This lesson teaches children that God wants us to be fair, honest, and kind to everyone, including people who are different from us or who are having a hard time. It suits children roughly 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
God wants us to tell the truth, treat people fairly, and help others, even when it is hard. He cares about how we treat people who need kindness.
Memory Verse
Exodus 23:5
If you see the donkey of him who hates you fallen down under his burden, don’t leave him, you shall surely help him with it.
(WEB)
Teach children to hold one hand flat and lift the other hand over it, as if helping someone carry a heavy load. Say the verse together while you move your hands. Ask them to do it again every time they hear the word “help.”
The Story: Exodus 23 for Kids
God gave His people many rules to help them live well together. He told them not to spread false stories about other people. Those stories could hurt someone who had done nothing wrong. He also said they should never go along with a crowd that was doing something bad. Doing wrong is not okay just because lots of people are doing it.
God said that when a judge is deciding a case, he must not take a bribe. A bribe can make a person stop seeing clearly, and it can twist what is right. Judges must be fair to rich people and to poor people alike. God does not like it when the innocent are hurt, and He will not excuse the wicked.
God told His people to remember how it felt to be strangers in a faraway land. They had lived in Egypt, where they were not treated well. So God said, “Do not treat foreigners badly. You know how it feels.” He also asked them to let the land rest every seventh year, so the poor and the animals could have food. He gave them a day of rest every week too, so their workers and animals could be refreshed.
God reminded His people that they must worship only Him. They were to keep three special feasts each year, to remember what He had done for them. He promised to send an angel to guide them into the good land He had prepared for them. He said that if they listened to Him and obeyed, He would be their protector and help them win against their enemies.
God was giving His people a clear picture of how to live. They were to be honest, fair, kind, and faithful to Him. He wanted them to remember that He had rescued them and that He would keep His promises.
Read It Together
Exodus 23:1
“You shall not spread a false report. Don’t join your hand with the wicked to be a malicious witness.
(WEB)
Point out that God begins with a rule about telling the truth. Ask children what it feels like when someone spreads a false story about them. Help them see that honesty protects other people.
Exodus 23:9
“You shall not oppress an alien, for you know the heart of an alien, since you were aliens in the land of Egypt.
(WEB)
Show children that God remembers how His people once felt as strangers in Egypt. Ask them how they can make a new kid at school feel welcome. Connect kindness to remembering our own experiences.
Exodus 23:25
You shall serve the LORD your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you.
(WEB)
Explain that God promises to bless His people when they serve Him. Point out that God takes care of our needs. Let children name things they are thankful God provides, like food and water.
Talk About It
- What is one way you can tell the truth this week, even if it is hard?
- How would you feel if someone spread a false story about you at school?
- Who is someone new or different that you could make feel welcome?
- Why do you think God cares about how we treat poor people and strangers?
- What is one way you can help someone who is struggling, like helping carry a heavy load?
Activity Ideas
Helping Hands Drawing
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and a pencil. Ask each child to trace one of their hands on the paper. Inside the outline, have them write or draw one way they can help someone this week. Display the hands on the wall as a reminder that God wants us to help others.
Fair Play Relay
You will need two cups, a small ball or a crumpled sock, and a open space to move around. Divide the children into two teams and have them pass the ball from cup to cup while carrying it on a spoon or in their hands. After the game, ask: did every team get a fair chance? Talk about how God wants us to play fair and cheer for everyone.
Kindness Reminder Card
You will need cardstock or thick paper, scissors, and a marker. Have each child write the words “Help others” or “Tell the truth” on one side and draw a small picture on the other. Punch a hole in the corner and tie on a piece of yarn. Children can take the card home and place it where they will see it each morning.
Teacher Notes
This passage gives adults a picture of God’s justice that touches every part of life. It shows that God cares about honest courts, fair treatment of the poor, kindness to foreigners, rest for workers and land, and faithfulness to Him alone. The rules were given to a specific people in a specific time, so read them as the revealing character of God rather than a checklist to copy directly.
Avoid telling children that doing good always brings them easy success or that God will defeat their personal enemies on demand. The chapter speaks to a nation’s promised land and its covenant with God. Keep the focus on God’s faithfulness, honesty, and kindness, which children can understand and live out.
A Prayer to Close
Dear Lord, thank You for being fair and kind to everyone. Help us tell the truth, treat others well, and help people who need us. Remind us that You care about every person. Help us to follow You every day. Amen.
