Numbers 35 teaches children that God set up cities of refuge, safe places where a person who caused an accident could run for protection, and that God cares deeply about fairness and about every life. This lesson works well for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
God is fair, God protects people, and God wants us to treat every life as precious. Even when a mistake happens, God makes a way for people to be safe and treated justly.
Memory Verse
Numbers 35:34
You shall not defile the land which you inhabit, in the middle of which I dwell; for I, the LORD, dwell in the middle of the children of Israel.’”
(WEB)
Teach the children to cross their arms over their hearts, then open their hands out wide, as if they are holding something safe. Say “God lives among us” together as you do the motion, so the words and the picture stay together.
The Story: Numbers 35 for Kids
Long ago, the people of Israel were camped on the plains of Moab, near the Jordan River, close to the city of Jericho. They were getting ready to cross into the land God had promised them. God spoke to Moses and gave him an important message to share with everyone.
God told the people to give the Levites, the family group who served in the worship tent, some towns to live in. The Levites did not have land of their own like the other families. Around each town, there was to be open land for their animals and their belongings. God also gave a special plan for six cities of refuge, places where a person could run for safety.
Sometimes a person would accidentally hurt or kill someone, and the family of the one who died might want revenge. God wanted there to be a safe place where the person could go, so that they would not be hurt before the judges could decide what really happened. God told Moses, “Set apart these cities, so that anyone who causes a death by accident can run there and be safe.”
God was very clear that not every killing was the same. If someone struck another person on purpose, out of hatred or with a weapon meant to hurt, that person would face justice. But if someone acted by accident, without hatred and without planning it, the community was to judge the matter fairly and protect the one who had made the mistake. The person would stay in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest, and then could go home.
At the end, God gave a serious reminder. Murder is wrong, and blood stains the land. God said, “Do not make the land unclean, because I live among you.” God wanted the people to remember that he is holy and that he is present with his people.
Read It Together
Numbers 35:11
Then you shall appoint for yourselves cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the man slayer who kills any person unwittingly may flee there.
(WEB)
Point out that God planned cities of refuge before anything went wrong. God knew that people make mistakes, and he made a safe place ready ahead of time. Ask the children what it would feel like to know a safe place was waiting for you.
Numbers 35:25
The congregation shall deliver the man slayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge, where he had fled. He shall dwell therein until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.
(WEB)
Show the children that the community was to judge fairly and protect the person who had acted by accident. Explain that justice means finding out the truth before deciding, and that God cares about careful, honest judging.
Numbers 35:33
“‘So you shall not pollute the land in which you are; for blood pollutes the land. No atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, but by the blood of him who shed it.
(WEB)
Explain in simple words that blood stains a land when people hurt each other, and that God takes life very seriously. Keep the tone gentle, reminding children that God wants us to care for every person and every life he has made.
Talk About It
- Why do you think God wanted safe places for people who caused an accident?
- What does it tell us about God that he thought about fairness so carefully?
- How can you show care for someone who has made a mistake?
- Why do you think God wanted the people to remember that he lives among them?
- What is one way you can help someone feel safe at home or at school?
Activity Ideas
Draw a City of Refuge
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and a pencil. Ask each child to draw a town with a wall around it and a gate that opens to let people in. Have them write or draw a few friendly helpers inside, such as a family or a teacher, to show that the city is a safe, welcoming place.
Safe Place Freeze Game
Mark a corner of the room with a chair or a blanket as the “safe city.” Choose one child to be the runner. Everyone else can chase them with gentle, slow steps, but when the runner reaches the safe place, they call out “Safe!” and everyone must freeze. Talk afterward about how God gave people a safe place to run to.
Take-Home Safe Place Card
Cut a piece of cardstock into a small card and write “God Keeps Me Safe” on the front. Help each child decorate it with stickers or drawings. Encourage them to keep it in a pocket, backpack, or by their bed, and to say the memory verse together at bedtime this week.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this passage shows that God cares about justice, about protecting people from revenge, and about the sanctity of human life. The cities of refuge point forward to the way God makes a way of safety and mercy for people who need it, and they teach that every life matters to him.
With children, avoid overstating the legal details or suggesting that the cities of refuge are a complete picture of how justice works today. Keep the focus on God’s fairness, his care for people, and his presence among his people, rather than on the specifics of ancient law.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank you for being fair and for caring about every person. Thank you for making safe places for people who need protection. Help us to be kind and fair to others, and help us remember that you are with us always. Amen.
