This lesson teaches children that God wants us to stay faithful to Him and not follow other gods, even when others pull us away. It suits children aged 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
God is our God alone, and we show it by choosing to love and obey Him instead of copying the wrong things others do.
Memory Verse
Numbers 25:11
“Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I didn’t consume the children of Israel in my jealousy.
(WEB)
Hold both hands out in front of you, then pull them slowly to your heart as you say the words, showing that God’s people should hold tight to Him with all their heart.
The Story: Numbers 25 for Kids
The people of Israel were camping in a place called Shittim, getting ready to enter the land God had promised them. While they waited, some of the men began to do something very wrong. They started spending time with the Moabite women, and these women invited them to join in the worship of Baal, a false god. The people ate the food offered to this idol and bowed down before it.
God was very upset. He told Moses to deal with the leaders who had led the people into this sin. Moses told the judges of Israel, “Each of you must put to death the men who have joined themselves to Baal of Peor.” It was a serious moment, and everyone knew God was not pleased.
Then something bold happened. One Israelite man brought a Midianite woman into the camp in full view of Moses and all the people, who were crying at the entrance of the tent where they met with God. Everyone was sad and shocked by what they saw.
A young man named Phinehas, a grandson of the priest Aaron, saw what was happening. He was angry that God’s people were turning away from Him. He picked up a spear, walked into the tent, and stopped the wrong that was happening. Because of his faithful courage, the plague that had been spreading among the people came to an end.
God was pleased with Phinehas. He told Moses, “Phinehas has turned my anger away from my people because he cared about my honor among them.” God promised Phinehas and his family a special covenant of peace and a lasting role as priests. Phinehas showed that loving God means standing up for what is right.
Read It Together
Numbers 25:1-3
1 Israel stayed in Shittim; and the people began to play the prostitute with the daughters of Moab; 2 for they called the people to the sacrifices of their gods. The people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3 Israel joined himself to Baal Peor. The LORD’s anger burned against Israel.
(WEB)
Point out how easily the people began to follow the crowd and the things their friends were doing. Ask the children how they might recognize when someone is pulling them away from God.
Numbers 25:7-8
7 When Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from the middle of the congregation, and took a spear in his hand. 8 He went after the man of Israel into the pavilion, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.
(WEB)
Show how Phinehas saw the wrong and took action. Help the children notice that he did something brave and direct to protect God’s people.
Numbers 25:12-13
12 Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace. 13 It shall be to him, and to his offspring after him, the covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was jealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel.’”
(WEB)
Explain that God rewarded Phinehas with a covenant of peace because he was zealous for God. Talk about how God keeps His promises to those who stay faithful to Him.
Talk About It
- What did the Israelites start doing that made God unhappy?
- Why do you think it is hard to say no when your friends want to do something wrong?
- What was special about how Phinehas responded when he saw the wrong happening?
- How can you show God that He is first in your life at home, at school, or with friends?
- What is one thing you can ask God to help you do this week to stay close to Him?
Activity Ideas
Draw a Faithful Heart
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and a pencil. Ask each child to draw a large heart and write or draw inside it one way they can love God this week. Let them color the heart bright red or another favorite color, and hang the finished pictures on the classroom wall or the fridge at home as a reminder.
Follow the Leader Faithfulness Game
Clear a space in the room and choose one child to be the leader who calls out simple movements, like hopping, clapping, or stomping. The other children follow along, but when the leader calls out a silly move that is not allowed, such as turning around in a circle, the children must stop and stay still. Talk afterward about how it feels to choose to obey the right leader.
Faithful Friend Bookmark
You will need cardstock or thick paper, scissors, markers, and a hole punch with a short piece of yarn. Have each child decorate a bookmark with a short phrase like “God Comes First” or a simple cross. Punch a hole at the top, tie the yarn through, and send the bookmark home so the child can see it each time they read.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows how serious it is when God’s people are drawn away from Him through compromise and pressure from the world around them. It also shows that God honors those who take a stand for His holiness, and that His covenant promises are sure to those who remain faithful. Phinehas’s story is a reminder that zeal for God’s honor matters deeply.
Be careful not to make the story a call for violence or personal vengeance today. Children should understand that Phinehas acted in a specific historical moment under God’s direct instruction. Emphasize instead that God wants His people to be faithful and brave in following Him in their own everyday lives.
A Prayer to Close
Dear Father, thank You for loving us and being the only true God. Help us to stay close to You and not follow the wrong things our friends or the world may choose. Give us brave hearts like Phinehas, so that we always choose to love and obey You. Amen.
