In this lesson, children learn that God wants kings and everyone else to do what is right, fair and kind to people who need help. The lesson is for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach, including the story, the Bible reading and the activity.
Big Idea
God cares about fairness. He wants us to treat everyone well, especially people who are poor, lonely or easy to hurt, because doing right pleases him.
Memory Verse
Jeremiah 22:3
The LORD says: “Execute justice and righteousness, and deliver him who is robbed out of the hand of the oppressor. Do no wrong. Do no violence to the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow. Don’t shed innocent blood in this place.
(WEB)
Hold both hands in front of you, palms up, like you are holding a bowl. Then slowly lift them and open them wide, as if you are giving something to a friend. Say the words together as you move, one word at a time.
The Story: Jeremiah 22 for Kids
A long time ago, there was a king named Jehoiakim who ruled the land of Judah. He lived in a big house in the city of Jerusalem. God sent a prophet named Jeremiah to tell the king something important. God said, “Go to the king’s house and tell him to listen to me.”
God’s message was simple. The king and his helpers must do what is fair. They must help people who have been treated badly, such as strangers in the land, children without parents and women without husbands to care for them. They must not hurt innocent people. If they did this, the kings after them would still have a home and a place to rule.
But the king did not listen. He built a fancy house with windows and wooden ceilings painted red. He did not pay the workers who built it. God said, “Woe to him who builds his house by being unfair, and does not pay people for their work.” God was not happy with the king for being greedy and cruel.
God also told Jeremiah to say something sad about the king. When the king died, the people would not cry for him or honor him. He would be buried like a dead donkey, far outside the city. God was telling the people that when people choose to be unfair, they lose the good things God planned for them. God still loves his people and wants them to turn back to him.
Read It Together
Jeremiah 22:15-16
15 “Should you reign, because you strive to excel in cedar? Didn’t your father eat and drink, and do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him. 16 He judged the cause of the poor and needy; so it was well, then. Wasn’t this to know me?” says the LORD.
(WEB)
Point out that God reminds the king that his own father did what was right and fair, and that good things came to him for it. Ask children what it looks like to help someone who is poor or in need in their own homes and classrooms.
Jeremiah 22:21
I spoke to you in your prosperity; but you said, ‘I will not listen.’ This has been your way from your youth, that you didn’t obey my voice.
(WEB)
Show children that God spoke to his people many times, but they did not want to listen. Explain that listening to God means trusting him and doing what he says, even when it is hard.
Jeremiah 22:29
O earth, earth, earth, hear the LORD’s word!
(WEB)
Point out that Jeremiah calls on the whole earth to hear God’s word. Explain that God’s message is important for everyone, not only for kings, and that God’s word stays true even when people do not listen.
Talk About It
- What did God want the king to do for people who were poor or needed help?
- Why do you think the king did not want to listen to God’s message?
- Who are some people in our town who might need kindness and help?
- How can we treat people fairly when we play games or share toys?
- What is one way we can listen to God this week?
Activity Ideas
Fair Share Drawing
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and a pencil. Ask each child to draw a picture of a time they shared something or helped someone who needed it. Let them tell the group about their picture. Then hang the drawings on a wall so everyone can see how God’s people can be fair and kind together.
Balance Scale Game
You will need a coat hanger, two paper cups, and small items such as coins or buttons. Tie a string to each end of the hanger and hang a cup from each string. Explain that God wants things to be fair, like a balanced scale. Let children add the same number of items to each cup and watch the scale stay level. Talk about how God wants us to balance kindness and fairness.
Kindness Reminder Card
You will need an index card, a pen, and a marker. Have each child write the memory verse on the card or help them write the words “God wants me to do what is fair and kind.” Let them decorate it with stickers or drawings. Encourage them to take it home and place it somewhere they will see it, such as on the fridge or by their bed.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that God holds rulers and ordinary people to the same standard of justice. Jeremiah’s message is that real faith is shown in how we treat the weak, the stranger and the powerless. It also shows that God keeps calling people back to himself even after they have turned away.
Avoid making the story about exactly how or when the king and his family died, since the chapter focuses on God’s warning and his call to justice. Keep the focus on fairness and listening to God, not on frightening details about punishment.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank you for caring about fairness and for loving people who need help. Help us to be kind, to share what we have, and to treat everyone with respect. Help us listen to you every day and do what is right. Amen.
