Leviticus 23 teaches children that God gave His people special days to remember Him, rest, and celebrate what He has done. This lesson is for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
God gave His people special days to stop, remember Him, and thank Him for taking care of them every year.
Memory Verse
Leviticus 23:3
“‘Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation; you shall do no kind of work. It is a Sabbath to the LORD in all your dwellings.
(WEB)
Have children hold both hands up like a bowl, then slowly lower them as they say “rest.” Repeat the motion together three times so the word “rest” becomes part of the verse.
The Story: Leviticus 23 for Kids
God spoke to Moses one day and gave him a message for the people of Israel. God said, “These are my special days. I want you to call them holy gatherings.” Some of these days were times to stop working and rest, just as God rested on the seventh day of creation. The people were to keep these days in every home they lived in, not only in one place.
The first special day was the Passover. It came in the first month, and it reminded the people how God rescued them from Egypt. For seven days after that, they were to eat bread without yeast. Every family remembered that they left Egypt in a hurry and did not have time to let their bread rise.
Later, God told the people to bring the first part of their harvest to the priest. The priest lifted it up before God as a way of saying, “Thank you, Lord, for the food You give us.” Then the people counted seven weeks and celebrated with a special feast. This feast thanked God for the wheat harvest.
In the seventh month came the Day of Atonement. God said, “On this day, you must not work. You must make your hearts quiet before Me.” The people were to say sorry for their sins and remember that God forgives them. This was one of the most serious days in the whole year.
The last feast was the Feast of Booths, which lasted seven days. God told the people to build small shelters out of branches and live in them for a week. He wanted them to remember that He took care of them in the wilderness when they had no homes of their own. The people rejoiced together and thanked God for His kindness.
Read It Together
Leviticus 23:22
“‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you must not wholly reap into the corners of your field, and you must not gather the gleanings of your harvest. You must leave them for the poor, and for the foreigner. I am the LORD your God.’”
(WEB)
Point out that God told the farmers to leave some of the harvest in the corners of the field for poor people and visitors. Ask the children why God cared about people who did not have land of their own.
Leviticus 23:42-43
42 You shall dwell in temporary shelters for seven days. All who are native-born in Israel shall dwell in temporary shelters, 43 that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in temporary shelters, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.’”
(WEB)
Show the children that God wanted His people to remember living in temporary shelters. Explain that remembering hard times helps us remember how faithful God has been to us.
Leviticus 23:37-38
37 “‘These are the appointed feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire to the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meal offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, each on its own day— 38 besides the Sabbaths of the LORD, and besides your gifts, and besides all your vows, and besides all your freewill offerings, which you give to the LORD.
(WEB)
Explain that these feasts were given by God Himself, and they were special in addition to the regular Sabbath days. Help children see that God gives us time to worship Him in many different ways.
Talk About It
- Why do you think God wanted His people to stop working and rest on special days?
- What is one thing God has done for your family that you want to thank Him for?
- How did God help the people remember what He did for them in Egypt?
- Why did God want the farmers to leave food for the poor and for visitors?
- What is a special day in your family, and how do you remember it together?
Activity Ideas
Paper Shelter Drawing
You will need paper, crayons, and tape. Ask each child to draw a small shelter made of branches and write or draw one thing they are thankful for inside it. Tape the drawings to a wall to make a “Feast of Booths” village for the class to see.
Stop and Rest Game
Play a simple game of musical statues. When the music stops, children freeze and hold a rest pose, like a sleepy bear or a resting bird. Tell them that God gave His people a time to stop and rest, and that resting is a gift from Him.
Thankful Harvest Jar
You will need a clean jar, paper slips, and a pencil. Each day for a week, have children write one thing they are thankful for on a slip and place it in the jar. At the end of the week, read all the slips aloud together and thank God for each one.
Teacher Notes
For adults, Leviticus 23 shows that God set apart specific times in the year to meet with His people and remind them of His saving work. The feasts pointed to God’s faithfulness in the past and to His plan for the future. Adults can see how these rhythms of worship, rest, and gratitude still shape Christian life today.
Avoid overstating to children the details of animal sacrifices and ritual procedures, since young learners can become confused or frightened by them. Keep the focus on God’s love, the gift of rest, and the call to remember what He has done.
A Prayer to Close
Lord, thank You for giving us special days to rest and remember You. Help us to be thankful for Your care, just like Your people long ago. Teach us to share what we have with others. Amen.
