This lesson teaches children that sin separates us from God, but God hears His people and sends a Redeemer to save them. It works well for ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes.
Big Idea
Our sins make a wall between us and God, but God is strong enough to save us. He loves us so much that He sent a Redeemer to bring us back to Him.
Memory Verse
Isaiah 59:1
Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it can’t save; nor his ear dull, that it can’t hear.
(WEB)
Hold both hands out in front of you, palms up, then slowly stretch them as far as they will reach. Say the verse together while you stretch, reminding children that God’s arm is never too short to save them.
The Story: Isaiah 59 for Kids
Long ago, God’s people in Judah had stopped doing what was right. They told lies, hurt one another, and did not care about fairness. Their hands and words were full of wrong things, like a bucket filled with mud.
Because of their sins, the people felt lost in the dark. They reached out for help like someone feeling their way along a wall in a black room. They wanted peace and goodness, but they could not find it on their own.
The people cried out, “We know we have done wrong, and our sins are right in front of us.” They admitted the truth about their hearts. Their sins had built a wall between them and God, and they felt far away from Him.
God looked down and saw that no one was standing up for what was right. There was no one to help them. So God decided to act with His own strong arm. He put on righteousness like a shield and salvation like a helmet, and He got ready to make things right.
God promised that a Redeemer would come to Zion, to those who turned away from their wrong ways. God also promised that His Spirit and His words would stay with His people and their children forever.
Read It Together
Isaiah 59:2
But your iniquities have separated you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.
(WEB)
Point out that sin creates distance between us and God. Explain that the people had not stopped God from hearing them, but their wrongdoing had hidden His face from them.
Isaiah 59:16
He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor. Therefore his own arm brought salvation to him; and his righteousness sustained him.
(WEB)
Show children that God looked and saw there was no one to help, so He chose to save His people Himself. Emphasize that God did not wait for people to fix things on their own.
Isaiah 59:20
“A Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from disobedience in Jacob,” says the LORD.
(WEB)
Point out the word Redeemer and explain that God promised to send someone to rescue His people. Let children know this promise points forward to the rescue God gives us through Jesus.
Talk About It
- What kinds of wrong things did the people in this story do, and how do you think those things made them feel?
- Why do you think the people felt like they were walking in the dark?
- What does it mean that God’s hand is not too short to save us?
- How do you feel knowing that God heard His people and made a way to save them?
- What is one thing you can do this week to turn toward God and choose what is right?
Activity Ideas
Wall and Light Drawing
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and tape. Ask each child to draw a tall wall on one side of the page and a bright sun on the other. Talk about how sin is like the wall, and God is the light who comes to help. Let them tape their picture somewhere they will see it during the week.
Feel Your Way Game
Set a few pillows or cups on the floor as obstacles. Blindfold one child with a scarf, then have them feel their way across the room with help from a partner who calls out directions. Afterward, talk about how the people in the story felt like they were groping in the dark, and how God’s light makes the path clear.
Helmet of Salvation Take-Home
You will need a paper plate, scissors, and crayons. Let each child decorate a paper plate as a helmet, then write or draw the word “Salvation” on the front. Cut two small slits on the sides so a strip of yarn can hold it on. Encourage children to wear it at home as a reminder that God protects and saves us.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that sin is serious because it damages our relationship with God, and yet God does not stay distant. Isaiah describes both the people’s failure and God’s active decision to save them through His own strength, which points forward to the coming Redeemer.
With children, avoid overstating how much they understand about sin or redemption in detail. Keep the focus on the simple truth that God hears us and loves us, and let the deeper theology grow over time as they ask their own questions.
A Prayer to Close
Lord, thank You that You hear us when we pray. We know that our wrong choices can make us feel far from You, but You are never too far to save us. Help us turn toward You and choose what is right each day. Thank You for sending the Redeemer who brings us home to You. Amen.
