. Every person’s gift matters, from the grown-up craftsmen to the women who gave their mirrors. When we give our best to God, He notices.
Memory Verse
Exodus 38:22
Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD commanded Moses.
(WEB)
Have children hold their arms out wide like a tent roof, then put their hands together on their chest as they say the verse. Repeat it three times, getting a little quieter each time, until everyone can say it with their eyes closed.
The Story: Exodus 38 for Kids
God had told Moses to build a special tent called the tabernacle, a place where God would live among His people. The tent needed a big altar for burnt offerings, so a man named Bezalel made one out of strong acacia wood. He covered the wood with shiny brass, and he made square corners called horns, just as God had instructed. Children, imagine carrying a heavy altar on poles when you travel!
The workers also made many tools for the altar. There were pots, shovels, basins, forks, and fire pans, and all of them were made of brass. A grating of brass netting sat under the altar’s ledge to hold the fire. Four brass rings held the poles that helped the priests carry the altar from place to place.
Next came a huge fence around the courtyard. It was made of fine linen cloth hung on silver hooks and held up by brass posts. Some of the brass for the sockets that held these posts came from the mirrors that the women who served at the Tent of Meeting had given. Those women gave what they had, and God used their gift in a very special way.
Bezalel was helped by a man named Oholiab, who was skilled at carving and at beautiful embroidery in blue, purple, and red. Together they followed exactly what the LORD had commanded Moses. The people brought gold, silver, and brass, and every bit was counted carefully so that nothing was wasted. Everyone had a part in building God’s house.
When the work was finished, the people had a tent that was beautiful, careful, and ready for worship. God’s plan had come together through many hands. Every gift, large or small, helped make the place where God would meet His people.
Read It Together
Exodus 38:1-2
1 He made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood. It was square. Its length was five cubits, its width was five cubits, and its height was three cubits. 2 He made its horns on its four corners. Its horns were of one piece with it, and he overlaid it with brass.
(WEB)
Point out that the altar was built to a clear plan, with exact measurements and corners made just as God wanted. Ask children what it might look like to follow a plan carefully, the way a builder follows a drawing.
Exodus 38:8
He made the basin of brass, and its base of brass, out of the mirrors of the ministering women who ministered at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
(WEB)
Show children that the women gave their mirrors, which were precious things they owned, to make the basin. Ask how they think those women felt when they saw their gift become part of God’s house.
Exodus 38:21-23
21 This is the amount of material used for the tabernacle, even the Tabernacle of the Testimony, as they were counted, according to the commandment of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest. 22 Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD commanded Moses. 23 With him was Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, and a skillful workman, and an embroiderer in blue, in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen.
(WEB)
Highlight that the people were counted and named, and that Bezalel and Oholiab were chosen for their skills. Remind children that God gives different talents to different people and that each one is valuable to Him.
Talk About It
- What do you think it would feel like to help build something that God would use?
- Why do you think God cared so much about the small details of the tent?
- If you had something special to give, like the women’s mirrors, what would you choose to bring?
- How can you use the special gifts God has given you to help other people?
- What did Bezalel and Oholiab do well, and how can we follow their example of working carefully?
Activity Ideas
Build a Paper Altar
You will need construction paper, tape, scissors, and markers or crayons. Help children fold and cut paper into a square box with four corner posts, then color the sides in shiny gold or silver to look like brass. Let them add small paper pots and shovels to set on top, and talk about how each piece had a job.
Carry the Altar Game
Gather a few sturdy broom handles or wooden spoons to act as poles, and a cardboard box as the altar. Children take turns lifting the box with the poles and carrying it across the room together, the way the priests carried the altar. Pause to say that every helper was needed to move God’s house from place to place.
Gifts for God Take-Home Card
Give each child an index card and a pencil. Have them draw one thing they can offer God this week, such as a kind word, a helping hand, or a song. Encourage them to place the card where they will see it each morning as a reminder that God values every gift.
Teacher Notes
For adults, Exodus 38 shows that God cares deeply about worship and about how His people honor Him. The detailed records of metal, cloth, and labor reveal that every offering was accounted for and used with purpose. The chapter also highlights that ordinary people, including women who gave their mirrors, shared in the work of building God’s dwelling place.
Avoid overstating to children that God needs anything from us or that a specific gift guarantees a reward. Instead, emphasize that God delights in faithful, willing hearts and invites everyone to take part in His work.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank You for caring about every detail of Your house and every person who helps. Help us to give our best and to use the gifts You have given us. Teach us to work carefully and to share with joy. Amen.
