This lesson teaches children that God sees unfair choices and is still in charge of every nation, even when it looks like bad people are winning. It works well for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes, including the story, the verses, and the activity.
Big Idea
God sees when people do wrong things to others, and God is still the one who is in charge of everything. He will make things right in his own time.
Memory Verse
Isaiah 10:20
It will come to pass in that day that the remnant of Israel, and those who have escaped from the house of Jacob will no more again lean on him who struck them, but shall lean on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.
(WEB)
Teach children to cup both hands together in front of their chest, then slowly open them out like a book. Say the words together while you open your hands, and then lean on a sturdy table or wall to show what it means to lean on God.
The Story: Isaiah 10 for Kids
Long ago, there was a man named Isaiah who spoke for God. God gave him a message for the people of Israel, and the message was not always happy. Some leaders in Israel were making unfair rules that hurt poor people, widows, and children who had no father to take care of them. God saw every bit of it.
God said that he would use a powerful nation called Assyria to show his anger at this unfairness. Assyria was like a rod in God’s hand, but Assyria did not know that God was using them. The king of Assyria thought he was strong because of his own power and wisdom. He bragged, “I have taken all these nations by my own hand!”
God reminded the king that a tool does not get to brag about the one who uses it. An ax does not control the person swinging it, and a saw does not decide where it cuts. In the same way, Assyria was only a tool in God’s plan, and God would one day deal with its proud heart.
The people of God were scared as the Assyrian army marched closer to Jerusalem. But God told them not to be afraid. He promised that the time of trouble would not last forever, and that he would lift the heavy burden off their shoulders. A small group of people, called the remnant, would stay faithful and trust in the Lord.
Read It Together
Isaiah 10:1-2
1 Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees, and to the writers who write oppressive decrees; 2 to deprive the needy from justice, and to rob the poor among my people of their rights, that widows may be their plunder, and that they may make the fatherless their prey!
(WEB)
Point out that God notices when people make unfair rules that hurt the poor and the weak. Ask children why God would care about that, and remind them that God cares about how we treat each other.
Isaiah 10:13-14
13 For he has said, “By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I have understanding: and I have removed the boundaries of the peoples, and have robbed their treasures. Like a valiant man I have brought down their rulers. 14 My hand has found the riches of the peoples like a nest, and like one gathers eggs that are abandoned, I have gathered all the earth. There was no one who moved their wing, or that opened their mouth, or chirped.”
(WEB)
Show children how the king of Assyria thought his own strength made him great. Explain that being proud and forgetting God is something God does not like, and that humble hearts are what God looks for.
Isaiah 10:24-25
24 Therefore the Lord, the LORD of Armies, says “My people who dwell in Zion, don’t be afraid of the Assyrian, though he strike you with the rod, and lift up his staff against you, as Egypt did. 25 For yet a very little while, and the indignation against you will be accomplished, and my anger will be directed to his destruction.”
(WEB)
Read these words slowly and point out that God told his people not to be afraid. Remind children that even when things feel scary, God’s people can trust that he is still watching over them.
Talk About It
- What do you think it feels like to be a widow or a child with no father who needs help?
- Why do you think the king of Assyria forgot that God was helping him win?
- How can we remember that God is in charge when we feel scared?
- What is one way we can be kind to someone who is treated unfairly at school or at home?
- When God says “do not be afraid,” what do you think he wants us to do instead?
Activity Ideas
Paper Ax and Saw Drawing
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and a pencil. Ask each child to draw a tool like an ax or saw, then write or draw one thing that a tool cannot do without someone holding it. Talk about how Assyria was like that tool, and God is the one who holds it. Let children share their drawings and explain them in their own words.
Lean on the Leader Game
You will need a open space in the room and a helper. Have children stand in a line and take turns leaning gently on a helper who stands firm, like a sturdy friend. Explain that God is strong like the helper, and his people can lean on him when they are scared. End by letting everyone lean on the helper together.
Take-Home Remnant Card
You will need an index card, a marker, and a small sticker if you have one. Have each child write the words “God is in charge” on the card and decorate it. Encourage them to put it by their bed or in their school bag, and to read it when they feel worried. Tell them that the small group of faithful people in the story shows that God keeps his promises.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows God’s justice and his sovereignty over the nations. Assyria was a real power, but the prophet makes clear that every empire serves a purpose in God’s larger plan, and that pride is a serious danger. The promise of a remnant points forward to God’s faithfulness to a people who trust him, even in hard times.
With children, avoid overstating the idea that God always punishes proud people right away or that every hardship is a sign of God’s anger. The chapter speaks of a specific judgment at a specific time, so it is best to focus on God’s character and his faithfulness rather than on explaining every detail of ancient history.
A Prayer to Close
Lord, thank you that you see everything and that you are always in charge. Help us to be kind to people who are treated unfairly, and help us not to be proud like the king in the story. When we feel scared, remind us to lean on you and trust that you are with us. Amen.
