This lesson teaches children that God cares about how we treat other people and their belongings, so we should help and protect what matters to our neighbors. It works well for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
God wants us to look out for our friends and neighbors. When we see something of theirs that is lost or in trouble, we help. We do not pretend we did not see it.
Memory Verse
Deuteronomy 22:1
You shall not see your brother’s ox or his sheep go astray, and hide yourself from them. You shall surely bring them again to your brother.
(WEB)
Hold both hands out in front of you, palms up, like you are carrying something back to someone. Then gently place your hands down together, as if returning it. Say the verse together while you do the motion.
The Story: Deuteronomy 22 for Kids
Long ago, God gave His people, the Israelites, many rules to help them live well together. He wanted them to be kind and fair, and He wanted them to notice the people around them. This chapter is full of these helpful instructions, and each one shows that God cares about everyday life.
One rule was about lost things. If an Israelite saw his neighbor’s ox or sheep wandering away, he could not just walk past and hide from it. He had to bring the animal back to its owner. If the owner lived too far away, or the man did not even know who the owner was, the finder took the animal home and kept it safe until the owner came looking for it.
Another rule was about a donkey or an ox that had fallen down on the road. God told the people not to look away. They were to help the animal get back on its feet. God wanted His people to be the kind of people who lend a hand, even when the job is hard.
God also taught about birds and their nests. If someone found a mother bird sitting on her eggs or her babies, the person was not to take the mother. The mother could fly away and be safe, and the young ones could be taken for food. God wanted His people to care for life, even small life, and to be gentle with the creatures He made.
The chapter also talks about building a new house. God told the people to put a railing around the flat roof, so no one would fall off and get hurt. God said, in your own words, that a safe home protects the people who live in it and the people who visit it. Taking care of others means thinking ahead so that no one gets hurt.
Finally, the chapter gives rules about respect and purity in families and marriage, and God says that the people are not to take another person’s wife or dishonor their father. These rules show that God wants His people to honor each other and to protect what is good and right.
Read It Together
Deuteronomy 22:4
You shall not see your brother’s donkey or his ox fallen down by the way, and hide yourself from them. You shall surely help him to lift them up again.
(WEB)
Point out that God asks His people to help when a neighbor’s animal falls down. Ask the children what it might look like for them to help someone who is struggling today, such as picking up a dropped item for a classmate or helping a sibling who is stuck.
Deuteronomy 22:6-7
6 If you come across a bird’s nest on the way, in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs, and the hen sitting on the young, or on the eggs, you shall not take the hen with the young. 7 You shall surely let the hen go, but the young you may take for yourself; that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days.
(WEB)
Explain that God cares about the mother bird and her babies. Show the children that God’s care reaches even to small creatures, and that being gentle with living things is a way of honoring God.
Deuteronomy 22:8
When you build a new house, then you shall make a railing around your roof, so that you don’t bring blood on your house if anyone falls from there.
(WEB)
Point out that God wants people to keep others safe. Talk about how families make their homes safe by thinking ahead, like putting up gates on stairs or keeping toys off the floor, and how we can keep our friends safe too.
Talk About It
- What is something you have found that belonged to someone else, and what did you do with it?
- How do you feel when someone helps you pick up something you dropped?
- Why do you think God cares about even a little bird and her babies?
- What is one way you could help a neighbor or friend this week?
- How can we keep the people around us safe, both at home and at school?
Activity Ideas
Lost and Found Drawing
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and a few small household items like a sock, a toy car, or a pencil. Hide one item in the room while the children close their eyes. Then have them draw a picture of the lost item and one way they could return it to its owner. Ask each child to share their drawing and explain how they would help.
Help Me Up Game
Gather a few pillows or stuffed animals to represent fallen animals. Let the children take turns playing the helper who lifts up a fallen friend. Encourage gentle, careful movements, and talk about how helping someone stand up is a way to show God’s love.
Take-Home Helper Card
Give each child an index card or a small piece of cardstock and some crayons. Ask them to write or draw one way they will help someone this week, such as helping carry groceries or sharing a toy. Let them take the card home and place it somewhere they will see it each day as a reminder to be a helper.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that God’s law reaches into ordinary moments, like what we do when we find a lost thing or see a neighbor in trouble. It teaches that faithfulness to God includes active care for others, their property, their safety, and even the lives of creatures. Many of the rules also protect dignity and purity in families and relationships, which reflects God’s concern for how people treat one another.
When teaching children, avoid making the chapter feel like a list of strict do’s and don’ts that frightens them. Some of the later sections deal with serious topics, so stay with the big picture of God’s care and respect for people and skip the details that are not suited to young children. Focus on helping, protecting, and honoring others.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank You for caring about everything in our lives, even the little things. Help us notice when our friends and neighbors need help, and give us kind hands and brave hearts to lend a hand. Keep us gentle and safe, and help us honor You in all we do. Amen.
