This lesson teaches children that God wants his people to trust him and not to chase after other things, because when we forget him we end up in trouble. It is best for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes, including the story, the activities and the prayer.
Big Idea
God loves his people, so he wants us to trust him and not to follow things that cannot help us. When we forget him, we get into trouble, but God always wants us to come back to him.
Memory Verse
Hosea 8:2
They cry to me, ‘My God, we Israel acknowledge you!’
(WEB)
Stand up tall, put your hands on your heart, and then stretch your arms out wide like a bird flying. Say the words slowly, one word at a time, while you move your arms. Do it together three times so the words stick.
The Story: Hosea 8 for Kids
Long ago, God’s people lived in the land of Israel. God had made a promise with them, a special agreement, and he gave them his law to show them how to live well. But the people of Israel stopped listening to God. They started building idols out of silver and gold, and they worshiped them instead of the true God who had rescued them.
God sent a prophet named Hosea to warn his people. Hosea told them to blow a trumpet, because a warning was coming. The people still said, “My God, we Israel know you!” But their actions did not match their words, and God was not pleased with them.
The people also chose their own kings and leaders without asking God. They trusted other nations, like Assyria, instead of trusting the Lord. Hosea said that this was like a wild donkey wandering off alone, lost and far from home. The people had forgotten who was taking care of them.
Because of this, God said that the people would have trouble. The crops would fail, and the nations around them would take what they had. Hosea reminded them that they had been sowing the wind, which means doing foolish things, and now they would reap the whirlwind, which means a terrible storm. God’s heart was sad, but he was still going to be honest about what would happen.
God did not want his people to be lost forever. He wanted them to remember him and come back to him. The chapter shows that God is patient and that he loves his people even when they wander away.
Read It Together
Hosea 8:4
They have set up kings, but not by me. They have made princes, and I didn’t approve. Of their silver and their gold they have made themselves idols, that they may be cut off.
(WEB)
Point out that the people chose kings and made idols without asking God. Ask the children what it looks like when we try to do things our own way instead of asking God for help. Remind them that God wants to be the one we turn to first.
Hosea 8:7
For they sow the wind, and they will reap the whirlwind. He has no standing grain. The stalk will yield no head. If it does yield, strangers will swallow it up.
(WEB)
Explain that sowing the wind and reaping the whirlwind means that our choices have results. Use a simple example, like planting a seed and watching it grow. Help the children see that bad choices lead to bad results, and good choices lead to good ones.
Hosea 8:13
As for the sacrifices of my offerings, they sacrifice meat and eat it; But the LORD doesn’t accept them. Now he will remember their iniquity, and punish their sins. They will return to Egypt.
(WEB)
Point out that the people brought sacrifices to God, but their hearts were not right. Explain that God cares more about our hearts than about the things we do on the outside. Ask the children how they can show God that they really love him.
Talk About It
- What do you think it means to trust God with your whole heart?
- Why do you think the people of Israel stopped listening to God?
- What are some things that people might trust in instead of God today?
- How do you think God felt when his people wandered away from him?
- What can you do this week to remember that God is always with you?
Activity Ideas
Paper Trumpet Craft
You will need a paper towel tube, a sheet of construction paper, tape, and crayons or markers. Roll the paper into a cone shape, tape it closed, and attach it to the end of the tube. Let the children decorate their trumpets with pictures of God’s promises. Then have them blow their trumpets gently and say, “God is faithful.”
Follow the Leader Movement Game
You will need an open space and a leader, which can be you or a child. The leader walks, hops or skips in different directions, and everyone follows. Then the leader stops and says, “Turn back to God!” and everyone turns around and walks back the way they came. Talk about how the people had to turn back to God, and God was always waiting for them.
Take-Home Trust Jar
You will need a clean jar, paper, and a pencil. Ask each child to write one thing they want to trust God with on a slip of paper and put it into the jar. Explain that they can pray about these things each day this week. At the end of the week, open the jar together and thank God for hearing their prayers.
Teacher Notes
For adults, Hosea 8 shows God’s heart toward a people who had broken their covenant with him. The chapter warns against trusting in human kings, foreign alliances and man-made idols, and it reminds us that empty religious activity cannot replace a true relationship with God. Even in judgment, God speaks as a loving Father who longs for his people to return.
Be careful not to make the story sound like God is simply angry and waiting to punish children when they make mistakes. Let the children know that God is patient and loving, and that he always invites us back to him. Focus on his faithfulness rather than on the punishment.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, we want to trust you with our whole hearts. Help us remember that you are always with us and that you love us. When we wander away, bring us back to you. Thank you for being patient and kind. Amen.
