This lesson teaches children that choosing revenge and trickery leads to sorrow, while God’s people can trust Him to be faithful even when things go wrong. It suits children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes, with time for a story, a verse, and a short activity.
Big Idea
When we use tricks and anger to get our way, we hurt people and make a mess. God wants us to be honest, kind, and fair, even when someone has hurt us.
Memory Verse
Genesis 34:7
The sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it. The men were grieved, and they were very angry, because he had done folly in Israel in lying with Jacob’s daughter; a thing ought not to be done.
(WEB)
Ask the children to put their hand on their heart when they say the word “grieved.” Then have them make a fist and slowly open it, showing how anger can build up and then make us feel sad inside. Say the verse together twice, pausing at each action.
The Story: Genesis 34 for Kids
Jacob had a daughter named Dinah. One day Dinah went out to visit some girls who lived in the land. A young prince named Shechem saw her, and he was not kind to her. He hurt her, and Dinah was very sad and frightened.
Later, Shechem came to his father, Hamor, and said, “Please get me this girl to be my wife.” Hamor went to talk with Jacob and his sons. When Jacob’s sons heard what had happened, they were very angry, because it was wrong to treat Dinah that way.
Hamor and Shechem spoke to the people of their city. They said, “Let us make peace with Jacob’s family, and let us all become one people.” But Jacob’s sons did not tell the truth. They said the men of the city must all be circumcised first. The men agreed and did it.
Three days later the men were still sore and weak. Two of Dinah’s brothers, Simeon and Levi, took their swords and went into the city. They hurt the men there and took Dinah back home. Then the other sons came and took everything from the city.
Jacob was worried. He said to his sons, “You have made trouble for me. Now the people around us may come and fight us.” Jacob’s family was in danger because of the bad choices that had been made.
Simeon and Levi still said that their sister should not be treated like that. The story ends with a family that had been hurt and a family that had hurt others, and everyone was left with a lot of sorrow.
Read It Together
Genesis 34:2
Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her. He took her, lay with her, and humbled her.
(WEB)
Point out that Shechem did something very wrong to Dinah. Explain that this was a terrible hurt, and children should know that nobody has the right to treat someone that way.
Genesis 34:13-14
13 The sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father with deceit, and spoke, because he had defiled Dinah their sister, 14 and said to them, “We can’t do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised; for that is a reproach to us.
(WEB)
Show the children that Jacob’s sons used lies and tricks to get revenge. Explain that deceit is never the right way to solve a problem, even when someone has done wrong.
Genesis 34:30
Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have troubled me, to make me odious to the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I am few in number. They will gather themselves together against me and strike me, and I will be destroyed, I and my house.”
(WEB)
Point out that Jacob was worried about what his sons had done. Explain that when we make bad choices, other people often end up hurt and worried too.
Talk About It
- How do you think Dinah felt after she was hurt, and how could her family have helped her?
- What are some safe and kind ways to tell a grown-up when someone has hurt you?
- Why do you think Jacob’s sons used tricks instead of telling the truth?
- What happened to the people in the city because of the anger and lies?
- What is one thing you can do this week to be honest and fair when you feel angry?
Activity Ideas
Draw a Family Picture of Peace
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and a pencil. Ask each child to draw a picture of a family or group of friends working together and being kind. Talk about how the picture would look different if people were lying or fighting. Let them share one peaceful thing they could do at home.
Walk the Path of Honesty
You will need masking tape or a piece of string. Lay a long line on the floor and tell the children it is the path of honesty. Have them walk along it while balancing with their arms out. Stop them now and then to ask a question, such as “What would you do if your friend broke a toy?” Each answer that chooses honesty means they take another step forward.
Honest Hearts Chart at Home
You will need a sheet of paper, stickers or stamps, and a pen. Make a simple chart with the days of the week across the top. Each time your child tells the truth when it is hard, or chooses kindness instead of anger, they earn a sticker. Talk together about each sticker so the child connects the chart with real choices.
Teacher Notes
This chapter shows how sin spreads from one choice into many hurts. Shechem’s wrong, Jacob’s sons’ deceit, and the violent revenge all bring suffering to many people. Adults can see the chapter as a warning about how anger and deception grow, and as a reminder that God’s faithfulness stands even when His people fail.
With children, avoid overstating the violence of the revenge or turning the story into a lesson about any group of people. Keep the focus on honesty, kindness, and bringing hard feelings to a trusted adult or to God.
A Prayer to Close
Dear Father, thank You for always being faithful to us, even when we make mistakes. Help us to be honest and kind, and to bring our angry feelings to You. Keep us safe from doing wrong, and help us treat others the way You want us to. Amen.
