In this lesson, children learn that God knows every person by name and cares about each family in His people. The lesson is for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes. Use the story, the verses, and the activities below to help your class remember that God notices each one of them.
Big Idea
God knows every one of His people by name, and every family matters to Him. When we count something, we show that it is important.
Memory Verse
Numbers 1:2
“Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, every male, one by one…
(WEB)
Have the children stand up and count out loud from one to ten, touching a finger to their own nose each time they say a number. Then say the verse together while each child points to their chest on the words that talk about every name.
The Story: Numbers 1 for Kids
Long ago, God’s people had left Egypt and were living in the wilderness near Mount Sinai. God wanted them to be counted, so He spoke to Moses in a special tent called the Tent of Meeting. God told Moses to count all the men who were twenty years old and older and who could go to war to protect the people. Moses was not counting them alone, because his brother Aaron was there to help him.
God asked Moses to pick one leader from each tribe to stand beside them. There were twelve tribes in all, and each one had a family name that went back to a son of Jacob. Moses wrote down the name of every leader, one by one. Each name was important, and each leader was ready to help.
Then the people gathered together, and each family told who they were. Moses counted them, one by one, just as God had told him. When the numbers were added up, there were more than six hundred thousand men who were ready to serve. Every number stood for a real family with a real father, mother, and children.
The story also tells us about the Levites. God did not want the Levites to be counted with the other tribes, because He gave them a special job. They were to take care of the Tabernacle, the holy tent where God lived among His people. When the people moved, the Levites carried the tent, and when they stopped, the Levites set it up again.
God told Moses to put the Levites around the Tabernacle so that no one would come too close to what was holy. The people set up their tents in order, each tribe with its own banner. At the end of the chapter, the people did exactly what God had told them to do. They obeyed God and followed His plan.
Read It Together
Numbers 1:20-21
20 The children of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, one by one, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war; 21 those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Reuben, were forty-six thousand five hundred.
(WEB)
Point out that each tribe is listed by name, and that the numbers are written for each family. Ask the children why God wanted each name to be written down. Explain that God remembers every person and every family in His plan.
Numbers 1:50-51
50 But appoint the Levites over the Tabernacle of the Testimony, and over all its furnishings, and over all that belongs to it. They shall carry the tabernacle, and all its furnishings; and they shall take care of it, and shall encamp around it. 51 When the tabernacle is to move, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall set it up. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death.
(WEB)
Show the children that the Levites had a special job to care for the Tabernacle. Explain that God gives different jobs to different people, and each job matters. Ask how the children can help take care of the people and places around them.
Numbers 1:54
Thus the children of Israel did. According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so they did.
(WEB)
Point out that the people did exactly what God asked them to do. Talk about how it feels to follow instructions carefully, and why trusting God’s plan is a good choice. Encourage the children to think of one way they can obey God this week.
Talk About It
- Why do you think God wanted every man and family to be counted by name?
- What does it tell you about God that He knows each person’s name?
- Why do you think the Levites had a different job from the other tribes?
- How can you help take care of your church, your home, or your classroom?
- What is one way you can follow God’s instructions when they are hard to do?
Activity Ideas
Paper Tribe Banners
You will need paper, markers, crayons, and tape or a stick for each child. Have each child draw a simple banner with a symbol that shows something about themselves or their family. Write the child’s name at the bottom, and then tape the banner to a stick. Explain that the people of Israel each had a banner, and that God knows each person by name.
Counting Circle Game
Gather the children in a large circle and have them count off by number, starting from one. When you call out a number, that child must stand, say their name, and sit back down. Play several rounds, then point out that God knows every person’s name the same way, one by one. Keep the game lively and short.
Family Counting Chart at Home
Give each child a sheet of paper with a simple chart that has spaces for each family member’s name. Ask them to fill in the names and then count how many people are in their family. Encourage them to share the chart with a parent or sibling at dinner. Talk together about how each family member is known and loved by God.
Teacher Notes
For adults, Numbers 1 shows that God is an orderly God who cares about people and their roles. The census reveals that every tribe and family matters, and that God gives each person a place within His larger plan. It also points forward to the way God later calls His people to live as one community with different gifts and callings.
Be careful not to overstate the numbers or make the chapter about counting for its own sake. Children may focus on the large figures, so keep the emphasis on the names, the families, and God’s care for each person.
A Prayer to Close
Father, thank You that You know each of us by name. Help us remember that we matter to You and that our families matter too. Teach us to follow You faithfully and to care for the people around us. Amen.
