This lesson teaches children that God is in charge of every nation, even the ones that turn away from Him, and that He keeps His promises. It suits children roughly 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
God is the King over all the nations, and He is always fair. Proud people who forget Him will not win in the end, but God still keeps His promises to bring His people back.
Memory Verse
Jeremiah 48:47
“Yet I will reverse the captivity of Moab in the latter days,” says the LORD. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.
(WEB)
Ask the children to hold both hands out in front of them, then slowly bring them back together and clap once. Each time they clap, they can say, “God will make things new.” Doing this together helps the verse stick, because the clap marks the words “I will reverse.”
The Story: Jeremiah 48 for Kids
Long ago, there was a land called Moab, and the people of Moab lived in many cities on the hills east of the Dead Sea. They were proud. They trusted their own strong walls, their money, and their idol named Chemosh. They did not think God would ever stop them.
God sent the prophet Jeremiah to tell them the truth. Jeremiah said that the cities of Moab would be knocked down, and that the people would have to run away. Some of them cried out as they fled. The sound of crying was heard from one town to the next.
The people who ran away were told to save their lives. The prophet said to be like a small bush out in the empty desert, which has no walls around it at all. Their treasures would not keep them safe, and neither would their idol Chemosh. God said, “I know how proud Moab is, and his boasting has done nothing.”
Even in this sad story, God said something hopeful. He told the people, “I will bring Moab’s people back again in the days to come.” Jeremiah shows us that God is not finished, even when a nation is in trouble. God is still the one who decides what happens.
Read It Together
Jeremiah 48:7
For, because you have trusted in your works and in your treasures, you also will be taken. Chemosh will go out into captivity, his priests and his princes together.
(WEB)
Point out that the people trusted their works and their treasures instead of God. Ask the children what kinds of things people sometimes trust more than God, such as toys, money, or being the best at something.
Jeremiah 48:29-30
29 “We have heard of the pride of Moab. He is very proud in his loftiness, his pride, his arrogance, and the haughtiness of his heart. 30 I know his wrath,” says the LORD, “that it is nothing; his boastings have done nothing.
(WEB)
Show how God knows when people are proud and boastful. Explain that God sees our hearts, and that He is not fooled by big talk. Help the children see that humble hearts are what God looks for.
Talk About It
- What did the people of Moab trust in instead of God?
- How do you think the people felt when they had to run away from their homes?
- Why do you think God does not like it when people feel proud?
- What is one thing you can do to remember that God is in charge of everything?
- What good news do you find in this story, even though it is a sad story?
Activity Ideas
Paper Bush Drawing
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and a pencil. Ask each child to draw a small, bendy bush growing out of a dry, sandy ground with a bright sun above it. Talk together about how the bush stands low and humble. Then ask the children to write or draw one thing they can trust God with this week.
Walls Come Down Game
You will need a few cardboard boxes or pillows for walls, and a open space in your room. Make a pile of “walls” in the middle of the floor, then let the children take turns knocking them over while everyone sings a simple praise song. When the walls fall, shout together, “God is still in charge!” This gets the whole body moving while reminding everyone of the main truth.
Promise Card to Take Home
You will need index cards, a marker, and a rubber band. Write “Jeremiah 48:47: God will bring things back” on one side of each card, and let each child decorate the other side. Show them how to tuck the card in a pocket or on a bedside table. Encourage them to read it aloud at bedtime with their family.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter is a sobering picture of God’s justice toward a nation that was proud and hostile toward His people. Moab’s pride, trust in wealth and idols, and mocking spirit are named clearly, and the judgment falls because of them. Yet the chapter closes with God’s promise to restore Moab in the latter days, which shows that His justice is always joined to His mercy.
With children, avoid overstating the harsh details of destruction, fear, or suffering. Keep the focus on the simple truths that God is in charge, that pride is dangerous, and that God keeps His word to bring hope after trouble. Let children ask questions, and be honest that some parts of the Bible are hard to understand.
A Prayer to Close
Father, we know that You are the King over every nation and every person. Help us not to trust in our own strength or our stuff. Teach us to be humble and to trust You every day. Thank You that You always keep Your promises to make things new. Amen.
