This lesson teaches children that God wants us to follow Him, not do whatever we feel like, and that we can always ask Him for help to do what is right. It works well for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes, including a story, a few questions, and a short activity.
Big Idea
When people do whatever seems right to them instead of what God says, they end up making a big mess. God wants us to listen to Him and do what is truly right.
Memory Verse
Judges 17:6
In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did that which was right in his own eyes.
(WEB)
Teach the children to cross their arms over their chest, then open them wide like a book. As they say the verse together, have them point up with one finger on the word “right.” Repeating the motion a few times helps the words stick.
The Story: Judges 17 for Kids
A long time ago, the people of Israel did not have a king to lead them. Each person did whatever seemed good in their own eyes. In the hill country of Ephraim, there lived a man named Micah. One day, Micah took some silver that belonged to his mother. He was scared to admit it, but later he told her the truth.
His mother was surprised, and she was glad he was honest. She wanted to thank God for her son. She took two hundred pieces of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who made a carved idol and a metal idol from it. Micah put these idols in his house and even made a special holy vest, called an ephod, along with other household gods. He chose one of his sons to be his priest, which was not God’s plan at all.
Then a young Levite from Bethlehem came by, looking for a place to live. Micah said to him, “Stay with me, and be like a father and a priest to me. I will pay you ten pieces of silver a year, give you clothes, and feed you.” The Levite agreed and stayed in Micah’s house. Micah made him his priest, and he felt very pleased with himself.
Micah said, “Now I know that the LORD will do good to me, since I have a Levite as my priest.” But Micah was wrong. God had given special jobs to the Levites, and He never told anyone to make idols. Micah thought he was doing good, but he was really going against God’s ways.
This story shows us that when people only follow their own ideas, they can get very confused about what God wants. Micah loved God in his own way, but he did not listen to God’s words. God wants us to learn His ways and obey them.
Read It Together
Judges 17:1-2
1 There was a man of the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah. 2 He said to his mother, “The eleven hundred pieces of silver that were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse, and also spoke it in my ears, behold, the silver is with me. I took it.” His mother said, “May the LORD bless my son!”
(WEB)
Point out that Micah had taken his mother’s silver and then confessed it. Ask the children what it means to be honest, even when it is hard. Remind them that telling the truth is one way we follow God.
Judges 17:5
The man Micah had a house of gods, and he made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.
(WEB)
Show the children that Micah built a house of idols and chose a priest on his own. Explain that God never asked for idols, and that we should be careful not to make up our own rules about worship. Help them see that God gives us His own instructions.
Judges 17:13
Then Micah said, “Now know I that the LORD will do good to me, since I have a Levite as my priest.”
(WEB)
Point out that Micah thought God would bless him because he had a priest, even though he had not followed God’s plan. Explain that feeling good about something does not always mean it is right. We need to check our hearts and our actions against what God says.
Talk About It
- What do you think Micah should have done after he took his mother’s silver?
- Why do you think the people in this story did whatever seemed right to them?
- How can you tell when something is right in God’s eyes?
- What is one way you can listen to God’s words this week?
- Why is it important to be honest, even when we feel scared to tell the truth?
Activity Ideas
Draw a Path to God’s Way
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and a pencil. Ask each child to draw two paths, one winding off in many directions and one straight path leading to a picture of a Bible or a cross. Talk about how the winding path looks like doing what seems right to us, and the straight path looks like following God’s words. Let each child label their drawing with a word that describes God’s way.
Follow the Leader Game
You will need an open space and a few chairs or cones. One child is the leader and does silly motions, while the others copy. Then have the leader say, “God’s way is …”, and everyone does one motion together, such as stretching up tall. This shows children that following a good leader, especially God, means doing the same things He asks of us.
Take-Home Promise Card
You will need index cards, a marker, and a small clip or rubber band. Have each child write or draw one way they will obey God this week, like helping at home or telling the truth. Help them clip the card to a mirror or door so they see it each day. Encourage families to talk about the card at dinner.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter is a sober warning. Micah and the Levite both wanted religious comfort and security, but they built their worship around their own preferences rather than God’s revealed will. The closing verses of Judges describe a time when everyone did what was right in their own eyes, and this story shows what happens when that spirit shapes worship.
With children, avoid overstating the idea that God rejected Micah in every detail or that every object in the home was evil. Keep the focus on the simple truth that God gives us His own ways and that we should listen to Him instead of inventing our own.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank You for showing us Your ways. Help us to listen to what You say and do what is right, even when it is hard. Help us to tell the truth and to trust You more than our own ideas. Thank You for always being with us. Amen.
