In this lesson, children learn that God wants his people to keep his house and his day special, and that God helps us do what is right. This lesson is for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
God wants us to keep special things special, like his house and his day of rest. When we choose to honor God, he helps us and never forgets what we do for him.
Memory Verse
Nehemiah 13:14
Remember me, my God, concerning this, and don’t wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for its observances.
(WEB)
Teach the children to cup their hands together in front of their chests, as if holding something precious. Each time they say the verse, they lift their cupped hands a little higher, like giving a gift to God.
The Story: Nehemiah 13 for Kids
Nehemiah had been away from Jerusalem for a while, working for the king of Babylon. When he came back, he found that some things had gone wrong. A man named Eliashib the priest had given a room in God’s house to Tobiah, who was not a member of God’s people. The room was supposed to hold gifts and offerings for God.
Nehemiah was very sad and upset. He carried all of Tobiah’s things out of the room and told the helpers to clean it up. Then he brought the offerings and the special vessels back where they belonged, and he said, “Why is God’s house forsaken?”
Nehemiah noticed another problem. The Levites, the helpers who served in God’s house, had not been given their share of the offerings, so they had gone back to their fields to work. Nehemiah gathered them together and set them back in their places. The people of Judah began to bring their gifts again, and Nehemiah chose trusted helpers to share them out fairly.
Nehemiah also saw people working and trading on the Sabbath day, which God had set apart as a day of rest. He told the leaders, “What evil thing is this that you do, to profane the Sabbath day?” He closed the city gates before the Sabbath began, and the merchants stopped coming on that day. Nehemiah prayed, “Remember me, my God, for good.”
Read It Together
Nehemiah 13:11
Then I contended with the rulers, and said, “Why is God’s house forsaken?” I gathered them together, and set them in their place.
(WEB)
Point out that Nehemiah did not stay quiet when God’s house was neglected. He spoke up, gathered the people, and put things back in their right place. Ask the children what they can do to help at church or at home.
Nehemiah 13:15-16
15 In those days saw I in Judah some men treading wine presses on the Sabbath, bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys; also with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day; and I testified against them in the day in which they sold food. 16 Some men of Tyre also lived there, who brought in fish and all kinds of wares, and sold on the Sabbath to the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.
(WEB)
Explain that people were working and trading on a day God wanted kept for rest. Help children see that God gives us rest, and that honoring the day means slowing down and worshiping him, not just doing business as usual.
Nehemiah 13:31
And for the wood offering, at times appointed, and for the first fruits. Remember me, my God, for good.
(WEB)
Show how Nehemiah ends his book by asking God to remember him for good. Let children know that God sees the faithful things we do, even when no one else notices.
Talk About It
- What did Nehemiah find when he came back to God’s house, and how did he feel about it?
- Why do you think God wanted the Levites to have their share of the offerings?
- What is one way your family keeps a day special for God, like Sunday?
- How can you take care of the places where people worship God?
- When you do something good for God, what do you think he thinks about it?
Activity Ideas
Decorate a Temple Gate Sign
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and tape. Ask each child to draw a picture of a gate or door with the words “Keep God’s Day Holy” across the top. Let them color it bright and hang it on the classroom door or on the fridge at home as a reminder of the Sabbath.
Carry the Offering Relay
You will need a few empty cups, a bowl, and a clear space in the room. Divide the children into two teams and have them pass a cup of dry beans or pennies from the bowl to a “storage room” at the other end, one at a time. Explain that the Levites needed their share brought to the right place, and celebrate each team when all the offerings arrive.
Rest and Thank You Card
You will need index cards, a pencil, and envelopes. Have each child write or draw one way they can rest and worship God on his day, then fold it into an envelope. Encourage them to take it home and place it somewhere the family will see it on Sunday morning.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this passage shows that faithfulness often means noticing what has drifted from God’s design and returning it to its proper place. Nehemiah acted with courage and personal responsibility, yet he always brought his concerns back to God in prayer, asking to be remembered for good. It also reminds us that God’s people are called to honor holy things, including worship, generosity, and the Sabbath rest.
Avoid overstating to children that God rewards good behavior with immediate blessings or that obeying rules guarantees a happy life. Keep the focus on God’s love and his desire for our hearts to honor him, rather than suggesting that Nehemiah’s example earns God’s favor in a simple, transactional way.
A Prayer to Close
Father, thank you for loving us and wanting us to honor you. Help us keep special things special, like your house and your day of rest. Remember us, Lord, and help us do good things for you every day. Amen.
