In Numbers 14, God’s people refused to trust him, and he kept his promise anyway. Children learn that God is patient, faithful and keeps his word even when people are afraid and complain. This lesson is for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes.
Big Idea
God keeps his promises, even when we are scared and do not trust him. We can choose to trust God instead of complaining.
Memory Verse
Numbers 14:9
Only don’t rebel against the LORD, neither fear the people of the land; for they are bread for us. Their defense is removed from over them, and the LORD is with us. Don’t fear them.”
(WEB)
Teach the children to hold both hands up like a bird spreading its wings, then bring them down slowly as they say “Don’t be afraid.” Do the motion each time you read the verse, and the children will remember it when they hear it again.
The Story: Numbers 14 for Kids
God’s people, the Israelites, had left Egypt and were walking through the wilderness toward a good land God had promised them. Moses sent twelve men to look at the land. After forty days, they came back carrying huge bunches of grapes and figs. Ten of the men said, “The people there are strong, and their cities are big. We cannot win!”
The people started crying that night. They said, “We wish we had died in Egypt!” They even talked about choosing a new leader to take them back. Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in front of everyone, because they were so sad.
Two men, Joshua and Caleb, tore their clothes and spoke up. Caleb said, “Let us go up and take the land! God is with us. Do not be afraid of the people there.” The people were so angry they wanted to throw stones at Joshua and Caleb.
God was not happy. He said to Moses, “How long will these people refuse to believe me, after all the things I have done for them?” But God also heard Moses pray for the people. God forgave them, and he still kept his promise.
God said that the people who doubted him would not enter the land. Only Joshua and Caleb would go in, because they trusted God. The people would wander in the wilderness for forty years, one year for each day the spies had searched the land. God still took care of his people, even while they were learning to trust him.
Read It Together
Numbers 14:8
If the LORD delights in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it to us; a land which flows with milk and honey.
(WEB)
Point out that God says he will bring his people into the land he promised. Ask the children what it means that God keeps his word. Explain that God was giving them a clear promise, even when they were afraid.
Numbers 14:18
‘The LORD is slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, forgiving iniquity and disobedience; and he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation.’
(WEB)
Show the children that God is patient and full of love. Even when people sinned and complained, God still forgave them. Point out that God is slow to get angry, and that his love lasts a long time.
Numbers 14:24
But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and has followed me fully, him I will bring into the land into which he went. His offspring shall possess it.
(WEB)
Tell the children that Caleb had a different attitude, and he followed God fully. God rewarded Caleb’s faith. Ask them how they can follow God fully when things seem hard.
Talk About It
- What made the people in the story so scared, and how did you think they felt?
- Why do you think Joshua and Caleb trusted God when the others did not?
- What is something that makes you feel afraid, and what could you remember about God when that happens?
- How did God show his patience and love to the people, even when they complained?
- What is one way you can choose to trust God this week?
Activity Ideas
Spy Report Drawing
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and a pencil. Ask each child to draw a picture of the good land God promised, with grapes, figs and pomegranates. Then ask them to draw a second picture showing what the frightened spies said about the land. Talk about how the two pictures are different and which one shows trust in God.
Stand Up for God Game
You will need a open space and a few chairs. Have the children stand in a line. Say a fear, such as “The giants are too big!” If they trust God, they should stand tall and say “God is with us!” If they are scared, they should crouch down. Switch roles so each child gets a turn to lead, and remind them that trusting God helps us stand tall.
Trust Jar at Home
You will need a jar, paper strips, and a pen. Each day this week, have your child write or draw one thing they are worried about on a paper strip, and put it in the jar. At the end of the week, open the jar together and pray over each worry, thanking God that he keeps his promises. This gives a simple way to practice trusting God at home.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this passage shows that unbelief and complaint have real consequences, but God’s faithfulness to his promises never fails. The people were quick to forget what God had already done for them, and their fear kept them from entering the land. Joshua and Caleb reveal that faith looks at God’s power rather than at the size of the problem. Adults can see their own tendency to focus on giants instead of God.
Be careful not to overstate the punishment to children, or to make God seem only angry. Emphasize that God forgave the people, that he kept his promise to Joshua and Caleb, and that he was patient with his people for forty years. Let the story show God’s justice and mercy together, rather than leaving children afraid of God.
A Prayer to Close
Father, thank you for keeping your promises, even when we are afraid. Help us to trust you like Joshua and Caleb did, and to remember that you are always with us. Forgive us when we complain, and help us to follow you fully every day. Amen.
