This lesson teaches children that God is great and good, and that He asks us to love Him and treat others kindly. It suits children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
God is the greatest God there is, and He wants us to love Him with our whole heart and to be kind to everyone, especially people who are new or far from home.
Memory Verse
Deuteronomy 10:12
Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul…
(WEB)
Have children place one hand on their heart and then stretch both arms wide, like giving a big hug. Say the words slowly, and let them do the motions with you each time.
The Story: Deuteronomy 10 for Kids
Moses was the leader of the Israelite people, and they had been traveling through the wilderness for a long time. Moses had climbed a mountain to be with God. The people had made a golden calf and worshiped it, and the first stone tablets with God’s words on them had broken. God told Moses to cut two new stone tablets and bring them up the mountain again.
Moses made a wooden box called an ark. He carried the new stone tablets up the mountain and stayed there with God for forty days and forty nights. God wrote His ten commandments on the tablets again, the same words as before. Then Moses came down the mountain and put the tablets inside the ark he had made.
While the people kept traveling, God set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark and serve Him. God told Moses that the people would soon go into the land He had promised their families long ago. God was faithful, and He had kept His promises.
Then Moses asked the people a simple question: what does God want from you? God wants His people to fear Him, to walk in His ways, to love Him, and to serve Him with all their heart. God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, and He cares for those who have no one to help them.
God loves the stranger, and He wants His people to love strangers too. Moses reminded them, “Love the foreigner, because you were foreigners in Egypt.” God had rescued them from Egypt and made them as many as the stars in the sky. They had every reason to be thankful.
Read It Together
Deuteronomy 10:14
Behold, to the LORD your God belongs heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth, with all that is therein.
(WEB)
Point out that everything belongs to God, the sky, the earth, and everything in them. Ask children to name something they see outside that God made.
Deuteronomy 10:18-19
18 He does execute justice for the fatherless and widow, and loves the foreigner, in giving him food and clothing. 19 Therefore love the foreigner; for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.
(WEB)
Show children that God takes care of people who are alone or far from home. Remind them that the Israelites had once been strangers in Egypt, so God wanted them to remember that feeling and help others.
Deuteronomy 10:21
He is your praise, and he is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things, which your eyes have seen.
(WEB)
Explain that God is our praise, meaning we can thank and praise Him for the great things He has done for us. Invite children to name one thing God has done for them this week.
Talk About It
- What did Moses do when the first stone tablets broke?
- Why do you think God wrote His words again on new stone tablets?
- What are some ways we can show love to God with our whole heart?
- Who are some people who might feel like strangers at our school or church, and how could we help them?
- What is one great thing God has done that you have seen with your own eyes?
Activity Ideas
Draw the Two Stone Tablets
Give each child a sheet of gray construction paper or a piece of cardboard, and a marker or crayon. Ask them to draw two tablets shaped like rectangles with rounded tops, then write or draw one simple word on each tablet that reminds them of God, such as love, kind, or thankful. Let them tape their tablets to the wall as a reminder.
Stars in the Sky Game
Turn off the lights in a room, or wait until evening outside. Have children stand in a circle and pass a flashlight from one to another while everyone says one thing God made, like the sun, trees, or animals. Explain that God made the stars and counts them all, and He knows each of us.
Welcome a Neighbor Take-Home Card
Give each child an index card and a pencil, and ask them to write or draw a short welcome message for a new neighbor, classmate, or family member. Encourage them to take it home and deliver it or give it to someone this week. Explain that this is one way to love the stranger the way God asks us to.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that God is the rightful owner of all creation and is worthy of wholehearted love and obedience. It also shows that God’s own character, including His justice and His care for the fatherless, widow, and foreigner, becomes the pattern His people are called to follow.
When teaching children, avoid overstating details about the golden calf or the exact sequence of the tablets, since the lesson focuses on God’s faithfulness and His call to love. Keep the emphasis on God’s kindness rather than on the people’s failures, so children leave thinking about God’s love first.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank You that You are the greatest God and that everything belongs to You. Help us love You with our whole heart and show kindness to everyone, especially people who feel new or alone. Thank You for taking care of us the way You cared for Your people long ago. Amen.
