This lesson teaches children that God wants His people to be holy, which means being good, kind, and fair to everyone, especially people who are often left out. It works well for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
God is holy, so He wants His children to be kind, honest, and fair to everyone around them, including the poor and the stranger.
Memory Verse
Leviticus 19:18
“‘You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people; but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.
(WEB)
Put both hands on your heart, then open your arms wide like you are giving someone a big hug. Say the words slowly with the motion, and let the children copy you until they can do it without help.
The Story: Leviticus 19 for Kids
Long ago, God spoke to Moses on a mountain and told him to pass a message to all the families of Israel. God said, “You shall be holy, because I, the LORD your God, am holy.” Being holy means being set apart for God and living the way He lives. That was a big promise for a people who had just left a land of hard work and cruel bosses.
God gave the people many simple rules for everyday life. They were to honor their mother and father, keep the Sabbath day special, and never worship statues made by human hands. They were to be honest and never steal, lie, or cheat one another. When they worked in their fields and vineyards, they were told to leave some of the crops on the ground so the poor and the stranger could come and gather food for their families.
God also cared about how people treated those who were weak. The people were told not to take advantage of a worker or keep his pay overnight, since he needed it for his family that day. They were to treat the deaf and the blind with respect and never trick them. When a judge sat down to decide a case, God said, “Do not favor the poor just because they are poor, and do not favor the rich just because they are rich.” Everyone deserved a fair hearing.
One of the most famous lines in the chapter is about how to treat people you find hard to like. God said, “Do not hold a grudge, but love your neighbor as yourself.” The stranger living in their land was also to be treated like one of their own, because the people themselves had once been strangers in Egypt. God reminded them that He had rescued them, so they should remember how it felt to need help.
The chapter ends the way it began, with God reminding His people who He is. “I am the LORD,” He said again and again. Their good choices were a way of showing that they belonged to Him. Every ordinary day, at home, at work, and in the market, was a chance to show that God is holy.
Read It Together
Leviticus 19:2
“Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘You shall be holy; for I, the LORD your God, am holy.
(WEB)
Point out that God’s people are to be holy because God is holy. Explain that holiness is not about being perfect on your own, but about belonging to a God who is good and faithful.
Leviticus 19:9-10
9 “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, neither shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 You shall not glean your vineyard, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the foreigner. I am the LORD your God.
(WEB)
Ask the children to notice that God planned for the poor and the stranger to be cared for through the harvest. Help them see that generosity was built into daily work, so that no one would go hungry.
Leviticus 19:33-34
33 “‘If a stranger lives as a foreigner with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. 34 The stranger who lives as a foreigner with you shall be to you as the native-born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you lived as foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.
(WEB)
Show how God asks His people to treat strangers as family. Remind the children that God’s people were once strangers in Egypt, and God cared for them when they had no home of their own.
Talk About It
- What is one way you can show kindness to someone who feels left out at school?
- Why do you think God wanted His people to leave some of their crops for others?
- How does it feel when someone is fair to you, and how can you be fair to a friend?
- What does it mean that God is holy, and how can we live in a way that shows we belong to Him?
- Who is someone new in our town or class that we could welcome this week?
Activity Ideas
Heart and Hands Drawing
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and scissors. Have each child trace one of their hands on the paper, then draw a heart in the middle of the palm. Ask them to write or draw one kind thing they can do this week with their hands, then hang the pictures where the family can see them.
Fair Share Game
You will need a bag of dried beans or small snacks and a few paper cups. Give most children one bean each and a few children several beans each. Ask the group how it feels to have less, then talk about how God wants everyone to be cared for. Let the children practice sharing until everyone has a fair amount.
Kindness Jar at Home
You will need a clear jar, paper, and a pen. Each family member writes one kind act they did for someone else on a slip of paper and drops it in the jar. At dinner, read a few slips aloud and thank God together for the chance to love others as we love ourselves.
Teacher Notes
For adults, Leviticus 19 shows that holiness is not limited to temple rituals but reaches into ordinary relationships, business dealings, and care for the vulnerable. The chapter moves from worship to honesty, from the harvest field to the courtroom, and it ends with the call to love the stranger. Many Christians see in verse 18 a foundation for the teaching of Jesus about loving neighbor.
Avoid overstating to children that obeying these rules earns God’s love. Make clear that God loved His people first, rescued them from Egypt, and then asked them to live in a way that reflected His character. Children should understand that they are loved by God and are invited to respond with kindness, not that they must work to be accepted.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank You for being holy and for loving us. Help us to be honest, kind, and fair to everyone we meet, including people who are new, poor, or hard to understand. Remind us that You rescued us, so we can share Your kindness with others. Help us to love our neighbors as ourselves, every day. Amen.
