This lesson teaches children that God speaks to his people and that we should listen to him, trusting his words more than the words of people who pretend to know the future. It works well for children aged 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes.
Big Idea
God tells us the truth, so we listen to him and not to people who make things up or try to be like God.
Memory Verse
Deuteronomy 18:15
The LORD your God will raise up to you a prophet from among you, of your brothers, like me. You shall listen to him.
(WEB)
Cup your hands by your ears like you are listening hard, then point your finger up toward the sky. Say “Listen” with each motion so the children remember that God wants us to listen to him.
The Story: Deuteronomy 18 for Kids
God gave his people a special job for some of their family members. The tribe of Levi was set apart to serve God at his house. The other tribes did not own land for them, because God himself would be their inheritance. The people brought gifts for the priests, and the priests lived by sharing in those gifts.
God also warned the people about things they must not do. The nations living in the land were doing bad things, like using magic, trying to talk to the dead, and calling on fake spirits to learn secret things. God said his people must not copy any of that. He wanted them to belong fully to him.
The people were scared when they heard God’s voice at the mountain called Horeb. Fire and thunder filled the air, and they begged Moses, “Please, do not let us hear God’s voice again, or we will die.” Moses told them that God had heard their request and was pleased with what they said.
Then God made a promise. He said, “I will raise up a prophet from among your own people, like Moses, and I will put my words in his mouth.” God was telling the people that he would keep speaking to them through a messenger he chose. Anyone who did not listen to that messenger would have to answer to God.
God also gave a simple test for a false prophet. If a person claimed to speak for God but what he said did not come true, then God had not sent him. The people did not need to be afraid of such a person, because God was in charge of what happened.
Read It Together
Deuteronomy 18:9
When you have come into the land which the LORD your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the abominations of those nations.
(WEB)
Point out that God’s people were moving into a new land full of people who did strange and bad things. God told them not to copy those things. Ask the children what they think it means to choose God’s way over the way of the people around them.
Deuteronomy 18:18
I will raise them up a prophet from among their brothers, like you. I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him.
(WEB)
Show the children that God promised to send a prophet who would speak his very words. Explain that Christians believe this promise pointed forward to Jesus, who spoke God’s truth perfectly. Let the children say the name of Jesus together.
Deuteronomy 18:22
When a prophet speaks in the LORD’s name, if the thing doesn’t follow, nor happen, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You shall not be afraid of him.
(WEB)
Help the children see the simple test God gave his people. If what someone says in God’s name does not come true, then God did not send that message. This is a good moment to talk about trusting God’s word, which always proves true.
Talk About It
- What did God want his people to do when they heard a voice telling them things about the future?
- Why do you think God told his people not to copy the other nations?
- How did the people feel when they heard God’s voice at the mountain, and why do you think they felt that way?
- What is one way you can listen to God’s words in your everyday life?
- Why is it good to trust God’s words more than the words of people who try to pretend they know everything?
Activity Ideas
Ear and Voice Craft
Give each child a paper plate, a marker, crayons, and some yarn. Have them draw a big ear on one side and a happy mouth on the other. Punch two holes at the top and tie the yarn so they can wear it or hang it up. As they make it, talk about how God speaks and we listen.
Follow the Leader Listening Game
Choose one child to be the leader and have them stand at the front. Everyone else must listen carefully and copy only the leader’s motions, while ignoring a second child who makes silly motions and tries to trick them. Afterward, explain that God’s people had to listen to the true messenger and not the false ones.
Take-Home Promise Card
Cut index cards and write “God’s words are true” on each one. Give one card to each child and ask them to place it on the kitchen table or by their bed. Encourage the family to read the card together each evening and ask one child to say a sentence about something they heard God say that week.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that God set apart the Levites to serve him, forbade the practices of the surrounding nations such as divination and necromancy, and promised to raise up a prophet like Moses. Christians have long read that promise as fulfilled in Jesus, the one who speaks God’s words in full. The chapter also gives a clear test for false prophecy, which fits the broader theme of God’s people trusting his revealed word.
When teaching children, avoid overstating the idea that every prediction a person makes is automatically false, or that children should fear the future. Keep the focus on trusting God and listening to his truth, rather than on frightening details about the nations or the penalties in the chapter.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank you for speaking to us and telling us the truth. Help us listen to your words and trust them more than anything else. Please keep us close to you and teach us to follow your way every day. Amen.
