This lesson teaches children that God hears His people’s cries and keeps every promise He makes, even when things look hopeless. It suits children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes, including the story, the memory verse, and the activity.
Big Idea
God remembers His promises, and He always keeps them. Even when His people are slaves and cannot see a way out, God has a plan to bring them home.
Memory Verse
Exodus 6:7
And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God; and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
(WEB)
Teach the children to hold both hands up in front of their chest, then slowly open them wide like a door. As you say the verse together, open your arms on the words “I will take you,” and fold your hands over your heart on “I will be to you a God.” Repeat it three times with the motions.
The Story: Exodus 6 for Kids
God’s people, the Israelites, had lived in Egypt for a long time. The Egyptians had made them work very hard, and they were sad and tired. They cried out to God, and God heard every groan. God had made a promise long ago to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that He would give their family a land of their own.
God spoke to Moses and said, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh.” God told Moses to tell the people something very important. He said, “I am the LORD. I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.” God wanted His people to know who He really was.
God promised to set His people free and to be their God. He said He would take them to be His own people. He would bring them into the land He had promised to give them long ago. God did not forget them, even when it felt like He had.
The people did not listen to Moses at first. They were too tired and too sad. Moses felt unsure too. He told God that he was not good at speaking, and he worried that Pharaoh would not listen to him. God still chose Moses and Aaron to be His helpers and to go to Pharaoh together.
The chapter also tells us the names of the families in Israel, starting with the sons of Jacob. Moses and Aaron came from the family of Levi. God knew each family, and He used Moses and Aaron to lead His people out of Egypt. Every name in this list matters to God.
Read It Together
Exodus 6:2-3
2 God spoke to Moses, and said to him, “I am the LORD; 3 and I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty; but by my name the LORD I was not known to them.
(WEB)
Point out that God introduces Himself as “the LORD” and that He reminds Moses that He is the same God who spoke to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Ask the children what it tells them about God that He does not change and that He remembers His family.
Exodus 6:5
Moreover I have heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered my covenant.
(WEB)
Show the children that God heard the groaning of His people. Explain that groaning means crying or sighing when you are hurting. Remind them that God listens when they feel sad, scared, or tired, just as He listened to the Israelites.
Exodus 6:30
Moses said before the LORD, “Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh listen to me?”
(WEB)
Point out that Moses felt unsure and told God he was not a good speaker. Let the children see that even a great leader like Moses had doubts, and that God still used him. Tell them that God can use them too, even when they feel they are not ready.
Talk About It
- What did God promise the Israelites in this chapter, and how did He show that He remembered His promise?
- How do you think the Israelites felt while they were working so hard in Egypt?
- Why do you think God told Moses His name, “the LORD,” so the people could know who was speaking to them?
- Moses said he was not good at talking. What is something you feel you cannot do yet, and how can God help you with it?
- When you feel sad or scared, what is one thing you can do to remember that God hears you?
Activity Ideas
Paper Plate Promise Keeper
You will need paper plates, crayons or markers, scissors, and a pencil. Have each child draw a picture of a door on the plate and cut out a small flap that opens. Under the flap, they can draw a picture of God keeping His promise to bring His people out of Egypt. Let them lift the flap to show their picture as they tell the story.
Pharaoh’s Heart Freeze Game
You will need an open space and some music, like a tambourine or a phone song. Children dance while the music plays, and they freeze when it stops, like Pharaoh holding onto the people. When you say “God says go!” they start moving again and walk slowly like they are leaving Egypt. Play a few rounds and talk about how God always makes a way.
Promise Keeper Bookmark Take-Home
You will need cardstock or a sheet of paper cut into strips, a pen, and a ribbon or yarn. Write Exodus 6:7 on the strip and decorate it with stars or hearts. Punch a hole at the top and tie the ribbon through. Encourage the children to place the bookmark in their Bible or favorite book and read the verse with their family during the week.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that God’s promises are not abandoned because of delay or hardship. Exodus 6 places God’s faithfulness in the setting of Israel’s suffering in Egypt, and it presents Moses’ reluctance as a human response that God does not reject. The chapter also reminds readers that God is the one who acts to redeem His people.
Avoid overstating to children that God will always make life easy or that obedience will always feel comfortable. The story shows that God keeps His promises in His own time, and that the people did not always listen at first. Keep the focus on God’s faithfulness and His care rather than promising immediate outcomes.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank You for hearing us when we are sad or tired. Thank You for remembering Your promises, just as You remembered Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Help us trust You when we feel unsure, and help us know that You are always with us. Amen.
