In this lesson, children learn that God keeps His promises and that nobody can stop what God has said. This lesson suits children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach. Use it on its own or as part of a series on Balaam and the people of Israel.
Big Idea
God always does what He says, and no one can change it. When God makes a promise to His people, He keeps it every time.
Memory Verse
Numbers 23:19
God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should repent. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not make it good?
(WEB)
Teach the children to hold both hands out flat, then turn them over slowly, one at a time, to show that God is not like a person who changes his mind. Say the verse together while the hands turn, and repeat it three times, getting a little quieter each time.
The Story: Numbers 23 for Kids
Balak was the king of Moab, and he was afraid of the people of Israel. Israel had come out of Egypt, and Balak did not want them in his land. So he sent for a man named Balaam, who was known as a prophet, and asked him to come and curse the people of Israel. Balak thought that if Balaam cursed them, they would be defeated.
Balaam asked Balak to build seven altars and to offer a bull and a ram on each one. Balak did exactly as he was told. Then Balaam went up on a high place to wait for God. God met Balaam and put words into his mouth. God told him, “Go back to Balak and say what I tell you.”
When Balaam returned, he found Balak standing beside the offerings with all the princes of Moab. Balaam did not curse Israel. Instead, he blessed them. He said that God had blessed Israel and that no one could reverse God’s blessing. Balaam was surprised that he could only say what God gave him to say.
Balak was angry. “What have you done to me?” he asked. “I brought you here to curse my enemies, and you have blessed them!” Balaam answered, “I must speak only what the LORD puts in my mouth.”
Balak was not ready to give up. He took Balaam to a new place where they could see only part of the people. He built seven altars again and offered the same sacrifices. But again God gave Balaam words of blessing. Balak asked him to try a third place, and the same thing happened, because God’s plan for His people could not be stopped.
Read It Together
Numbers 23:8
How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? How shall I defy whom the LORD has not defied?
(WEB)
Point out that Balaam asks how he can curse someone whom God has not cursed. Ask the children what it means that God is faithful to His own people, and let them answer in their own words.
Numbers 23:21-22
21 He has not seen iniquity in Jacob. Neither has he seen perverseness in Israel. The LORD his God is with him. The shout of a king is among them. 22 God brings them out of Egypt. He has as it were the strength of the wild ox.
(WEB)
Show the children that God is described as being with His people and bringing them out of Egypt. Remind them that God was with Israel in the desert and is still with His people today.
Numbers 23:26
But Balaam answered Balak, “Didn’t I tell you, saying, ‘All that the LORD speaks, that I must do?’”
(WEB)
Explain that Balaam said he must do what God speaks. Ask the children why it matters to obey God even when someone important is asking you to do something different.
Talk About It
- Why do you think Balak wanted Balaam to curse the people of Israel?
- What did God do when Balaam tried to curse Israel, and what does that tell you about God?
- Can you think of a time someone made a promise and kept it? How did that feel?
- Why is it good to know that God never changes His mind about what He has promised?
- What is one thing you can do this week to trust God the way Balaam trusted what God said?
Activity Ideas
Balaam’s Donkey Drawing Craft
Give each child a sheet of paper and crayons. Ask them to draw a simple scene of a high hill with seven small altars on it, and a man standing beside them. Encourage them to add a few sheep or bulls. Let the children explain their picture to a partner, telling what God said to Balaam.
Turn Around Movement Game
Have the children stand in a circle. Explain that when you say “God says,” they must stand still, and when you say “Balak says,” they turn around in place. Mix up the commands, and point out that God’s words always stay the same, while people’s words can change. Keep the game short and lively.
Promise Card to Take Home
Cut index cards in half and give one to each child. Ask them to write or draw one promise they know God has made, such as “God is always with me.” Let them take the card home and place it somewhere they will see it each morning. Encourage them to read it aloud to a parent or sibling before bed.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this passage shows that God’s purposes cannot be overturned by human schemes or by curses. Balaam is a man who wanted to profit from cursing God’s people, but God speaks through him and turns his words into blessing. The chapter reminds us that God is faithful, that His word is trustworthy, and that He keeps His covenant with His people.
Be careful not to overstate what children might understand about Balaam himself. The story includes a complicated figure who speaks God’s words but whose heart is not fully aligned with God. Focus the lesson on God’s faithfulness and the truth that He keeps His promises, rather than on judging Balaam’s motives in detail.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank You that You always keep Your promises. We know that You never change Your mind and that Your words are always true. Help us to trust You every day, just like Your people in the story. Please be with us this week and help us remember that You are faithful. Amen.
