This lesson teaches children that God cares about fair treatment, especially for people who are weak or hurt, and that God’s rules protect everyone. It works for children aged 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes.
Big Idea
God wants people to be treated fairly and kindly, and He protects the people who cannot protect themselves.
Memory Verse
Exodus 21:24
Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot…
(WEB)
Hold up one hand, then the other, and slowly bring them together with the fingers open. This helps children picture the idea of a fair, balanced justice that God gave His people.
The Story: Exodus 21 for Kids
After God gave His people the Ten Commandments, He also gave them many rules to help them live fairly together. Moses was the leader who shared these rules with the people of Israel. Some of the rules were about servants, people who worked for a master for a time. God said that a Hebrew servant would serve for six years, and in the seventh year he would go free.
God also cared about families. If a servant came in alone, he left alone. If he came in married, his wife left with him. God made sure that a family was not split apart by unfair treatment. Some servants chose to stay with their masters because they loved their families, and God let them choose that.
The rules went on to talk about hurting other people. If someone killed another person on purpose, that person had to be punished. But if someone did not mean to cause harm, God provided a safe place where that person could run and be protected. God wanted people to know that life is precious and that accidents matter.
God’s people were told to be fair even to animals and to their neighbors. If an ox hurt someone, the owner had to answer for it. If someone dug a hole and an animal fell in, the person who made the hole had to make things right. God taught His people to think carefully about how their actions affect others.
When Moses finished speaking these laws, the people learned that God loves justice and mercy. He wants His people to look out for each other and to treat everyone with care.
Read It Together
Exodus 21:1-2
1 “Now these are the ordinances which you shall set before them. 2 “If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years and in the seventh he shall go out free without paying anything.
(WEB)
Point out that these verses are the start of God’s rules, given to Moses for the people. Show children that God’s laws were given with care, so the people would know how to live well together.
Exodus 21:12-13
12 “One who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death, 13 but not if it is unintentional, but God allows it to happen: then I will appoint you a place where he shall flee.
(WEB)
Explain that God takes life very seriously. Help children see that God also made a safe place for people who did not mean to hurt someone, showing that God is both just and merciful.
Exodus 21:28-29
28 “If a bull gores a man or a woman to death, the bull shall surely be stoned, and its meat shall not be eaten; but the owner of the bull shall not be held responsible. 29 But if the bull had a habit of goring in the past, and it has been testified to its owner, and he has not kept it in, but it has killed a man or a woman, the bull shall be stoned, and its owner shall also be put to death.
(WEB)
Point out that God wants people to be responsible for what they own and what they do. Explain that even animals and their owners were part of God’s teaching about caring for others.
Talk About It
- Why do you think God made rules to protect people who could not protect themselves?
- What does it mean to be fair to someone, even when they are different from you?
- How did God show kindness to the servant who loved his family?
- Why is it important to think about how our actions might hurt someone else?
- What is one way you can look out for a friend or family member this week?
Activity Ideas
Scales of Fairness Craft
Gather paper plates, string, craft sticks, and tape. Punch two holes in opposite sides of each plate and tie string through them to make a hanging scale. Have children draw a happy face on one plate and a sad face on the other, then talk about how God wants everyone to be treated with care and fairness.
Safe Place Game
Mark a “safe place” in a room or outside with a chair or a chalk circle. Play a game of tag where anyone who runs to the safe place cannot be tagged. Explain that God made a safe place for people who did not mean to cause harm, and that God cares for people in danger.
Kindness Reminder Card
Give each child an index card and a marker. Ask them to write or draw one fair or kind thing they will do this week, like sharing a toy or helping with chores. Let them take the card home and place it somewhere they will see it each day as a reminder that God cares about how we treat others.
Teacher Notes
For adults, Exodus 21 shows that God’s law was concerned with real, everyday justice. It addressed slavery, violence, property, and personal responsibility, and it consistently pointed toward protecting the vulnerable and restoring fairness. Adults can see in these laws both God’s holiness and His compassion for people in difficult situations.
Avoid overstating to children that every rule in this chapter applies the same way today or that the lesson is about endorsing slavery or harsh punishment. Keep the focus on God’s heart for fairness, safety, and care for others, and gently explain that these ancient rules were given to a specific people in a specific time.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank You for caring about fairness and for protecting people who need help. Help us to treat others kindly and to look out for those who are weak. Teach us to be fair in what we say and do. Amen.
